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Does pre-school improve cognitive abilities among children with early-life stunting? A longitudinal study for Peru

Santiago Cueto1, Juan León1, Alejandra Miranda1

  • 1Group for the Analysis of Development, Av. Grau 915, Barranco, Lima 4, Peru.

International Journal of Educational Research
|April 22, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Attending formal preschools in Peru boosts children's receptive vocabulary. Benefits were greater for well-nourished children, suggesting targeted improvements for community-based programs and at-risk youth.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Early Childhood Education
  • Public Health Nutrition

Background:

  • Childhood growth faltering in developing nations is linked to reduced cognitive abilities.
  • Early childhood interventions, like preschool, are crucial for cognitive development.
  • Nutritional status (e.g., HAZ) may interact with educational interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of preschool attendance on cognitive abilities at age five in Peru.
  • To examine the interaction between preschool attendance and early-life nutritional status (HAZ at one year).

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the Young Lives longitudinal dataset from Peru.
  • Employed instrumental variable analysis to assess preschool effects on cognitive outcomes.
  • Focused on receptive vocabulary as a cognitive measure.

Main Results:

  • Attending formal 'Jardines' preschools showed a significant positive effect on receptive vocabulary.
  • Attending community-based 'PRONOEI' preschools did not yield a significant impact on receptive vocabulary.
  • Increased duration in 'Jardines' was more beneficial for children with better nutritional status.

Conclusions:

  • Formal preschool ('Jardines') positively influences early cognitive development (receptive vocabulary) in Peruvian children.
  • Community-based preschools ('PRONOEI') may require quality improvements to enhance their impact.
  • Interventions should consider nutritional status, targeting vulnerable children for maximum benefit.

Keywords:
Peruchild developmentheight-for-agepre-school

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