中国农村贫困地区养育行为现状及其影响的实证研究

An Empirical Study on the Status of Rural Parenting Behavior and its Influence in Poor Rural China

人力资本是经济发展的重要动力,0-3岁儿童早期发展对提升人力资本至关重要,而照养人的养育行为对其有重要影响。本研究采用贝利婴幼儿发展量表第I版(BSID-I)和第III版(BSID-III)及自制家庭量表,2013-2018年抽样调查中国A、B和C三省农村地区3991名0-3岁婴幼儿及其照养人养育行为,分析照养人养育行为现状及其影响。结果表明:(1)农村婴幼儿照养人普遍缺乏积极养育行为。家庭养育环境5个维度得分普遍较低,亲子互动讲故事、唱儿歌、读书的比例均不超过40%,消极管教方式的发生率超过40%(管教时提高声调或吼、管教时拿走玩具);(2)母亲年龄、受教育程度、主要照养人是否是母亲和家庭资产显著影响照养人养育行为;(3)农村婴幼儿早期发展滞后问题严重,总样本中41%的婴幼儿存在认知滞后风险,58%存在语言滞后风险,29%存在运动迟缓风险,58%存在社会情感滞后风险。这种滞后风险与照养人的积极养育行为显著负相关;与消极养育行为显著正相关。因此,婴幼儿主要照养人应该转变养育观念,采取积极的养育行为,提供高质量的养育环境,和婴幼儿开展更多的亲子互动活动。政策制定者也需关注中国农村婴幼儿早期发展,加大对农村贫困地区在婴幼儿早期发展促进方面投入,提高中国未来人力资本质量。

Human capital is an important driving force for economic development. Early infant development is crucial to the improvement of human capital. Using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development I (BSID I) and the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development III (BSID III), as well as measures of family environment, we examined rates of developmental delays among 3,991 children aged 0-3 years old and the parenting practice of their caregivers in rural areas of three provinces in China. We used OLS analysis to examine the relationship between parental behavior and developmental delays. Our analysis shows the following results. First, there is a general lack of positive parenting behavior in rural infant and young children. The proportion of parent-child interactions (e.g. storytelling, singing, reading) was less than 40%, and the incidence of negative parenting behaviors (e.g. shouting or roaring or taking away toys while disciplining the child) was more than 40%. Second, whether the mother is the primary caregiver, mother's age, mother’s education level and family asset value significantly are significantly correlated with parenting behaviors. Third, rural infants show high rates of developmental delay. 41% of infants in the total sample have cognitive delays, 58% have language delays, 29% have motor delays, and 58% have social emotional delays. These delays are negatively correlated with positive parenting behaviors and positively correlated with negative parenting behaviors. Based on these findings, primary caregivers for infants should adopt positive parenting behaviors and engage in parent-child interaction activities with infants to provide a high-quality parenting environment. Also, policy makers should increase investment in early development for infants in poor rural areas of China.