{"title":"Start Earlier, Stay Healthier? An Earlier Start to Public Preschool May Improve Detection of Health Problems","authors":"Anna Wright, Anne Martin, Anna D. Johnson","doi":"10.1007/s10566-024-09822-8","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Background</h3><p>Public preschool can provide opportunities for earlier detection of child health problems and receipt of special needs services. This is especially important for children from low-income households who disproportionately face cost barriers to obtaining health screenings and services.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Objective</h3><p>This study explores the possibility that entering public preschool at age 3 instead of age 4 could contribute to earlier detection of health problems and receipt of special needs services for low-income children.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Method</h3><p>We analyzed data on 757 low-income children in Tulsa, Oklahoma who attended Head Start or public pre-k. We compared rates of parent-reported health conditions and Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) at age 4 according to children’s pattern of preschool attendance across their 3- and 4-year-old years, using propensity score-weighted logistic regressions.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Results</h3><p>At the spring of their 4-year-old year, children who had entered preschool at age 3 were more likely than those who entered at age 4 to have eczema (<i>OR</i> = 3.25, <i>p</i> < .05) and vision problems (<i>OR</i> = 2.26, <i>p</i> < .05). Among children who entered preschool at age 3, those who stayed in Head Start at age 4 were marginally more likely than those who transitioned to school based pre-k at age 4 to have asthma (<i>OR</i> = 3.81, <i>p</i> = .055) and allergies (<i>OR</i> = 2.16, <i>p</i> = .088). There were no differences in rates of IEPs by children’s preschool experience.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Conclusions</h3><p>If replicated, results underscore the potentially unrealized public health benefits of expanding public preschool access to 3-year-olds.</p>","PeriodicalId":47479,"journal":{"name":"Child & Youth Care Forum","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Child & Youth Care Forum","FirstCategoryId":"102","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-024-09822-8","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENTAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background
Public preschool can provide opportunities for earlier detection of child health problems and receipt of special needs services. This is especially important for children from low-income households who disproportionately face cost barriers to obtaining health screenings and services.
Objective
This study explores the possibility that entering public preschool at age 3 instead of age 4 could contribute to earlier detection of health problems and receipt of special needs services for low-income children.
Method
We analyzed data on 757 low-income children in Tulsa, Oklahoma who attended Head Start or public pre-k. We compared rates of parent-reported health conditions and Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) at age 4 according to children’s pattern of preschool attendance across their 3- and 4-year-old years, using propensity score-weighted logistic regressions.
Results
At the spring of their 4-year-old year, children who had entered preschool at age 3 were more likely than those who entered at age 4 to have eczema (OR = 3.25, p < .05) and vision problems (OR = 2.26, p < .05). Among children who entered preschool at age 3, those who stayed in Head Start at age 4 were marginally more likely than those who transitioned to school based pre-k at age 4 to have asthma (OR = 3.81, p = .055) and allergies (OR = 2.16, p = .088). There were no differences in rates of IEPs by children’s preschool experience.
Conclusions
If replicated, results underscore the potentially unrealized public health benefits of expanding public preschool access to 3-year-olds.
期刊介绍:
Child & Youth Care Forum is a peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary publication that welcomes submissions – original empirical research papers and theoretical reviews as well as invited commentaries – on children, youth, and families. Contributions to Child & Youth Care Forum are submitted by researchers, practitioners, and clinicians across the interrelated disciplines of child psychology, early childhood, education, medical anthropology, pediatrics, pediatric psychology, psychiatry, public policy, school/educational psychology, social work, and sociology as well as government agencies and corporate and nonprofit organizations that seek to advance current knowledge and practice. Child & Youth Care Forum publishes scientifically rigorous, empirical papers and theoretical reviews that have implications for child and adolescent mental health, psychosocial development, assessment, interventions, and services broadly defined. For example, papers may address issues of child and adolescent typical and/or atypical development through effective youth care assessment and intervention practices. In addition, papers may address strategies for helping youth overcome difficulties (e.g., mental health problems) or overcome adversity (e.g., traumatic stress, community violence) as well as all children actualize their potential (e.g., positive psychology goals). Assessment papers that advance knowledge as well as methodological papers with implications for child and youth research and care are also encouraged.