scholarly journals Nudging Parents to Improve Preschool Attendance in Uruguay

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mercedes Mateo Díaz ◽  
Laura Becerra Luna ◽  
Juan Manuel Hernández-Agramonte ◽  
Florencia López ◽  
Marcelo Pérez Alfaro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Preschool Children ◽  
Child Development ◽  
Behavioral Intervention ◽  
Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Average Treatment Effect ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Preschool Attendance ◽  
Standard Deviations ◽  
The Impact

Uruguay has increased it preschool enrollment, reaching almost universal coverage among four- and five-year-olds. However, more than a third of children enrolled in preschool programs have insufficient attendance, with absenteeism higher in schools in lower socioeconomic areas and among younger preschool children. This paper presents the results of a behavioral intervention to increase preschool attendance nationwide. Most previous experiments using behavioral sciences have looked at the impact of nudging parents on attendance and learning for school-age children; this is the first experiment looking at both attendance and child development for preschool children. It is also the first behavioral intervention to use a government mobile app to send messages to parents of preschool children. The intervention had no average treatment effect on attendance, but results ranged widely across groups. Attendance by children in the 25th 75th percentiles of absenteeism rose by 0.320.68 days over the course of the 13-week intervention, and attendance among children in remote areas increased by 1.48 days. Among all children in the study, the intervention also increased language development by 0.10 standard deviations, an impact similar to that of very labor-intensive programs, such as home visits. The intervention had stronger effects on children in the remote provinces of Uruguay, increasing various domains of child development by about 0.33 to 0.37 standard deviations. Behavioral interventions seeking to reduce absenteeism and raise test scores usually nudge parents on both the importance of attendance and ways to improve child development. In this experiment, the nudges focused only on absenteeism but had an effect on both.

scholarly journals The Impact of Online Computer Assisted Learning at Home for Disadvantaged Children in Taiwan: Evidence from a Randomized Experiment

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (23) ◽  
pp. 10092
Author(s):  
Bin Tang ◽  
Te-Tien Ting ◽  
Chyi-In Wu ◽  
Yue Ma ◽  
Di Mo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Average Treatment Effect ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Computer Assisted Learning ◽  
Intention To Treat ◽  
Catch Up ◽  
Standard Deviations ◽  
The Impact

In Taiwan, thousands of students from Yuanzhumin (aboriginal) families lag far behind their Han counterparts in academic achievement. When they fall behind, they often have no way to catch up. There is increased interest among both educators and policymakers in helping underperforming students catch up using computer-assisted learning (CAL). The objective of this paper is to examine the impact of an intervention aimed at raising the academic performance of students using an in-home CAL program. According to intention-to-treat estimates, in-home CAL improved the overall math scores of students in the treatment group relative to the control group by 0.08 to 0.20 standard deviations (depending on whether the treatment was for one or two semesters). Furthermore, Average Treatment Effect on the Treated analysis was used for solving the compliance problem in our experiment, showing that in-home CAL raised academic performance by 0.36 standard deviations among compliers. This study thus presents preliminary evidence that an in-home CAL program has the potential to boost the learning outcomes of disadvantaged students.

Investigating the Feasibility of Multisensory Environments to Improve the Assisted Bathing Experience for Veterans With Dementia: A Clinical Trial

2021 ◽  
pp. 193758672110538
Author(s):  
Lesa Lorusso ◽  
Sheila Bosch ◽  
Nam-Kyu Park ◽  
Ronald Shorr ◽  
Maureen Conroy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Behavioral Intervention ◽  
Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Feasibility Studies ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Viable Solution ◽  
Study Team ◽  
Multisensory Environment ◽  
Dedicated Team ◽  
The Impact

