Factors associated with carrying out activities to stimulate child development in the family context

OBJECTIVE: Early childhood stimulation is pivotal for enabling children to achieve their full developmental potential and thrive across the life course. Drawing on the Nurturing Care Framework (NCF) and the multigenerational life course model, this study examined the determinants of child development (CD) stimulation activities. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 365 mothers of children up to three years old who were seen at Primary Health Care units in a municipality in southeastern Brazil. Poisson regression with robust variance was performed to assess associations between contextual and environmental variables and the NCF domains and the practice of four or more stimulus activities, and to evaluate each activity individually. RESULTS: Engaging in four or more stimulating activities was more prevalent among children who had books at home (IRR: 1.53; 95% CI: 1.23-1.92), attended daycare (IRR: 1.42; 95% CI: 1.15-1.75), and played with toys and/or household objects (IRR: 1.24; 95% CI: 1.02-1.51). The multigenerational life course model demonstrated that book ownership, daycare attendance, playing with toys and/or household objects, information received from health professionals, maternal occupation, and concern for CD were associated with engaging in activities that promote CD. CONCLUSION: The availability of books, toys, and play equipment in the home environment, regular attendance at daycare, and health guidelines to promote development make a difference in the first three years of life. The findings provide insights for public policies aimed at strengthening responsive care and learning opportunities for healthy early childhood.