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Effectiveness of a parenting program in Bangladesh to address early childhood health, growth and development

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  • Aboud, Frances E.
  • Singla, Daisy R.
  • Nahil, Md Imam
  • Borisova, Ivelina

Abstract

A stratified cluster design was used to evaluate a 10-month parenting program delivered to mothers of children in rural Bangladesh. Intervention mothers through a combination of group meetings and home visits received messages along with an illustrative card concerning hygiene, responsive feeding, play, communication, gentle discipline, and nutritious foods. Control mothers received the standard government care. Three months prior, 463 children between 4 and 14 months in a subdistrict of western Bangladesh were administered the cognitive, receptive language and expressive language Bayley III subtests, their length was taken and past week illness recorded. Gross motor milestones were reported by the mother and verified through observation. Mothers were interviewed concerning their practices: preventive health practices, dietary diversity, home stimulation, and knowledge about development milestones. Maternal depressive symptoms were assessed as a measure of emotional availability. Family sociodemographic variables included maternal education, family assets, decision-making and mobility autonomy. One month after the end of the program, mothers and their children were again assessed. Comparisons were made between intervention and control children who were under-12 months vs. 12 months and older at the start of the program. This may be a critical age, when children begin to be upright and mobile enough to explore on their own and be less dependent on parenting stimulation. Analyses yielded strong intervention effects on the three Bayley subtests and on parenting practices related to stimulation and knowledge of development milestones. Age effects were found only for dietary diversity in that younger children in the program benefited more than older ones. However, all children became more stunted. Findings are discussed in terms of theories of behaviour change and parenting, critical ages for parenting programs, and implications for program delivery.

Suggested Citation

  • Aboud, Frances E. & Singla, Daisy R. & Nahil, Md Imam & Borisova, Ivelina, 2013. "Effectiveness of a parenting program in Bangladesh to address early childhood health, growth and development," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 250-258.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:97:y:2013:i:c:p:250-258
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.06.020
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    6. Trillingsgaard, Tea L. & Maimburg, Rikke D. & Simonsen, Marianne, 2021. "Group-based parent support during the transition to parenthood: Primary outcomes from a randomised controlled trial," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 287(C).
    7. Rosangela Bando & Florencia López Bóo & Xia Li, 2016. "Sex-Differences in Language and Socio-emotional Skills in Early Childhood," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 95396, Inter-American Development Bank.
    8. Yiwei Qian & Yi Ming Zheng & Sarah-Eve Dill & Scott Rozelle, 2020. "Correlates of participation in community-based interventions: Evidence from a parenting program in rural China," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(9), pages 1-19, September.
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    10. Chandra, Anjali & Mani, Subha & Dolphin, Heather & Dyson, Meredith & Marah, Yembeh, 2021. "Experimental Evidence from an Integrated Early Childhood Parenting Program in Sierra Leone," IZA Discussion Papers 14054, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    11. Ebert, Cara & Vollmer, Sebastian, 2022. "Girls unwanted – The role of parents’ child-specific sex preference for children’s early mental development," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    12. Ai Yue & Yu Bai & Yaojiang Shi & Renfu Luo & Scott Rozelle & Alexis Medina & Sean Sylvia, 2020. "Parental Migration and Early Childhood Development in Rural China," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 57(2), pages 403-422, April.
    13. Yu Bai & Reyila Abulitifu & Dan Wang, 2022. "Impact of an Early Childhood Development Intervention on the Mental Health of Female Caregivers: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-30, September.
    14. Bai, Yu & Yang, Ning & Wang, Lei & Zhang, Siqi, 2022. "The impacts of maternal migration on the cognitive development of preschool-aged children left behind in rural China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).

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