Children's Educational Outcomes Research Articles

Effect of universal HIV testing and treatment on socioeconomic wellbeing in rural Kenya and Uganda: a cluster-randomised controlled trial

Universal testing and treatment for HIV has shown promise as an approach to reduce mortality and lower HIV incidence. Evidence on the economic effects of this approach on individuals and households in low-resource settings is scarce. We aimed to examine the effect of universal HIV testing and treatment on a range of economic outcomes. We collected data in household surveys done over a 3-year period in a sample of HIV-positive and HIV-negative adults participating in a cluster-randomised trial of universal HIV testing and treatment in 32 rural communities in Kenya and Uganda. Communities of approximately 10 000 people were pair-matched on the basis of geographical and population characteristics, with the best-matching 16 pairs randomly assigned (1:1) to intervention or control groups. Participants in intervention communities received annual HIV and multidisease testing, universal antiretroviral therapy (ART) eligibility, and patient-centred care. Participants in control communities received baseline testing and medical care according to national guidelines. We analysed employment and health-care utilisation outcomes for working-age adults (age 18-65 years) and education outcomes for school-age children (6-17 years) using data from 3 years after the intervention. This trial is now complete, and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01864603. Between July 9, 2013, and June 15, 2017, we collected survey data on 8198 working-age adults and 6755 school-age children. Compared with adults living with HIV in control communities, adults living with HIV in intervention communities were more likely to be employed (difference 9·7% [95% CI 2·1 to 18·3]), less likely to seek health care (-10·3% [-22·0 to 0·1]), and less likely to spend money on health care (-12·7% [-22·4 to 0·6]) 3 years after the intervention. We found no significant differences in outcomes between HIV-negative adults in intervention and control communities. Among children in households with HIV-positive adults, the intervention led to a 7·3% (95% CI 1·0 to 15·1) increase in primary school completion after 3 years in intervention communities compared with control communities. Universal HIV testing and treatment improved employment outcomes and other indicators of socioeconomic wellbeing for HIV-positive adults and children in their households, but had no effect on HIV-negative adults. Our findings suggest that the considerable investments needed to expand ART access might have substantial short-term and long-term economic returns. National Institutes of Health.

Citizenship and education trajectories among children of immigrants: A transition-oriented sequence analysis

During recent decades, the educational outcomes of the children of immigrants have been extensively studied, with a growing emphasis on the heterogeneity of the so-called second generation. Yet, the impact of host country citizenship on children's educational outcomes has only received limited attention so far, although children of immigrants do not get automatic birthright citizenship in most European countries. Focusing on the Netherlands, this paper compares educational trajectories among citizen and non-citizen children of immigrants. Register data and sequence analysis are used to map and cluster the trajectories of a full cohort of second-generation students from the start of secondary school. We apply a variant of optimal matching focusing on sequences of transitions, which enables us to uncover different patterns of (im)mobility within a stratified school system better than the standard approach. Multinomial logistic regressions show that students who acquire Dutch citizenship are significantly more likely to follow upward trajectories, taking advantage of the system's flexibility and "back doors". Conversely, not having Dutch citizenship is associated with a higher risk of dropout and school interruptions. These findings are in line with our theoretical expectation that, during the naturalisation process, parents acquire or further develop important resources for navigating a complex educational system such as the Dutch one.

The Voice of Parents of Children With a Congenital Anomaly - A EUROlinkCAT Study.

EUROlinkCAT aims to investigate the health and educational outcomes of children with congenital anomalies for the first 10 years of their lives. We also aim to facilitate the development of a more reciprocal relationship between families with children with congenital anomalies, health and social care professionals, and researchers by conducting focus groups. The aim of the focus groups and parent interviews was to investigate parental experiences of having a child with a heart defect requiring surgery, cleft lip, spina bifida or Down Syndrome and to identify their research priorities. In total, seven interviews with 12 parents and eight focus groups with 58 parents and two caregivers were conducted in four European countries. We found that parents request more positive information with a focus on quality of life and what the children can achieve rather than solely on the negative aspects and limitations of the congenital anomaly. Some parents also highlighted discrepancies between the family's need for support and the lack of support received from the local authority. Finally, it was challenging for the parents to address specific research priorities. Future research should therefore focus on the potential of a child with a congenital anomaly.

