The pace of physical development can be attributed to many factors.

The
genetic readiness and its process of unfolding, referred to maturation, and
provisions in the environment are essentially determinant of physical
development. Due to one’s inherited characteristics, whether physical or not, are
expected to become evident at a specific period of time. Others may manifest this
development early on, while some will have them later in the development
stages. For example, some girls in the adolescence stage may experience first
menstrual period, the menarche, earlier while some will have menstruation later.
This experience is found to be positively correlated with one another.
Opportunities in the environment are likewise important source of physical
development. Activities, interaction with people and objects, ang learning
experiences can be sources that skills are acquired.
There are several external factors that may contribute to the physical
development of a person, regardless of his/her stage, it is important to note that
these factors may have varying degree of effect depending on the stage of
development. For instance, parental impact is more prominent during childhood
stages compared during adulthood. In the same way, that cultural expectations
are more prominent during adolescents and adulthood compared to during
childhood period.
The external factors that contribute into the physical development can be
classified in several aspects such as parental contribution, psychosocial
opportunities, physical environment, and nutritional concern. These factors are
rather interconnected with one another and may have effect to each other. For
instance, nutritional concern can be traced from the beliefs and practices of
parents on what food is healthy and those that are not.
1.PARENTAL CONTRIBUTION
Since parents are the immediate environment of the developing child, their
impact is considered unmeasurable, most especially during the early stage of life.
The parenting belief are usually translated into practice and may affect the range
of opportunities provided to the child. In fact, the Nation’s International
Children’s Fund UNICEF 2004 report on the importance of caregiver-child
interaction, they placed the caregiver, in the most cases the parents, central
component in the child’s general survival. Despite of the availability of resources
provide by the government and private agencies, they only become relevant upon
the initiative of the parents or the caregivers to subscribe to the program being
implemented.
It is important to point out that parental attitude, knowledge, and
appreciation play central role in maximizing the physical development. Focusing
on the caregiving behaviors, awareness and familiarity about how they can
engage on this behavior depend on the degree of their preparation to taking the
role as parents, most especially for first time parents. For instance, the practice of
breastfeeding does not pertain to the commitment to do so but also to depth of
knowledge one has in order to continuously commit oneself to such practice.
Limited and/or selective knowledge about such can be detrimental not to
continuously practice breastfeeding. The short-term and long-term of these
attitude, knowledge, and practice may not necessarily to be known everyone,
hence positive and negative consequences may be undermined. The importance
of having complete vaccination cannot be seen immediately since it serves as
protection against acquiring deceases only upon exposure. Rather than seeing it
as health investment, it can be perceived as financial burden especially if medical
services not readily available or not directly accessible.
The child rearing beliefs, knowledge, and practices cannot only be
attributed to the parent themselves but also as a product of one’s cultural
embeddedness. The manner by which children are approached is a reflection of a
collective belief about people in general. The internal working model or the
mental representation of self and others are basis in terms of choosing certain
behavior towards children. The difference in the physical activities that male and
female may be exposed to is anchored to collective gender beliefs system of a
specific culture. Boys, for example, may be allowed to engage more in physical
activities while young girls have limited to almost no opportunities for such.
Because of this, the physical progress become more prominent, aside from the
basic biological differences that exist between them already. In many instances,
adolescent boys are given much flexibility in their attitude and behavior than girls.
The above premise is very much evident among Filipino parents. While
some young parents practice more liberated approach in child rearing, many still
conservative in terms of subscribing to the cultural expectation and beliefs about
physical development of children. The perception that children are weak and
incapable of handling their self often used as basis to restrict children from
engaging to activities that may promote physical development.
2.PHYCHOSOCIAL OPPORTUNITES
Although physical development is seen as significant rooted from biological
and genetic processes and whatever changes appear are attributed as product of
these processes. However, social interaction, whether of the same age or not, can
actually promote assistance in increasing opportunities for physical development.
Among these opportunities are the amount of play engagement children are
provided. Aside from the social benefits of play, it is also a venue that allows to
exercise muscles and can have impact in the weight of children. Plays that
consistently involve the use of muscles like the gross and fine muscles. Those that
require running will make use of the gross muscles while those that require
dealing with small toys or activities can lead to developing the fine motors. During
adolescents, social connection are venues of learning how to deal with physical
changes that are taking place. Parental efforts to teach their female offspring deal
with pregnancies that can lea an easier outcome. Among adults, most especially
among older people, group activities encourage not only keeping one’s social life
active but also keeping one’s bones and muscle active. In this way, it may delay
the muscular weakening. Across all stages, the quality of social interaction with
other people can contribute to the degree of one’s engagement, voluntary or not,
in the physical-enhancing activities.
3.PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
Physical environment refers to the non-social aspects of the one’s environment,
such as but not limited to, the place where one lives and the accompanying
materials within it. Space, for instance, is significant important for one to have
more opportunities for movements. Children who live with limited space may not
warrant activities that require gross motor. Considering that changes in the living
spaces people i.e., condominium where spaces both outside and inside the house
is not very generous, physical activities become optional than a constantly
available opportunity. Another concern is the availability of digital gadgets like
tablets than lessens physical engagement. Long number of hours of engagement
to such does not only have impact to social connection but can also delay the
physical development. Filipino local games have been less played by the current
generation due to the alternative digital activities. Across stages, lesser physical
activities can possibly lead to weight issues.
In addition to space available is the issue if air pollution and gadget which
significantly contribute in the health condition of the people regardless of age.
Children can easily acquire respiratory-related concerns due to the early
exposures to pollutions. Deadly viruses have been evolving to becoming more
deadly given these atmospheric conditions. This is further reinforced by the
challenges people encounter in waste management. The vast amount of garbage
people is producing and the management of waste disposal make children more
susceptible to acquire illness such as diarrhea and dengue especially those who
have weaker immune system. This illness can cause long-term health problem if
not given proper immediate medical attention.
4.NUTRITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES
Knowledge and practices about the nutritional components of what one is eating
can have short and long-term effect. The degree by which health is given an
attention should be the same as to the degree that nutritional aspect should be
given attention. Considering the era of commercialism, food has not only been
filled with preservatives as well as regarded as a lifestyle. However, some may
have a belief that this healthy kind of lifestyle is rather expensive. Parents of
younger children are easily swayed by the promotion of media advertisement
with regard to their advantages than pursuing natural-based diets. For example,
instead of infants being fed by vegetables when introducing solid foods some may
prefer commercial infants’ foods which, again, have preservatives. Interestingly,
the quality of food one eats is also relative to where people live. Those who
resides in agricultural places or those who have opportunities for planting have
higher tendency to eat natural and healthy food compared to those who have
access to canned and instant food.
The susceptibility to acquire or unfold genetically inherited disease or
illness also depend on the quality of food being taken. The huge amount of
available sugar-filled food, not necessarily desserts, in the market has significant
increasing the number of diabetes cases. The issue on providing wide variety of
food in the market as well as scarcity of resources put many manufacturers on the
use of unnatural materials and ingredients in order to address these issues. This is
not withstanding the market competitions in there.