การศึกษาสถานการณ์ของพัฒนาการเด็กปฐมวัยไทย เขตสุขภาพที่ 3

The Study of Situation of Early Childhood Development in Region Health 3, Thailand

Abstract

The development and enhancement of lifelong potential in every dimension and age range to become a high-quality individual must begin in early childhood for the high-level executive function to develop to its full potential, which reflects the development of the brain and nervous system. This research is a descriptive study aimed to investigate the situation and factors related to the development of Thai children aged 8 months 16 days to 5 years 11 months 29 days in the Region Health 3, as well as their caregivers who have been taking care of the children continuously for at least 6 months. The sample group consists of 378 people, including children and their parents or caregivers, randomly selected in a multi-stage sampling process. Data collection tools include interviews, records of child health check-ups, maternal and child health handbook, and the Denver Developmental Screening Test II. These tools have been verified by qualified experts. Data were collected from March to April 2021, and analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis with a Chi-square test. The results found that Thai children in the Region Health 3 have a delayed development rate of 23%, with language comprehension being the most delayed at 13.5%, followed by fine motor skills, social and self-help skills, and gross motor skills at 6.1%, 5.3%, and 2.6%, respectively. The factors related to child development include parental socioeconomic status and the child's gender, which are statistically significant (P<0.05 and P<0.001, respectively) in early childhood development. Therefore, it is recommended that all healthcare facilities prioritize promoting early childhood development by educating caregivers and families on the importance of developmental promotion, using tools such as maternal and child health handbook or developmental surveillance and promotion manuals (DSPM), and applying them correctly and consistently to children.