Abstract
Past research suggests robust positive associations between household socioeconomic status and children's early cognitive development in Western countries. Relatively little is known about these relations in low-income country settings characterized by economic adversity, high prevalence of malnutrition and infectious disease, and relatively lower school enrollment. The present study develops and empirically evaluates an adapted model of early childhood development using a sample of 2,711 Zambian 6-year-olds. Early learning in and out of the home was found to explain much of the relation between socioeconomic status and children's cognitive skills, including language, nonverbal reasoning, and executive function. Child height-for-age (a proxy for overall nutritional status and health) was also predictive of children's cognitive skills and both early and on-time school enrollment. Implications for global child development, intervention, and future work are discussed.
Highlights
Results of latent variable structural equation models testing our primary theoretical model for early enrollment in the full sample indicated adequate fit, with a root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) of 0.014, a confirmatory fit index (CFI) of 0.991, and a weighted root mean square residual (WRMR) of 0.760
This study was conceived as an initial effort to extend and adapt existing Western models of child development for use in a sub-Saharan African, low-income country
Results of this study revealed that the strength of the associations vary, the relationships between socioeconomic status (SES), parental stimulation, and cognitive skills previously observed in high-income countries appear to hold true in the Zambian context, as well (Duncan & Brooks-Gunn, 2000; Gershoff et al, 2007; Guo & Harris, 2000; Lugo-Gil & Tamis-LeMonda, 2008; McLoyd, 1998)
Summary
The primary goal of the current study is to test an adapted model of SES and early childhood cognition in a sample of 2711 Zambian children. We aim to address this gap by testing a model of children’s early development that explicitly considers the levels and types of adversity faced by representative Zambian families. The primary goal of the present study was to present an adapted model of socioeconomic status, early exposure to stimulating learning environments, and child cognitive skills, and to test this model’s validity within a sample of Zambian children facing levels of poverty, malnutrition, and educational barriers similar to those of many LMICs
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
