ArticlePloS one2020
Maternal, paternal, and other caregivers' stimulation in low- and- middle-income countries.
Article in PloS one, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 39 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
39 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Home-Based Learning Opportunities, Responsive Caregiving and the Development of Preschool-Aged Children in Low- and Middle-Income Countries of the East Asia and Pacific Region: A Systematic Review.Child: care, health and development · 2026Pooled it
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of partial correlations between caregiver cognitive stimulation in early childhood and child development.Psychological bulletinPooled it
- Caregivers' early stimulation behaviors on early child development outcomes in Northern Ghana.PloS one · 2026Trial
- Trial
- Feeding, caregiving practices, and developmental delay among children under five in lowland Nepal: a community-based cross-sectional survey.BMC public health · 2022Trial
- Shaping Development Through Parents: A Scalable Approach to Early Learning.Developmental science · 2026Article
- Pathways Between Family Socioeconomic Status and Early Childhood Development: Evidence From Andean Peru.Developmental science · 2026Article
- Associations between maternal and child anemia and development outcomes: evidence from a large cross-sectional population-based study.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Global minds: caregivers' perceptions of early childhood development across sociocultural contexts.BMJ paediatrics open · 2026Article
- Triangulating evidence, expertise, and maternal experience to design a gestational age-specific stimulation protocol for preterm infants in indian neonatal intensive care units.Journal of health, population, and nutrition · 2026Article
- Community-identified priorities for parenting and parental mental health in coastal Ghana: Formative insights to shape a multi-component intervention.PLOS global public health · 2026Article
- Home caregiving, early learning and the development of preschool-aged children in Vanuatu: A secondary analysis of 2023 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey data.PLOS global public health · 2026Article
- Psychosocial Predictors of Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices Among Mother-Child Dyads in Malawi and South Africa.Maternal & child nutrition · 2025Article
- How does context shape differences and changes in caregivers' engagement in psychosocial stimulation over time? Evidence from a cross-national study.International journal of behavioral development · 2025Article
- Joint parental stimulation and early childhood development in 26 sub-Saharan African countries.BMJ paediatrics open · 2025Article
- Behavioural interventions targeting the prevention and treatment of young children's mental health problems in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review.Journal of global health · 2025Article
- Associations between maternal capabilities for care and nurturing care behaviours among mother-child dyads in Malawi and South Africa.PLOS global public health · 2025Article
- Article
- Coparenting and children's socio-emotional ability: the mediating role of parental stimulation.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Maternal perceived safety and parenting practices with young children: a cross-sectional analysis from 15 low-income and middle-income countries.BMJ public health · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
objectivesGlobally, studies have shown associations between maternal stimulation and early child development. Yet, little is known about the prevalence of paternal and other caregivers' stimulation practices, particularly in low- and- middle-income countries (LMICs).
methodsData from the Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey (MICS) and the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) were combined across 62 LMICs (2010-2018). The sample included 205,150 mothers of children aged 3 and 4 years. High levels of stimulation were defined as caregiver engagement in at least 4 out of 6 possible activities with the child. The proportion of mothers, fathers, and other caregivers providing high levels of stimulation was calculated by country, region, and for the whole sample. Socioeconomic disparities within and between countries were estimated.
resultsOn average, 39.8% (95% CI 37.4 to 42.2) of mothers, 11.9% (95% CI 10.1 to 13.8) of fathers, and 20.7% (95% CI 18.4 to 23.0) of other adult caregivers provided high levels of stimulation. Stimulation varied by region, country income group, and Human Development Index (HDI), with higher levels of maternal and paternal-but not other caregivers'-stimulation in high-income and high-HDI countries. Within countries, stimulation levels were, on average, lower in the poorest relative to the richest households, and some but not all countries exhibited differences by child sex (i.e., boys vs. girls) or area (i.e., urban vs. rural).
conclusionsResults suggest a need for intervention efforts that focus on increasing caregiver stimulation in LMICs, particularly for fathers and in low-income contexts.
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