Objectives: This evidence-based design clinical trial assessed the feasibility of a multisensory environment (MSE) using aromatherapy, color-changing lights, and music as a behavioral intervention to calm Veterans with dementia during assisted bathing to improve the patient experience. Background: The number of Veterans with dementia is growing rapidly, along with the associated debilitating behavior challenges. The severity of these distressed behaviors that predominantly occur at bath time often necessitates costly, dangerous sedatives. Feasibility studies of nonpharmacological behavioral interventions during bathing for people with dementia are urgently needed, and research supports MSE as a viable solution. Method: Using an A–B, multiple baselines across participants design, this study tracked operational behaviors of four Veterans with dementia during bathing without and with an MSE intervention. Sessions were provided and recorded by a dedicated team of five nurses, so the study team could analyze the Veterans’ operational behaviors to understand the impact of individualized MSE during both baseline and intervention phases. Results: The results support the feasibility of MSE as a helpful, nonpharmacological behavioral intervention for Veterans with dementia during bathing. All participants experienced an overall increase in duration of positive operational behaviors and an overall decrease in duration of negative operational behaviors. Conclusions: Healthcare environments are integral components in dementia care and the use of MSE within the bathing setting appears to improve not only operational behaviors but the overall bathing experience.

scholarly journals Heterogeneous Effects of Health Insurance on Rural Children’s Health in China: A Causal Machine Learning Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (18) ◽  
pp. 9616
Author(s):  
Hua Chen ◽  
Jianing Xing ◽  
Xiaoxu Yang ◽  
Kai Zhan
Keyword(s):  
Preschool Children ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Policy Design ◽  
Rural China ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Health Improvement ◽  
Significant Heterogeneity ◽  
School Age ◽  
Heterogeneous Effects ◽  
The Impact

This paper investigates the impact of Urban and Rural Resident Basic Medical Insurance (URRBMI) on the health of preschool and school-age children in rural China using data from the 2018 wave of the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS). We employ the propensity score matching approach and causal forest to evaluate impacts. Results show that the URRBMI has significantly improved the health status of preschool children. However, the health improvement of school-age children by URRBMI is only limited to obese children, and this effect is not significant. In addition, this paper identifies important variables related to heterogeneity through the causal forest and evaluates the heterogeneity of the impact of URRBMI on the health of two types of children. For preschool children, we find disadvantaged mothers (i.e., with lower wealth, lower educated, or in rural areas) benefit more from the URRBMI. No significant heterogeneity is found for the school-age children. Our study demonstrates the power of causal forest to uncover the heterogeneity in policy evaluation, hence providing policymakers with valuable information for policy design.

scholarly journals Kepercayaan Diri Ibu Berhubungan dengan Perkembangan Anak Usia Pra Sekolah

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 169
Author(s):  
Selpina Embuai ◽  
Moomina Siauta
Keyword(s):  
Preschool Children ◽  
Child Development ◽  
Preschool Age ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
School Age ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Maternal Confidence ◽  
Preschool Age Children ◽  
The Relationship

Ibu memiliki peranan yang sangat penting dalam setiap tahap perkembangan anak. Gangguan perkembangan bicara dan bahasa dialami oleh 8% anak usia prasekolah. Kepercayaan ibu akan kemampuannya untuk merawat anak-anaknya sangatlah diperlukan. Akibat dari kurangnya kepercayaan diri ibu akan mempengaruhi perkembangan anaknya. Tujuan penelitian adalah diketahuinya hubungan kepercayaan diri ibu dengan perkembangan anak usia prasekolah di Kelurahan Benteng Kecamatan Nusaniwe Kota Ambon. Metode : Jenis penelitian adalah cross sectional. Populasinya adalah seluruh anak prasekolah di kelurahan benteng dengan jumlah sampel sebesar 107 orang. Teknik pengambilan sampel dilakukan dengan cara purposive sampling. Uji yang digunakan adalah Chi Square. Instrumen yang digunakan adalah kuesioner yang telah diuji validitas dan reliabilitasnya. Hasil Penelitian menunjukkan bahwa jumlah ibu yang memiliki kepercayaan diri yang tinggi (50.5%) juga memiliki anak dengan tingkat perkembangan yang normal (61.7%). Hasil penelitian juga menunjukkan bahwa adanya hubungan antara kepercayaan diri ibu dengan perkembangan anak usia prasekolah (p = 0.001). Kepercayaan diri ibu memiliki peranan penting dan sangat berpengaruh terhadap perkembangan anak usia pra sekolah. Kata kunci: anak usia pra sekolah, kepercayaan diri ibu, perkembangan anak, anak usia pra sekolah THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MOTHER CONFIDENCE WITH DEVELOPMENT OF PRE-SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN ABSTRACTMothers have a very important role in each stage of child development. Speech and language developmental disorders are experienced by 8% of preschool age children. A mother's trust in her ability to care for her children is needed. As a result of lack of confidence in the mother will affect the development of their children. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of maternal confidence with the development of preschool age children in Benteng Subdistrict, Nusaniwe Subdistrict, Ambon City. Method: This type of research is cross sectional. The population is all preschool children in Benteng village with a total sample of 107 people. The sampling technique is done by purposive sampling. The test used is Chi Square. The instrument used was a questionnaire that had been tested for validity and reliability. The results showed that the number of mothers who had high self-confidence (50.5%) also had children with normal developmental levels (61.7%). The results also showed that there was a relationship between maternal confidence with the development of preschool children (p = 0.001). Mother's confidence has an important role and is very influential in the development of pre-school age children. Keywords: child development,, mother's confidence, pre-school age children