Bereavement and educational outcomes in children and young people: A systematic review

Experiencing bereavement due to the death of a close person is rife in the lives of young people. This review aimed to investigate how bereavement affects educational outcomes of students at various educational levels and what factors may be involved in moderating these outcomes. The systemic review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines with searches of peer-reviewed literature in Embase, Emcare, Medline, PsycINFO and Scopus. Twenty-two studies (17 quantitative and 5 qualitative) were included. In general, bereavement can constitute a barrier to educational achievement in young people compromising academic performance, and educational engagement and attainment. Several factors can place young people at greater risk of experiencing this disadvantage and further research into these mechanisms and interventions to mitigate short- and long-term consequences, especially among high-risk groups, is warranted.

Change and stability in the association of parents' education with children's intelligence

Parents' educational attainment is one of the strongest predictors of children's cognitive development, which in turn exerts a pivotal influence on children's educational outcomes. However, no prior study has explored change and stability in the relative association of mothers' and fathers' education with children's intelligence (IQ) that may occur across generations. Here, we identified 5 population cohort studies with children born in 1946, 1958, 1970, 1994–1996, and 2000-2002 that were representative of the UK's population at their inception, and that assessed parents' educational attainment and children's IQ (total N in analyses = 48,175). Associations of mothers' and fathers' education with children's IQ ranged from r = 0.38 (CI 95% 0.36–0.41) to r = 0.19 (CI 95% 0.17–0.20) across generations. Fathers' education was more strongly related to children's IQ in the earlier cohorts but in later years, mothers' education emerged as more dominant. However, these differences in the strength of the associations were small and might be chance findings. Negative interactions between mothers' and fathers' education in the prediction of children's intelligence that may reflect compensatory effects were observed in all cohorts, but only reached significance before 1970. We conclude that parents' educational attainment has been continuously associated with children's intelligence across generations with medium to large effect sizes. While our results are based on analyses of large population cohort studies that span across six decades, the limitations of the data and study design warrant a cautious interpretation of our findings.Preregistration & data:https://osf.io/ep3jz/

Aspirations, Human Capital Investment, and the Intergenerational Transmission of Poverty in Indonesia

This study investigates the effect of parental aspirations gap on children’s educational attainment between 2007 and 2014, using two waves of Indonesian Family Life Survey data. The aspirations gap is measured by the difference between one’s future reference point and his or her current life evaluation reported by each household head and spouse. The results show that boys whose fathers report a moderate level of the aspirations gap achieve substantially longer schooling years than the mean level of their same age cohort. Furthermore, the relationship is found to be inversely U-shaped, implying that an excessive aspirations gap discourages investment in children’s human capital. An increasing aspirations gap of parents is also found to impede the educational attainment of children in poor families, which are more vulnerable to shocks that are found to increase the gap. Overall, the results of this paper shed light on the role of parental aspirations gap in the link between socioeconomic status of family and educational outcomes of children in Indonesia, where the gap of the poor is found to increase faster than the rich.

Ending Child Poverty by Investing in Children and Families.

Ending Child Poverty by Investing in Children and Families.

Empirical Study on the Impact of Urban and Rural Resident Basic Medical Insurance on Children's Educational Outcomes.

This paper employs data from the 2016 and 2018 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) to study the impact of participation in Urban and Rural Resident Basic Medical Insurance (URRBMI) on children's educational outcomes by using the logit model, double selection Lasso model, and propensity score matching. It is found that participating in URRBMI has no significant effect on children's Chinese performance, but has a significant negative effect on children's mathematics performance. The negative effect is more obvious for children who participating in the New Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS). The paper also studies the channel effects of participation in URRBMI on children's educational outcomes trough two different ways. It is noticed that both channel effects are not significant, that is, participation in URRBMI neither improves children's health nor changes household education expenditures.

Effect of Female Employment on Child Educational Outcomes: Evidence From an Employment Guarantee Program

This paper examines how the child’s educational outcomes are impacted by the mother’s participation in an employment guarantee program versus mother’s participation in the regular labor force in India. Using the survey data from India Human Development Survey I and II, I estimate this effect by analyzing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) 2005. I use household specific and parent specific characteristics as controls. Regression analysis and propensity score matching techniques are used to determine the causal relationship. The results show that the participation of mothers in MGNREGA work leads to a decrease in the test scores of the children. While MGNREGA is an important source of employment for households in the rural areas, especially women, this paper shows that increased participation can lead to negative spillover effects for the children.

