Comparison of pretest and post-test cognitive development status between the intervention and control groups
There was a significant improvement in children’s cognitive development from the baseline to the midline test. At six months of intervention (midline), 82 (64.6%) and 72 (57.1%) in both the intervention and the control group, respectively, were in the positive change category of cognitive development. The more positive category was higher (21.3%) in the intervention group than in the control group (12.7%), which was statistically significant (p = 0.006) (Table Comparison of pretest and midline test cognitive development status between the intervention and control groups.Note: For the interpretation and understanding, the changes indicated are “neutral” as average cognitive development, above-average cognitive development as “positive change,” high development as “more positive change,” and below-average development as “negative change”.In the intervention group, there was a significant increase in cognitive development from the pretest to the endline test, which was statistically significant (p < 0.001). In the midline and end-line tests, children in the intervention group moved from positive change (21.3%) to more positive change (36%). However, it was noticed that the more positive difference in the control group declined from the midline test (16, 12.7%) to the endline test (7, 5.6%). This explains a substantial difference in preschoolers' cognitive development between the intervention and control groups (Table Comparison of pretest and endline test cognitive development status between the intervention and control groups.For interpretation and understanding, the changes indicated are “neutral” as average cognitive development, above-average cognitive development as “positive change,” high development as “more positive change,” and below-average development as “negative change”.