Widening socioeconomic gap in child development and multi-domain mechanisms: Chinese kindergarten cohort study

Abstract

Socioeconomic disparity in cognitive and socioemotional functions already exists in preschool. However, a dearth of longitudinal data tracking the dynamic changes of disparity from preschool to schooling ages has limited the exploration of mechanisms. The current study utilized a cohort sample to address this gap as an extension of Ip et al. (2016), which recruited a population representative sample of 5-year-old Chinese preschoolers. Health behaviours, parenting style, and family functioning dimensions were examined as possible mediators. The cohort was revisited four years after initial recruitment (N=519, Mean age=9.33 years, 55.3% girls, 76.2% retention). The effect of SES on both cognitive and socioemotional functions were relatively small (η2=.02, p<.01) in initial recruitment but the effect became stronger at follow-up (cognitive development: η2=.09, p<.0001; socioemotional development: η2=.05, p<.0001; symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: η2=.02, p=.008). Controlling for baseline SES, an upward change in SES also predicted better socioemotional development (β=.10, p=.02). Using path analysis, early exposure to electronic devices and family learning environment were identified as the mediators between SES and cognitive development, which collectively explained 33.6% of the main effect. Similarly, the mediators for socioemotional development were early exposure to electronic devices, regular sleeping habit, sleep quality, authoritarian parenting style, and physical activity level, which explained 73.8% of the main effect. Findings suggest a widened socioeconomic gap among Chinese children, which may be partially explained by behavioural risk factors such as exposure to electronic devices, sleep patterns, and physical activity, as well as family functioning. Comprehensive models exploring risk and resilience processes will be discussed. These diverse mediators serve as potential entry points to tackle vulnerable trajectories with early interventions.