A Longitudinal Study of Child Development in Children Enrolled in Brazilian Public Daycare Centers

Abstract

A longitudinal research study was conducted that examined aspects of child development in children who were enrolled in public daycare centers in Brazil. The participants were 596 children (1-3 years old, n = 51; 2-4 years old, n = 545) who were enrolled in 198 public daycare centers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem-solving, and personal-social domains were assessed using the Brazilian version of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, 3rd edition, adapted for public child daycare centers. A Bayesian robust regression model was performed to check for gender and age differences and interactions. The findings indicated main effects of gender and age. Females had higher scores than males in the communication and personal-social domains. No interactions were found, suggesting the absence of moderation effects between age and gender. This study provides information about child development, especially in children who are enrolled in public daycare centers in Brazil.