Poster #21 - Predicting Parent-Child Participation in Out-of-Home Enrichment Activities

• In Event: 3-001 - Poster Session 2 during Breakfast

Abstract

Studies in Western countries suggest an increased participation in out-of-home enrichment activities which have been attributed to shifting cultures/patterns of play and perceptions of improved socio-emotional and cognitive skills among participants. (Holloway & Pimlott-wilson, 2015; Powell, Son, File & Froiland, 2012). However, few studies have examined how racial/ethnic factors, Socio-Economic Status (SES), gender and parent’s educational expectations predict participation in specific activities. The current study probed the extent to which these factors predicted participation in enrichment activities using separate binary logistic regressions with complementary Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to improve on prediction models as necessary.
A weighted sample of 3,858,850 first grade students, obtained from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS-K) was used. There were 2,220,839 (57.6%) Caucasian, 614, 738 (15.9%)African American, 349, 465 (9.1%)Hispanics from specified origins(S), 377,338 (9.8%)Hispanics from unspecified origins(US), 102,571 (2.7%)Asian, 34,357 (0.9%)Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 65,001 (1.7%)American Indian or Alaskan Native and 93,390 (2.4%)mixed-race children. 1,987,793 (51.5%) were boys.
The logistic regression models predicting participation in enrichment activities were each significant: art and science museums (χ2 (14) = 492.71, p<.001, Nagelkerke’s R2= 12.6%); historical sites (χ2 (14) = 393.53, p<.001, Nagelkerke’s R2= 10.1%); zoos and aquariums (χ2 (14) = 178.84, p<.001, Nagelkerke’s R2= 4.7%) and; plays and concerts (χ2 (14) = 184.30 p<.001, Nagelkerke’s R2= 4.7%). (See table 1 for predicted percentages and complementary ROC analysis). Specifically, unit increases in SES were associated greater likelihoods of participation in each activity. Compared to Caucasians, children of other racial/ethnic groups were more likely to visit historical sites and attend plays and concerts. Varied levels of parental educational expectations predicted engagement in out-of-home enrichment activities. However, visits to historical sites were the only activities that parents with the highest ranked expectations were more likely to engage in compared to parents expecting a 4/5-year college degree. Girls were more likely to attend plays and concerts than boys (see table 2 for details).
The study highlights the continued impact of SES as a primary determinant of informal enrichment participation (Simpkins et al, 2005) and reveals parent educational expectations as an important factor dictating types of activities that are engaged in. Future studies ought to examine the extent to which these behaviors yield favorable benefits. Finally, racial/ethnic and gender differences in types of engagement are also evidenced in this study: demonstrating possible differences in cultural preferences. The study has implications for parenting research and administrative policies.

Author

• Melissa Washington-Nortey, Virginia Commonwealth University
  Presenting Author