The effect of physical maturity and socioeconomic status on Tehran children's cognitive flexibility and perceived motor competence

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of physical maturity and social and economic status on cognitive flexibility and perceived motor competence in 10-12-year-old children in Tehran. 

This study used a causal-comparative method, according to Morgan's table, 400 elementary schools ranging between the ages of 10 to 12 years in Tehran (second half of the academic year 1400) were randomly selected. Skeletal maturity was estimated by the Khamis-Roche method. The SES questionnaire was used to assess the socio-economic status. The Cognitive Flexibility Questionnaire (FC) was used to assess the level of cognitive skills and the perceived motor competence questionnaire Was applied to measure children's motor skills. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and Pearson's correlation coefficient.

Socio-economic status and physical maturity have a significant effect on each of the variables of perceived motor competence (p=0/001) and also on the variables of cognitive flexibility(p=0/021). The children at the level of early physical maturity and normal and also children with better socioeconomic status were perceived in the variables of cognitive flexibility (p=0/016)and motor competence (p=0/011)and their components were better than children with late physical maturity and low socioeconomic status. The results of Pearson's correlation coefficient showed that there is a significant relationship between physical maturity and cognitive flexibility and perceived motor competence, and there is also a significant relationship between socioeconomic status and perceived cognitive flexibility and motor competence, and high socioeconomic status in children with precocious puberty leads to increased cognitive flexibility and perceived motor competence.

Early physical maturity level and high socioeconomic status have led to an increase in perceived motor competence and cognitive flexibility of children.