Psychosocial determinants of child cognitive development in sub-Saharan early childhood development centres: a systematic review protocol

Cognitive development is fundamental in building children's future learning and adaptive behaviours. Children's cognitive development may be influenced by an interplay of psychosocial factors, especially in settings such as sub-Saharan Africa, where resources are limited. Despite the significance of early cognitive stimulation on children, there is a paucity of research for understanding the complex interaction of psychosocial determinants of child cognitive development in Early Childhood Development centres, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. This review aims to synthesise existing literature on the psychosocial determinants of child cognitive development in sub-Saharan African ECDs. This proposed systematic review will be conducted according to the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P). We will search for primary studies conducted using qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches on global (PubMed, PsycINFO, ProQuest) and regional databases (Sabinet African Journals, Science Direct, African Index Medicus, and sub-Saharan African institutional repositories). The included studies should report on the psychosocial determinants of child cognitive development of children aged 0-6 years registered within sub-Saharan African ECDs and conducted in English between 2014 and 2024. The quality of studies will be assessed using the Mixed Method Appraisal tool, and the data will be analysed using the content analysis method. We envision that the systematic review will enrich discussions on child cognitive development and facilitate the development of interventions aimed at improving child cognitive development in sub-Saharan African ECDs.Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42023470844.