Time Spent in Different Types of Childcare and Development
Time Spent in Different Types of Childcare and Development
As shown in figure 1, the sample consisted of 4066 children with receptive vocabulary scores, 3646 and 3208 children with parent-reported and teacher-reported externalising and internalising behaviour scores at age 4–5 years, respectively. As shown in Table 1, the majority of children had an Australian born primary caregiver (~80%) and lived in a two-parent household (~90%). About two-thirds of the primary caregivers had less than a bachelor's degree (~64%) with an average weekly household income of $A1178–1210. At 3 years of age, 75% of the total sample spent regular time in the care of someone other than the parent. Approximately, 39% experienced some centre-based care, 21% nanny or relative care, 8% family day care and 6% other types of childcare. The mean number of hours per week spent in childcare at 0–1 years was 17.2 h (SD: 13.6) and 20.4 h (SD: 14.3) at 2–3 years (data not shown). On average, the total number of hours spent in childcare across the 3 years was 1024–1035 h (341.3–345.2 h/year) depending on outcome.
(Enlarge Image)
Figure 1.
Eligible cohort and numbers included for analyses. LSAC, Longitudinal Study of Australian Children.
In unadjusted analyses, for each increase of 1 day per week in childcare, parent-reported and teacher-reported externalising problem behaviours increased by 0.07 (95% CI −0.02 to 0.16) and 0.25 (0.14 to 0.36) points, respectively (Table 2). Parent-reported and teacher-reported internalising problem behaviours decreased by −0.07 (−0.14 to 0.00) and −0.07 (−0.15 to 0.01) points, respectively, and children's receptive vocabulary scores increased by 0.41 points (0.24 to 0.57). After adjustment, the association between the total amount of time in childcare and children's receptive vocabulary strongly attenuated (β=0.04 (−0.11 to 0.21)). In contrast, after adjustment, higher levels of parent-reported and teacher-reported externalising problem behaviours and lower parent-reported internalising problem behaviours were still observed, although the effects were small (Table 2). Similar results were seen when examining the effects separately for children aged 0–1 year and 2–3 years (see online supplementary appendix A http://adc.bmj.com/content/100/3/226/suppl/DC1).
To determine whether the higher risk of externalising and lower risk of internalising problem behaviours observed with increasing time in childcare by 1 day per week depended on the type of childcare, we examined the association between main type of care and externalising and internalising problem behaviours by the four childcare categories (1) centre-based care (2) family day care (3) nanny or relative and (4) other compared with children who did not attend any type of childcare in the first 3 years of life. Table 3 shows that compared with children who did not attend any type of childcare through the first 3 years of life, children in centre-based care had higher parent-reported (β=0.45 (0.17 to 0.72)) and teacher-reported (β=0.50 (0.17 to 0.83)) externalising problem behaviours and lower parent-reported (β=−0.43 (−0.63 to −0.22)) and teacher-reported (β=−0.36 (−0.63 to −0.08)) internalising problem behaviours at 4–5 years. There was no association between any other types of childcare and children's externalising and internalising behaviours at 4–5 years. The patterns of results were similar when examining effects separately for children aged 0–1 year and 2–3 years (see online supplementary appendix B http://adc.bmj.com/content/100/3/226/suppl/DC1).
Results
As shown in figure 1, the sample consisted of 4066 children with receptive vocabulary scores, 3646 and 3208 children with parent-reported and teacher-reported externalising and internalising behaviour scores at age 4–5 years, respectively. As shown in Table 1, the majority of children had an Australian born primary caregiver (~80%) and lived in a two-parent household (~90%). About two-thirds of the primary caregivers had less than a bachelor's degree (~64%) with an average weekly household income of $A1178–1210. At 3 years of age, 75% of the total sample spent regular time in the care of someone other than the parent. Approximately, 39% experienced some centre-based care, 21% nanny or relative care, 8% family day care and 6% other types of childcare. The mean number of hours per week spent in childcare at 0–1 years was 17.2 h (SD: 13.6) and 20.4 h (SD: 14.3) at 2–3 years (data not shown). On average, the total number of hours spent in childcare across the 3 years was 1024–1035 h (341.3–345.2 h/year) depending on outcome.
(Enlarge Image)
Figure 1.
Eligible cohort and numbers included for analyses. LSAC, Longitudinal Study of Australian Children.
Cumulative Exposure to Childcare Through the First 3 Years of Life
In unadjusted analyses, for each increase of 1 day per week in childcare, parent-reported and teacher-reported externalising problem behaviours increased by 0.07 (95% CI −0.02 to 0.16) and 0.25 (0.14 to 0.36) points, respectively (Table 2). Parent-reported and teacher-reported internalising problem behaviours decreased by −0.07 (−0.14 to 0.00) and −0.07 (−0.15 to 0.01) points, respectively, and children's receptive vocabulary scores increased by 0.41 points (0.24 to 0.57). After adjustment, the association between the total amount of time in childcare and children's receptive vocabulary strongly attenuated (β=0.04 (−0.11 to 0.21)). In contrast, after adjustment, higher levels of parent-reported and teacher-reported externalising problem behaviours and lower parent-reported internalising problem behaviours were still observed, although the effects were small (Table 2). Similar results were seen when examining the effects separately for children aged 0–1 year and 2–3 years (see online supplementary appendix A http://adc.bmj.com/content/100/3/226/suppl/DC1).
Main Type of Childcare
To determine whether the higher risk of externalising and lower risk of internalising problem behaviours observed with increasing time in childcare by 1 day per week depended on the type of childcare, we examined the association between main type of care and externalising and internalising problem behaviours by the four childcare categories (1) centre-based care (2) family day care (3) nanny or relative and (4) other compared with children who did not attend any type of childcare in the first 3 years of life. Table 3 shows that compared with children who did not attend any type of childcare through the first 3 years of life, children in centre-based care had higher parent-reported (β=0.45 (0.17 to 0.72)) and teacher-reported (β=0.50 (0.17 to 0.83)) externalising problem behaviours and lower parent-reported (β=−0.43 (−0.63 to −0.22)) and teacher-reported (β=−0.36 (−0.63 to −0.08)) internalising problem behaviours at 4–5 years. There was no association between any other types of childcare and children's externalising and internalising behaviours at 4–5 years. The patterns of results were similar when examining effects separately for children aged 0–1 year and 2–3 years (see online supplementary appendix B http://adc.bmj.com/content/100/3/226/suppl/DC1).
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