Parental Perceptions Concerning the Effect of Center-Based Childcare on Quality of Life for Healthy 2-To 4-Year-Old Children

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the effects of center-based childcare on the quality of life in healthy 2- to 4-year-old children.

The study was conducted in the Baskent University School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics, and comprised 168 healthy 2- to 4-year-old children followed in the well-child outpatient clinic. After giving informed consent, the accompanying parent was asked to complete the parent proxy report of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (TM) 4.0 and a sociodemographic information form.

Among the children in the study group, 42.26% (n=71) were girls and 31.36 % (n=51) were attending childcare; 69% of the respondent parents were mothers (n=116). The mean total scale score of the study sample was 82.71 +/- 11.77. Total scale scores as well as psychosocial health, physical health, social functioning and emotional functioning subscale scores were significantly higher in children attending childcare.

In particular, mothers whose children were attending center-based childcare perceived their children's quality of life as higher, regardless of their educational and employment status. Improving access to center-based childcare may help to improve the quality of life for young children in Turkey.