Age, Gender and Children Opinion with Social-Emotional Development among Preschool Children in Flood-Prone Areas

Abstract

Background: Preschool children are at a risk of social-emotional problems at 58.8%, with 72.2% of post-flood disaster children experiencing emotional behavior problems. In flood-affected areas, the self-concept of preschool children shows poor self-image (53.4%), low self-esteem (56.8%), and a negative self-role (52.3%).

Purpose: To understand the overview and factors correlation to the social-emotional development of preschool children in flood-prone areas.

Methods: This research was designed as a descriptive cross-sectional study. A total of 125 preschool children living in flood-prone areas were the research subjects. The ASQ-SE questionnaire was used to measure the social-emotional development of children. Spearman tests were conducted to determine the correlation between respondent characteristics and social-emotional development.

Result: This study shows 88% of preschool children living in flood-prone areas are at risk of experiencing social-emotional problems. The questions with the highest scores in the 36-month, 48-month, and 60-month questionnaires were related to children intentionally hurting themselves. Gender is significantly correlated with the social-emotional development of children in flood-prone areas (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Preschool children in flood-prone areas are more likely to experience social-emotional problems. Gender plays a role in the social-emotional development of children. The results provide insight for pediatric nurses in developing interventions to prevent social-emotional problems in children with a family-centered care approach.