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Biological, social, and environmental correlates of preschool development
1Population Health Sciences, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. teresa.to@sickkids.on.ca
Insights
Biological, social, and environmental factors correlate with poor developmental attainment in preschool children. The impact of social and environmental factors increases with age, highlighting a complex relationship between risk factors and child development outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
Background:
- Population-based data from the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY) were utilized.
- Focus on preschool children aged 0-3 years to identify developmental correlates.
- Poor developmental attainment (PDA) was defined as scoring in the lowest 15% on the motor, social, and development (MSD) scale.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine biological, social, and environmental correlates of poor development in preschool children.
- To investigate age-specific relationships between risk factors and developmental attainment.
- To understand the complex interplay of factors influencing child development.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of baseline data from a large, weighted sample of 1,233,500 children.
- Logistic regression was employed to identify correlates of PDA.
- The MSD scale was used to measure developmental attainment, with a note on its limitations for infants under 1 year.
Main Results:
- Among children aged 1-3 years, biological factors were significant correlates of PDA.
- The timing of social and environmental exposures was crucial for their impact on development.
- The MSD scale may lack discriminatory power for identifying PDA in children younger than 1 year.
Conclusions:
- Correlates of PDA are age-dependent, with social and environmental factors becoming more influential in older children.
- A complex relationship exists between various risk factors and developmental outcomes.
- Further prospective studies are needed to examine how changing risk factor profiles affect child development over time.
Abstract:
Baseline data from the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY, a population-based study of child health, development and well-being), were used to determine biological, social and environmental correlates of poor development among preschool children. A total weighted sample of 1233 500 (n = 6982 unweighted) children aged from birth to 3 years were studied. Developmental attainment was measured by the motor, social and development (MSD) scale. Children scoring amongst the lowest 15% for their age group were categorized as having poor developmental attainment (PDA). Correlates of PDA were determined using logistic regression. The MSD scale may not be discriminatory enough to identify PDA in children aged < 1 years. Among children aged between 1 and 3 years, biological factors remain important correlates of PDA, whereas the timing of social and environmental factors appears important to their effects on developmental attainment. The findings suggest a complex relationship between risk factors and developmental outcomes. Correlates of PDA vary according to the age of a child. Social and environmental factors appear to play a larger role among older children. Prospective studies are required to determine the effect of change in risk factor profiles on child development.