The Impact of Parental Socioeconomic Status and Physical Activity on Motor Competence of Children with ADHD

Background: Previous studies have shown that parental socioeconomic status directly affects the participation of children in physical activities and consequently the improvement in their motor competencies. Nevertheless, this issue has been less studied in children with ADHD. Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate the associations between parental socioeconomic status and motor competence considering physical activity as a mediator. Methods: The present study followed a descriptive-correlational approach using structural equation modeling (SEM). The statistical population of the study included 86 male students diagnosed with ADHD (mean age of 8.36±1.07) who attended in a special school in Tehran. Short-Form Bruininks-Oseretsky Battery, Parental Socioeconomic Status Scale, and Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children were used for data collection. Pearson correlation test and structural equation modelling were used for investigating the relationships between the research variables. Results: The mean BMI of the participants was 16.9±1.84, placing the BMI-for-age at the 70-percentile indicating that they have healthy weights. Children in this study were in the lower-average level of motor competence (e.g., balance, upper limb coordination, and strength), their parents were mostly at medium level of socioeconomic status, and the physical activity level of the children was lower than average (M=2.23). In addition, parental socioeconomic status positively affected motor competence (T=6.862) and physical activity (T=5.151), and physical activity positively impacted motor competence (T=5.593). Conclusion: Low amounts of physical activity in our sample make it necessary to find out appropriate factors and strategies to enhance it in children with ADHD. According to our findings, education and income of parents along with the children’s participation in physical activity may be critical concerns for their health.