Comparative study between the children (6-12 years) under parental care and the orphans regarding the cognitive development in selected areas of Mangalore
Mrs. Shanthi S.1, Mrs. Shambhavi2
1Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatric Nursing, Laxmi Memorial College of Nursing, Mangalore, Karnataka. India
2Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, Laxmi Memorial College of Nursing, Mangalore, Karnataka. India
ABSTRACT:
Background: Cognitive development is the construction of thought process, including remembering, problem solving and decision making from childhood through adolescence to adulthood1. Nurturing family environments are associated with the positive outcomes for children’s development2. Research over the last 30 years has demonstrated that the positive interaction between the child and the parents or other caregiver significantly impacts the development of brain.3.Aim: comparative study between the children (6-12 years) under parental care and the orphans regarding the cognitive development in selected areas of Mangalore. Methods: comparative study design was adopted for the study. A sample of 50 children from orphanage and 50 from schools were selected by simple random sampling technique, lottery methods was used to select 100 sample. A demographic data and structured cognitive questionnaire was used for data collection. Results: the result showed that the highest (72%) of children under parental care and (58%) of orphans had good cognitive development. there is no significant difference between the children (6-12 years) under parental care and orphans (t98 = 1.747) at P < 0.05 level of significance. And also found that there is a significant association between the level of cognitive development of orphans with age of the children (χ2= 40.04 at P< 0,05) and children under parental care with education (χ2= 32.09) at P < 0.05 level of significance.
KEY WORDS: Cognitive development, orphans, childe under parental care.
Child development refers to the biological, psychological, and emotional changes that occur in human being between the birth and the end of adolescence4. Parents play a large role in a child’s life, socialization and the development5. The impacts of parental death on children are complex and effects the child’s psychological and social development. Fredriksan and Kandous (2004) state that, orphaned children might have stunted development of emotional intelligence, and the life skills such as communications, decision, making, negotiation skills, etc. Moreover, they often show lack of hope for future and have a low self-esteem 6. South and East Asia have the largest number of orphans (72,000,000).
About 20 million children, about 4% of total population of India, that is more than the total population of New Delhi are orphans, among them parents of only 0.3% children have died and rest are been abandoned 7. Poverty, lack of parental care, disability, abuse and chronic neglects by parents as other case gives that may affect the cognitive development of children. So keeping all this in view, the present study was conducted to compare the cognitive development of children (6-12 years) under parental care and orphans.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
Design: Comparative study design was used for the study.
Setting: The study was carried out in selected students of Infant Jesus Orphanage, Konchadi and Holy Family Primary School, Derebail of Mangalore.
Population: The population comprises of orphans and the child under parental care with age group of 6-12 years.
Sample: The sample for the study was 100 children i.e 50 children from school and 50 children from orphanage were selected.
Sampling technique: Simple random sampling technique with lottery method.
Instruments: demographic data and structured cognitive questionnaire
Description of the instrument:
Demographic data which consisted of 4 items for obtaining the demographic data from the study participants. Structured cognitive questionnaire was usedto measure the cognitive level of children (6-12 years. It consisted of five areas which include time: it consisted four items, classification: it consisted five items, Arithmetic: it consisted seven items, Memory: it consisted seven items, Thinking and reasoning: it consisted seven items. All the items were multiple-choice questions. A score value of one (1) was allotted to each correct response. The total cognitive score was 30. Cognitive scores were arbitrarily classified as good (68 – 100%), average (34 – 67%) and poor (0-33%). Content validity of the toolwas obtained. Pre-testing of the tool was done to check the clarity of items, ambiguity of the language and feasibility of the tool. The reliability of the tool was established using split –half method. The reliability coefficient was found to be 0.87.
Method of data collection:
A prior permission was obtained from the concerned authority to conduct the study. purpose of study was explained and written consent was obtained from the study participant. The participants were assured about confidentiality of their response. The structured cognitive questionnaire was administered to find out cognitive level of children (6-12 years) under parental care and orphans. The time taken for the sample to complete the questionnaire was 30 minutes.
RESULTS:
Section I: Description of sample characteristics:
· The highest (60%) of orphan children were in the age group of 12 years and the level when compared with (56%) of children under parental care.
· The highest (100%) of orphans and (52%) of children under parental care were females.
· The maximum (78%) of children under parental care and (64%) of orphans belonged to Hindu Religion.
