Factors associated with the social competence and emotional well-being among young children in an Asian urban city

ABSTRACT

This cross-sectional observational study aims to examine the current status and familial factors associated with social competence and emotional well-being among young children in an urban city in the East Asia region. Early childhood teachers assessed the social competence and the emotional state of preschool children with the Social Competence and Behavioural Evaluation (SCBE-30) Scale. Data were analysed with multiple regression modelling. Results suggested few variables were significantly associated with social competence. These included being a boy, aged 5 years or older, had more than one sibling, whose mother spoke a language other than the local language, and whose carers were not biological parents. Being a male with a mother who spoke a language other than the local language was associated with anger–aggression, while parental work arrangement was the only variable associated with anxiety–withdrawal. Results have a direct implication on the individual and structural levels of child care and early childhood education.

KEYWORDS:

• Social competence
• emotion
• well-being
• behaviour
• early childhood

Acknowledgements

The authors derived no financial or any other benefits from the direct application of the research. Institute ethics approval for the study was granted by the Hong Kong Institute of Education.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Professor Lawrence T. Lam is a Behavioural Epidemiologist who specialized in the area of Child and Adolescent Mental Health. He is also a qualified Research Psychologist with training in Public Health. He had been working in both clinical and academic settings in Australia and East Asia. His work and research cover a range of child and adolescent developmental and behavioural issues and the psychosocial development of young children.

Dr Emmy M. Y. Wong was formerly an Assistant Professor working in the Department of Early Childhood Education and teaching in the area of health promotion and health education for children and adolescents. She is a now working in the School of Nursing, The University of Hong Kong and has been researching in the area of school health.

ORCiD

Lawrence T. Lam http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4581-7041