Family Engagement in Caregiving Activities and Child Development Outcomes in Vietnam
A Fixed-Effects Analysis
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21615871 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jean-Baptiste M B Sanfo (0000-0002-5615-0919, University of Hyogo, corresponding author), Keiichi Ogawa (0000-0002-0089-6471, Kobe University), Thu Ha Truong (0000-0001-7833-288X, VNU University of Economics and Business, Vietnam National University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 37 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 916-944 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-19 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Early Education and Development (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1040-9289 • E-ISSN: 1556-6935 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/10409289.2026.2618798 |
| OpenAlex | W7125696196 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 72 |
Research Findings: Family engagement in caregiving activities is critical to early child development. This study extends previous research to Vietnam to explore the extent to which different family members’ engagement in caregiving activities – naming, counting, or drawing with child, playing with child, reading books to child, singing songs to child, taking child outside the home, and telling stories to child – is associated with child development and how associations vary by child characteristics and location. The analysis employs household fixed-effect regression and secondary data from the Vietnamese Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2020–2021. Findings reveal that all family members’ naming, counting, or drawing with children is positively associated with child development. Moreover, fathers’ engagement in telling stories is positively associated with child development. Furthermore, engagement from other adult family members in reading books and storytelling shows benefits. In contrast, no engagement in naming or counting and storytelling is linked to poor outcomes. We also found that associations between caregiving activities and child outcomes may vary by child gender and family wealth, but not by geographical location. Practice or Policy: Different family members can contribute to child development, and policies need to empower them through accessible resources and training, particularly for low-income households
Child care · Child development · Child rearing · Childhood development · Cognitive development · Parenting styles · Qualitative research · Family and Disability Support Research · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare
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| Highly cited | No |
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