Family Socioeconomic Status and Child Executive Functions: Exploring the Mediating Role of Child Routines
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Research Findings: This study examined the association between family socioeconomic status (SES) and children’s executive functions (EFs), focusing on the mediating role of child routines within a Hong Kong Chinese sample. The participants included 183 preschool-aged children (50.3% girls; Mage = 68.86 months, SD = 5.63) and their mothers. Mothers reported monthly household income, their education level, and children’s routines. Six weeks later, 169 children completed three tasks designed to assess their EFs. Structural equation modeling was employed to examine the mediation model. The results indicated that while the direct effect of family SES at T1 on children’s EFs at T2 was not significant, a significant indirect effect was found through child routines at T1. Specifically, T1 family SES was positively associated with T1 child routines, which was in turn positively associated with T2 children’s EFs. The indirect effect became non-significant after controlling for the baseline level of children’s EFs. Practice or Policy: Given the potential that child routines may mediate the relation between family SES and children’s EFs, future prevention and intervention efforts aimed at enhancing EFs should incorporate strategies to strengthen child routines, particularly in lower SES families.
Source: Early Education and Development
Authors: Xiao-yuan Wu, Eva Yi Hung Lau, Xin-Ying Zeng
Institution: Education University of Hong Kong
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4412822352