한국 어린이 성장 발달 코호트 모형 구축 및 타당화 연구

Abstract

There is currently a low fertility problem in Korea and considering the reasons and solutions to increase the fertility rate is important. However, understanding the growth and development of the children who are raised in Korea at this point, and providing children an environment where they can be healthy is an even more important issue. In order to be able to grasp this issue, qualified data production can help researchers and policy makers identify the factors that affect children’s healthy growth.

The method is as follows: the literature review, advisory meeting and workshop to construct a model, world-class cohort study planning through utilization and connection with international experts, visits to foreign longitudinal study institutes, and studying on the validation of scales on major variables.

The major results of research protocol configuration and development are as follows. The results have four aspects.

First, the protocol development roadmap includes disadvantaged people, collection methods considering neurocognitive development survey target and details, blood sampling from pregnant women, search for a research subject collection method, focusing on medical institutes, and collection including a child’s school teacher.

Second, sample design and collection of research subjects is estimating the scope of newborn population analysis, sampling unit and weight calculation & estimation scope, and operating in random sampling if possible; in-depth review on the samples considering subjects’ characteristics.

Third, direction and configuration of protocol development is comprehensive. Contents include transverse viewpoints by lifespan developmental stage for all ages and focusing on healthy growth and development, protocol research divided into 6 categories: child characteristics, parental characteristics and so on.

Finally, the direction of protocol development is that the research protocol is structured by the developmental stage: questionnaire survey, measurement through inspection and collection of biometric data. And protocol configuration and research hypothesis is set by the period in each research field.

The results of validation research are as follows.

Validation research covered the important variables not included in the Panel Study on Korean Children (PSKC). Reliability and validity analysis, focusing on positive development among a child’s psychological variables (pro-sociality, moral reasoning, empathic/foreseeing ability). The result is reliable internal constancy in a pro-sociality scale against children and parents.

Application plan and expectation suggests the following.

First, establishment of the standards for growth; results used as basic data needed for change in childcare environments, major causes of neurocognitive development disorder, intervention program for the children from disadvantaged families and major government policies.

Second, formation of academic grounds needed for future development with the production of extensive data; improvement of national reputation through the production of high-level data; setting a direction for the effective promotion of diverse policies, suggestion of solutions to several social problems such as private tutoring, analysis of barriers and protective variables.