Childhood Educational Outcomes of Children Born with Gastroschisis

To compare third grade literacy and mathematics test proficiency among children born with gastroschisis vs unaffected controls and identify predictors of academic proficiency among these children. Infants born with gastroschisis (2000-2005) were identified from the Arkansas Reproductive Health Monitoring System. For each case, 2 controls were selected at random from birth certificates and matched for hospital and month of birth, sex, and race/ethnicity. Data on rehospitalization within the first 6years and payer data were abstracted from the Arkansas Hospital Inpatient Discharge database. Surviving cases and controls were linked to the Arkansas Department of Education database containing achievement test scores. The primary outcome was proficiency, defined as performance at or above grade level, on third grade achievement tests. Cases and controls who did not attend public schools could not be linked to education records. Multivariable logistic regression models evaluated the association between study characteristics and academic proficiency. The final study cohort included 47 cases and 63 controls. There was no statistically significant difference in the rate of literacy (68% vs 81%; P= .65) or mathematics proficiency (89% vs 87%; P= .15) between cases and controls. On multivariable analysis, a complex gastroschisis (defined as atresia, volvulus, necrosis, or perforation of the bowel) was associated with lower proficiency in literacy (aOR, 0.1; 95% CI, 0.02-0.58; P= .01). No neonatal or maternal characteristics predictive of lower proficiency in mathematics were identified. Among children born with gastroschisis, the presence of a complex gastroschisis was associated with lower proficiency on third grade literacy achievement tests.

Impacts of school feeding on educational and health outcomes of school-age children and adolescents in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BackgroundSchool feeding programs are ubiquitous in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and may have critical implications for the health and education of school-age children and adolescents. This systematic review aimed to assess the impacts of school feeding on educational and health outcomes of children and adolescents in LMICs.MethodsInterventional studies on the effects of school feeding on nutritional and health outcomes of children and adolescents receiving primary or secondary education in LMICs were included. MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, and grey literature were searched (through December 2019) to identify eligible studies. We included randomized controlled trials and controlled before-after studies on school feeding conducted in LMICs among children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 who received primary or secondary education. Two reviewers independently conducted study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment. Meta-analyses were performed for outcomes available in three or more independent studies. Subgroup analyses were conducted by study design and school feeding modality whenever possible.ResultsFifty-seven articles met the inclusion criteria for the review, including 44 randomized controlled trials and 13 controlled before-after studies; 19 articles were included in the meta-analysis. School feeding resulted in a significant increase in height (mean difference = 0.32 cm; confidence interval (CI) = 0.03, 0.61; P = 0.032) and weight (mean difference: 0.58 kg; 95% 95% CI = 0.22, 0.93; P = 0.001) over 12 months, compared to those in the control groups. School feeding also resulted in a significant increase in the percentage of school days attended (2.6%; 95% CI = 1.2%, 3.9%; P < 0.001).ConclusionsSchool feeding is an important approach to improving the health and education outcomes of children and adolescents living in LMICs. More well-designed research is needed to establish further the effectiveness of school feeding for nutritional outcomes and academic achievement.RegistrationPROSPERO ID: CRD42020159003.

An artificial intelligence approach for selecting effective teacher communication strategies in autism education

Effective inclusive education is key in promoting the long-term outcomes of children with autism spectrum conditions (ASC). However, no concrete consensus exists to guide teacher-student interactions in the classroom. In this work, we explore the potential of artificial intelligence as an approach in autism education to assist teachers in effective practice in developing social and educational outcomes for children with ASC. We form a protocol to systematically capture such interactions, and conduct a statistical analysis to uncover basic patterns in the collected observations, including the longer-term effect of specific teacher communication strategies on student response. In addition, we deploy machine learning techniques to predict student response given the form of communication used by teachers under specific classroom conditions and in relation to specified student attributes. Our analysis, drawn on a sample of 5460 coded interactions between teachers and seven students, sheds light on the varying effectiveness of different communication strategies and demonstrates the potential of this approach in making a contribution to autism education.

The advantage of daughters in hypogamous families: parental heterogamy and educational outcomes among children of highly educated parents

ABSTRACT Increasing female educational attainment across OECD countries is making hypogamy a widespread phenomenon. This trend provides an opportunity to re-examine the effects of educational assortative mating on children's educational outcomes. This research explores the effects of hypergamy, homogamy, and hypogamy on gender differences in children's expectation of university graduation and actual college graduation. For the first purpose, logistic regression with country fixed-effects is applied to individual-level data from PISA 2015; a similar analysis is carried out for the second purpose with data from the European Social Survey. Three characteristics make us expect higher female advantage among children of hypogamous couples: higher probability of mothers being the main family breadwinner; higher probability of gender value conflict, eventually leading to family breakup and the father's absence; and the possibility that the father's occupation discourages sons from pursuing higher education. A systematic female advantage is indeed found among children of hypogamous couples in terms of expectation of college graduation and actual college graduation. Among the possible mechanisms behind this female advantage, only the father's and the mother's occupation could be explored with the data at hand, but none of them explain this advantage.