scholarly journals Identifying and measuring the common elements of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions for autism spectrum disorder: Development of the NDBI-Fi

Autism ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 2285-2297
Author(s):  
Kyle M Frost ◽  
Jessica Brian ◽  
Grace W Gengoux ◽  
Antonio Hardan ◽  
Sarah R Rieth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Behavioral Intervention ◽  
Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Common Elements ◽  
Intervention Science ◽  
Intervention Models ◽  
The Common ◽  
Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention

Naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions for young children with autism spectrum disorder share key elements. However, the extent of similarity and overlap in techniques among naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention models has not been quantified, and there is no standardized measure for assessing the implementation of their common elements. This article presents a multi-stage process which began with the development of a taxonomy of elements of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions. Next, intervention experts identified the common elements of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions using quantitative methods. An observational rating scheme of those common elements, the eight-item NDBI-Fi, was developed. Finally, preliminary analyses of the reliability and the validity of the NDBI-Fi were conducted using archival data from randomized controlled trials of caregiver-implemented naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions, including 87 post-intervention caregiver–child interaction videos from five sites, as well as 29 pre–post video pairs from two sites. Evaluation of the eight-item NDBI-Fi measure revealed promising psychometric properties, including evidence supporting adequate reliability, sensitivity to change, as well as concurrent, convergent, and discriminant validity. Results lend support to the utility of the NDBI-Fi as a measure of caregiver implementation of common elements across naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention models. With additional validation, this unique measure has the potential to advance intervention science in autism spectrum disorder by providing a tool which cuts across a class of evidence-based interventions. Lay abstract Naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions for young children with autism spectrum disorder share key elements. However, the extent of similarity between programs within this class of evidence-based interventions is unknown. There is also currently no tool that can be used to measure the implementation of their common elements. This article presents a multi-stage process which began with defining all intervention elements of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions. Next, intervention experts identified the common elements of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions using a survey. An observational rating scheme of those common elements, the eight-item NDBI-Fi, was developed. We evaluated the quality of the NDBI-Fi using videos from completed trials of caregiver-implemented naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions. Results showed that the NDBI-Fi measure has promise; it was sensitive to change, related to other similar measures, and demonstrated adequate agreement between raters. This unique measure has the potential to advance intervention science in autism spectrum disorder by providing a tool to measure the implementation of common elements across naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention models. Given that naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions have numerous shared strategies, this may ease clinicians’ uncertainty about choosing the “right” intervention package. It also suggests that there may not be a need for extensive training in more than one naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention. Future research should determine whether these common elements are part of other treatment approaches to better understand the quality of services children and families receive as part of usual care.

Understanding Motivating Operations and the Impact on the Function of Behavior

2020 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-122
Author(s):  
Doris Adams Hill ◽  
Theoni Mantzoros ◽  
Jonté C. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Special Educators ◽  
Motivating Operations ◽  
Behavior Intervention Plans ◽  
Education Professionals ◽  
Functional Behavior ◽  
Special Education Professionals ◽  
And Function ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Impact

Special educators are often considered the experts in their school when it comes to developing functional behavior assessments (FBA) and behavior intervention plans (BIP), yet rarely are they trained much beyond basic antecedents, behaviors, and consequences (ABC). This column discusses concepts that will expand special education professionals’ knowledge to make better decisions regarding interventions for the students they serve. Specifically, the focus is on motivating operations (MO) and function-based interventions and the implications of these on behavior. Knowledge of the concept of MOs can enhance a teacher’s ability to provide evidence-based interventions and more fully developed behavioral interventions for students in their purview.

