About this paper symposium

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Panel information
Panel 27. Solicited Content: Global South

Paper #1
Mediation Effects of S​​ocial Support on Authoritative Parenting Styles and Childhood Development among Brazilian Families
Author information	Role
Daienne Amaral Machado, Purdue University, United States	Presenting author
Robert Duncan, Colorado State University, United States	Non-presenting author
Muriel Gubert, University of Brasilia, United States	Non-presenting author
Julia Modesto Pinheiro Dias Pereira, Instituto de Estudos para Políticas de Saúde, Brazil	Non-presenting author
Gabriela Buccini, University of Nevada Las Vegas, United States	Non-presenting author
Abstract
Parenting styles are critical to early childhood development (ECD). It may be influenced by the child’s behaviors, parents’ psychological characteristics, socioeconomic context, parenting norms, and social support. Authoritative parenting style, characterized by high levels of warmth and responsiveness combined with respectful ways of establishing limits has a positive impact on ECD. Social support, defined as the provision of different types of help from close ones to go through everyday demands or times of difficulties and stress has been found conducive of authoritative parenting style. However, most of the studies investigating the association between social support and authoritative parenting style were conducted with children between 6 and 14 years old, and in high-income countries. To close this gap, our study conducted in Brazil, a middle-income country, aimed to understand the relationship between social support, authoritative parenting style, and ECD. This cross-sectional study used data from the Early Childhood Development and Parenting in the Federal District Home Survey. A representative sample (N= 1,954) of caregivers of 0-6-year-old children residents of the Brazilian Federal District were interviewed in-person in 2022. 66.27% of them were mothers, 15.25% were fathers, 10.34% were grandmothers and the remainder were other caregivers. The questionnaire assessed a global measure of ECD (Child Development Assessment Questionnaire - QAD-PIPAS; Venancio et al., 2021), parenting styles (Parenting Styles Dimensions Questionnaire; Robinson et al., 2021), social support (Medical Outcomes Survey; Sherbourne & Stewart, 1991), and socio-demographics characteristics (i.e., child’s age and sex, maternal education, household socioeconomic index, and neighborhood average income). Structural equation modeling was used to assess three conditions: i) if higher levels of social support for parents/caregivers of children are associated with a higher level of authoritative parenting style; ii) if higher levels of authoritative parenting style are associated with higher levels of ECD, and iii) if the relationship between social support and ECD are mediated by authoritative parenting. Full Informational Maximum Likelihood (FIML) was used to assess these three conditions. Analyses were controlled for socio-demographics characteristics variables. Characteristics of the sample are described in Table 1. Structural equation models indicated that: i) social support is associated with authoritative parenting (β=.13; SE=.012; z=5.41; p < 0.001); ii) authoritative parenting is associated with ECD (β=.12; SE=.011; z=3.82; p < 0.001); and iii) social support through authoritative parenting is associated with child development (β=0.016, SE=0.0007, z=2.86, p-value=0.004) (Figure 1). Social support is associated with authoritative parenting style among Brazilian caregivers and less than 6-year-old children. Likewise, authoritative parenting style is associated with child developmental outcomes. Finally, authoritative parenting partially mediates the association between social support and child development, as initially hypothesized. This study has the strength of using a representative sample including different socioeconomic backgrounds. These findings are important to advance our understanding of whether social support can act as a mechanism to protect ECD in low and middle-income countries. Future studies should use comprehensive measurements of social support, and parenting styles, and investigate specific domains of child development.

