Developing a Caregiving-Focused Time Diary: A Multisample Southeast Asian Study

SYNOPSISObjective. The accuracy of traditional one- or two-time diaries in caregiving-related studies has yet to be evaluated even though such data are commonly used. A multiday time diary may be best suited for accurately describing caregiving arrangements that are high in variability, such as those with multiple caregivers. Design. Data from three longitudinal Southeast Asian cohort studies were analyzed to ascertain whether a specific combination of days best reflects actual weekly caregiving arrangements. To demonstrate the practical utility of measurement choice, links between caregiving and child outcomes were then examined using various day combinations. Participant questionnaire reports of caregiving arrangements were collected from mothers of infants and preschool-aged children. Results. As childcare varies with child age, a 2-day diary may suitably capture infants’ lower variability caregiving arrangements, whereas a 4-day diary may be better suited for preschool-aged children’s greater variability caregiving arrangements. Day combination also related differently to children’s numeracy, language, and socioemotional skills. Actual 7-day and 4-day time diary maternal time were associated with poorer language skills, whereas 1-day time diary data were associated with better language and socioemotional skills, and poorer numeracy skills, and 2-day diary data were not associated with any child outcomes. Conclusions. The structure of the time diary measure holds implications for both the description of actual caregiving arrangements and the accuracy in associations to child outcomes. As these analyses were conducted with early childhood data, the present study may provide a framework for replication in other similar but nonidentical datasets.