Moderating Role of Family on the Relationship Between Psychosocial Factors and the Development of Boy Child in Kenya

Abstract

The main objective of this research was to examine the moderating role of family on the relationship between psychosocial factors and the development of boychild in child in Kenya. The study used an explanatory research design, with all 10,463 Kenyan public secondary schools serving as the unit of study. The target population unit of analysis was all the 3,500,000 students, 113,200 teachers, 10,463 principals, 3,400,000 parents, 14 heads of mental health hospitals, 129 heads of prisons, and 47 county education officers respectively in Kenya. Stratified-Systematic sampling and purposive sampling were used to identify a sample size of 1,682 respondents selected using the Krejcie and Morgan Table formula. This study employed a mixed-method research approach to collect and analyze both qualitative and quantitative data. The coefficients for psychosocial factors and family dynamics provide further insights. Psychosocial factors exhibit a stronger influence, with a higher unstandardized coefficient (B) of 0.48 compared to 0.15 for family dynamics. This indicates that, for every one-unit increase in psychosocial factors, there is a more pronounced corresponding increase in boy child development compared to family dynamics. However, both predictors are statistically significant (p< 0.05), underscoring their importance in predicting boy child development. In the second model (Model 2), the coefficients explore the combined effect of psychosocial factors and family dynamics, including their interaction. The constant term remains the same, but the coefficient for the interaction between psychosocial factors and family is introduced. This coefficient of 0.08 suggests a relatively smaller effect of the interaction on boy child development compared to the individual effects of psychosocial factors and family dynamics. However, it is still statistically significant (p < 0.05), indicating that the interaction between psychosocial factors and family dynamics contributes to the prediction of boy child development. The findings from this study offer valuable insights for policymakers and implementers in addressing critical gender disparities and enhancing the development and performance of boys. This has broader implications for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Africa Vision 2050, and Kenya Vision 2030.