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Songül Yalçın S, Aydın B, Yalçınkaya F. How to Improve Language Development of Preschoolers in Home Care. Turk Arch Pediatr 2021; 56:350-355. [PMID: 35005730 PMCID: PMC8655963 DOI: 10.5152/turkarchpediatr.2021.20140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM The home environment is important for early childhood neurodevelopment. The objective of this cross-sectional survey was to research the association between family characteristics and language development in healthy preschoolers under isolated home care. METHODS This cross-sectional study included 115 children aged 5-60 months in isolated home care. The preschool language scale (PLS) assessed the receptive and expressive language scores of children. The scores of PLS were graded into 3 levels: high for the top 20-30%, low for the bottom 20-30%, and moderate for the children in between. RESULTS When the covariates including parental education, age of the enrolled child, gender, number of children, and household size were adjusted, multiple logistic regression analysis (Model 1) revealed that excessive paternal screen usage (≥4 hours) had elevated odds ratios for both low receptive and low expressive PLS than counterparts, whereas early initiation (<12 months of age) of book reading significantly declined low expressive PLS compared to late initiation of book reading. Preschoolers having grandparents' social support have a lower odds ratio for low receptive PLS than those having no support. Additionally, after controlling for covariates, all the predictors, including paternal heavy screen usage, late initiation of book reading, and absence of grandparent support (Model 2), increased risks for low expressive language level. CONCLUSION Poor language scores in a child might be the outcome of late initiation of book reading in a child, absence of the grandparents' social support for the mother in child-rearing, and excessive paternal television viewing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Beril Aydın
- Department of Pediatrics, Başkent University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Fulya Yalçınkaya
- Department of Audiology, Biruni University Faculty of Health Sciences, İstanbul, Turkey
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2
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Association between Household Crowding and Violent Discipline and Neglect of Children: Analysis of Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys in 26 Low- and Middle-Income Countries. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18041685. [PMID: 33578662 PMCID: PMC7916333 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18041685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The influence of household crowding on physical and mental health has been well documented. However, research on the influence of household crowding on violent discipline and neglect of children is scarce. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether household crowding was associated with violent discipline and neglect of children in low- and- middle-income countries (LMICs). Cross-sectional data for 280,005 and 73,030 children in 26 LMICs surveyed using the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey were analyzed for (1) violent discipline and (2) neglect, respectively. In each country, we used logistic regression models to estimate the effects of household crowding on multiple forms of violent discipline and stimulation activities (as a proxy of the level of child neglect). Estimates were pooled using random effects meta-analyses. After adjusting for confounding variables, household crowding was associated with higher odds of any violent discipline (odds ratio (OR) = 1.09, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.15, p = 0.002) and lower odds of engaging in four or more stimulation activities (OR = 0.88, 95% CI 0.83 to 0.94, p < 0.001). The associations were stronger for urban children and children living in low- and lower-middle-income countries. The findings suggest that screenings and interventions aimed at reducing the effects of household crowding might be effective in preventing and controlling violent discipline and neglect of children in LMICs.
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3
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Brito NH, Troller-Renfree SV, Leon-Santos A, Isler JR, Fifer WP, Noble KG. Associations among the home language environment and neural activity during infancy. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2020; 43:100780. [PMID: 32510343 PMCID: PMC7200831 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Characteristics of the home language environment, independent of socioeconomic background, may account for disparities in early language abilities. Past studies have reported links between the quantity of language input within the home and differences in brain function during early childhood. The current study examined associations between home language input and EEG brain activity in a socioeconomically diverse sample of 6- to 12-month-old infants (N = 94). Replicating past studies, a positive correlation was found between measures of socioeconomic status and language input. Examining links between language input and brain activity, analyses yielded a negative association, with children who heard more adult words in the home demonstrating reduced EEG beta power (13-19 Hz) in the parietal region. Exploratory analyses revealed a significant interaction between language input and the amount of chaos and disorganization in the home. Specifically, among children living in high-chaos households, children who heard more adult words tended to have reduced EEG activity. Among children living in low-chaos homes, there was no link between adult word count and children's EEG activity. These findings demonstrate the importance of the early home environment context in shaping neurocognitive trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie H Brito
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, United States.
