Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 14, 2026

Randomized, Triple-Blind, and Parallel-Controlled Trial of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Cognitive Rehabilitation after Stroke
08:53

Randomized, Triple-Blind, and Parallel-Controlled Trial of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Cognitive Rehabilitation after Stroke

Published on: June 6, 2025

1.9K

Effects of home-based play-assisted stimulation on developmental performances of children living in extreme poverty:

Berhanu Nigussie Worku1,2, Teklu Gemechu Abessa3,4, Mekitie Wondafrash5,6

  • 1Department of Psychology, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia. brexnigussie83@yahoo.com.

BMC Pediatrics
|February 7, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Intensive home-based play stimulation significantly improved developmental outcomes in Ethiopian children in foster care. This intervention shows promise for reducing developmental problems in resource-limited settings.

Area of Science:

  • Child Development
  • Global Health
  • Intervention Studies

Background:

  • Children in Ethiopian foster care face developmental risks in resource-limited settings.
  • The efficacy of play-assisted developmental stimulation is not well-established in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the impact of a play-assisted intervention on the developmental performance of children in foster families experiencing extreme poverty.
  • To evaluate the integration of this intervention into basic services.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized single-blind controlled trial involving 78 children aged 3-59 months in Jimma, Ethiopia.
  • Intervention group received weekly home-based play stimulation for six months alongside basic services.
  • Developmental outcomes (personal-social, language, motor, social-emotional) assessed using standardized tools; data analyzed with Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE).

Main Results:

  • Significant improvements observed in language (P=0.0014), personal-social (P=0.0087), and social-emotional (P<0.0001) development.
  • Midline analysis showed positive effects on language (effect size=0.34) and social-emotional (effect size=-0.603) development.
  • Intervention effects varied by child's sex for language and family income for personal-social development.

Conclusions:

  • Home-based play-assisted stimulation effectively reduced developmental problems in foster children living in extreme poverty.
  • The findings support the use of such interventions in resource-limited settings.
  • Further research with longer follow-up is recommended to ascertain sustained developmental improvements.
Abstract

Keywords:
Developmental performanceDevelopmental stimulationExtreme povertyFoster familyHome-basedPlay-assisted stimulation

More Related Videos

Behavioral Assessment of Hearing in 2 to 4 Year-old Children: A Two-interval, Observer-based Procedure Using Conditioned Play-based Responses14:05

Behavioral Assessment of Hearing in 2 to 4 Year-old Children: A Two-interval, Observer-based Procedure Using Conditioned Play-based Responses

Published on: January 23, 2017

29.8K
Author Spotlight: Advancements and Challenges in Surgical Treatments for Postamputation Pain03:26

Author Spotlight: Advancements and Challenges in Surgical Treatments for Postamputation Pain

Published on: March 8, 2024

3.6K

Related Concept Videos

Blind Procedures02:07

Blind Procedures

Ideally, the people who observe and record the children’s behavior are unaware of who was assigned to the experimental or control group, in order to control for experimenter bias. Experimenter bias refers to the possibility that a researcher’s expectations might skew the results of the study. Remember, conducting an experiment requires a lot of planning, and the people involved in the research project have a vested interest in supporting their hypotheses. If the observers knew which...
13.7K
Blinding01:11

Blinding

Blinding is a commonly used method of not telling participants which treatment a subject is receiving. Blinding is a critical part of a randomized control trial or RCT. It reduces the bias that affects the results. In an RCT, blinding is used in the form of a placebo. A placebo effect occurs when untreated subjects falsely believe they have received the treatment and report improved symptoms. A placebo or a dummy treatment is administered to subjects to negate the bias caused by such an effect.
4.0K
Social Foundations of Self I: Play and Game01:24

Social Foundations of Self I: Play and Game

The development of self in children is deeply rooted in social interactions, mainly through stages of play and structured games. These stages, outlined by sociologist George Herbert Mead, illustrate how children progressively learn to understand and adopt social roles, forming a cohesive sense of self.The Play Stage: Imitation and Simple Role-TakingIn the early years of childhood, the play stage is characterized by imitative behavior, where children engage in role-playing based on familiar...
233
Trial and Error and Algorithm01:12

Trial and Error and Algorithm

A problem-solving strategy is a plan of action used to find a solution. Different strategies have distinct action plans. Trial and error involves trying different solutions until one works. For instance, to fix a broken printer, you might check ink levels, ensure the paper tray isn't jammed, and verify the printer's connection to your laptop. This method can be time-consuming but is commonly used. Thomas Edison, for example, used trial and error to find a suitable filament for the light...
435
Clinical Trials: Overview01:11

Clinical Trials: Overview

Clinical development focuses on how the drug will interact with the human body and encompasses four key phases of clinical trials, each serving a specific purpose in assessing the safety and effectiveness of new drugs. These phases overlap and build upon one another. Phase I involves a small group of healthy volunteers (typically 20-80 individuals) or, in cases where significant toxicity is expected, patients with the targeted disease, such as cancer or AIDS. The volunteers are tested for...
5.1K
Clinical Trials01:16

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are prospective experimental studies conducted on humans to determine the safety and efficacy of treatments, drugs, diet methods, and medical devices. Using statistics in clinical trials enables researchers to derive reasonable and accurate conclusions from the collected data, allowing them to make wise decisions in uncertain situations. In medical research, statistical methods are crucial for preventing errors and bias.
There are four phases in a clinical trial. A phase one...
10.9K