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Preschool behavior disorders: their prevalence in relation to determinants
C P Larson1, I B Pless, O Miettinen
1Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Insights
This study identified key risk factors for behavior disorders in preschoolers. Maternal ill health, lack of social support, child
Area of Science:
- Child psychology
- Developmental pediatrics
- Public health
Background:
- Behavioral disorders are a significant concern in early childhood.
- Understanding early risk factors is crucial for timely intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of behavior disorders in a 3-year-old birth cohort.
- To identify age-specific determinants and risk factors for preschool psychopathology.
Main Methods:
- Prospective follow-up of a birth cohort (n=918).
- Telephone interviews and the Childhood Behavior Checklist (CBCL) for 2- to 3-year-olds.
- Logistic regression (LR) analysis to determine adjusted relative risks.
Main Results:
- Prevalence of one or more deviant behavior syndromes was 11.1%.
- Key risk factors included maternal ill health, lack of social support, child's chronic illness, and frequent emergency service use.
- LR models highlighted the roles of maternal, paternal, and child health.
Conclusions:
- Preschool psychopathology is associated with specific maternal and child health indicators.
- Parental and child health are critical factors in the development of behavioral disorders.
- Early identification of these risk factors can inform targeted support strategies.
Abstract:
The occurrence of behavior disorders was investigated in a prospectively followed 3-year-old birth cohort. Of 1116 eligible children, the parents of 918 were successfully contacted. All agreed to complete a telephone interview and were mailed a Childhood Behavior Checklist (CBCL) standardized for 2- to 3-year-old children; 756 (82%) returned the CBCL. The prevalence of one or more of the deviant behavior syndromes identified by the CBCL was 11.1%. From a number of subject characteristics recorded throughout infancy, age-specific determinants for the occurrence of these deviant behaviors were identified. Characteristics most consistently associated with preschool psychopathology included the mother's ill health and lack of social support, the presence of chronic illness in the child, and the frequent use of hospital emergency services. These and other determinant (risk) indicators were entered into logistic regression (LR) models to derived adjusted relative risk estimates for the occurrence of a behavior disorder. The derived LR equations emphasize the important role of both the mother as well and the father and the health of the child.