Childcare Hours Research Articles

Prevalence of objectively measured sedentary behavior in early years: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

The early years have been identified as a critical period during which sedentary habits may be established, as this behavior appears to track throughout life. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to summarize the current literature on the prevalence of sedentary behavior in children aged 1-5.99 years, reporting differences between boys and girls, weekdays and weekend days, childcare hours and nonchildcare hours, and between time spent indoors and outdoors while children attended childcare. Five databases were searched until 26.10.2017 and meta-analyses were conducted to estimate prevalence and calculate mean differences in prevalence between groups. Fifty studies representing 14598 children (2-5.99 years) were included. Children spent 51.4% of their waking time in sedentary behaviors. Boys spent less time being sedentary than girls (estimate difference=-1.4%; 95%CI=-2.0: -0.7; P<.001). No significant differences were found between weekdays/weekend days (estimate difference=-0.4; 95%CI=-2.0: 1.2; P=.61) nor between childcare hours/nonchildcare hours (estimate difference=%; 95%CI=-0.9: 6.6; P=.136). While attending childcare centers, children were more sedentary indoors than outdoors (estimate difference=14.4%; 95%CI=11.8: 16.9; P<.001). Our results suggest that young children spend a significant portion of their waking hours in sedentary behaviors. While at childcare, young children accumulated more sedentary behavior indoors than outdoors. Girls were more likely to be more sedentary than boys. No significant differences were found between weekdays and weekends, or between childcare and nonchildcare hours. There is a need for higher-quality studies with strong designs, using age and device appropriate cut-off points, to improve evidence-base and to better establish prevalence of sedentary behavior in young children.

Association between breaks in sitting time and adiposity in Australian toddlers: Results from the GET‐UP! study

In youth, research on the health benefits of breaking up sitting time is inconsistent. Our aim was to explore the association between the number of breaks in sitting time and adiposity in Australian toddlers. This study comprised 266 toddlers (52% boys), aged 19.6±4.2months from the GET-UP! Study, Australia. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated and z-scores by age and sex were computed for waist circumference (WC). Participants were classified as overweight according to the WHO criteria for BMI. For WC, participants with a z-score≥1SD were considered overweight. Sitting time was assessed with activPALs during childcare hours and participants were classified by tertiles of the number of breaks/h in sitting time: <26 breaks/h; 26-39 breaks/h, and >39 breaks/h. Logistic regression assessed odds ratios for non-overweight (BMI or waist circumference categories) by number of breaks in sitting time/h, controlling for age, sex, and socioeconomic status. The number of breaks in sitting time significantly predicted a lower weight status (non-overweight) according to WC values (P for trend=0.032) after adjustments. Breaking up sitting time was positively associated with toddlers' waist circumference. Future studies are needed to determine whether breaking up sitting time is a protective for cardiometabolic health in toddlers.

Grandparents in the blues. The effect of childcare on grandparents’ depression

We estimate the effect of grandchild care on the depression of grandmothers and grandfathers, using data from the Survey on Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe and an identification strategy which exploits both the random variation in the timing of interviews across individuals and the fact that the demand for childcare declines with the age of grandchildren. We find that more childcare increases depression. The estimated effect is sizeable: ten additional hours of childcare per month increase the probability that complying grandmothers and grandfathers develop depressive symptoms by 3.2 to 3.3 percentage points and by 5.4 to 6.1 percentage points respectively.

Investigating spatial variations in access to childcare provision using network‐based Geographic Information System models

AbstractA “flagship” policy outlined in the current Welsh Government's 2016 Programme for Government aims to provide 30 hours of free early education and childcare per week to the working parents of three‐ and four‐year‐olds. However, in common with many other countries, there is currently a lack of detail regarding existing levels of childcare provision that can act as a benchmark with which to examine the impacts of this policy. This article addresses an urgent need to understand current levels of provision at detailed geographical scales so as to provide an accurate picture of early childhood education and care across Wales. By drawing on Geographic Information System network models we compare the spatial distribution of providers with that of potential demand arising from those population groups targeted in the childcare offer. These provide a simple to understand supply‐to‐demand ratio that overcome the limitations of ratios derived for arbitrary administrative boundaries. The types of map‐based outputs that emanate from such an approach are demonstrated to provide more insights into spatial patterns of accessibility to current levels of childcare provision. These have guided the choice of pilot studies that will inform the roll out of the full childcare offer by the Welsh Government in 2020.

