Early growth in expressive communication and behavior problems: Differential relations by ethnicity

Abstract

The current study examined the association between early growth in expressive communication from 18 months (1.5 years: M = 1.59 years, SD = 0.08 years) to 36 months (3 years: M = 3.01 years, SD = 0.05) and internalizing and externalizing problems at 84 months (8 years: M = 7.79 years, SD = 0.31) and the differences in this association by ethnicity. We hypothesized that lower rates of early expressive communication growth from 18 to 36 months would be associated with more behavior problems in childhood, and that this association would be stronger for African American than European American children. The sample included 206 full-term healthy African American and European American children from the Durham Child Health and Development Study. Parents reported family demographics and children’s internalizing and externalizing behaviors via questionnaires, while children completed language assessments in the laboratory. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed a significant interaction between growth in expressive communication and ethnicity for internalizing but not externalizing behavior, such that lower rates of expressive language growth were associated with increased internalizing behavior among African American children, but not among their European American peers. These findings suggest that the well-being of children from marginalized ethnic backgrounds may be disproportionately affected by reduced rates of language development, and that the provision of educational or clinical services for African American children in particular should consider the link between language skills and social and emotional well-being.