| | - Sonya V Troller-Renfree
- Department of Biobehavioral Sciences, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, United States
| | - Ana Leon-Santos
- Department of Biobehavioral Sciences, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, United States
| | - Joseph R Isler
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, United States
| | - William P Fifer
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, United States; Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, 10032, United States
| | - Kimberly G Noble
- Department of Biobehavioral Sciences, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, United States
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4
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Garrett-Peters PT, Mokrova IL, Carr RC, Vernon-Feagans L. Early student (dis)engagement: Contributions of household chaos, parenting, and self-regulatory skills. Dev Psychol 2019; 55:1480-1492. [PMID: 30907606 PMCID: PMC7017720 DOI: 10.1037/dev0000720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies suggest that the roots of school dropout (a) can be established early in life, (b) are likely to involve multilevel factors (home, child, classroom) operating prior to and during the elementary school years, and (c) can be identified by 3rd grade. The decision to drop out of school is thus a dynamic developmental process that can begin with disengagement in elementary school. Yet few studies have examined the multilevel factors that might contribute to children's early disengagement from school. In the present study, we examined associations between household chaos (i.e., disorganization and instability) from birth to age 5 and student (dis)engagement in third grade. We also examined positive parenting in early childhood (6-60 months) and child self-regulatory skills at kindergarten as potential mediators in this pathway. Participants were 1,097 children who participated in the Family Life Project, a longitudinal study of the development of children living in underresourced high poverty rural areas. Study questions were addressed using structural equation models. Results indicated that, even after taking into account a considerable number of covariates, early positive parenting and children's self-regulatory skills were viable process mechanisms through which early household disorganization, but not instability, was linked to student (dis)engagement in third grade. Findings are discussed with respect to the multilevel proximal forces at play in children's risk for early disengagement from school. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
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Abstract
Household crowding, or having more household members than rooms in one's residence, could potentially affect a child's educational attainment directly through a number of mechanisms. We use U.S. longitudinal data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics to derive new measures of childhood crowding and estimate negative associations between crowding during one's high school years and, respectively, high school graduation by age 19 and maximum education at age 25. These negative relationships persist in multivariate models in which we control for the influence of a variety of factors, including socioeconomic status and housing-cost burden. Given the importance of educational attainment for a range of midlife and later-life outcomes, this study suggests that household crowding during one's high school years is an engine of cumulative inequality over the life course.
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6
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Kitsao-Wekulo P, Holding PA, Kvalsvig JD, Alcock KJ, Taylor HG. Measurement of expressive vocabulary in school-age children: Development and application of the Kilifi Naming Test (KNT). APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY-CHILD 2017; 8:24-39. [PMID: 29023138 DOI: 10.1080/21622965.2017.1378579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The dearth of locally developed measures of language makes it difficult to detect language and communication problems among school-age children in sub-Saharan African settings. We sought to describe variability in vocabulary acquisition as an important element of global cognitive functioning. Our primary aims were to establish the psychometric properties of an expressive vocabulary measure, examine sources of variability, and investigate the measure's associations with non-verbal reasoning and educational achievement. The study included 308 boys and girls living in a predominantly rural district in Kenya. The developed measure, the Kilifi Naming Test (KNT), had excellent reliability and acceptable convergent validity. However, concurrent validity was not adequately demonstrated. In the final regression model, significant effects of schooling and area of residence were recorded. Contextual factors should be taken into account in the interpretation of test scores. There is need for future studies to explore the concurrent validity of the KNT further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Kitsao-Wekulo
- a African Population and Health Research Center , Nairobi , Kenya.,b School of Applied Human Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal , Durban , South Africa.,c KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme , Kilifi , Kenya
| | | | - Jane D Kvalsvig
- f School of Public Health Medicine , University of KwaZulu-Natal , Durban , South Africa
| | - Katherine J Alcock
- d Department of Psychology , Lancaster University , Lancaster , United Kingdom
| | - H Gerry Taylor
- e Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine , Case Western Reserve University , Cleveland , OH , USA
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7
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Kampouri M, Kyriklaki A, Roumeliotaki T, Koutra K, Anousaki D, Sarri K, Vassilaki M, Kogevinas M, Chatzi L. Patterns of Early-Life Social and Environmental Exposures and Child Cognitive Development, Rhea Birth Cohort, Crete, Greece. Child Dev 2017; 89:1063-1073. [PMID: 28369793 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Early-life exposures are critical for later child cognitive development. McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (MSCA) were used to assess cognitive development of 700 preschoolers (Mage = 4.2 years), derived from the "Rhea" birth cohort, in Greece. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied on prospectively collected exposure data. Six components were extracted; five of them were associated with child cognition. Higher parental social status, preschool attendance and less TV watching, nonsmoking during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and parental involvement in child life were protective factors of child cognition at 4 years. Increased child birth order was negatively associated with child cognition. Offspring's size at birth was not associated with any cognitive outcome. These findings reveal the importance of early-life exposures to child cognitive development.
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Waters SF, Boyce WT, Eskenazi B, Alkon A. The impact of maternal depression and overcrowded housing on associations between autonomic nervous system reactivity and externalizing behavior problems in vulnerable Latino children. Psychophysiology 2017; 53:97-104. [PMID: 26681621 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.12539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2014] [Accepted: 07/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The study of autonomic nervous system responses and contextual factors has shed light on the development of children's negative outcomes, but the majority of these studies have not focused on minority populations living under adversity. To address these gaps, the current longitudinal study included a sample of poor, immigrant Latino families to examine whether associations between children's autonomic nervous system reactivity at 6 months and their externalizing behavior problems at 7 years of age were moderated by two risk factors associated with poverty: the interpersonal factor of chronic maternal depression and the environmental factor of chronic overcrowded housing. Multiple linear regression (N = 99) revealed that children who exhibited less parasympathetic nervous system withdrawal in response to challenge during infancy had more externalizing problems during childhood only if they had mothers who experienced chronic depression. Children who exhibited greater sympathetic nervous system reactivity during infancy had the lowest levels of externalizing problems during childhood only if they had mothers who chronic depression. Chronic overcrowded housing did not moderate associations between physiological reactivity and level of externalizing problems. These findings extend our understanding of the interaction of physiology and context on child outcomes to the understudied population of impoverished Latino families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara F Waters
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.,Department of Human Development, Washington State University, Vancouver, Washington, USA
| | - W Thomas Boyce
- Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Brenda Eskenazi
- Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health, University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Abbey Alkon
- School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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9
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Zvara BJ, Mills-Koonce WR, Garrett-Peters P, Wagner NJ, Vernon-Feagans L, Cox M. The mediating role of parenting in the associations between household chaos and children's representations of family dysfunction. Attach Hum Dev 2014; 16:633-55. [PMID: 25329862 PMCID: PMC4239165 DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2014.966124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2014] [Accepted: 09/12/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Children's drawings are thought to reflect their mental representations of self and their interpersonal relations within families. Household chaos is believed to disrupt key proximal processes related to optimal development. The present study examines the mediating role of parenting behaviors in the relations between two measures of household chaos, instability and disorganization, and how they may be evidenced in children's representations of family dysfunction as derived from their drawings. The sample (N = 962) is from a longitudinal study of rural poverty exploring the ways in which child, family, and contextual factors shape development over time. Findings reveal that, after controlling for numerous factors including child and primary caregiver covariates, there were significant indirect effects from cumulative family disorganization, but not cumulative family instability, on children's representation of family dysfunction through parenting behaviors. Results suggest that the proximal effects of daily disorganization outweigh the effects of periodic instability overtime.
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Affiliation(s)
- B J Zvara
- a Psychology , The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , USA
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10
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Medeiros K, Winsler A. Parent-child gesture use during problem solving in autistic spectrum disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2014; 44:1946-58. [PMID: 24535577 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-014-2069-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the relationship between child language skills and parent and child gestures of 58 youths with and without an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis. Frequencies and rates of total gesture use as well as five categories of gestures (deictic, conventional, beat, iconic, and metaphoric) were reliably coded during the collaborative Tower of Hanoi task. Children with ASD had lower Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test scores and gestured less and at lower rates compared to typically developing children. Gesture use was unrelated to vocabulary for typically developing children, but positively associated with vocabulary for those with ASD. Demographic correlates of gesturing differed by group. Gesture may be a point of communication intervention for families with children with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen Medeiros
- State University of New York at New Paltz, 600 Hawk Dr, JFT 306, New Paltz, NY, 12561, USA,
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11
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Mayberry LS, Shinn M, Benton JG, Wise J. Families experiencing housing instability: the effects of housing programs on family routines and rituals. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY 2014; 84:95-109. [PMID: 24826832 PMCID: PMC4089513 DOI: 10.1037/h0098946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Maintenance of family processes can protect parents, children, and families from the detrimental effects of extreme stressors, such as homelessness. When families cannot maintain routines and rituals, the stressors of poverty and homelessness can be compounded for both caregivers and children. However, characteristics of living situations common among families experiencing homelessness present barriers to the maintenance of family routines and rituals. We analyzed 80 in-depth interviews with parents who were experiencing or had recently experienced an instance of homelessness. We compared their assessments of challenges to family schedules, routines, and rituals across various living situations, including shelter, transitional housing programs, doubled-up (i.e., living temporarily with family or friends), and independent housing. Rules common across shelters and transitional housing programs impeded family processes, and parents felt surveilled and threatened with child protective service involvement in these settings. In doubled-up living situations, parents reported adapting their routines to those of the household and having parenting interrupted by opinions of friends and family members. Families used several strategies to maintain family routines and rituals in these living situations and ensure consistency and stability for their children during an otherwise unstable time.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marybeth Shinn
- Department of Human and Organizational Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jessica Gibbons Benton
- Department of Human and Organizational Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jasmine Wise
- Department of Applied Sociology, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA
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12
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Ferguson KT, Cassells RC, MacAllister JW, Evans GW. The physical environment and child development: an international review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 2013; 48:437-68. [PMID: 23808797 PMCID: PMC4489931 DOI: 10.1080/00207594.2013.804190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2012] [Accepted: 04/01/2013] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
A growing body of research in the United States and Western Europe documents significant effects of the physical environment (toxins, pollutants, noise, crowding, chaos, and housing, school and neighborhood quality) on children and adolescents' cognitive and socioemotional development. Much less is known about these relations in other contexts, particularly the global South. We thus briefly review the evidence for relations between child development and the physical environment in Western contexts, and discuss some of the known mechanisms behind these relations. We then provide a more extensive review of the research to date outside of Western contexts, with a specific emphasis on research in the global South. Where the research is limited, we highlight relevant data documenting the physical environment conditions experienced by children, and make recommendations for future work. In these recommendations, we highlight the limitations of employing research methodologies developed in Western contexts (Ferguson & Lee, 2013). Finally, we propose a holistic, multidisciplinary, and multilevel approach based on Bronfenbrenner's (1979) bioecological model to better understand and reduce the aversive effects of multiple environmental risk factors on the cognitive and socioemotional development of children across the globe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim T Ferguson
- Psychology Faculty Group, Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY, USA.
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13
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Abar B, LaGasse LL, Derauf C, Newman E, Shah R, Smith LM, Arria A, Huestis M, Della Grotta S, Dansereau LM, Neal C, Lester BM. Examining the relationships between prenatal methamphetamine exposure, early adversity, and child neurobehavioral disinhibition. PSYCHOLOGY OF ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS 2012; 27:662-73. [PMID: 23067308 DOI: 10.1037/a0030157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Methamphetamine use is a growing problem among pregnant women in the United States. Many negative consequences of methamphetamine use have been documented for the users, but little research has examined the long-term association between prenatal methamphetamine exposure (PME) and childhood outcomes. The current study examined the extent to which PME was predictive of childhood neurobehavioral disinhibition (ND), as well as the extent to which early adversity mediated this relationship. A sample of 320 mother-infant dyads (162 PME) was followed from birth through 6.5 years of age. ND was conceptualized as a two factor model consisting of deficits in (a) behavioral and emotional control, and (b) executive function. PME was associated with behavioral and emotional control at 5 years, which was associated with executive function deficits at 6.5 years. Early adversity (birth through year 3) significantly mediated the relationship between PME and ND. Associations with previous research and implications for prevention are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beau Abar
- Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Brown University Warren Alpert Medical School
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14
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Popp TK, Spinrad TL, Smith CL. The Relation of Cumulative Demographic Risk to Mothers' Responsivity and Control: Examining the Role of Toddler Temperament. INFANCY 2008; 13:496-518. [PMID: 19865607 PMCID: PMC2768372 DOI: 10.1080/15250000802329446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The relations of cumulative demographic risk and children's temperament to mothers' parenting behaviors were examined when children were 18 (T1, n = 247) and 30 (T2, n = 216) months of age. Mothers, nonparental caregivers (e.g., child care providers), and observers reported on children's temperament to create a temperament composite, and mothers reported on demographic risk variables. Maternal responsivity and control were observed during 2 mother-child interactions at both time points. Cumulative demographic risk was related to low maternal responsivity concurrently and longitudinally, even after controlling for earlier temperament and responsivity, and demographic risk was positively related to maternal control at T1 and T2. Regulated temperament (i.e., low frustration and high regulation) was linked with high maternal responsivity at T1 and T2 and low maternal control at T2. Moreover, the positive relation between cumulative risk and maternal control at T1 was stronger when children were viewed as less regulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tierney K Popp
- School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University