· The highest of (70%) of children under parental care and (50%) of orphans had the educational qualification of VI standard.
Section II: Description of level of cognitive development of children (6-12 years) under parental care and orphans.
a. Frequency and percentage distribution of level of cognitive development of children (6-12 years) under parental care and orphans.
The data presented in Table 1 display the frequency and percentage distribution of level of of cognitive development of children (6-12 years) under parental care and orphans.
Table1: frequency and percentage distribution of level of cognitive development of children (6-12 years) under parental care and orphans. N=50+50
|
Cognitive development |
Orphans |
Children under parental care |
||
|
Frequency |
Percentage |
Frequency |
Percentage |
|
|
Poor (0-33%) Average (34 – 67%) Good (68 -100%) |
0 21 29 |
0% 42% 58 |
0 14 36 |
0 28% 72% |
|
Total |
50 |
100 |
50 |
100 |
Table 2: Mean, Standard deviation, Mean difference and ‘t’ value of children (6-12 years) under parental care and orphans. N=50+50
|
|
Cognitive scores |
‘t‘test |
Interpretation |
|
|
Mean |
Standard deviation |
|||
|
Child under parental care Orphans |
22.74 20.66 |
3.78 4.61 |
1.747 |
Not significant |
t 98 = 1.960 at P < 0.05 level of significance
Table 3: Association of level of cognitive development of children (6-12 years) under parental care and orphans with selected demographic variable N=25+30
|
Demographic variables |
Orphanage children χ2 df table value |
Children under parental care χ2 dftable value |
||||
|
Age of the children Gender Religion Educartion |
40.04* 0# 0.86# 1.75# |
6 4 4 6 |
12.59 9.488 9.488 12.592 |
8.29# 0.03# 3.03# 32.09* |
6 4 4 6 |
12.592 9.488 9.488 12.592 |
P<0.05 level of significance, * = significant, # = not significant.
The date presented in table 1 shows that, the highest (72%) of children under parental care had good cognitive development were as (58%) of orphans had good cognitive development. None of them had poor cognitive development in children under parental care and orphans.
Section III: Comparison of level of cognitive development of children (6-12 years) under parental care and orphans.
To find out the significant difference between level of cognitive development of children (6-12 years) under parental care and orphans independent “t” test was used.
The data presented in table 2 showed that, the mean value of children under parental care (22.74) was higher than orphans (20.66). So there is no significant difference between the children (6-12 years) under parental care and orphans. t 98 = 1.960 at P < 0.05 level of significance. Hence the null hypothesis was accepted and research hypothesis was rejected.
Section IV: Association of level of cognitive development of children (6-12 years) under parentalcare and orphans with selected demographic variables.
In order to determine the significant association of level of cognitive development of children (6-12 years) under parental care and orphans with selected demographic variable, Chi-square tests were computed for the available data.
DISCUSSION:
The present study showed that the highest (72%) of children under parental care and (58%) of orphans had good cognitive development.
A meta – analytic study was conducted to compare the adopted and non- adopted children’s IQ and school performance and cognitive development of children. The findings showed that positive impact of adoption on the children’s cognitive development8.
The present study found that the mean value of children under parental care (22.74) was higher than the orphans (20.66). The study also revealed that there is no significant difference between children (6-12 years) under parental care and orphans. t98=1.74 at P<0.05 level of significance.
Similar study was conducted to compare the wellbeing or orphans and abandoned children (6-12 years) in institutional and community-based care settings. The study found that health, emotional and cognitive functioning and physical growth were no worse for institution living than community living orphans and abandoned children9.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
· Study can be conducted to assess the factors influencing cognitive development in school age children.
· A comparison can be undertaken to compare the cognitive development between urban and rural school age children.
CONCLUSION
Cognitive development is primarily concerned with ways in which an infant and the child acquires development and use internal mental capabilities such as problem solving, memory and languages. The capacity to learn, remember, symbolize the information and to solve the problem. Exist at, is a simple level in young infants. So the findings of the study revealed that the children under parental care and orphans have good cognitive development and there is no significant difference between cognitive development of children under parental care and orphans.
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Received on 16.04.2016
Modified on 28.06.2016
Accepted on 12.07.2016
© A&V Publication all right reserved
Research J. Humanities and Social Sciences. 7(4): October- December, 2016, 225-228.
DOI: 10.5958/2321-5828.2016.00036.X