Mother's functional difficulty is affecting the child functioning: Findings from a nationally representative MICS 2019 cross‐sectional survey in Bangladesh

Abstract

Background Functional difficulties in children can be transmitted from mother to child, which is a major concern. We sought to determine whether there was a correlation between a mother's functional difficulty and functional difficulty in kids between the ages of 2–4 and 5–17. We also want to evaluate other fundamental aspects that influence on child's functionality. Methods We used Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) data sets. For two different age groups, the children's difficulty status was evaluated. The sociodemographic factors served as explanatory variables in this study. We used χ 2 tests and survey logistic regression models to analyze the data. Results Functional difficulties were less common in children aged 2–4 years (2.78%) but 8.27% in those aged 5–17 years. The study specifies that the mother's functional difficulty (odds ratio [OR]: 2.66, confidence interval [CI]: 1.35–5.24 for children aged 2–4 years and OR: 3.36, CI: 2.80–4.03 for children aged 5–17 years) were significantly associated with the functional difficulty of both age groups' children. Not attending early childhood education programs (OR: 1.89, CI: 1.16–3.10 for children aged 2–4 years and OR: 2.66, CI: 2.19–3.22 for children aged 5–17 years) and divisions were also significantly affecting the functional difficulty of both age groups' children. Moreover, area of residence and gender were significant factors for the older age group. Conclusions The prevalence of difficulty among children in Bangladesh is high. Children's functional difficulty, regardless of age, is greatly influenced by the functional difficulty of their mothers, their absence from early childhood education programs, and divisions. Reducing the prevalence of child functioning difficulties will be more successful if the government and NGOs consider these factors while developing appropriate intervention programs.

Functional difficulty among young children in Bangladesh: An analysis of nationally representative data

“…Although this study does not establish a causal connection between disability and malnutrition, it confirms the importance of childhood under-nutrition in explaining part of variations in young children’s risks of experiencing functional difficulties in Bangladesh. Although a study similar to this paper was conducted by Anjum et al [ 37 ], their set of explanatory variables is slightly different. More importantly, they ignored the hierarchical nature of data and fitted a fixed-effects logistic regression model.…”

Urban–rural difference in factors associated with childhood functional difficulty in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study

“…In present times, addressing childhood functional difficulties has become a prominent challenge in the public health domain in Bangladesh. The country reports that 2.8% of children under the age of five experience various types of functional difficulties, encompassing issues related to vision, hearing, mobility, fine motor skills, cognitive functions, behavior, and communication (10). Moreover, the occurrence of childhood functional difficulties has shown significant correlations with several factors, including maternal involvement in early childhood educational program, the presence of functional difficulties in mothers themselves, and, exposure to diverse social media platforms (10,11).…”

“…The country reports that 2.8% of children under the age of five experience various types of functional difficulties, encompassing issues related to vision, hearing, mobility, fine motor skills, cognitive functions, behavior, and communication (10). Moreover, the occurrence of childhood functional difficulties has shown significant correlations with several factors, including maternal involvement in early childhood educational program, the presence of functional difficulties in mothers themselves, and, exposure to diverse social media platforms (10,11). A study carried out in Ghana with children aged 5 to 17 years yielded findings consistent with the aforementioned observations (12).…”