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Kiser LJ, Nurse W, Lucksted A, Collins KS. Understanding the Impact of Trauma on Family Life From the Viewpoint of Female Caregivers Living in Urban Poverty. TRAUMATOLOGY 2008; 14:77-90. [PMID: 21113417 PMCID: PMC2990478 DOI: 10.1177/1534765608320329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Children and their families living in poor, inner-city neighborhoods are at high risk for experiencing multiple traumas. This article describes findings from a qualitative study designed to explore the impact of chronic traumas on family life through the voices of primarily African American caregivers coping with urban poverty. Structured interviews are conducted with 16 caregivers of children ages 6 to 9 years who had been exposed to multiple traumas and had symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. Caregivers explain changing daily routines to accommodate child distress and promoting positive family processes such as increased protectiveness. They also describe various roles that religion/spirituality play in their coping with trauma, including finding comfort in the faith that God controls what happens in their lives. These themes are discussed with regard to theory and practical applications for assisting traumatized families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurel J Kiser
- University of Maryland School of Medicine (LJK), University of Maryland Baltimore School of Medicine (WN, AL), University of Maryland School of Social Work (KSC)
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Johnson AD, Martin A, Brooks-Gunn J, Petrill SA. Order in the House! Associations among Household Chaos, the Home Literacy Environment, Maternal Reading Ability, and Children's Early Reading. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008; 54:445-472. [PMID: 19526070 DOI: 10.1353/mpq.0.0009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The current study examines whether associations exist between household chaos and children's early reading skills, after controlling for a comprehensive battery of home literacy environment characteristics. Our sample included 455 kindergarten and First-grade children who are enrolled in the Western Reserve Reading Project. We go on to test whether these associations are moderated by maternal reading ability. Results suggest that the degree of household order is significantly and positively associated with the expressive vocabulary, Woodcock Reading Mastery, and phonological awareness skills of children whose mothers are above-average readers. By contrast, the number of books a child owns or brings home and how often a child amuses self alone with books are significantly associated with the expressive vocabulary, Woodcock Reading Mastery, and phonological awareness skills of children whose mothers ore average-ability readers. These results suggest the potential for new approaches to encouraging literacy development in the home beyond those that depend solely on parental literacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna D Johnson
- National Center for Children and Families, Teachers College, Columbia University
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Beeghly M, Martin B, Rose-Jacobs R, Cabral H, Heeren T, Augustyn M, Bellinger D, Frank DA. Prenatal cocaine exposure and children's language functioning at 6 and 9.5 years: moderating effects of child age, birthweight, and gender. J Pediatr Psychol 2006; 31:98-115. [PMID: 15843502 PMCID: PMC2399902 DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsj028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE), or the interaction between PCE and contextual variables, is associated with children's language at age 6 and 9.5 years, adjusting for relevant covariates. METHODS Analyses were based on 160 low-income, urban children from a prospective study who completed a standardized language assessment at 6 and 9.5 years. PCE was determined using neonatal meconium assays and maternal self-report. RESULTS Significant interaction effects of PCE on language outcomes were found in multivariate longitudinal analyses using generalized estimating equations (GEE). Children with PCE had lower receptive language than unexposed children at 6 but not at 9.5 years, lower expressive language if they had lower birthweight, and lower expressive and total language if they were female. Other risk (e.g., violence exposure) and protective factors (e.g., preschool experience) were related to language outcomes regardless of PCE status. CONCLUSIONS Age, birthweight, and gender moderated the relation between PCE and school-aged children's language.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjorie Beeghly
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School & Children's Hospital, Child Development Unit, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.
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18
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Canfield RL, Gendle MH, Cory-Slechta DA. Impaired Neuropsychological Functioning in Lead-Exposed Children. Dev Neuropsychol 2004; 26:513-40. [PMID: 15276907 DOI: 10.1207/s15326942dn2601_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
Neuropsychological functions were assessed in 174 children participating in a longitudinal study of low-level lead exposure. At age 5 1/2 years, children were administered the Working Memory and Planning Battery of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Testing Automated Battery. Measures of sociodemographic characteristics of the family, prenatal and perinatal risk, quality of caregiving and crowding in the home, and maternal and child intelligence were used as covariates to test the hypothesis that children with higher lifetime average blood lead concentrations would perform more poorly on tests of working memory, attentional flexibility, and planning and problem solving. The lifetime average blood lead level in this sample was 7.2 micrograms per deciliter (mug/dL; range: 0-20 mug/dL). Children with greater exposure performed more poorly on tests of executive processes. In both bivariate and multivariate analyses, children with higher lifetime average blood lead concentrations showed impaired performance on the tests of spatial working memory, spatial memory span, intradimensional and extradimensional shifts, and an analog of the Tower of London task. Many of the significant associations remained after controlling for children's intelligence test scores, in addition to the other covariates. These findings indicate that the effects of pediatric lead exposure are not restricted to global indexes of general intellectual functioning, and executive processes may be at particular risk of lead-induced neurotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard L Canfield
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, College of Human Ecology, Cornell University, Savage Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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