Peer-reviewed article
Analysis of early childhood development according to the nurturing care framework, by wealth quintiles and regions of Argentina (2019–2020)
María E Herrera Vegas, María Elisa Zapata, María Celeste Nessier, Agustina Marconi, Alicia Rovirosa et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined early childhood development in Argentina using data from 2,638 children aged 3 and 4 years, measuring access to nurturing care and developmental outcomes. The research found that on average, children had access to about 79% of measured care indicators, with 87.9% showing adequate development levels. However, significant differences existed between wealthy and poor families, and between different regions of the country.
Key points
- Birth certificates were nearly universal (97.9%), while health insurance coverage was lowest (46.9%)
- Seven of eleven care indicators showed high access (84-98%), while four showed middle access (47-65%)
- 87.9% of children aged 3-4 years had adequate early childhood development levels
- Clear inequalities in access to care and development outcomes existed by wealth quintile and region
- Data came from the National Survey of Children and Adolescents (MICS) conducted in 2019-2020
Limitations
The study is descriptive and cross-sectional, so it cannot establish causality or explain why inequalities exist. The analysis focuses only on urban areas of Argentina, limiting generalisability to rural populations.
Abstract
Introduction. One of the main challenges for early childhood is to provide adequate care to reduce inequalities and promote an early childhood development (ECD). The objective of this study was to describe the relationship between the care provided to children aged 3 and 4 years according to the nurturing care (NC) framework and their ECD levels in Argentina, considering the region and wealth quintiles. Population and methods. This was an observational, cross-sectional analytical study based on data from the National Survey of Children and Adolescents (MICS) of Argentina 2019-2020. A total of 11 NC indicators were selected; the level of ECD was estimated using the Early Childhood Development Index (ECDI) for a descriptive, statistical analysis. Results. In 2638 children aged 3 and 4 years assessed, the average access to care indicators was 79.1%; access was high for 7 indicators (between 84.2% and 97.9%) and middle for 4 indicators (between 46.9% and 65.1%); the highest and lowest frequency corresponded to having a birth certificate (97.9%) and health insurance coverage (46.9%), respectively. Adequate ECDI levels were observed in 87.9%. Results show differences by wealth quintile and region. Conclusions. The results evidence inequalities in terms of access to care and an adequate ECD of children aged 3 and 4 years from urban areas of Argentina, depending on the region where they live and their household wealth level.