Pearson, D., Kennedy, F.C., Talreja, V., Bhat, S., & Newman-Taylor, K. (2021). Thriving in adversity: Do life skills programs work for developing world children? A pragmatic randomized controlled trial. Social Behavior and Personality: An international journal, 49(9), e10493
The severe adversity experienced by millions of children in the
developing world leads to failure to thrive associated with cognitive
deficits, emotional management problems, and social impairment. In
this pragmatic randomized controlled trial, 909 children (aged 8–15
years) in India with disadvantaged backgrounds took part in a
semistructured program involving sports or creative arts activities. The
Life Skills Assessment Scale was used to assess the children’s life skills
before and after taking part in the program. Children who took part in
the program showed significant increases in life skills following
participation, compared to a control group. This study demonstrates
the impact of simple, low-budget programs on cognitive, emotional,
and social life skills that are typically delayed by severe adversity. The
findings have clear implications for children in other adverse
environments, such as conflict zones and settlements for displaced
children resulting from war, natural disasters, and emergency events.