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Behavioural symptoms in the community
Insights
A study of 380 children found 24% experienced behavioral symptoms. Key predictors included prolonged hospital stays, lack of parental care, and parental neuroticism, highlighting environmental and familial influences on child behavior.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Developmental Pediatrics
Background:
- Behavioral symptoms are common in children.
- Understanding predictors is crucial for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of behavioral symptoms in children aged 15 and under.
- To identify personal and environmental risk factors associated with these symptoms.
Main Methods:
- Survey of 380 children (15 years and under).
- Structured home interviews with parents using a questionnaire.
- Correlation analysis between behavioral symptoms and various variables.
Main Results:
- 24% of the children exhibited behavioral symptoms.
- Significant predictors included long hospital stays, non-parental care, and high parental neuroticism scores.
- These factors were strongly associated with the presence of behavioral symptoms.
Conclusions:
- Parental and environmental factors significantly influence childhood behavioral symptoms.
- Early identification of risk factors like hospitalization and parental traits is vital.
- Further research into supportive interventions for at-risk children is warranted.
Abstract:
The prevalence of behavioural symptoms amongst a sample of 380 children of 15 years and under, is described. 24% of children had behavioural symptoms, as defined by the subjective responses of parents to a structured questionnaire at home interviews. The frequency of behavioural symptoms was correlated with a number of personal and environmental variables, of which long stays in hospital, not being looked after by a parent, and a high neuroticism score for the parent or responsible adult, were the main predictors for the presence of behavioural symptoms in children.