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Childhood Atopic Dermatitis and Performance on Standardized Testing: A U.S. Birth Cohort Study
Moshe Schneiderman1, Kristina M Derrick1
1Department of Dermatology, SUNY Downstate College of Medicine, Brooklyn, New York, USA.
Insights
Children with atopic dermatitis (AD) showed comparable or slightly higher scores in vocabulary and reading tests. Sedentary activities may offset potential negative impacts of AD on cognitive performance.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Developmental Psychology
- Dermatology
Background:
- Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition affecting children.
- Potential cognitive impacts of AD include sleep disruption, itching, and systemic inflammation.
- Existing research lacks comprehensive data on AD's effect on cognitive development in diverse urban populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between atopic dermatitis (AD) and cognitive performance in a diverse cohort of urban children.
- To evaluate the relationship between AD symptoms and standardized test scores in vocabulary, reading, and math.
- To explore potential confounding factors such as socioeconomic status and maternal background.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study design utilizing data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS).
- Inclusion of 4898 children, with caregiver-reported AD symptoms at ages 5 and 9.
- Standardized cognitive assessments including vocabulary, reading, and math skills evaluated at ages 5 and 9.
Main Results:
- Fully adjusted models indicated AD was associated with slightly higher vocabulary scores (β = 1.10).
- No significant difference in reading scores at age 5, but AD at age 5 predicted higher reading scores at age 9 (β = 1.47).
- No association found between AD and math scores at age 9. Persistent AD showed similar trends.
Conclusions:
- Atopic dermatitis (AD) appears associated with comparable or slightly elevated vocabulary and reading scores in children.
- Increased engagement in sedentary activities like reading and television viewing among children with AD may contribute to these findings.
- These compensatory behaviors might counterbalance or outweigh any negative cognitive effects of AD.
Background/Objectives:
Atopic dermatitis (AD) may impair children's cognition due to lost sleep and distraction from itching, and systemic inflammation. In the present study, we test whether AD is associated with lower performance on standardized testing in a racially and ethnically diverse birth cohort of urban children of mostly unwed mothers.
Methods:
This was a longitudinal study of 4898 children in the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS). When children were 5 and 9 years old, caregivers were asked about AD symptoms, and standardized testing evaluated children's vocabulary, reading, and math skills.
Results:
The study sample comprised 3641 children (1755 female). The most common racial and ethnic categories were Black, non-Hispanic (50.7%), Hispanic/Latino (26.1%), and White, non-Hispanic (20.1%). Many children were born to single mothers (77.5%). Fully adjusted longitudinal models indicated AD was associated with slightly higher vocabulary scores (β = 1.10; 95% CI, 0.12-2.08) and no difference in reading scores. At 9 years, there was no difference in math scores. Cross-year models revealed AD at 5 years was associated with slightly higher reading scores at 9 years (β = 1.47; 95% CI, 0.07-2.87). Persistent AD (Present at both 5 and 9 years) showed associations similar to AD at either year alone (no difference to slightly higher scores).
Conclusions:
AD seemed to be associated with comparable or slightly higher vocabulary and reading scores. Increased sedentary activities, such as reading and watching television, among children with AD may confer benefits that counterbalance or even slightly outweigh any inherent negative effects of AD on standardized testing performance.
