Abstract
Studies show that children who attend full-day kindergarten (FDK) experience both academic and developmental benefits compared to children who attend half-day programs. Sectors outside of health, such as education, can have important intended and unintended impacts on health. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand perceptions of parental and other stakeholders in Southern Nevada (USA) about the education–health link, and to understand priorities regarding how FDK access could affect health. Two 90-minute focus groups were conducted with 14 adult stakeholder participants representing parents, current and former teachers, and community members. Transcripts were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Eight major themes and several subthemes emerged; findings related to each are discussed. ‘Access’ was mentioned most frequently (n = 43), followed by ‘Time’ (n = 25), and ‘Lifetime educational attainment’ (n = 17). Participants were overall in favor of expanding access to FDK and felt that FDK could improve social skills, increase the amount of physical activity, and provide additional time for educators to detect additional learning disabilities when compared to half-day programs. Although the purpose was to understand priorities related to the education–health link, participants spent little time discussing this, suggesting this association is not inherently considered. Health and education stakeholders should collaborate to increase awareness, as this link may serve as an upstream approach to downstream effects on population health outcomes.
Highlights
The benefits of high-quality, early childhood education programs on low-income youth are well documented [1,2,3,4]
Findings indicate that children who attend full-day kindergarten (FDK) experience both academic and developmental benefits compared to children who attend half-day programs
Focus group participants emphasized the importance of FDK in building foundational skills as compared to half-day kindergarten (HDK) and noted that they believed it would lead to higher college achievement and lower dropout rates in Nevada
Summary
The benefits of high-quality, early childhood education programs on low-income youth are well documented [1,2,3,4]. State and local decision-makers, stakeholders, and community members frequently consider ways to improve the K–12 education system through education-oriented initiatives One of these initiatives has focused on FDK, which at the time of this study was not universally available in Nevada’s public schools. The connections between education and health are more complicated than access to goods and services and individual health behaviors and understanding this link must take into account the social determinants of health and health equity The purpose of this qualitative case study was to gain insight into what parents and other community stakeholders in Southern Nevada (USA) thought about the link between education and health, and to understand their priorities regarding how access to FDK could affect health
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