Abstract
BackgroundSince child mental health problem was a global health issue, many researchers in western countries has focused on the trajectory of it to provide evidence for prevention programs. We designed this study to determine the trajectories of children’s behavior problems, and to explore the effect of parent predictors on children’s behavior problems in Guangzhou, China.MethodsChildren (N = 1480) for this longitudinal, population-based survey, were recruited from eight regular kindergartens (October, 2010) across four districts in Guangzhou. Repeated measurement design analysis was used to compare the variation in behavioral problems by gender, only child status, and temperament. Logistic regression was applied to analyze the effect of parents’ risks (maternal depression, parenting style) on the change in child problem behaviors.ResultsThe scores of behavior problems (externalizing, emotional, social communication problems) were stable during the entire preschool period by gender and child number. Children with difficult temperament exhibited more problem behaviors than children with easy temperament in the early years, and the misbehaviors declined significantly over time. Moreover, maternal depression and the increase in excessive interference/over protective or punishing parenting strategies resulted in an increase in child behavior problems.ConclusionThere was no difference between the only-child status and child with siblings in the trajectory of problem behaviors. Parent factors were significant predictions of trajectory of child behavior problem during preschool age.
Highlights
Since child mental health problem was a global health issue, many researchers in western countries has focused on the trajectory of it to provide evidence for prevention programs
Child behavior problems, parenting styles, and maternal depression in three waves The general trajectory of externalizing, emotional, social communication problems, and the total difficulty were stable during the entire preschool period (Table 2)
The data was fitted according to the normal distribution, in the Mauchly sphericity test, P
Summary
Since child mental health problem was a global health issue, many researchers in western countries has focused on the trajectory of it to provide evidence for prevention programs. Substantial researches in the western countries have pointed to the prevalence and trajectory of behavior problems in preschool and school age children. Bao et al BMC Psychiatry (2016) 16:178 internalizing behavior problems were in common during the preschool age, either in community or populationbased studies [8, 9]. A comparative study of behavioral problems between China and Germany showed that Chinese children had more emotional and behavioral problems than German children, especially internalizing problems among girls [10]. The research in Shenzhen, China has shown a lower prevalence in emotional problems in 6year old than in 3-year old children [11], while another investigation in Guiyang indicated a higher rate of behavior problems in 6-year old as opposed to 3–5 year old children [12]. As far as we know, no longitudinal study has been conducted in China to report the trajectory of children’s behavior problems
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