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Early childhood heart rate does not predict externalizing behavior problems at age 7 years.
C A Van Hulle1, R Corley, C Zahn-Waxler
1Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder 80309-0447, USA. vanhulle@colorado.edu
Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
|October 12, 2000
Summary
Low resting heart rate in early childhood does not predict later externalizing behavior problems. This study found no significant relationship between heart rate measurements and aggressive or delinquent behavior scores in children.
Area of Science:
- Developmental psychology
- Behavioral science
- Pediatric research
Background:
- Previous research suggests a link between low resting heart rate in childhood and later aggressive/delinquent behavior.
- Heart rate at 3 years has been found to predict externalizing behavior at 11 years.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between heart rate and externalizing behavior problems.
- To determine if early heart rate predicts later behavioral issues.
Main Methods:
- Utilized heart rate data from ages 14, 20, 24, 36 months, and 7 years.
- Predicted Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL/4-18) aggressive and delinquent behavior scales, and the Externalizing composite scale at age 7.
- Analyzed data from same-sex twin pairs in the MacArthur Longitudinal Twin Study.
Main Results:
- No significant association was found between heart rate and externalizing behavior scores at any measured age.
- Heart rate group membership did not predict CBCL/4-18 scores.
- CBCL/4-18 group membership did not predict heart rate.
Conclusions:
- In this study sample, resting heart rate did not predict externalizing behavior at age 7.
- The findings do not support a predictive relationship between early heart rate and later externalizing behaviors.