@article{TEXTUAL,
      recid = {4944},
      author = {Walker, Susan P. and Chang, Susan M. and Wright, Amika S.  and Pinto, Rodrigo and Heckman, James J. and  Grantham-McGregor, Sally M.},
      title = {Cognitive, psychosocial, and behaviour gains at age 31  years from the Jamaica early childhood stimulation trial},
      journal = {Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry},
      address = {2021-08-17},
      number = {TEXTUAL},
      abstract = {&lt;p&gt;Background: There is little evidence on adult benefits  from early childhood interventions in low and middle-income  countries. We assessed adult cognition, psychosocial skills  and behaviour from a stimulation trial conducted in  Jamaica.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Methods: Children with stunted growth  (height-for age &lt;−2SD of references) aged 9–24 months were  enrolled in a two-year randomised-controlled trial of  nutritional supplementation and/or stimulation. At mean age  31.79 (SD 0.40) years, 95 of 127 participants (74.8%; 53.7%  male) were assessed. Children without stunted growth were  also followed as a comparison group (64 of 84 participants,  76.2%). Measurements included IQ, executive function,  mental health, psychosocial skills, personality traits and  risk behaviours. A block permutation test, valid for small  sample sizes, was used. Analyses accounted for the  randomisation protocol, multiple hypothesis testing and  attrition.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Results: Treatment group participants  (stimulation intervention with or without supplementation,  n = 48) had significantly greater IQ (Hedges g effect size  0. 57; 95%CI 0.20, 0.95) and cognitive flexibility (0.61;  0.25, 0.98) compared with no-treatment (no-intervention and  supplementation only, n = 47). They also had reduced  depressive symptoms (0.61; 0.28, 1.00), increased grit  (0.53; 0.16, 0.92) and conscientiousness (0.66; 0.31,  1.07), lower substance use (rank mean score, 0.45; 0.08,  0.81) and risk taking related to health and work (0.64;  0.27, 1.00). There were 18 significant outcomes of 33  assessed. Comparison participants had higher IQ than  no-treatment (1.17; 0.81, 1.54) and treatment groups (0.62;  0.18, 1.07); and better executive function, lower social  inhibition and risk taking than the no-treatment group.&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p&gt;Conclusions: The wide-ranging benefits at 31 years from  the stimulation intervention supports investment in larger  scale programmes to promote early childhood development in  disadvantaged children. The lower IQ in the treatment group  compared with comparison participants, emphasises the need  for continued efforts to prevent early childhood growth  retardation.&lt;/p&gt;},
      url = {http://knowledge.uchicago.edu/record/4944},
}