Promoting social, emotional, and cognitive development in early childhood: A protocol for early valuation of a culturally adapted digital tool for supporting optimal childrearing practices.

Objective: The Thrive by Five app promotes positive interactions between children and parents, extended family, and trusted community members that support optimal socio-emotional and cognitive development in the early years. This article aims to describe the protocol for a prospective mixed-methods multi-site study evaluating Thrive by Five using surveys, interviews, workshops, audio diaries from citizen ethnographers and app usage data. Methods: The study activities and timelines differ by site, with an extensive longitudinal evaluation being conducted at two sites and a basic evaluation being conducted at five sites. The learnings from the more comprehensive evaluations inform the iterative research and development processes while also ensuring ongoing evaluation of usability, acceptability and effectiveness of the app and its content across varying contexts. The study evaluates: (1) the impact of the Thrive by Five content on caregiver knowledge, behaviours, attitudes and confidence; (2) how the content changes relationships at the familial, community and system level; (3) how cultural and contextual factors influence content engagement and effectiveness and (4) the processes that facilitate or disrupt the success of the implementation and dissemination. Results: All in-country partners have been identified and data collection has been completed in Indonesia, Malaysia, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Namibia and Cameroon. Conclusions: Very few digital health solutions have been trialled for usability and effectiveness in diverse cultural contexts. By combining quantitative, qualitative, process and ethnographic methodologies, this innovative study informs the iterative and ongoing optimisation of the cultural and contextual sensitivity of the Thrive by Five content and the processes supporting implementation and dissemination.

Globally, songs and instrumental melodies are slower and higher and use more stable pitches than speech: A Registered Report.

Both music and language are found in all known human societies, yet no studies have compared similarities and differences between song, speech, and instrumental music on a global scale. In this Registered Report, we analyzed two global datasets: (i) 300 annotated audio recordings representing matched sets of traditional songs, recited lyrics, conversational speech, and instrumental melodies from our 75 coauthors speaking 55 languages; and (ii) 418 previously published adult-directed song and speech recordings from 209 individuals speaking 16 languages. Of our six preregistered predictions, five were strongly supported: Relative to speech, songs use (i) higher pitch, (ii) slower temporal rate, and (iii) more stable pitches, while both songs and speech used similar (iv) pitch interval size and (v) timbral brightness. Exploratory analyses suggest that features vary along a "musi-linguistic" continuum when including instrumental melodies and recited lyrics. Our study provides strong empirical evidence of cross-cultural regularities in music and speech.

Parenting app to support socio-emotional and cognitive development in early childhood: iterative codesign learnings from nine low-income and middle-income countries.

OBJECTIVE: Many children in low-income and middle-income countries are disadvantaged in achieving early developmental potential in childhood as they lack the necessary support from their surroundings, including from parents and caregivers. Digital technologies, such as smartphone apps, coupled with iterative codesign to engage end-users in the technology-delivered content development stages, can help overcome gaps in early child development (ECD). We describe the iterative codesign and quality improvement process that informs the development of content for the Thrive by Five International Program, localised for nine countries in Asia and Africa. DESIGN: Between 2021 and 2022, an average of six codesign workshops in each country were conducted in Afghanistan, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya and Namibia.ParticipantsA total of 174 parents and caregivers and 58 in-country subject matter experts participated and provided feedback to refine and inform the cultural appropriateness of the Thrive by Five app and its content. Detailed notes from the workshops and written feedback were coded and analysed using established thematic techniques. RESULTS: Four themes emerged from the codesign workshops: local realities, barriers to positive parenting, child development and lessons learnt about the cultural context. These themes, as well as various subthemes, informed content development and refinement. For example, childrearing activities were requested and developed to promote inclusion of families from diverse backgrounds, encourage best parenting practices, increase engagement of fathers in ECD, address parents' mental well-being, educate children about cultural values and help bereaved children with grief and loss. Also, content that did not align with the laws or culture of any country were removed. CONCLUSIONS: The iterative codesign process informed the development of a culturally relevant app for parents and caregivers of children in the early years. Further evaluation is required to assess user experience and impact in real world settings.

Designing an App for Parents and Caregivers to Promote Cognitive and Socioemotional Development and Well-being Among Children Aged 0 to 5 Years in Diverse Cultural Settings: Scientific Framework.

Recent years have seen remarkable progress in our scientific understanding of early childhood social, emotional, and cognitive development, as well as our capacity to widely disseminate health information by using digital technologies. Together, these scientific and technological advances offer exciting opportunities to deliver high-quality information about early childhood development (ECD) to parents and families globally, which may ultimately lead to greater knowledge and confidence among parents and better outcomes among children (particularly in lower- and middle-income countries). With these potential benefits in mind, we set out to design, develop, implement, and evaluate a new parenting app-Thrive by Five-that will be available in 30 countries. The app will provide caregivers and families with evidence-based and culturally appropriate information about ECD, accompanied by sets of collective actions that go beyond mere tips for parenting practices. Herein, we describe this ongoing global project and discuss the components of our scientific framework for developing and prototyping the app's content. Specifically, we describe (1) 5 domains that are used to organize the content and goals of the app's information and associated practices; (2) 5 neurobiological systems that are relevant to ECD and can be behaviorally targeted to potentially influence social, emotional, and cognitive development; (3) our anthropological and cultural framework for learning about local contexts and appreciating decolonization perspectives; and (4) our approach to tailoring the app's content to local contexts, which involves collaboration with in-country partner organizations and local and international subject matter experts in ECD, education, medicine, psychology, and anthropology, among others. Finally, we provide examples of the content that was incorporated in Thrive by Five when it launched globally.

