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other·pediatrics, public health, family medicine, observational study·PMC10143943

A Qualitative Assessment of Community Acceptability and Use of a Locally Developed Children’s Book to Increase Shared Reading and Parent-Child Interactions in Rural Zambia

Annals of Global Health · 8 authors, 6 centres

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TL;DR

This qualitative study assessed community acceptability of a locally developed children's book in rural Zambia. The book was widely accepted and used by caregivers to foster shared reading and diverse caregiver-child interactions.

Full summary

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This qualitative study used 15 focus group discussions with 117 women caregivers in rural Zambia to assess acceptability and use of a locally developed children's book. Content analysis found the book was widely acceptable due to its cultural appropriateness, folktale structure, and simple vocabulary. Respondents reported using the book for reading in various settings and engaging children with questions and discussions about pictures. They believed the book helped children's vocabulary and literacy skills. Limitations include the inability to assess actual use or child outcomes, reliance only on female caregivers' perspectives, and the lack of inquiry into specific barriers. The findings suggest the book can serve as a platform for caregiver-child interactions, though its standalone impact without additional parental education is unclear.

STUDY TYPE

other

SPECIALTY

pediatrics

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AI pipeline

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ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10143943

A Qualitative Assessment of Community Acceptability and Use of a Locally Developed Children’s Book to Increase Shared Reading and Parent-Child Interactions in Rural Zambia

Annals of Global Health

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ABSTRACT

Abstract Introduction: Early reading interventions hold promise for increasing language and literacy development in young children and improving caregiver-child interactions. To engage rural caregivers and young children in home reading, Zambian child psychologists and education specialists developed a culturally representative, local language children’s book targeted at pre-grade 1 children. Objectives: We qualitatively assessed community acceptability and use of the book distributed to households with young children in two provinces of Zambia. Methods: We conducted 15 focus group discussions (FGDs) with women (n=117) who received the “Zambian folktales adapted stories for young children” book. A codebook was created a priori , based on established themes in the guide; content analysis was conducted in Nvivo v12. Data were interpreted against the Theoretical Framework on Acceptability. Findings: Respondents described wide acceptability of the children’s book across multiple framework constructs. Respondents believed the book was culturally appropriate for its folktale structure and appreciated the morals and lessons provided by the stories. Respondents described using the book in multiple ways including reading in one-on-one or group settings, asking the child questions about the narrative or pictures, and providing additional commentary on the actions or figures in the pictures. Respondents believed the books were helping children grow their vocabulary and early literacy skills. The book’s simple vocabulary facilitated use by less educated caregivers. The primary concern voiced was the ability of low literacy caregivers to utilize the book for reading. Discussion: The children’s book was widely considered acceptable by rural Zambian communities. It provided a platform for an additional method of caregiver-child interactions in these households for reading, dialogue, and oral storytelling. Shared reading experiences have potentially substantial benefits for the language development and emergent literacy of young children. Programs to develop and deliver culturally acceptable books to households with limited access should be considered by governments and funders. Keywords: emergent literacy, school readiness, early childhood care and education, early childhood development, maternal child health, sub-Saharan Africa, low- and middle-income countries

CITATION EXPORT

Jeanette L Kaiser, Thandiwe Ngoma, Peter C Rockers et al.. A Qualitative Assessment of Community Acceptability and Use of a Locally Developed Children’s Book to Increase Shared Reading and Parent-Child Interactions in Rural Zambia. Annals of Global Health. (2023). https://doi.org/10.5334/aogh.3920

AUTHORS

8 · 6 CENTRES

Jeanette L Kaiser, Thandiwe Ngoma, Peter C Rockers, Günther Fink, Allison Juntunen, Davidson H Hamer, Ben Chirwa, Nancy A Scott

1Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
2Department of Research, Right to Care Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
3Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
4Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, USA
5Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
6Right to Care Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia