Original Research

Prevalence of possible developmental coordination disorder among Grade 1 learners in low socio-economic environments in Mangaung, South Africa

Alretha Margaretha du Plessis, Monique de Milander, Frederick Francois Coetzee, Mariette Nel
South African Journal of Childhood Education | Vol 10, No 1 | a836 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/sajce.v10i1.836 | © 2020 Alretha Margaretha du Plessis, Monique de Milander, Frederick Francois Coetzee, Mariette Nel | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 12 December 2019 | Published: 07 September 2020

About the author(s)

Alretha Margaretha du Plessis, Department of Exercise and Sport Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
Monique de Milander, Department of Exercise and Sport Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
Frederick Francois Coetzee, Department of Exercise and Sport Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
Mariette Nel, Department of Biostatistics, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa

Abstract

Background: Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) affects motor skills and consequently has an impact on the performance in daily living activities of learners with this impairment.

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of possible DCD in Grade 1 (Gr. 1) learners in a low socio-economic environment in Mangaung, South Africa.

Setting: The study was conducted in the Mangaung Metro, Motheo District, Free State Province. Gr. 1 learners, 6–8 years old (n = 242), from a low socio-economic environment attending Quintile 1–3 schools were randomly selected for assessment.

Methods: The Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2nd edition (MABC-2) was used to identify learners with possible DCD. Furthermore, results were compared with regard to gender.

Results: Of the 242 learners, 9.9% were identified with possible DCD. With regard to gender, 10.5% of boys and 9.3% of girls showed signs of possible DCD. No significant difference (p = 0.9439) has been found between boys and girls.

Conclusion: The prevalence of possible DCD among Gr. 1 learners in this setting was higher than that in previously reported studies in other low and high socio-economic environments of South Africa. Further research is required to establish the full extent of possible DCD within learners living in low socio-economic environments.


Keywords

developmental coordination disorder (DCD); Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2nd edition (MABC-2); motor skills; children; learners; socio-economic environment; prevalence

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