Cultural Practices and Developmental Outcomes in Early Childhood: Evidence from Yoruba Families in Ondo State

This study examines how selected Yoruba cultural practices influence developmental outcomes in children from birth to age 5 in Ondo State, South West Nigeria. Cultural beliefs and practices around infant feeding, swaddling, socialisation, and discipline shape the developmental environment in ways that may either promote or hinder children's physical, cognitive, and social development. Drawing on Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model, this research adopted a mixed-methods design involving 260 caregivers of children under 5 years from rural and urban communities in Akure and Ikare Akoko. Developmental outcomes were assessed using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, supplemented by in-depth interviews exploring cultural caregiving beliefs. Results indicate that certain traditional practices, including extended breastfeeding, communal childcare, and exposure to oral storytelling, were positively associated with language and personal-social development. Conversely, the use of physical punishment as a form of discipline and the restriction of girls' mobility were associated with adverse emotional and social outcomes. The study contributes a culturally grounded analysis to developmental psychology research in Nigeria, moving beyond deficit frameworks to identify protective indigenous practices. Recommendations focus on integrating culturally validated child-rearing information into health and education programmes in Ondo State. Keywords: cultural practices, early childhood development, Yoruba families, Ondo State, bioecological model.