Abstract
Parental interactions through play contributes significantly to child development of cognitive and executive functioning skills. In Thailand, there is little evidence of factors contributing to parental–child interactions. In response to SDG target 4.2.3 monitoring (the percentage of children under 5 years experiencing positive and stimulating home learning environments), this study aimed to assess the prevalence and profile of parental interactions with their children under the age of five. We analysed data from the 6th Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) conducted by the National Statistical Office in 2019. Face-to-face interviews with mothers and/or legal guardians were conducted. A total of 8856 children under the age of five were enrolled in this survey. Most participants, 90.3%, had engaged in at least four out of six activities with their children. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that children raised by parents with secondary or post-secondary educations had a significantly greater chance to have parental interactions than children raised by parents who completed primary education (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.66, and AOR = 2.34 for secondary and post-secondary education). Children who possessed three or more children’s books and had experience of toy play had a significantly higher chance of having parental interactions (AOR = 3.08 for book possessing, and AOR = 1.50 for the experience of toy play). Children who spent 1–3 h daily screen time had a significantly lower chance of having parental interactions than those who spent less than one hour of screen time (AOR = 0.67). In conclusion, with the emerging influence of digital technology, we recommend family and community promote parental interactions through play with young children.
Highlights
The data obtained in this study was one part of the 6th Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) jointly conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in 2019 [18]
This study shows a high proportion of children, 90%, were reported to be engaged with their parents during playtime
A long period of screen time presented a detrimental impact on parental interactions
Summary
Play is a self-motivated activity that involves active participation and naturally leads to pleasant discovery [1,2]. Play is one of the most important ways in which young children gain essential knowledge and skills; play opportunities and environments that promote play, exploration, and hands-on learning are at the core of effective pre-primary school interventions. Critical skills that children acquire through play in the preschool years form part of the fundamental building blocks of future complex “21st-century skills” [3]. UNICEF describes attributes of childhood play, see Box 1. Children can express themselves via play while developing their inventiveness, Int. J.
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