Early childhood child care and disruptive behavior problems during adolescence: a 17-year population-based propensity score study.

Abstract

Child-care services during early childhood provide opportunities for social interactions that may facilitate children's learning of acceptable social behaviors. Furthermore, they may reduce exposure to family adversity for some children. The aim of this study was to determine whether intensity of exposure to child-care services prior to age 5years has a beneficial effect on disruptive behavior problems during adolescence, and whether the effect is more pronounced for children from low socioeconomic families. N=1,588 participants from the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development were assessed 14 times from 5months to 17years. Intensity of child-care exposure was measured from 5months to 5years of age. Main outcomes were self-reported physical aggression and opposition from age 12 to 17years. Family socioeconomic status (SES) was measured at 5months. Factors explaining differences in child-care use were controlled using propensity score weights (PSW). Children exposed to moderate-intensity child-care services (part-time child-care services before 1½ years and full time afterward) reported lower levels of physical aggression (d=-.11, p=.056) and opposition (d=-.14, p=.029) during adolescence compared to children exposed to low-intensity child-care services. A significant child care by SES interaction (p=.017) for physical aggression indicated that the moderate-intensity child-care effect was specific to children from low SES families (d=-.36, p=.002). No interaction with socioeconomic status was found for opposition. Moderate-intensity child-care services from infancy to school entry may prevent disruptive behavior during adolescence, especially for disadvantaged children.