Caregiver attitudes towards parent-child play correlated with children's autonomic recovery profiles measured by heart rate variability after play.
Cross-Sectional (n=45)
Do caregiver attitudes towards parent-child play correlate with heart rate variability recovery in young children?
Children's autonomic regulation, as measured by HRV recovery after play, is linked to parental attitudes and behaviors related to play.
Parent-child play is crucial in shaping child development, where play also facilitates autonomic nervous system integration. However, less is known about how parental perceptions of play impact childhood autonomic profiles, which have been associated with enhanced feelings of safety, responsiveness, comfort, and improved learning. This study recorded heart rate variability (HRV) among a sample of young children aged 3-7 years old (N = 45; 42% girls; 62% African American) while they performed neurocognitive tests and play activities, including tickling by a caregiver. Caregivers also completed questionnaires on parent-child play dynamics. Utilizing HRV recovery after play as a marker of autonomic regulation, correlation and multiple regression analyses showed that caregiver attitudes towards parent-child play correlated with the children's autonomic recovery profiles. These findings suggest children's autonomic outcomes are linked to parental attitudes and behaviors related to play.
Liu et al. (Sat,) conducted a cross-sectional in Autonomic regulation (n=45). Caregiver attitudes towards parent-child play was evaluated on Heart rate variability (HRV) recovery after play. Caregiver attitudes towards parent-child play correlated with children's autonomic recovery profiles measured by heart rate variability after play.