Paper #2
Neighborhood Violence, Parenting, and Early Child Development Among Young Mothers and Children in Brazil
Author information	Role
Clariana Ramos De Oliveira, University of Nevada Las Vegas, United States	Presenting author
Fabiane Lopes dos Santos, Federal University of Rio Grande, Brazil	Non-presenting author
Bruna Peixoto Pinelli, Federal University of Rio Grande, Brazil	Non-presenting author
Simoní Saraiva Bordignon, Federal University of Rio Grande, Brazil	Non-presenting author
Abstract
Neighborhood violence significantly impacts communities, particularly in Brazil, where high crime rates disrupt social cohesion and family dynamics (Choi et al., 2018). Young mothers and their children are especially vulnerable, as exposure to violence can hinder effective parenting and adversely affect early child development (Butler et al., 2012). Understanding how neighborhood violence influences parenting practices and child outcomes is essential for developing targeted interventions (Maguire-Jack & Negash, 2016). Despite growing recognition of these issues, research specifically examining the effects of neighborhood violence on young mothers and child development in Brazil is limited. This study utilized data from a cross-sectional project titled “Chance to Grow,” designed to explore the impact of social inequities on the mental health of young mothers and their child development. We focused on young mothers aged 14 to 19 with children between 0 and 5 years in Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. We assessed maternal stimulation (United Nations Children’s Fund Family Care Indicators-UNICEF-MICS), physical discipline (Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scales), and child development (Survey of Well-being of Young Children). The exposure outcomes were neighborhood violence: maternal perceived safety at home and neighborhood (UNICEF-MICS), gang activity, neighborhood conflicts, presence of shooting firearms, and robbery (neighborhood scale). Data were analyzed using logistic regressions in Stata 18, ensuring all ethical standards were met. The study included 246 mother-child pairs, with mothers averaging 18.5 years of age and children 15.8 months. Approximately 47% of the mothers lived with a partner, and 36% had not completed high school. In the multivariate analysis that adjusted for sociodemographic covariates, neighborhoods characterized by firearm violence were associated with increased child stimulation (OR= 0.52, 95% CI 0.29; 0.93). Conversely, neighborhood conflicts and the presence of firearms were linked to higher rates of physical discipline (OR= 1.74, 95% CI 1.01; 2.99; OR= 1.72, 95% CI 1.01; 2.95, respectively). Notably, no significant associations were identified between exposure outcomes and child development. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the intricate relationships between community environments, parenting practices, and child development. They underscore how neighborhood conditions can shape parenting behaviors and ultimately influence child well-being. The results also highlight the need for targeted interventions that consider the specific challenges faced by young mothers in violent neighborhoods, aiming to foster supportive environments for healthy child development. This research lays the groundwork for future studies and interventions that can better address the needs of vulnerable families in Brazil and similar contexts.

Paper #3
Fathers’ alcohol use and its associations with paternal stimulation and early child development in Kenya
Author information	Role
Juliet McCann, Emory University, United States	Presenting author
Michael Ochieng, B&M Consult, Kenya	Non-presenting author
Joshua Jeong, Emory University, United States	Non-presenting author
Abstract
Alcohol misuse is a global public health concern, contributing significantly to the burden of disease worldwide. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), alcohol use is more prevalent among men, with fathers being more likely than mothers to engage in unhealthy drinking behaviors. Fathers’ alcohol use has extensive consequences, not only for their own health and well-being but also for the entire family system, including spousal relationships, parenting interactions, and child development. Despite its consequences, the effects of paternal alcohol use on parenting behaviors and early childhood developmental outcomes remain understudied, particularly in LMICs. This study aims to understand the relationship between fathers' alcohol use and parenting practices and child development. We used baseline data from a cluster-randomized controlled trial of a parenting intervention in Western Kenya, collected between October and November 2024. The final sample included 642 primary caregivers of children aged 0-24 months at baseline. Primary caregivers reported on fathers’ alcohol use (any use and frequency of use) in the past month and fathers’ engagement in child stimulation activities (e.g., playing with the child, telling stories, naming objects) in the past week. Early childhood development was measured using the Global Scales for Early Development Long Form (GSED-LF), a direct assessment tool that produces an overall child development score, the “D-score.” We estimated the adjusted associations between fathers’ alcohol use in the past month and fathers’ stimulation practices, as well as overall child development. We found significant negative associations between fathers’ alcohol use and stimulation practices (β = -0.22, 95% CI: -0.56, -0.04, p<0.05) and overall child development (β = -0.33, 95% CI: -0.60, -0.07, p<0.05). Our findings suggest that fathers’ alcohol use is a risk factor for suboptimal parenting and poor child developmental outcomes. Addressing alcohol use through integrated parenting interventions could be an effective strategy to support both parenting practices and child development.

