Does Long-Term Enrollment in Day-Care Maintain or Increase Early Developmental Gains—Findings from an Intervention Study in Rural Bangladesh
Objective: Community day-care centers (or crèches) are gaining popularity; access to these centers can reduce cognitive gaps. This paper describes the sustained impact of enrollment in day-cares on cognitive gains. Methods: As part of a larger study, a census of all children was conducted in 2012–20...
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MDPI AG
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Children |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/9/7/929 |
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| author | Priyanka Agrawal Divya Nair Shumona Sharmin Salam Md Irteja Islam Jena Derakhshani Hamadani Olakunle Alonge |
| author_facet | Priyanka Agrawal Divya Nair Shumona Sharmin Salam Md Irteja Islam Jena Derakhshani Hamadani Olakunle Alonge |
| author_sort | Priyanka Agrawal |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective: Community day-care centers (or crèches) are gaining popularity; access to these centers can reduce cognitive gaps. This paper describes the sustained impact of enrollment in day-cares on cognitive gains. Methods: As part of a larger study, a census of all children was conducted in 2012–2013 to identify children between 9 and 17 months of age in rural Bangladesh. A sub-sample of children (<i>n</i> = ~1000) were assigned to receive either a day-care or playpen. Children from two sub-districts were randomly selected and assessed at 9–17 months of age for cognitive and behavioral domains using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-III. The same children were then followed-up with after one year to see if the scores obtained by the children in the day-care intervention were different from those enrolled in the playpen intervention using a difference-in-difference estimator. Results: Children enrolled in the day-care intervention performed better (in communication, gross-motor, personal-social, and problem-solving domains) than children enrolled in the playpens when followed up with after a one-year period. Total scores were 0.31 (95% CI 0.141–0.472) higher (<i>p</i> value < 0.001) among children in the day-cares. Family care indicators as well as the child’s and mother’s weight were significantly associated with sustained and increased cognitive gains. Conclusion and relevance: The cognitive and psychosocial improvements seen with short-term exposure to structured ECD programs (day-care) were observed to be sustained over time with continued exposure. Home stimulation and parental involvement add to the long-term benefits of ECD. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T03:35:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e9298b0ec7a046babcd59b14baa7ebf8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T03:35:02Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Children |
| spelling | doaj.art-e9298b0ec7a046babcd59b14baa7ebf82023-12-03T14:50:41ZengMDPI AGChildren2227-90672022-06-019792910.3390/children9070929Does Long-Term Enrollment in Day-Care Maintain or Increase Early Developmental Gains—Findings from an Intervention Study in Rural BangladeshPriyanka Agrawal0Divya Nair1Shumona Sharmin Salam2Md Irteja Islam3Jena Derakhshani Hamadani4Olakunle Alonge5Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USADepartment of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USADepartment of Oncology & Metabolism, The University of Sheffield, Jessop Wing, Tree Root Walk, Sheffield S10 2SF, UKFaculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Edward Ford Building, Camperdown, Sydney, NSW 2006, AustraliaMaternal and Child Health Division, International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), GPO Box 128, Dhaka 1000, BangladeshDepartment of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USAObjective: Community day-care centers (or crèches) are gaining popularity; access to these centers can reduce cognitive gaps. This paper describes the sustained impact of enrollment in day-cares on cognitive gains. Methods: As part of a larger study, a census of all children was conducted in 2012–2013 to identify children between 9 and 17 months of age in rural Bangladesh. A sub-sample of children (<i>n</i> = ~1000) were assigned to receive either a day-care or playpen. Children from two sub-districts were randomly selected and assessed at 9–17 months of age for cognitive and behavioral domains using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-III. The same children were then followed-up with after one year to see if the scores obtained by the children in the day-care intervention were different from those enrolled in the playpen intervention using a difference-in-difference estimator. Results: Children enrolled in the day-care intervention performed better (in communication, gross-motor, personal-social, and problem-solving domains) than children enrolled in the playpens when followed up with after a one-year period. Total scores were 0.31 (95% CI 0.141–0.472) higher (<i>p</i> value < 0.001) among children in the day-cares. Family care indicators as well as the child’s and mother’s weight were significantly associated with sustained and increased cognitive gains. Conclusion and relevance: The cognitive and psychosocial improvements seen with short-term exposure to structured ECD programs (day-care) were observed to be sustained over time with continued exposure. Home stimulation and parental involvement add to the long-term benefits of ECD.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/9/7/929cognitive developmentearly childhood developmentcommunity day-careschildrenrural Bangladesh |
| spellingShingle | Priyanka Agrawal Divya Nair Shumona Sharmin Salam Md Irteja Islam Jena Derakhshani Hamadani Olakunle Alonge Does Long-Term Enrollment in Day-Care Maintain or Increase Early Developmental Gains—Findings from an Intervention Study in Rural Bangladesh Children cognitive development early childhood development community day-cares children rural Bangladesh |
| title | Does Long-Term Enrollment in Day-Care Maintain or Increase Early Developmental Gains—Findings from an Intervention Study in Rural Bangladesh |
| title_full | Does Long-Term Enrollment in Day-Care Maintain or Increase Early Developmental Gains—Findings from an Intervention Study in Rural Bangladesh |
| title_fullStr | Does Long-Term Enrollment in Day-Care Maintain or Increase Early Developmental Gains—Findings from an Intervention Study in Rural Bangladesh |
| title_full_unstemmed | Does Long-Term Enrollment in Day-Care Maintain or Increase Early Developmental Gains—Findings from an Intervention Study in Rural Bangladesh |
| title_short | Does Long-Term Enrollment in Day-Care Maintain or Increase Early Developmental Gains—Findings from an Intervention Study in Rural Bangladesh |
| title_sort | does long term enrollment in day care maintain or increase early developmental gains findings from an intervention study in rural bangladesh |
| topic | cognitive development early childhood development community day-cares children rural Bangladesh |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/9/7/929 |
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