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OBJECTIVE: To assess the opportunities present in the home environment for motor development of infants. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional population-based epidemiological study on 239 infants aged three to 18 months who were living in the municipality of Juiz de Fora, Southeastern Brazil, in 2010. The participants were selected by means of stratifi ed random sampling, in clustered multiple stages. To assess the quality and quantity of motor stimulus in the home environment, the "Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development-Infant Scale" instrument was used. Bivariate analysis was performed, with application of the chi-square test followed by multinomial logistic regression, in order to investigate associations between the opportunities present in the home and biological, behavioral, demographic and socioeconomic factors. RESULTS: The opportunities for environmental stimulation were relatively low. In the bivariate analysis, for the age group from three to nine months, associations with the following factors were found: birth order (p = 0.06), socioeconomic classifi cation (p = 0.08), monthly income (p = 0.06) and per capita income (p = 0.03). In the regression model, the socioeconomic classifi cation prevailed (OR = 7.46; p = 0.03). For the age group from 10 to 18 months, bivariate analysis showed that the following factors were associated: mother's marital status (p < 0.01), father living with the child (p = 0.08), head of the family (p = 0.04), number of people in the household (p = 0.05), mother's schooling level (p < 0.01), father's schooling level (p < 0.01), socioeconomic classifi cation (p < 0.01) and per capita income (p = 0.03). In the regression model, the mother's marital status (OR = 4.83; p = 0.02), mother's schooling level (OR = 0.29; p = 0.03) and father's schooling level (OR = 0.33; p = 0.04) remained associated with the opportunities for environmental stimulation. CONCLUSIONS: Stable partnership between the parents, higher maternal and paternal schooling levels and higher economic level were the factors associated with better opportunities for motor stimulation in the home.

| Background: Socioeconomic status (SES) and stimulation provided in the home environment are influential factors in aspects of child well-being including motor development. Little is known regarding the influence of SES on specific aspects of the home environment. Objective: To evaluate the availability of affordances in the home to promote infant motor development and family SES. Method: The sample consisted of 300 families with infants aged 3 to 18 months. SES was assessed according to family socioeconomic class, income and parental level of education. To evaluate motor affordances found at home, the Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development-Infant Scale (AHEMD-IS) was used. The AHEMD-IS was designed to assess dimensions of the home environment including Physical Space (outside and inside space), Daily Activities and Play Materials (fine-motor and gross-motor toys). Results: SES indicators significantly influenced the availability of Physical Space and Play Materials. The Physical Space dimension was influenced by family economic class and income. The Play Materials dimension was influenced by all SES indicators. Daily Activities were not influenced by any of the SES indicators. Daily activities and play material were influenced by the infant's age. Conclusions: This study suggests that SES indicators are influential with regard to the provision of motor affordances in the home environment for infants. However, daily activities, which represent an aspect of the environment that is highly dependent on parental generation of situations that are conducive to motor skill development, are independent of family SES.

Resumo:Existe um consenso na literatura científica sobre a forte influência dos estímulos ambientais no desenvolvimento motor das crianças. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo analisar as oportunidades para o desenvolvimento motor em ambientes domésticos de diferentes ní-veis socioeconômicos no Estado do Ceará, Brasil. Os dados apresentados no estudo foram colhidos a partir das respostas ao questionário Affordances in the Home Enviroment for Motor Development -AHEMD -18-42 meses quando se entrevistaram 128 tutores responsáveis por crianças com idade entre 18 e 42 meses. Os resultados do estudo são bastante preocupantes, pois mostram uma prevalência da inadequação das estruturas arquitetônicas das residências favorecedoras do desenvolvimento motor e a inexistência de materiais suficientes ao desenvolvimento da motricidade grossa e fina de crianças. Nota-se a necessidade, segundo os dados apresentados, de que seja avaliado o desenvolvimento motor das crianças para verificar se há uma associação entre as affordances e o desenvolvimento motor, e que haja uma aproximação das áreas de engenharia civil, arquitetura e educação física na busca de soluções para este problema. O estudo sugere, ainda, o surgimento de uma nova área de atuação para os profissionais que lidam com o movimento humano no sentido de prestarem consultorias para aquisição de brinquedos que auxiliem no desenvolvimento da motricidade grossa e fina. Palavras

The home environment has been established as a crucial factor for motor development, especially in infants. Exploring the home environment can have significant implications for intervention, as it is common practice in physical therapy to have professionals advise patients on home activities. Since 2010, our group has been working on the development of the Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development - Infant Scale (AHEMD-IS), a parental self-reporting instrument designed to assess the quality and quantity of factors (affordances) in the home environment. In Brazil, the instrument has been translated as "Affordances no Ambiente Domiciliar para o Desenvolvimento Motor - Escala Bebê", and it has been extensively used in several studies that address infant development. These studies in Brazil and other parts of the world highly recommended the need for a normative sample and standardized scoring system. A description of the study that addressed that need, along with the English version of the questionnaire and score sheets, was recently published in the well-known and respected journal Physical Therapy. Our intent with the present short communication is to notify Brazilian investigators and clinicians of this latest update so they can download the new instrument, as well as present the Brazilian (Portuguese) version of the AHEMD-IS along with its scoring system.