The Benefits of Early Book Sharing (BEBS) for child cognitive and socio-emotional development in South Africa: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Date
2017-03-09
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
BioMed Central
Abstract
Background: Children in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) are at risk for problems in their cognitive, social
and behavioural development. Factors such as a lack of cognitive stimulation, harsh parenting practices, and severe
and persistent aggression in early childhood are central to the genesis of these problems. Interventions that target
the intersection between early childhood development, parenting, and early violence prevention are required in
order to meaningfully address these problems.
Methods: We are conducting a randomised controlled trial to evaluate a parenting intervention for caregivers of
children aged between 23 and 27 months, designed to promote child cognitive and socioemotional development in
Khayelitsha, a low-income peri-urban township in South Africa. Families are randomly allocated to a book-sharing
intervention group or to a wait-list control group. In the intervention, we train caregivers in supportive book-sharing with
young children. Training is carried out in small groups over a period of 8 weeks. Data are collected at baseline, post
intervention and at 6 months post intervention. In addition to targeting child cognitive development, the intervention
aims to improve child socioemotional functioning.
Discussion: The Benefits of Early Book Sharing (BEBS) trial aims to evaluate the impact of an early parenting intervention
on several key risk factors for the development of violence, including aspects of parenting and child cognition, prosocial
behaviour, aggression, and socioemotional functioning. The study is being carried out in a LMIC where violence
constitutes a major social and health burden. Since the intervention is brief and, with modest levels of training, readily
deliverable in LMIC contexts, a demonstration that it is of benefit to both child cognitive and socioemotional
development would be of significance.
Trial registration: The BEBS trial is registered on the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number
database, registration number ISRCTN71109104. Registered on 9 February 2016. This is version 1 of the protocol for the
BEBS trial.
Description
CITATION: Dowdall, N., et al. 2017. The Benefits of Early Book Sharing (BEBS) for child cognitive and socio-emotional development in South Africa: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. Trials, 18:118, doi:10.1186/s13063-017-1790-1.
The original publication is available at http://trialsjournal.biomedcentral.com
The original publication is available at http://trialsjournal.biomedcentral.com
Keywords
Cognition in children, Books and reading -- Children, Physiology of emotion, Child socialization
Citation
Dowdall, N., et al. 2017. The Benefits of Early Book Sharing (BEBS) for child cognitive and socio-emotional development in South Africa: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. Trials, 18:118, doi:10.1186/s13063-017-1790-1