Child Development in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Marc H Bornstein1,2,3, W Andrew Rothenberg4,5, Jennifer E Lansford4
1Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland marc.h.bornstein@gmail.com.
Pediatrics
|October 13, 2021
Summary
National development, particularly education, significantly boosts child development indicators like literacy and socioemotional skills. Policies supporting caregiver education are crucial for improving early childhood development in low- and middle-income countries.
Area of Science:
- Global Health
- Developmental Psychology
- Socioeconomics
Background:
- The UN's Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) provide nationally representative data for monitoring child well-being.
- MICS data are internationally comparable, facilitating cross-country analysis of child development indicators.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between national development and early childhood development.
- To identify key predictors of child development in low- and middle-income countries.
Main Methods:
- Utilized MICS data from 51 countries, encompassing 159,959 children aged 36-59 months.
- Employed the UN Human Development Index (HDI) for national development and the Early Childhood Development Index (ECDI) for child development.
- Controlled for demographic variables at child, mother, and household levels.
Main Results:
- Higher national development, especially education, strongly correlates with improved child literacy, numeracy, and socioemotional skills.
- The HDI explained 16% of the variance in ECDI scores, demonstrating its significant predictive power.
- National development was a more influential predictor of child development than any single family demographic variable.
Conclusions:
- Policies promoting national health, wealth, and caregiver education are vital for enhancing early childhood development.
- Findings align with the World Summit for Children goals and inform the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
- Strengthening national development is a key strategy for improving child development outcomes globally.
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