Developing Culturally Appropriate Content for a Child-Rearing App to Support Young Children's Socioemotional and Cognitive Development in Afghanistan: Co-Design Study.

BACKGROUND: Optimal child-rearing practices can help mitigate the consequences of detrimental social determinants of health in early childhood. Given the ubiquity of personal digital technologies worldwide, the direct delivery of evidence-based information about early childhood development holds great promise. However, to make the content of these novel systems effective, it is crucial to incorporate place-based cultural beliefs, traditions, circumstances, and value systems of end users. OBJECTIVE: This paper describes the iterative approach used to develop the Thrive by Five child-rearing app in collaboration with Afghan parents, caregivers (eg, grandparents, aunts, and nannies), and subject matter experts (SMEs). We outline how co-design methodologies informed the development and cultural contextualization of content to meet the specific needs of Afghan parents and the content was tested and refined in collaboration with key Afghan stakeholders. METHODS: The preliminary content was developed based on a comprehensive literature review of the historical and sociocultural contexts in Afghanistan, including factors that influence child-rearing practices and early childhood development. After an initial review and refinement based on feedback from SMEs, this content was populated into a beta app for testing. Overall, 8 co-design workshops were conducted in July and August 2021 and February 2022 with 39 Afghan parents and caregivers and 6 SMEs to collect their feedback on the app and its content. The workshops were audio recorded and transcribed; detailed field notes were taken by 2 scribes. A theoretical thematic analysis using semantic codes was conducted to inform the refinement of existing content and development of new content to fulfill the needs identified by participants. RESULTS: The following 4 primary themes were identified: child-rearing in the Afghan sociocultural context, safety concerns, emotion and behavior management, and physical health and nutrition. Overall, participants agreed that the app had the potential to deliver valuable information to Afghan parents; however, owing to the volatility in the country, participants recommended including more activities that could be safely done indoors, as mothers and children are required to spend most of their time at home. Additionally, restrictions on public engagement in music required the removal of activities referencing singing that might be performed outside the home. Further, activities to help parents reduce their children's screen time, promote empathy, manage emotions, regulate behavior, and improve physical health and nutrition were requested. CONCLUSIONS: Direct engagement with Afghan parents, caregivers, and SMEs through co-design workshops enabled the development and refinement of evidence-based, localized, and contextually relevant child-rearing activities promoting healthy social, emotional, and cognitive development during the first 5 years of children's lives. Importantly, the content was adapted for the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan with the aim of empowering Afghan parents and caregivers to support their children's developmental potential despite the security concerns and situational stressors.

Developing a Parenting App to Support Young Children's Socioemotional and Cognitive Development in Culturally Diverse Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Protocol for a Co-design Study.

BACKGROUND: Digital technologies are widely recognized for their equalizing effect, improving access to affordable health care regardless of gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or geographic region. The Thrive by Five app is designed to promote positive interactions between children and their parents, extended family, and trusted members of the community to support socioemotional and cognitive development in the first 5 years of life and to strengthen connections to culture and community. OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to describe the iterative co-design process that underpins the development and refinement of Thrive by Five's features, functions, and content. Minderoo Foundation commissioned this work as a quality improvement activity to support an engaging user experience and inform the development of culturally appropriate and relevant content for parents and caregivers in each country where the app is implemented. METHODS: The app content, referred to as Collective Actions, comprises "The Why," that presents scientific principles that underpin socioemotional and cognitive development in early childhood. The scientific information is coupled with childrearing activities for parents, extended family, and members of the community to engage in with the children to support their healthy development and to promote positive connections between parents, families, and communities and these young children. Importantly, the initial content is designed and iteratively refined in collaboration with a subject matter expert group from each country (ie, alpha testing). This content is then configured into the app (either a beta version or localized version) for testing (ie, beta testing) by local parents and caregivers as well as experts who are invited to provide their feedback and suggestions for improvements in app content, features, and functions via a brief web-based survey and a series of co-design workshops. The quantitative survey data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics, whereas the analysis of qualitative data from the workshops will follow established thematic techniques. RESULTS: To date, the co-design protocol has been completed with subject matter experts, parents, and caregivers from 9 countries, with the first results expected to be published by early 2023. The protocol will be implemented serially in the remaining 21 countries. CONCLUSIONS: Mobile technologies are the primary means of internet connection in many countries worldwide, which underscores the potential for mobile health programs to improve access to valuable, evidence-based, and previously unavailable parenting information. However, for maximum impact, it is critically important to ensure that mobile health programs are designed in collaboration with the target audience to support the alignment of content with parents' cultural values and traditions and its relevance to their needs and circumstances. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/39225.

Partnering with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples: An Evaluation Study Protocol to Strengthen a Comprehensive Multi-Scale Evaluation Framework for Participatory Systems Modelling through Indigenous Paradigms and Methodologies.

The social and emotional wellbeing of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should be supported through an Indigenous-led and community empowering approach. Applying systems thinking via participatory approaches is aligned with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research paradigms and can be an effective method to deliver a decision support tool for mental health systems planning for Indigenous communities. Evaluations are necessary to understand the effectiveness and value of such methods, uncover protective and healing factors of social and emotional wellbeing, as well as to promote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander self-determination over allocation of funding and resources. This paper presents modifications to a published evaluation protocol for participatory systems modelling to align with critical Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander guidelines and recommendations to support the social and emotional wellbeing of young people. This paper also presents a culturally relevant participatory systems modelling evaluation framework. Recognizing the reciprocity, strengths, and expertise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander methodologies can offer to broader research and evaluation practices, the amended framework presented in this paper facilitates empowering evaluation practices that should be adopted when working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as well as when working with other diverse, non-Indigenous communities.