The effects of environmental factors

On the previous page, we looked at different short-term and long-term effects that biological factors can have. Before we end this Session, let’s consider the effects of various environmental factors.

When a child has positive environmental factors in their life – relationships, people, places, situations and circumstances – then the impact of this is also generally positive. The child can develop holistically in a happy, healthy and secure environment. For example:

Positive, supportive relationships help the child to learn good habits in relation to socialising and interacting with others.
Secure parental attachments help the child to feel loved, secure and confident…this can help to promote positive feelings of emotional wellbeing (both in early years and as they grow older).
The child has opportunities to play, interact, learn and exercise, which supports positive development in all areas.
In this environment, the child will be more likely to meet their expected age-related milestones (or even exceed them).
The child can grow and thrive physically – they enjoy a healthy diet and lots of exercise, meaning they can maintain a healthy body weight.
Over time, the child has a greater opportunity to continue developing positively and meeting milestones, leading to a greater chance of achieving educational success and enjoying better career opportunities as a result.

However, what about those children who experience negative environmental factors? What effect does this have on their growth and development? Click through the slide panel to explore some examples.

Many environmental factors can lead to development delays in children. For example, poor diet, poor housing standards, limited opportunities to exercise, lack of supportive/positive parenting, etc can all have a negative impact on a child’s holistic development. This can lead to a child failing to meet expected age-related milestones, both during the early years and as they grow older. The longer-term effect of this is that the child may not achieve educational/academic success and this can limit their career options in the future.
A child needs a healthy, balanced diet in order to get all of the nutrients they need to grow and develop. A poor diet may contain lots of unhealthy food (such as processed foods and food that is high in fat or sugar), and this can lead to weight gain or even obesity. Being overweight can increase a child’s risk of developing diabetes or asthma. A poor diet may also be one that doesn’t give the child access to enough food – they are hungry and starved of key nutrients that they need to grow; they will also lack energy, meaning they are less able to play and be physically active (it can also negatively affect their ability to concentrate and therefore learn in the childcare setting).

Lack of food can cause certain illnesses and deficiencies in children, for example:
- Not eating enough fruits and vegetables can mean a child becomes deficient in vitamin C. Vitamin C is important for helping the body to absorb iron from food, for fighting infections and for wound healing.
- Not eating enough fibre can cause constipation and increase the risk of developing bowel cancer in later life.
- Children need a good source of protein in their diet, to support the growth and repair of muscles (essential for physical development). If their diet lacks protein, they will become weak and not grow as they should.
- Children also need energy from carbohydrates in their diet (such as bread, pasta and potatoes) – a lack of carbohydrates will mean the child lacks energy, leaving them less able to play and take part in physical activities.
Children who have a poor diet are also more likely to develop certain long-term health problems in later life, such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular/heart disease, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
When a child lives in poverty, they may:
- Live in overcrowded or poor quality housing – this can limit the space available to the child for them to play, explore and be active; it can also be stressful for a child to live in cramped conditions, they may also struggle to sleep if they have uncomfortable sleeping arrangements (perhaps sharing a bed or not having a bed at all).
- Lack the presence of a supportive parent/carer, which can lead to feelings of insecurity. The parent/carer may be forced to work long hours to bring in money needed by the family, leaving the child to be cared for by others. This can have a negative effect on the attachment felt between the child and the parent/carer.
- Be more prone to illnesses and deficiencies, due to a poor diet, lack of food/warmth/shelter or through exposure to harmful substances at home.
If a child is exposed to abuse or neglect at home, they may:
- Observe upsetting, abusive or violent behaviours and begin to learn that this type of behaviour is ‘normal’ or appropriate – they learn bad habits that they may take forward into their own behaviours.
- Be the victim of abuse or neglect. Abuse may be physical, causing the child pain and injury. It may also be emotional or psychological, where the child is exposed to behaviour intended to scare, humiliate, threaten or upset them. This type of abuse can cause a child to lack confidence, struggle to manage their emotions, display challenging behaviours or be unable to form positive relationships with others. Any negative behaviour by a parent/carer towards the child will affect the bond and attachment between the parent/carer and child.
- Suffer illnesses and deficiencies, due to neglect, lack of food/warmth/shelter.