Peer-reviewed article
NURTURING CARE PRACTICES AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN ACUTELY ILL TODDLERS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY IN INDONESIA
Tri Muslikhah Nurul Izati, Fitri Haryanti, Ibrahim Rahmat, Akhmadi Akhmadi ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined how nurturing care practices relate to social-emotional development in acutely ill toddlers aged 15-39 months in Indonesia. Researchers surveyed 64 mother-child pairs and found that children whose mothers provided good nurturing care were significantly less likely to show signs of social-emotional developmental concerns. Maternal physical health was an important factor affecting how well mothers could care for their children, while maternal education and family income did not significantly influence caregiving practices.
Key points
- 57.8% of mothers demonstrated good nurturing care practices
- 59.4% of acutely ill children screened as not at risk for social-emotional developmental concerns
- Significant association found between good nurturing care practices and reduced risk of social-emotional developmental concerns (p=0.038; OR=0.338)
- Maternal physical health was significantly associated with nurturing care practices (p=0.018)
- Maternal depression, education, and family income showed no significant associations with nurturing care practices or social-emotional development
Limitations
This was a cross-sectional study conducted at a single health center with a small sample size of 64 dyads, limiting generalisability. The design cannot establish causality or determine whether nurturing care practices directly cause better social-emotional outcomes, or whether other unmeasured factors influence both.
Abstract
Background: The toddler period represents a critical window for social-emotional development, which serves as the foundation for social interaction and emotional expression. Nurturing care practices are recognized as essential contributors to optimal child development. However, evidence regarding the relationship between nurturing care and social-emotional outcomes in acutely ill children remains limited. Objective: This study examined nurturing care practices and social-emotional development in acutely ill toddlers, explored their relationship, and assessed potential confounding factors. Methods: A descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2024 to January 2025 at Banguntapan II Health Center, Bantul Regency, Indonesia. Sixty-four mother-child dyads were recruited through consecutive sampling. Mothers of acutely ill toddlers (aged 15-39 months) completed validated questionnaires assessing nurturing care practices and child social-emotional development using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire: Social-Emotional (ASQ:SE). Chi-square tests examined associations between variables. Results: Among participating mothers, 57.8% demonstrated good nurturing care practices. Social-emotional development screening revealed that 59.4% of children were not at risk for developmental concerns. A significant association was found between nurturing care practices and children's social-emotional development (p=0.038; OR=0.338, 95% CI: 0.120-0.954). Maternal physical health was significantly associated with nurturing care practices (p=0.018), while maternal depression, education, and family income showed no significant associations with either nurturing care practices (p=0.180-0.395) or social-emotional development (p=0.115-0.705). Conclusion: Good nurturing care practices were significantly associated with reduced risk of social-emotional developmental concerns in acutely ill toddlers. Maternal physical health emerged as a significant factor influencing caregiving practices. These findings underscore the importance of supporting maternal health and promoting comprehensive nurturing care strategies, even during episodes of acute childhood illness, to optimize social-emotional development outcomes.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- Good nurturing care practices by mothers (measured using validated questionnaire assessing caregiving quality)
- Population
- Toddlers aged 15-39 months with acute illness and their mothers at a health center in Bantul Regency, Indonesia (n=64)
Key finding
Children receiving good nurturing care practices had significantly lower odds of social-emotional developmental concerns (OR=0.338, 95% CI: 0.120-0.954, p=0.038)
Izati et al. · OpenAlex - Early Childhood · 6 May 2026