Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38053131›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2023

Maternal stimulation and early child development in sub-saharan Africa: evidence from Kenya and Zambia.

Silas Onyango, Patricia Kitsao-Wekulo, Nelson Langat, Kenneth Okelo, Dawn E Murdock, Jürg Utzinger, Günther Fink

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
6.4field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.

Silas OnyangoDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Kreuzstrasse 2, Allschwil, CH-4123, Switzerland. onyangosilo@gmail.com.
Patricia Kitsao-WekuloHuman Development Theme, African Population and Health Research Center, Nairobi, 10787-00100, Kenya.
Nelson LangatHuman Development Theme, African Population and Health Research Center, Nairobi, 10787-00100, Kenya.
Kenneth OkeloHuman Development Theme, African Population and Health Research Center, Nairobi, 10787-00100, Kenya.
Dawn E MurdockEpiscopal Relief & Development, 815 Second Avenue, New York, NY, 10017, USA.
Jürg UtzingerDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Kreuzstrasse 2, Allschwil, CH-4123, Switzerland.
Günther FinkDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Kreuzstrasse 2, Allschwil, CH-4123, Switzerland.
African Population and Health Research Center · KESwiss Tropical and Public Health Institute · CHRelief International · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDespite major improvements in child survival over the past decade, many children in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) remain at risk of not reaching their developmental potential due to malnutrition, poor health, and a lack of stimulation. Maternal engagement and stimulation have been identified as some of the most critical inputs for healthy development of children. However, relatively little evidence exists on the links between maternal stimulation and child development exists in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This current paper aims to identify the associations between maternal stimulation and child development in Kenya and Zambia, as well as the activities that are most predictive of developmental outcomes in these settings.

methodsWe conducted a descriptive study using data from a prospective study in Kenya and Zambia. The study included three rounds of data collection. Children were on average 10 months old in round one, 25 months old in round two, and 36 months old in round three. The primary exposure variable of interest was maternal stimulation activities, which we grouped into cognitive, language, motor, and socio-emotional activities. The outcome of interest was child development measured through the Third Edition of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3). Linear regression models were used to estimate the associations between overall maternal stimulation and domain-specific maternal stimulation and child development across the three rounds of the survey.

resultsHigher maternal stimulation scores were associated with higher ASQ scores (effect size = 0.25; 95% CI: 0.19, 0.31) after adjusting for other confounders. For domain specific and child development (ASQ scores), the largest effect size (ES) was found for language stimulation (ES = 0.15) while weakest associations were found for socio-emotional domain activities (ES= -0.05). Overall maternal stimulation was most strongly associated with gross motor development (ES = 0.21) and the least associated with problem-solving (ES = 0.16).

conclusionOur study findings suggest a strong positive link between maternal stimulation activities and children's developmental outcomes among communities in poor rural settings.

trial registrationNA (not a clinical trial).

Indexed as

Child DevelopmentFamilyChildChild, PreschoolHumansInfantKenyaProspective StudiesZambiaChild developmentCognitive activitiesEarly learningLanguage activities socio-emotional activitiesMaternal stimulationMotor activitiesResponsive caregiving

Identifiers

PMID38053131
PMCPMC10696819
OpenAlexW4389337810

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.