The association between parental involvement in developmental advance and mental health in Chinese preschoolers: a cross-sectional study

Objective: This study examined the association between Parental Involvement in Developmental Advance (PIDA) and mental health in Chinese kindergarten children aged 3-6 years, specifically assessing how parental teaching activities relate to emotional and behavioral adjustments. Methods: A cross-sectional study in a western Chinese city involved 21,366 children from 189 kindergartens, selected via stratified cluster sampling. PIDA was assessed via the StimQ Scale, measuring parental involvement in teaching activities related to emergent literacy and math/spatial orientation. Children's mental health was evaluated using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), with outcomes operationalized as total difficulties scores and prosocial behavior scores. Results: Each unit increase in PIDA score was corresponded to a 2% lower risk of total difficulties (OR = 0.98; 95% CI: 0.97-0.99) and a 4% higher likelihood of prosocial behavior (OR = 1.04; 95% CI: 1.03-1.05). Non-linear relationships showed optimal benefits at PIDA scores of 12 for total difficulties and 11 for prosocial behavior, beyond which excessive involvement elevated the risk of total difficulties by 18% (OR = 1.18; 95% CI: 1.14-1.22) and reduced prosocial behavior by 2% (OR = 0.98; 95% CI: 0.96-0.99). Subgroup analyses further indicated stronger effects in specific demographics, such as families with lower socioeconomic status. Significant interactions were found between PIDA and parental education level and employment status. Conclusion: Balanced parental involvement enhances children's mental health by reducing total difficulties and boosting prosocial behavior. Excessive involvement may have negative effects, highlighting the need for tailored interventions to optimize early childhood mental health.