Behaviors in kindergarten are associated with trajectories of long-term welfare receipt: A 30-year population-based study

Childhood behavioral problems are associated with the intergenerational transmission of low education: a 16-year population-based study

The intergenerational transmission of low educational attainment is well-documented, but little is known about how behavioral problems in childhood explain this association. Drawing upon a population-based cohort study (n = 3020) linked to administrative records, we investigated the extent to which inattentive, internalizing, externalizing, and prosocial behaviors at child ages 6-8 years accounted for associations between parental education and child's risk of failing to graduate from high school. We adjusted for economic, demographic, cognitive, and perinatal factors, as well as parental mental health. Using logistic regressions and the Karlson-Holm-Breen decomposition method, we found that childhood behaviors together explained 19.5% of the association between mother's education and child's high school graduation status at age 22/23, and 13.7% of the association between father's education and this same outcome. Inattentive behaviors were most strongly associated with failure to graduate from high school, while the role of other behaviors was modest or negligible. Inattentive behaviors may represent a mediational pathway between parental education and child education. Early interventions targeting inattentive behaviors could potentially enhance the prospects of intergenerational educational mobility.

Mechanisms and pathways linking kindergarten behavior problems with mid-life employment earnings for males from low-income neighborhoods

Childhood behavior problems are associated with reduced labor market participation and lower earnings in adulthood, but little is known about the pathways and mechanisms that explain these associations. Drawing on a 33-year prospective birth cohort of White males from low-income backgrounds (n = 1040), we conducted a path analysis linking participants' teacher-rated behavior problems at age 6 years-that is, inattention, hyperactivity, aggression-opposition, and low prosociality-to employment earnings at age 35-39 years obtained from tax records. We examined three psychosocial mediators at age 11-12 years (academic, behavioral, social) and two mediators at age 25 years (non-high school graduation, criminal convictions). Our findings support the notion that multiple psychosocial pathways-especially low education attainment-link kindergarten behavior problems to lower employment earnings decades later.

Association of Childhood Externalizing, Internalizing, and Comorbid Symptoms With Long-term Economic and Social Outcomes

IMPORTANCE

Little is known about the long-term economic and social outcomes for children with longitudinally assessed comorbid externalizing and internalizing symptoms, especially compared with children with externalizing symptoms or internalizing symptoms only.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association between childhood trajectories of externalizing, internalizing, and comorbid symptoms and long-term economic and social outcomes.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

A 32-year prospective cohort study linked with administrative data was conducted in school-aged participants aged 6 to 12 years in the Québec Longitudinal Study of Kindergarten Children (N = 3017) followed up from 1985 to 2017. Data analysis was conducted between August 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022.

EXPOSURES

Teacher-rated behavioral symptoms were used to categorize children from age 6 to 12 years into developmental profiles using group-based trajectory modeling.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Multivariable regression models were used to test the association between childhood symptom profile group and adult employment earnings, welfare receipt, intimate partnership status, and having children living in the household. Participant sex, IQ, and socioeconomic background were adjusted for.

RESULTS

Of 3017 participants in this sample, 1594 (52.8%) were male and 1423 (47.2%) were female. Per confidentiality rules established by Statistics Canada, income variables were rounded to base 100 and count variables were rounded to base 10; the mean (SD) age was 37 (0.29) years at follow-up. Four symptom profiles were identified: no/low (n = 1369 [45.4%]), high externalizing (882 [29.2%]), high internalizing (354 [11.7%]), and comorbid (412 [13.7%]) symptoms. Compared with the no/low symptom profile, participants in the high externalizing-only profile earned $5904 (95% CI, -$7988 to -$3821) less per year and had 2.0 (95% CI, 1.58-2.53) times higher incidence of welfare receipt, while participants in the high internalizing group earned $8473 (95% CI, -$11 228 to -$5717) less per year, had a 2.07 (95% CI, 1.51-2.83) higher incidence of welfare receipt, and had a lower incidence of intimate partnership (incident rate ratio [IRR], 0.89; 95% CI, 0.80-0.99). Participants in the comorbid profile fared especially poorly: they earned $15 031 (95% CI, -$18 030 to -$12 031) less per year, had a 3.79 (95% CI, 2.75-5.23) times higher incidence of annual welfare receipt, and were less likely to have an intimate partner (IRR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.63-0.79) and children living in the household (IRR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.80-0.92). Estimated lost earnings over a 40-year working career were $140 515 for the high externalizing, $201 657 for the high internalizing, and $357 737 for the comorbid profiles.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this cohort study, children exhibiting sustained childhood high externalizing, high internalizing, or comorbid symptoms were at increased risk of poor economic and social outcomes into middle age. These findings suggest that children exhibiting comorbid problems were especially vulnerable and that early detection and support are indicated.

Revisit the Effectiveness of Educational Kinesiology on Stress and Anxiety Amelioration in Kindergarteners With Special Needs Using Biological Measures

Background: Educational kinesiology is a popular intervention that aims to improve brain functioning via physical movements. Yet, it lacks supporting scientific evidence and is regarded as pseudoscience. Given the popularity of educational kinesiology in school settings, it is important to revisit its effectiveness through scientific research. Previous studies that evaluated the effectiveness of educational kinesiology relied mainly on subjective measures, in which subjective bias is inevitable. Cortisol and oxytocin levels in saliva have been reported to be reliable stress and anxiety markers that provide unbiased objective data. This study explores the effect of educational kinesiology on the changes in salivary cortisol and oxytocin levels in kindergarteners with special needs. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was adopted in this study. Thirty-seven kindergarteners (3.5-6.5 years old) who were either diagnosed with one type of special needs or referred by school principals due to the requirement of special supports at school were assigned to either the intervention group, which received 1-h educational kinesiology intervention weekly for a total of 10 weeks, or the wait-list control group. Saliva samples were collected at baseline and after the completion of intervention programme for the measurement of cortisol and oxytocin levels. Scores of Parent-rated Preschool Anxiety Scale (PAS-TC) were also collected at pre- and post-intervention. Because of the small samples, non-parametric tests such as Mann-Whitney U test, Quade test, and Fisher's exact tests were used in this study where appropriate. Results: After controlled for the effect at baseline, gender and types of special needs, the changes in oxytocin levels were significantly higher in the intervention group compared with control [F _{(1, 35)} = 4.747, p = 0.036, eta² = 0.119], whereas no significant between-group difference in changes of cortisol levels was observed [F _{(1, 35)} = 0.306, p = 0.584, eta² = 0.009]. Results from PAS-TC showed significant improvement in anxiety levels after the intervention in the intervention group (p = 0.048, ϕ = 0.344, p = 0.037). Conclusions: Our findings suggest a plausible anti-anxiety effect of educational kinesiology in kindergarteners with special needs by elevating the oxytocin levels. Future studies are warranted to further confirm our findings with a larger sample.