Improvement in early childhood psychosocial development among rural children in China Mental and Behavioural Disorders
Conditions
Interventions
The Digital Plus project seeks to develop, deliver, and evaluate a multi-stage, mixed-format caregiver education program to target early childhood psychosocial development in rural China. The interven
Sponsors
Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions (SCCEI)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: 1. Caregivers of a child 6-24 months of age living in the village at the time of surveying 2. Children aged 6-24 months at the time of surveying 3. Willing to participate in the parenting center programs (parenting training and mental health) 4. Willing to participate in the impact evaluation, including the child surveys, caregiver surveys, and household surveys 5. Able and willing to give informed consent
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: 1. Children with a severe disability 2. Caregivers who are unwilling or unable to give informed consent 3. Caregivers who are unwilling to participate
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Current primary outcome measure as of 10/09/2025: Early childhood psychosocial development will be measured using the following scales at baseline and endline (i.e., after 1 year at the end of the trial): 1. Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, third edition (Bayley-III) 2. Ages and Stages Questionnaires: Third version 3. Ages and Stages Questionnaires: Social-emotional (ASQ:SE) 4. New Wolke Social-Emotional Behavior Ratings _____ Previous primary outcome measure: Early childhood psychosocial development will be measured using the following scales at baseline and endline (i.e., after 1 year at the end of the trial): 1. Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, third edition (Bayley-III) 2. Ages and Stages Questionnaires: Social-emotional (ASQ:SE) 3. New Wolke Social-Emotional Behavior Ratings | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Current secondary outcome measures as of 10/09/2025: The following secondary outcome measures will be assessed at baseline and endline (i.e., after 1 year at the end of the trial): 1. Parenting and attachment style, measured with: 1.1 The Mother’s Object Relations Scale – Short Form (MORS-SF) 2. Parenting stress, measured with the Parenting Stress Scale 3. Parental investments in stimulating parenting practices and materials, measured with: 3.1. The Family Care Indicators (FCI) 3.2 Questions of expense on child-rearing 3.3 Responsive Caregiving Rating Scale (RCRS) 4. Parenting self-efficacy, measured with the Parental Self-efficacy Scale (BPSES) 5. Caregiver mental health, measured using: 5.1. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) 5.2. The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales, 21 items (DASS-21) 6. Positive perception of daily chores, measured with the Parenting Daily Hassles Scale (PDH) 7. Structural and functional social support (community/family), measured with the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) 8. Caregiver digital literacy, measured using an adapted version of the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) 9. Child Health 9.1 Child sleep habits measured with the revised short form of the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire (BISQ-R SF) 9.2 Child physical activity time measured with self-designed a series of questionnaire items 9.3 Child screen exposure measured using self-made questions. 10. Caregiver perceptions of parenting 10.1 Parenting belief and attitudes toward parenting role measured with self-made questions. Updated 21/04/2026: Three additional tools were used at baseline but omitted from the original registration. They will also be used at endline: 1. Household expenditure on child rearing measured using Questions on childcare expenditure (self-made) 2. Parental gendered beliefs about child emotions measured using The Parents' Gendered Emotion Beliefs scale (PGEB) 3. Intra-household decision-making dynamics measured using Questions | — |
Countries
China
Contacts
Public ContactKelly Reiling
Outcome results
None listed