Caregiver self-monitoring strategies in early childhood health care interventions: a scoping review

Purpose: This study mapped and described evidence on self-monitoring strategies used by caregivers in early childhood health care interventions, focusing on their characteristics, purposes, supporting materials, implementation approaches, and reported challenges.Methods: A scoping review was conducted in accordance with the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis. Six databases—MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, and the WHO Global Index Medicus—were searched with no date limits through April 23, 2026. Two reviewers independently screened studies and extracted data. The data were analyzed descriptively and synthesized narratively, distinguishing self-monitoring from proxy monitoring.Results: Thirty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Most used randomized controlled trial designs (62.2%). Target populations included parents, preschool teachers, and childcare workers. Interventions primarily addressed health promotion (75.7%) and chronic disease management (24.3%). Supporting skill practice and reinforcement was the most common purpose of caregiver self-monitoring (29.7%), whereas monitoring symptoms and treatment adherence was the most common purpose of caregiver proxy monitoring (24.3%). Self-monitoring recording tools, such as checklists, diaries, and logbooks, were the most frequently used tools for recording self-monitoring activities. Implementation typically involved caregiver training, application of self-monitoring tools, and review with feedback. Reported challenges included reliance on self-reported data, technical difficulties, and caregiver burden.Conclusion: Caregiver self-monitoring and proxy monitoring are distinct but complementary strategies in early childhood health care interventions, supporting both health promotion and chronic disease management. Future studies should integrate self-monitoring by developing user-friendly tools, reducing caregiver burden, and testing hybrid parent-teacher or childcare-worker delivery models to improve sustainability and longterm child health outcomes.