Social and Emotional Learning in Preschool Settings: A Systematic Map of Systematic Reviews

The preschool years presents an important opportunity to support children’s social and emotional development. Social and emotional learning (SEL) programs in early childhood education and care (ECEC) have gained an increased interest due to its potential to improve child health and educational outcomes. We aimed to identify existing systematic reviews on universal, curriculum-based SEL interventions in ECEC settings (children aged 0 to 7 years), assess their risk of bias, synthesize the findings and identify knowledge gaps. We undertook a systematic literature search in seven different databases. Reviews of studies without control groups were excluded. Each abstract and full text article was assessed independently, and disagreements were solved in consensus. Relevant reviews were assessed for bias using the ROBIS tool. Of 4912 records identified through database searches, two systematic reviews met the inclusion criteria. Both reviews were assessed as having a high risk of bias. The results were used to summarize existing knowledge and knowledge gaps. In conclusion, SEL interventions in preschool settings must be considered knowledge gaps. There is a need for more high-quality primary studies and further systematic reviews that adhere to strict scientific methods and address the overwhelming heterogeneity in field, in terms of interventions, settings and outcomes.

Innovative Approach in Response to the Challenges of Equity to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Ethiopia

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Inadequate access to WASH in households, schools, and health facilities in rural villages impact health and educational outcomes of children. In respect to this challenge Ethiopia has made significant efforts over the past decade to reduce the inequalities in WASH services. This study aims to explore and present how the WASH programme became successful and impacted the health and education of children in the COVID-19 pandemic era. METHODS: A gray literature based study was conducted to document secondary analysis of national and international reference publications on WASH from 1999 to present time. RESULTS:In Ethiopia rural areas are among the most poorly served in WASH, which comprises about 80.5 million out of the total 110 million population. In 1999 about 13% of the rural population was served with safe water and only 6% had access to adequate sanitation. In 2017 access to safe water increased to 56% and sanitation to 24%. There had been significant improvement in WASH services in rural health facilities and schools although there is more to be done, in areas affected by drought and water scarcity. The major contributing factor to this achievement was the launching of the ONE WASH National Programme by the government in 2013. Under this programme the equitable and sustainable supply of safe drinking water and adequate sanitation for the neglected population was brought under one management with full participation of all stakeholders by creating consolidated WASH account where funds allocated for WASH by government and external partners were kept and disbursed on priority basis. New innovative approach for community training and education was introduced and the application of low cost water and sanitation technology was promoted. CONCLUSIONS:The delivery of WASH under one management in partnership with government, external partner, the private sector and the communities has proven to be effective and innovative. KEYWORDS: Environmental justice, community outreach, Ethiopia

Robust genetic nurture effects on education: A systematic review and meta-analysis based on 38,654 families across 8 cohorts

Similarities between parents and offspring arise from nature and nurture. Beyond this simple dichotomy, recent genomic studies have uncovered "genetic nurture" effects, whereby parental genotypes influence offspring outcomes via environmental pathways rather than genetic transmission. Such genetic nurture effects also need to be accounted for to accurately estimate "direct" genetic effects (i.e., genetic effects on a trait originating in the offspring). Empirical studies have indicated that genetic nurture effects are particularly relevant to the intergenerational transmission of risk for child educational outcomes, which are, in turn, associated with major psychological and health milestones throughout the life course. These findings have yet to be systematically appraised across contexts. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to quantify genetic nurture effects on educational outcomes. A total of 12 studies comprising 38,654 distinct parent(s)-offspring pairs or trios from 8 cohorts reported 22 estimates of genetic nurture effects. Genetic nurture effects on offspring's educational outcomes (βgenetic nurture = 0.08, 95% CI [0.07, 0.09]) were smaller than direct genetic effects (βdirect genetic = 0.17, 95% CI [0.13, 0.20]). Findings were largely consistent across studies. Genetic nurture effects originating from mothers and fathers were of similar magnitude, highlighting the need for a greater inclusion of fathers in educational research. Genetic nurture effects were largely explained by observed parental education and socioeconomic status, pointing to their role in environmental pathways shaping child educational outcomes. Findings provide consistent evidence that environmentally mediated parental genetic influences contribute to the intergenerational transmission of educational outcomes, in addition to effects due to genetic transmission.

