Exploring Factors Associated with Educational Outcomes for Orphan and Abandoned Children in India

Factors associated with school achievement of children aged 8-10 years in rural Bangladesh: Findings from a post hoc analysis of a community-based study

Background

Education is one of the most important human capitals. Investment in education at early age returns best. A lot of factors influence children’s educational achievement. Studies in developed countries well established the relation of school achievement with its associated variables. But information is lack on what factors play important role for school achievement at early age in low resource settings like Bangladesh. We aimed to find factors associated with school achievement in rural Bangladesh.

Method

The data were acquired from a long-term follow up study, conducted in 8–10 years old children (n = 372). We used a locally developed school achievement tool based on Wide Range Achievement Test-4 to measure reading, spelling and math computation, Wechsler abbreviated scale of intelligence to measure intelligence Quotient (IQ), Digit span forward and backward for short term memory, and locally available Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire to measure behaviour. Socioeconomic and anthropometric information of the mothers and children were also collected. Multicollinearity of the data was checked. Unadjusted and adjusted multiple linear regression analysis was performed.

Findings

Years of schooling and short-term memory were positively related to reading, spelling and math computation. For years of schooling it was-reading B = 8.09 (CI 5.84, 10.31), spelling 4.43 (4.33, 8.53) and math computation 5.23 (3.60, 6.87) and for short term memory- reading 3.56 (2.01,5.05), spelling 4.01 (2.56, 5.46) and math computation 2.49 (1.37, 3.62). Older children had lower scores of reading -0.48 (-0.94, -0.02), spelling -0.41 (-0.88, -0.02) and math computation -0.47 (-0.80, -0.14). Children’s IQ predicted reading 0.48 (0.14, 0.81) and spelling 0.50 (0.18, 0.82) skills. Mother and father’s education predicted Spelling 0.82 (0.16, 1.48) and reading 0.68 (0.06, 1.30) capacity respectively. Children enrolled in private schools had higher reading 10.28 (5.05, 15.51) and spelling 6.22 (1.31, 11.13) than those in the government schools. Children with more difficult behaviour tended to have lower scores in reading -0.51 (-0.96, -0.05).

Conclusion

Children’s school achievement is influenced by their IQ, years of schooling, type of school and parents’ education. Therefore, intervention should be made to focus specifically on these variables and establish the effect of this intervention through robust research design.

Abandoned Babies at Tertiary Care Rural Medical College Hospital: The Indian Scenarios

OBJECTIVES

In India, girls are sex-selectively abandoned. The abandoned babies are brought to the nearest hospital under the jurisdiction of the administration. The authors aimed to study the demographic data and disease profile of those babies.

METHODS

In this hospital-based, retrospective, descriptive study, authors studied all the abandoned babies who were admitted to the Department of Pediatrics as "unknown" and cared for over the last 3 y. Their case records were analyzed with an appropriate statistical measure.

RESULTS

Out of 11 babies, girl-boy ratio was 2.6:1, 73% being abandoned in the neonatal period with a survival rate of 91%. Six babies (54.5%) required emergency intervention at admission. Hospital stay was higher in girls with mean discharge time being 106 d, although the mean fit for discharge time was 6.5 d.

CONCLUSIONS

This study is the first of its kind on abandoned babies demographic data and disease profile, highlighting the burden of abandoned babies in the hospital.