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Cognitive and socioemotional caregiving in developing countries.
Marc H Bornstein1, Diane L Putnick
1Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD 20892-7971, USA. Marc_H_Bornstein@nih.gov
Child Development
|January 27, 2012
Summary
Positive caregiving, including cognitive and socioemotional activities, significantly impacts child development. Many mothers engage in play but fewer read or tell stories, highlighting intervention needs.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Developmental Psychology
- Global Health
Background:
- Positive caregiving practices are crucial for child development.
- Cognitive and socioemotional domains are key aspects of early childhood care.
- Understanding caregiving in developing countries is essential for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine cognitive and socioemotional caregiving in a large sample of families with young children.
- To identify variations in caregiving practices across developing countries.
- To explore the relationship between national economic factors and caregiving behaviors.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving over 127,000 families with children under 5.
- Data collected from 28 developing countries.
- Analysis of maternal engagement in cognitive (e.g., reading, storytelling) and socioemotional (e.g., play, outdoor activities) practices.
Main Results:
- Significant variation in caregiving practices was observed among mothers.
- Mothers engaged more frequently in socioemotional than cognitive activities.
- Fewer than a third of mothers read to or told stories to their children.
- Higher national GDP correlated with better caregiving practices, even after controlling for life expectancy and education.
- Most mothers reported not leaving young children unsupervised.
Conclusions:
- Caregiving practices vary widely, with a need to enhance cognitive stimulation like reading and storytelling.
- Socioeconomic factors, such as GDP, are associated with caregiving quality.
- Policy and interventions should focus on promoting enriching caregiving activities to support child development globally.
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