Family Parenting and the Promotion of Executive Function Skills in Early Childhood in Amnatcharoen Province

Abstract

This research article aims to analyze the situation and examine the relationships between family caregiving practices and the level of executive function (EF) skills in early childhood in Amnatcharoen Province. A quantitative research design was employed. The study sample comprised 141 children aged 2–6 years residing in Amnatcharoen Province, selected through a multistage sampling process combined with simple random sampling. The research instruments included: (1) an executive function skill assessment tool, and (2) a structured questionnaire administered to primary caregivers. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests were used to analyze the data.

          Findings are as follows: (1) With regard to the caregiving situation, the primary caregivers were predominantly mothers and grandparents, in nearly equal proportions. The majority of caregivers had low educational attainment, engaged in agricultural or wage labor occupations, and had limited income. Most children lived in multi-generational households. (2) Several factors were found to be significantly associated with children’s EF skills at the 0.05 significance level. These included child health status, child development, parental marital status, caregiver education level, use of the DSPM manual, and caregiver awareness of EF skills. Additionally, caregiving behaviors in the domains of nutrition, sleep, physical affection (e.g., hugging and expressing love), and support for self-help skills were also significantly associated with the development of EF skills in early childhood. The findings underscore the critical role of family caregiving in fostering the development of executive function skills during early childhood.