Predictors of parent-teacher communication during infant transition to childcare in Portugal

ABSTRACTAlthough literature reports associations between parent-teacher communication and childcare quality, little is known about how such communications are related to family, child and childcare characteristics. This study examines whether child, family and childcare experience characteristics predict the level of parent-teacher communication, and differences between parents’ and teachers’ reports of communication. Participants were mothers of 90 infants and their teachers in childcare in Portugal. Results show that both parents and teachers report higher levels of communication in higher-quality programmes. Teachers reported more frequent communication than parents. Teachers, but not parents, reported more frequent communication when children spent fewer hours in childcare. Discussion highlights the relevance of monitoring the quality of childcare contexts, especially in early ages, and to increase parent-teacher communication when children spend more time in childcare. The importance of promoting high-quality childcare and accounting for variables at the mesosystemic level of development in teacher training are also discussed.

Usage and Quality of Formal Child Care Services Experienced by Infants and Toddlers in Foster and Kinship Care: An Australian Study

This research uses data from the Early Childhood in Foster and Kinship Care (ECIFKC) study to identify the proportion of young children, under 2 years of age, in foster and kinship care who use formal child care; weekly hours of child care; predictors of weekly hours of child care; and quality of care experienced. The sample for these analyses involved 39 foster and kinship care children. A higher proportion of ECIFKC children used child care compared to same-aged Australian peers and experienced more weekly hours of child care than other Australian children. Quality of child care was broadly the same as for other young Australian children. Factors associated with more weekly hours of child care included living in a placement with a single caregiver and being in a placement with a sibling. This finding suggested that child care participation may be provided with the goal of respite for caregivers. While the child care experienced met Australian national quality standards, the long hours that some children spent in child care is concerning. It is also unclear whether extra supports and quality features may be important to meet the special needs of foster and kinship care children in child care settings.

Childcare experiences and early school outcomes: The mediating role of executive functions and emotionality

AbstractThe current study examined whether young children's executive functions and emotionality are related to childcare experiences and whether they work as mediators explaining the associations between childcare experiences and early school outcomes. Findings from a national sample of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (N = 990) revealed that centre‐based care experiences and childcare quality positively predicted preschool children's executive functions, which then were linked to their academic skills and social skills in preschool and kindergarten years. Childcare hours were negatively related to executive functions. Further, childcare experiences did not predict children's emotionality, which was related to their social skills. Overall, childcare experiences, of higher quality, more structure and less hours, were modelled as predicting early school outcomes directly as well as indirectly through executive functioning.Highlights A mediated model of childcare experiences and early school outcomes through executive functions and emotionality is proposed. SEM analysis revealed that high‐quality, center‐type, and non‐excessive care experiences predicted executive functions, which then predicted academic and social outcomes, None of the childcare characteristics predicted emotionality while emotionality predicted social outcomes. Executive functions can be stimulated by high‐quality, structured care experiences and need to be a target of early learning and intervention.

Contemporary fatherhood: Social, demographic and attitudinal factors associated with involved fathering and long work hours

Time pressures around work and care within families have increased over recent decades, exacerbated by an enduring male breadwinner culture in Australia and manifested in increasingly long work hours for fathers. We identified fathers who spent relatively long hours actively caring for children despite long work hours and we compared them with other fathers who did less work, less childcare, or less of both. Using 13 waves of the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey, we explored characteristics associated with the time fathers spent in work and care. The age and ethnicity of fathers differentiated those who spent long hours in both work and childcare from all other groups of fathers, yet other factors were also important for the time fathers spent at work or with children. By examining fathers at the margins of the distributions of work and childcare hours, we add valuable insights into associations between work and care for families.

Impact of the Supporting Physical Activity in the Childcare Environment (SPACE) intervention on preschoolers\u2019 physical activity levels and sedentary time: a single-blind cluster randomized controlled trial

BackgroundPhysical activity levels among preschoolers in childcare are low and sedentary time high. The Supporting Physical Activity in the Childcare Environment (SPACE) intervention had three components: 1. portable play equipment; 2. staff training; and, 3. modified outdoor playtime (i.e., shorter, more frequent periods). This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of the SPACE intervention on preschoolers’ physical activity levels and sedentary time during childcare hours (compared to standard care).MethodsVia a single-blind cluster randomized controlled trial, 338 preschoolers (39.86 ± 7.33 months; 52% boys) from 22 centre-based childcare facilities (11 experimental, 11 control) were enrolled. Preschoolers wore an Actical™ accelerometer for 5 days during childcare hours at baseline, post-intervention, and 6- and 12-month follow-up, and were included in the analyses if they had a minimum of two valid days (5 h each day) at baseline and one additional time point. Intervention effectiveness was tested using a linear mixed effects model for each of the four outcome variables (i.e., sedentary time, light physical activity [LPA], moderate-to-vigorous physical activity [MVPA], and total physical activity [TPA]). Fixed effects were further evaluated with t-tests, for which degrees of freedom were estimated using a Satterthwaite approximation.ResultsOne hundred and ninety-five preschoolers were retained for analyses. The intervention did not significantly impact LPA. MVPA was significantly greater among children in the experimental group when comparing post-intervention to pre-intervention, t(318) = 3.50, p = .0005, but no intervention effects were evident at 6- or 12-month follow-up. TPA was significantly greater for children in the intervention group at post-intervention when compared to pre-intervention, t(321) = 2.70, p = .007, with no intervention effects evident at later time periods. Finally, sedentary time was significantly lower among preschoolers in the experimental group when comparing post-intervention to pre-intervention, t(322) = 2.63, p = .009, with no significant effects at follow-up.ConclusionsThe SPACE intervention was effective at increasing MVPA and TPA among preschoolers, while simultaneously decreasing sedentary time. The ability of the SPACE intervention to target higher intensity activity is promising, as MVPA levels have been documented to be low in centre-based childcare. The changes in physical activity were not sustained long term (6- or 12-month follow-up).Trial registrationISRCTN70604107 (October 8, 2014).

Over-promise under-deliver, again

The government's commitment to parents of providing 30 ‘free’ hours of childcare sounds almost too good to be true, but a policy that has sweetened the electorate will turn sour due to lack of funding.

Association between childcare educators’ practices and preschoolers’ physical activity and dietary intake: a cross-sectional analysis

IntroductionChildcare educators may be role models for healthy eating and physical activity (PA) behaviours among young children. This study aimed to identify which childcare educators’ practices are associated with preschoolers’...

Putting healthy eating on the early years menu

Settings are well placed to have a key role in shaping the nation's health, as children spend longer hours in childcare. We look at what constitutes a healthy diet and how to promote good eating habits.

Childcare Assistance: Are Subsidies or Tax Credits Better?

AbstractWe evaluate price subsidies and tax credits for childcare. We focus on partnered women's labour supply, household income and welfare, demand for childcare and government expenditure. Using Australian data, we estimate a joint, discrete structural model of labour supply and childcare demand. We introduce two methodological innovations – a more flexible quantity constraint that total formal and informal childcare hours are at least as large as the mother's labour supply and the explicit inclusion of maternal childcare in the utility function as a proxy for child development. We find that tax credits are more effective than subsidies in terms of increasing average hours worked and household income. However, tax credits disproportionately benefit wealthier and more educated women. Price subsidies, while less efficient, have positive redistributional effects.

Elevated cortisol levels in Norwegian toddlers in childcare

ABSTRACTMeta-analytic evidence suggests that children have higher cortisol levels in childcare than at home. In the present study change of morning to mid-afternoon levels of cortisol was explored at home and in childcare in a Norwegian sample of toddlers. Further, analyses of associations between change of cortisol levels in childcare and child-, family-, and childcare factors were conducted. One hundred and twelve children attending 85 childcare centres were included in the present study. Saliva samples and observations in childcare were conducted 5–6 months after the children entered childcare. Linear mixed-model analyses revealed a statistical significant difference in change of cortisol levels during the day in childcare as compared at home. An increase in cortisol levels during the day was found among Norwegian toddlers in childcare, in particular for children with long hours in childcare, but not at home. Implications for practice are discussed.

