Inequalities in early childhood care and development in low/middle-income countries: 2010–2018

Abstract

BackgroundInequalities in early childhood development (ECD) tend to persist into adulthood and amplify across the life course. To date, little research on inequalities in early childhood care and development in low/middle-income countries has been available to guide governments, donors and civil society in identifying which young children and families should be targeted by policies and programmes to improve nurturing care that could prevent them from being left behind.MethodsUsing data from 135 Demographic and Health Surveys and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys between 2010 and 2018, we assessed levels and trends of inequalities in exposure to risks of stunting or extreme poverty (under age 5; levels in 85 and trends in 40 countries), early attendance of early care and education programmes (36–59 months; 65 and 17 countries), home stimulation (36–59 months; 62 and 14 countries) and child development according to the Early Childhood Development Index (36–59 months; 60 and 13 countries). Inequalities within countries were measured as the absolute gap in three domains—child gender, household wealth and residential area—and compared across regions and country income groups.Results63% of children were not exposed to stunting or extreme poverty; 39% of 3–4-year olds attended early care and education; and 69% received a level of reported home stimulation defined as adequate. Sub-Saharan Africa had the lowest proportion of children not exposed to stunting or extreme poverty (45%), attending early care and education (24%) and receiving adequate home stimulation (47%). Substantial gaps in all indicators were found across country income groups, residential areas and household wealth categories. There were no significant reductions in gaps over time for a subset of countries with available data in two survey rounds.ConclusionsAvailable data indicate large inequalities in early experiences and outcomes. Efforts of reducing these inequalities must focus on the poorest families and those living in rural areas in the poorest countries. Improving and applying population-level measurements on ECD in more countries over time are important for ensuring equal opportunities for young children globally.

Data for action on early childhood development

“…By 2018, only 40 countries had trend data on important ECD indicators: 17 on early education, 14 on home stimulation, and 13 on the ECD Index. 6 Variations in definitions, indicators, and questionnaires used to collect data occur between international survey programmes such as MICS and DHS, which are mostly done in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), and administrative and survey data collected in HICs. These variations compromise international comparability of data that is crucial to global monitoring.…”

Nutritional status and effective verbal communication in Peruvian children: A secondary analysis of the 2019 Demographic and Health Survey

“…However, in these countries, nearly 150 million children under five years of age are at risk of failing to reach their potential development due to malnutrition and extreme poverty [ 8 ]. ECD is essential to achieve adequate learning, occupational productivity, physical and psychological health, and social well-being [ 9 ]. In Peru, the Ministry of Development and Social Inclusion, implemented a program aimed at improving ECD.…”

Association between Household Crowding and Violent Discipline and Neglect of Children: Analysis of Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys in 26 Low- and Middle-Income Countries

“…Estimates in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) indicate that 220.4 million and 230.7 million children aged 2 to 4 years were exposed to physical punishment and psychological aggression, respectively, which corresponds to a prevalence of 62.5% and 65.4%, respectively [ 1 ]. One of the forms of neglect that has been investigated extensively in LMICs is the inadequacy of home stimulation activities [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]. Sixty-nine percent of children aged 3 to 4 years had received adequate home stimulation, as defined by adults engaging in at least four out of six specific, basic home stimulation activities, with the lowest proportions in sub-Saharan Africa (47%) and South Asia (74.5%) [ 5 ].…”