Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK.
Insight Impact Consulting, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
BMJ Open. 2023 Oct 29;13(10):e075675. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-075675.
Evidence suggests that responsive caregiving and early learning activities positively impact developmental outcomes, with positive effects throughout the life course. Early childhood development interventions should align with local values, beliefs and resources but there has been little research of caregiver beliefs and perspectives on development and learning, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. This qualitative study explored norms, beliefs, practices and aspirations around child development of caregivers of young children in rural Burkina Faso.
We conducted 32 in-depth interviews with mothers and fathers of young children and 24 focus group discussions with mothers, fathers and grandmothers, which included trying behaviours and reporting on experiences. The research informed the development of Scaling Up Nurturing Care, a Radio Intervention to Stimulate Early Childhood Development (SUNRISE), an early child development radio intervention.
Caregivers described a process of 'awakening', through which children become aware of themselves and the world around them.Perceptions of the timing of awakening varied, but the ability to learn was thought to increase as children became older and more awake. Consequently, talking and playing with babies and younger children were perceived to have little developmental impact. Caregivers said children's interactions with them, alongside God-given intelligence, was believed to impact later behaviour and development. Caregivers felt their role in helping their children achieve later in life was to pay for education, save money, provide advice and be good role models. Interaction and learning activities were not specifically mentioned. Caregivers who trialled interaction and learning activities reported positive experiences for themselves and their child, but interactions were often caregiver led and directive and play was often physical. Key barriers to carrying out the behaviours were poverty and a lack of time.
Exploring early childhood beliefs and practices can reveal important sociocultural beliefs which, if incorporated into programme planning and implementation, could help achieve more impactful, acceptable and equitable programmes.
NCT05335395.
有证据表明，回应式照护和早期学习活动对发展结果有积极影响，这种积极影响会持续整个生命历程。儿童早期发展干预措施应符合当地的价值观、信仰和资源，但对照顾者关于发展和学习的信念和观点的研究很少，特别是在撒哈拉以南非洲地区。本定性研究探讨了布基纳法索农村地区幼儿照顾者对儿童发展的规范、信念、实践和期望。
我们对 32 名幼儿的母亲和父亲进行了深入访谈，并与母亲、父亲和祖母进行了 24 次焦点小组讨论，包括尝试行为和报告经验。这项研究为扩大养育关爱规模、刺激儿童早期发展的广播干预（SUNRISE）提供了信息，这是一项早期儿童发展广播干预措施。
照顾者描述了一个“觉醒”的过程，在这个过程中，孩子们开始意识到自己和周围的世界。对觉醒时间的看法各不相同，但人们认为，随着孩子年龄的增长和变得更加清醒，他们的学习能力会增强。因此，与婴儿和幼儿交谈和玩耍被认为对他们的发展没有什么影响。照顾者说，孩子与他们的互动，以及与生俱来的智力，被认为会影响他们以后的行为和发展。照顾者觉得他们帮助孩子在以后的生活中取得成功的角色是为教育付费、存钱、提供建议和树立良好的榜样。互动和学习活动并没有被特别提及。尝试过互动和学习活动的照顾者报告说，他们自己和孩子都有积极的体验，但互动往往是由照顾者主导和指令性的，游戏往往是身体上的。开展这些行为的主要障碍是贫困和缺乏时间。
探索儿童早期的信念和实践可以揭示重要的社会文化信念，如果将这些信念纳入方案规划和实施中，可能有助于实现更有影响力、更能被接受和更公平的方案。
NCT05335395。