Moderating Effects of Marital Fondness &amp; Admiration and Father’s Child Rearing Involvement on the Association between Parenting Stress and Marital Satisfaction: Comparison of Unemployed and Employed Mothers

This study investigated the moderating effects of marital fondness and admiration as well as the father’s involvement in child rearing on the association between parenting stress and marital satisfaction for a comparison of unemployed and employed mothers. The subjects were 159 unemployed mothers and 103 employed mothers with children under 3 years of age. The major findings of this study were as follows. First, unemployed mothers who had a lower level of marital fondness and admiration were dissatisfied with their marriage when they had higher parenting stress. Marital fondness and admiration are necessary for unemployed mothers in their transition period to parents. Especially, it is important for fathers to understand challenging conditions and encourage and support the spouse. However, there was no moderating effect of the father’s involvement in child rearing in the association between parenting stress and marital satisfaction. Second, employed mothers who had a lower level of father’s involvement in child rearing were dissatisfied with their marriage when they had higher parenting stress. The father’s involvement in child rearing is necessary for employed mothers in their transition period to parents. Furthermore, it is important to implement policies at the national level to support childcare hours for balanced work and life. However, there was no moderating effect of marital fondness and admiration for the association between parenting stress and marital satisfaction. Keywords: parenting stress, marital satisfaction, fondness and admiration, father’s involvement

Early child care and adolescent functioning at the end of high school: Results from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development.

Relations between early child care and adolescent functioning at the end of high school (EOHS; M age = 18.3 years) were examined in a prospective longitudinal study of 1,214 children. Controlling for extensive measures of family background, early child care was associated with academic standing and behavioral adjustment at the EOHS. More experience in center-type care was linked to higher class rank and admission to more selective colleges, and for females to less risk taking and greater impulse control. Higher quality child care predicted higher academic grades and admission to more selective colleges. Fewer hours in child care was related to admission to more selective colleges. These findings suggest long-term benefits of higher quality child care, center-type care, and lower child-care hours for measures of academic standing at the EOHS. (PsycINFO Database Record

생애 초기 보육경험과 만 4세 유아의 사회정서발달 간 관계

The present study aimed at investigating the relations between the amount of child care experienced in the first three years of life and socioemotional development of children at age 4 indicated by problem behaviors and peer competence. Using the longitudinal data of the Panel Study of Korean Children(PSKC), the information of 1,699 children were analyzed. The results indicated that any child care experience, hours in child care, full-time child care and early entry to child care were significantly related to children's externalizing behavior problem and play disruption at age 4. Some significant relations were detected between child care experience and better peer competence as well. Interestingly, the patterns of relations were different for boys and girls. Being in child care, a greater amount of child care and early entry to child care tended to be related to externalizing problem behaviors of boys and whereas they were more related to peer competence of girls indicated by play interaction, play disruption and play disconnection. Child care hours at age 3 were relative stronger predictors of children's development compared to those at age 1 or at age 2. The findings imply that the amount of child care during the first 3 years of life does not have strong harmful effects on preschoolers' socioemotional development and that there are differences in the effects of child care on boys and girls.

Challenges for Scotland and Wales

With elections scheduled for May 5, both Scotland and Wales will have fresh administrations that will need to immediately get up to speed with issues surrounding childcare hours and funding.

Child Care and Cortisol Across Infancy and Toddlerhood: Poverty, Peers, and Developmental Timing.

Evidence suggests that relations between child care and children's development-behaviorally and physiologically-likely differ between children from high-versus low-risk contexts. Using data from the Family Life Project (N = 1,155), the authors tested (a) whether within- and between-child differences in children's child care experiences (i.e., quantity, type, caregiver responsivity, and peer exposure) were predictive of their cortisol levels across infancy and toddlerhood and (b) whether these relations differed for children experiencing different levels of environmental risk. They found some evidence of such interactive effects. For children from high-risk contexts, within-child increases in child care hours were predictive of cortisol decreases. The inverse was evident for children from low-risk contexts. This relation grew across toddlerhood. Whereas a history of greater center-based child care was predictive of heightened cortisol levels for low-risk families, this was not the case for children from high-risk families. Irrespective of risk, greater peer exposure (between children) was associated with lower cortisol levels.

Family Socioeconomic Status, Immigration, and Children's Transitions Into School.

Family scholars have contributed a great deal to the growing literature documenting how children's transitions into elementary school serve as a critical period in their educational careers and, more broadly, in socioeconomic and demographic disparities in long-term educational attainment. The purpose of this review is to describe how this school transition works, why it has short- and long-term ramifications for educational inequality, and how it may be amenable to policy intervention and, then, to elucidate how research that looks inside children-including neuroscience-may deepen and build on what is already known in meaningful ways. Throughout, the discussion focuses on children from low-income families and children from Latin American immigrant families, two groups of children who are central to child- and family-focused efforts to understand and remedy educational inequality.