Childcare practices among Colombian primary caregivers of under-five children: A comparison across socio-demographic characteristics

Abstract

Approximately 200 million children worldwide risk not fulfilling their full developmental potential, and most of them come from areas characterized by systematic inequality and scarcity of resources. Because under-five children of families that experience economic deprivation report poorer developmental outcomes, lately greater attention has been directed at studying and intervening in caregiver practices during early childhood. This study aimed to describe childcare practices utilized by caregivers of under-five children (N = 110) residing in a Colombian city; it also sought to test differences in caregiving practices across sociodemographic characteristics. Results from nonparametric statistical analyses showed that caregivers of high- and medium-income families engaged more frequently in tasks related to sleep hygiene (ꭓ2(2) = 9.34, p = .009, and less negative socio-emotional interactions (e.g., punishment) than low-income peers (ꭓ2(2) = 9.33, p = .009). Caregivers who were employed or students reported more involvement in sleep hygiene tasks and less negative emotional interactions than homemakers and retired caregivers (w = 1878, p <.001). An increase in the number of children in the household was positively associated with greater negative socioemotional care, r = .21, S = 173556, p = .02. Interventions and public policy would benefit from targeting full-time primary caregivers of low-income children aged 0-5. Particularly, by complementing their competencies to foster socio-emotional development.