scholarly journals Psychological and Behavioral Predictors of Vaccine Efficacy: Considerations for COVID-19

2021 ◽  
pp. 174569162198924
Author(s):  
Annelise A. Madison ◽  
M. Rosie Shrout ◽  
Megan E. Renna ◽  
Janice K. Kiecolt-Glaser
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Vaccine Efficacy ◽  
Psychological Factors ◽  
Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Behavioral Risk Factors ◽  
Behavioral Risk ◽  
Vaccine Response ◽  
The Impact

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine candidates are being evaluated, with the goal of conferring immunity on the highest percentage of people who receive the vaccine as possible. It is noteworthy that vaccine efficacy depends not only on the vaccine but also on characteristics of the vaccinated. Over the past 30 years, a series of studies has documented the impact of psychological factors on the immune system’s vaccine response. Robust evidence has demonstrated that stress, depression, loneliness, and poor health behaviors can impair the immune system’s response to vaccines, and this effect may be greatest in vulnerable groups such as the elderly. Psychological factors are also implicated in the prevalence and severity of vaccine-related side effects. These findings have generalized across many vaccine types and therefore may be relevant to the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. In this review, we discuss these psychological and behavioral risk factors for poor vaccine responses, their relevance to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as targeted psychological and behavioral interventions to boost vaccine efficacy and reduce side effects. Recent data suggest these psychological and behavioral risk factors are highly prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic, but intervention research suggests that psychological and behavioral interventions can increase vaccine efficacy.

The impact of preterm birth on the executive functioning of preschool children: A systematic review

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Carolina Cruvinel Sandoval ◽  
Cláudia Maria Gaspardo ◽  
Maria Beatriz Martins Linhares
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Preterm Birth ◽  
Preschool Children ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Provider attitudes towards a brief behavioral intervention for sexual health in Moldova

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rob Stephenson ◽  
Galina Lesco ◽  
Viorel Babii ◽  
Andrei Luchian ◽  
Nataliia Bakunina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Health ◽  
Behavioral Intervention ◽  
Brief Intervention ◽  
Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Brief Interventions ◽  
Health Centers ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Provider Attitudes ◽  
Brief Behavioral Intervention

Abstract Background Brief behavioral interventions are seen as an efficient way to improve knowledge, change behavior, and reduce provider stigma regarding sexual health. When grounded in evidence-based behavioral change techniques and delivered using Brief Sexuality-related Communication (BSC) tools, brief behavioral interventions can address client-driven sexual health goals in a single session with their provider. Evidence for the efficacy of brief interventions for creating gains in sexual health comes largely from resource rich settings, and there is a lack of knowledge of how brief interventions can be implemented in the more resource constrained environments of low- and middle-income countries. As a first step in developing a brief intervention to address sexual health issues in Moldova, this paper reports on qualitative data collected from Moldovan providers to understand their attitudes, willingness and perceived barriers to the brief intervention and its implementation. Methods Thirty-nine in-depth interviews (IDI) were conducted between February and March 2020, with health providers recruited from three primary health care institutions, two Youth Friendly Health Centers and counselors from three NGOs who work with key populations in Moldova, including health centers selected from two cites - the capital city, Chisinau and from the Comrat Region. The IDI addressed four domains of provider attitudes: 1) attitudes towards the intervention; 2) willingness and motivation to implement the intervention; 3) logistics of providing the intervention and 4) ability to implement the intervention. A coding analysis approach was applied to all interview transcripts. Results Providers largely reported being willing to be trained in and implement the brief intervention. Willingness to implement the intervention stemmed from two perceptions: that it would improve the ability of providers to talk with their clients about sex, and that vulnerable groups would benefit from these conversations. However, while there were generally positive attitudes towards the intervention, providers consistently reported structural barriers to their perceived ability to implement the intervention. Conclusions While providers reported high levels of initial acceptance of a brief behavioral intervention, care is needed to ensure that brief interventions, and the training of providers on brief interventions, incorporate cultural attitudes and norms around sex, particularly in highly patriarchal settings, and provide opportunities for providers to practice the intervention in ways that address their assumptions and implicit biases.

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