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Measuring Caregiver-Child Interactions Across Cultures

Fri, April 9, 10:00 to 11:30am EDT (10:00 to 11:30am EDT), Virtual

Abstract

Study Objective: Develop, adapt, test, and validate measures of direct observational protocols of playful caregiver-child interactions that are feasible and practical, and sensitive to intervention effects of parenting programs targeting caregivers with children up to three years of age (Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, Syrian refugees and Jordanians). Assessing the quality of these early, nurturing, and playful interactions is critical in understanding why early parenting programs may or may not be effective.

Background: Sensitive, responsive, and stimulating caregiver-child interactions are critical for developing foundational competencies for life-long learning and sustainable development (Daelmans et al., 2017). These relational processes comprise components of the Nurturing Care Framework (WHO/UNICEF, 2018). In contexts of war and displacement, the quality of caregiver-child interactions, especially as they unfold during play, may be particularly important to child development (Richter, Lye & Proulx, 2018). However, given that adult-child interactions are strongly determined by cultural norms, values, and expectations, it is unclear to what degree observational protocols, largely developed based on Western populations, adequately capture and assess caregiving practices worldwide (Mesman et al., 2018). Specifically, adult-infant interactions may be constrained by capacities of both adult and infant, stylistic differences resulting from individual or sociocultural factors, and limitations in the research design itself, particularly as implemented in low-resourced settings (Richter, 1995).

Methods: The purpose of this study was thus to assess the reliability and validity of two observational protocols for parent-child interactions among Syrian refugees in Jordan (Parenting Interactions with Children: Checklist of Observations Linked to Outcomes, PICCOLO; Roggman & Innocenti, 2013) and Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh (to be determined). In early 2019, observations were conducted with 160 parent-child dyads in Jordan. Data were analyzed using factor analysis and Item Response Theory to investigate the underlying factor structure and unique information provided by each item, and sensitivity to common predictors was explored. Adapted protocols will be similarly implemented and analyzed in Bangladesh in January 2021.
Preliminary Results: Factor analyses of the data from Jordan (N=160) indicate that subscale (α’s > 0.77) factors were highly correlated with each other (r>0.85; RMSEA=0.10; CFI=0.93), suggesting the tool was not measuring four sub-constructs but rather overall quality of caregiver-child interactions. Overall PICCOLO score was associated with scores on the Home Visit Rating Scale, caregiver self-efficacy and education, and attitudes towards gender and violence. Subscales varied in their associations with child gender, and caregiver mental health and education.

Discussion: Our findings suggest that more work is needed to ensure instruments used for observing caregiver-child interactions are culturally sensitive and valid. Based on the Jordan data, it is unclear at this point if the task and/or request to play while being observed was inappropriate, if enumerators were not sufficiently trained, and/or if the nuances of the interactions in this cultural context were not captured by the instrument. This has prompted more in depth up-front qualitative work in adapting protocols for the Rohingya context in Bangladesh.

Group Authors

As per Anne Perdue please consider these flash talks as one session. They should either be accepted or rejected as a whole.

Flash talks should be ordered as follows: 1707093, 1705221, 1705962, 1707008, 1705220, 1705994, 1706107, 1706048"

Authors