ABSTRACT
In western China, many socioeconomically disadvantaged rural children remain at preschools for extremely long hours: they start to receive boarding services as young as 3 years old and remain at preschools for 4 to 5 consecutive days weekly. Although the quality of childcare is generally poor in these preschools, extremely long school hours and prolonged separation from primary caregivers may induce additional stress and lead to school maladjustment among boarding preschoolers. This study examines the impact of boarding experience on preschool beginners’ social adjustment and stress responses, as indicated by their saliva alpha-amylase (sAA) and cortisol. A total of over 900 saliva samples of 31 boarding and 30 non-boarding preschoolers (mean age = 44.0 months, SD = 9.8 months) were collected over 12 weeks after they entered preschools. Primary caregivers reported children’s behavioural problems and school refusal. Boarders experienced a larger mid-morning to mid-afternoon rise in cortisol than non-boarders on the second-to-last weekdays but not on the first weekdays. Non-boarders experienced an accelerated decrease in sAA during the 12 weeks, whereas boarders did not. Differences in cortisol and sAA patterns indicate potential increased stress for boarders, which might be associated with their more prevalent school-refusal behaviour than non-boarders. The findings underscore that entry into boarding preschool may cause stress and school refusal in rural Chinese children during their transition to preschool. Additional contacts with primary caregivers during this transition are needed to support boarders emotionally.