Social protection can take many forms. Both cash transfers and food security may have important contributions to child cognitive development. This study examines the potential impact of combinations of cash transfers and food security status on child cognitive development and educational outcomes. Cross-sectional data for 796 HIV-affected children in the Child Community Care study were utilised for this analysis. Children and caregivers completed interview schedules comprised of standardised items on socio-demographics, household data, cash grant receipt and food security status, school achievement, and cognition. A series of logistic and linear regression models and marginal effects analyses were undertaken to explore the impacts of differing levels of social protection (none; either cash grant receipt or food secure status or, both in combination) on child educational and cognitive outcomes. Although all children lived in poverty-stricken households, 20% (157/796) of children did not live in a household in receipt of a cash grant and did not report food security; 32.4% (258/796) reported either component of social protection and, 47.9% (381/796) received both measures of social protection in combination. Compared to no social protection, being in receipt of either component of social protection was found to be significantly associated with being in the correct class for age, higher scores of non-verbal cognition, and higher working memory scores. Receiving both social protection measures in combination was found to be significantly associated with reduced educational risk scores, improved odds of being in the correct class for age, regular school attendance, missing less than a week of school in the previous two weeks, higher scores on measures of nonverbal cognition, higher working memory scores, and learning new things more easily. Educational and cognitive outcomes for children can be bolstered by social protection measures (cash grant receipt or food security). Benefits are enhanced when social protection is received in combination. Such findings support the notion of synergistic social protection responses for children living in environments impacted by high levels of HIV burden and deprivation.

社会保护可以采取多种形式。现金转移和粮食安全都可能对儿童认知发展做出重要贡献。本研究考察了现金转移和粮食安全状况相结合对儿童认知发展和教育成果的潜在影响。这项分析使用了儿童社区护理研究中 796 名受 HIV 影响的儿童的横断面数据。儿童和看护人完成了由社会人口统计、家庭数据、现金补助收据和食品安全状况、学业成绩和认知等标准化项目组成的访谈时间表。进行了一系列逻辑和线性回归模型以及边际效应分析，以探索不同水平的社会保护的影响（无；现金赠款收据或食品安全状况，或者，两者结合）关于儿童教育和认知结果。尽管所有儿童都生活在贫困家庭中，但 20% (157/796) 的儿童没有生活在收到现金补助的家庭中，也没有报告粮食安全；32.4% (258/796) 的人报告了社会保护的任一组成部分，47.9% (381/796) 的人同时接受了这两种社会保护措施。与没有社会保护相比，接受社会保护的任何一个组成部分都与年龄正确、非语言认知得分更高和工作记忆得分更高显着相关。发现同时接受这两种社会保护措施与降低教育风险分数、提高进入正确班级的几率、正常上学、前两周缺课不到一周，非语言认知测量得分更高，工作记忆得分更高，学习新事物更容易。社会保护措施（现金补助收据或食品安全）可以加强儿童的教育和认知成果。如果同时接受社会保护，福利就会增加。这些发现支持对生活在受艾滋病毒高负担和剥夺影响的环境中的儿童采取协同社会保护对策的概念。如果同时接受社会保护，福利就会增加。这些发现支持对生活在受艾滋病毒高负担和剥夺影响的环境中的儿童采取协同社会保护对策的概念。如果同时接受社会保护，福利就会增加。这些发现支持对生活在受艾滋病毒高负担和剥夺影响的环境中的儿童采取协同社会保护对策的概念。