Is educational wellbeing associated with grade repetition and school dropout rates among Indian students? Evidence from a panel study

Despite the Indian government’s continuing efforts to encourage children to attend school, levels of educational wellbeing among some groups of children during their elementary schooling remain low. High school dropout and grade repetition rates are among the negative and deleterious outcomes of poor educational wellbeing in children that are rarely discussed as policy issues. Using the panel dataset of the India Human Development Survey (IHDS) conducted in 2005 and 2012, this study explores the effects of educational wellbeing on children’s later educational outcomes, as measured by their school dropout and grade repetition rates. Variation in the educational outcomes of children across states was also examined. The results show that the children whose educational wellbeing index was below average during their elementary schooling were more likely to drop out of school or repeat a grade in early adolescence. For policymakers, this study highlights that the experiences of children during their elementary schooling merit more attention.

ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, HEALTH AND PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON WOMEN

The purpose of present study was to explore the economic, social, health and psychological impact of COVID-19 on women. The study was conducted on 92 married women age 25-50 years, having at least graduate degree and serving in teaching or working in private or public concern. For this, investigator has developed her own tool for measuring the belief/ attitude of women towards COVID-19. Data was analysed with the help of percentage technique. The study found that majority of women were unable to purchase critical necessities, avail medical facilities and pay the school/college fee of the children. About 80% women lost the job or their salary is lowered. Women were harassed, abused, their household duties have increased two to three times and there was domestic violence in the family. During on-line interaction, women were harassed and abused by husbands and also they have lost personal health freedom. COVID-19 has threatened their health and they are facing access to health care as health facilities has become costly. Due to closure of schools/college, there is negative impact on educational outcomes of children and they have developed negative emotions.

Father Presence, Father Engagement, and Specific Health and Developmental Outcomes of Mongolian Pre-School Children.

This study explored father involvement as a social determinant of child health within the context of macro-environmental changes in Mongolia. Using data for children aged 3–4 from UNICEF’s Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys, this cross-sectional analysis examined the association between father presence and engagement with child health and educational outcomes. Multivariate regression modeling was employed to identify associations between father presence, engagement, and child outcomes including fever, respiratory illness, diarrhea and preschool attendance. In unadjusted analyses, father engagement was associated with higher odds of preschool attendance (Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.12; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.04–1.20) but not with child illness (OR = 1.04; 95% CI 0.95–1.14). Father engagement was no longer associated with preschool attendance after controlling for potentially confounding variables (ORadj = 0.95; 95% CI 0.88–1.03). Unadjusted and adjusted analyses showed that father presence was not associated with acute illness or preschool attendance. Results also suggest that a larger proportion of children were engaged in activities by their mother compared to their father or other adults. Data indicate that father presence and engagement were not associated with child illness or preschool attendance. Factors such as maternal education, household wealth, and region of residence are stronger predictors of preschool attendance and should continue to be considered for promoting child health and development in Mongolia.

Elective labor induction vs expectant management of pregnant women at term and children's educational outcomes at 8 years of age

To estimate the effect of elective induction of labor at 39 weeks' gestation on children's educational outcomes as measured using the Australian National Assessment Program-Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests in school year 3 (∼8 years of age), compared with expectant management. We merged perinatal data on all infants born in South Australia from 1999 to 2008 with children's school assessment data from NAPLAN. The study population included all singleton infants born without a malformation at 39-42 weeks in vertex presentation. Children who had undertaken the NAPLAN test in school year 3 were included. We excluded births to women who had a contraindication to vaginal delivery and those with a condition possibly justifying elective delivery before 39 weeks. The outcome of interest was children's educational outcome as measured using NAPLAN, which includes five learning domains (reading, writing, spelling, grammar and numeracy). Each domain was categorized according to performance at or below vs above the national minimum standard (NMS). Average treatment effects (ATEs) of elective induction of labor at 39 weeks compared with expectant management on the proportion of children performing at/below the NMS for each domain were estimated using the augmented inverse-propensity-weighted estimator, accounting for potential confounders. Of 53 843 children born at 39-42 weeks in vertex presentation from 1999 to 2008 and who were expected to participate in the year-3 NAPLAN from 2008 to 2015, a total of 31 120 had at least one year-3 NAPLAN domain. Of these, 1353 children were delivered after elective induction of labor at 39 weeks while 29 767 children were born following expectant management. The ATEs (mean differences) of elective induction of labor at 39 weeks compared with expectant management on the proportion of children scoring at/below the NMS on each domain were 0.01 (95% CI, -0.02 to 0.03) for reading, 0.02 (95% CI, 0.00-0.04) for writing, 0.01 (95% CI, -0.01 to 0.04) for spelling, 0.02 (95% CI, -0.01 to 0.04) for grammar and 0.03 (95% CI, 0.00-0.05) for numeracy. Elective induction of labor at 39 weeks did not affect children's standardized literacy and numeracy testing outcomes at 8 years of age when compared with expectant management. © 2020 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.