Paper #4
Multilevel biopsychosocial correlates of brain activity of young children in Bangladesh
Author information	Role
Gitanjali Lall, University of South Carolina, United States	Presenting author
Daniel Feuerriegel, The University of Melbourne, Australia	Non-presenting author
Mohammed Imrul Hasan, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Australia	Non-presenting author
Sabine Braat, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Australia	Non-presenting author
Beverley-Ann Biggs, The University of Melbourne, Australia	Non-presenting author
Jena D Hamadani, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh	Non-presenting author
Katherine A Johnson, The University of Melbourne, Australia	Non-presenting author
Stefan Bode, The University of Melbourne, Australia	Non-presenting author
Sant-Rayn Pasricha, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Australia	Non-presenting author
Leila M Larson, University of South Carolina, United States	Non-presenting author
Abstract
Adversity in the early years, in the form of poverty, malnutrition and suboptimal care, impacts the development of children. Evidence of this association comes primarily from assessments using global behavioral measures of early child development, with few studies investigating the impacts of adversity on brain activity. This is especially true of community-based studies in low- and middle-income (LMIC) contexts, where logistical factors have previously made it difficult to use measurements such as electroencephalography (EEG). The current study aimed to explore the correlates of EEG-based brain activity in young children living in rural Bangladesh, a setting with high rates of malnutrition and suboptimal psychosocial stimulation. The Benefits and Risks of Iron Supplementation in Children (BRISC) study was conducted in the Rupganj Upazila of Narayanganj district, Bangladesh. The trial enrolled 3300 children who were assessed at 8 months (enrolment), 11 months, and 20 months of age. A random subsample of 596 children were included in the neurocognitive sub-study. Resting brain activity was recorded using EEG 11-month-old and 20-month-old children. EEG band power measures were derived for delta, theta, alpha, and beta power bands. Validated tools were used to assess maternal depression, household food insecurity, and psychosocial stimulation. Anthropometric measurements were taken, and venous blood was collected to measure hemoglobin, serum ferritin and C-reactive protein (i.e., inflammation) concentrations. Linear regression analyses were conducted to identify the cross-sectional and longitudinal correlates of EEG brain activity at 11 and 20 months of age. Analyses adjusted for number of children under 5 years of age living in the household, parental education, wealth, child sex, and intervention group assignment. Cross-sectional analyses indicated that, at 11 months of age, linear growth (length-for-age) was positively associated with brain activity (alpha-mu standardized β=0.22, p=0.011; alpha posterior β=0.22 p=0.011; beta β=0.05 p=0.039). At 20 months of age, hemoglobin concentration was positively associated with brain activity (alpha-mu β=0.23, p=0.049; theta β=0.26, p=0.016); food insecurity (delta β=-0.27, p=0.004) and maternal depression (delta β=-0.17, p=0.047) were negatively associated with brain activity. Longitudinal analyses indicated that linear growth of children at 8 months was positively associated with brain activity at 11 months of age (alpha-mu β=0.15, p=0.032), while inflammation at 11 months was negatively associated with brain activity at 20 months (beta β= -0.36, p = 0.012). Child nutritional and inflammation status, household level food insecurity, and maternal depression were found to be associated with EEG outcomes in young children in Bangladesh, indicating that brain activity in children can be influenced by a range of individual, maternal, and household-level factors. Interventions targeting early child development in resource-limited settings need to be multidimensional and address the range of adversities experienced by children in a particular setting.

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