Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort Research Articles

Exploring factors that support the kindergarten transition patterns of Latino boys

Guided by the sociocultural theory of human development, this study aims to mediate the monolithic categorization of young Latino boys' school readiness transition patterns using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) dataset. Three patterns of transitions were unveiled using a person-centered approach: (1) Consistent Learner, (2) Struggling Learner, and (3) Declining High Achiever. Findings showed variations in the nature of transitions and developmental competencies of young Latino boys. The contextual interstices of positive parenting practices and greater socioeconomic resources and center-based attendance are positive predictors of membership in transition patterns with optimal growth simultaneously in language, academic, and socio-emotional skills. We highlight societal implications and practice recommendations for applying culturally-sustaining and developmentally appropriate practices to support Latino boys' transitions to Kindergarten. We also call for authentic measurement frameworks for school readiness and ethnic minority children's sociocultural contexts in future research.

Earlier and Concurrent Food Insecurity Are Associated with Suboptimal Parenting in Early Childhood

Food insecurity (FI) is associated with poor health, suboptimal nutrition, and disadvantaged linguistic, social, and academic development for children. Given the prominent role that parents play in children's development, FI may be associated with parenting practices. We aimed to understand how FI and its change over time relate to parenting in early childhood. Data were from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort: parental interviews and child assessments at 9 mo and 2, 4, and 5 y old. Dependent variables were parenting practices in years 2, 4, and 5 in parent-child interaction, discipline, rules, and routines in general and food-related settings. Stratified by gender, parenting outcomes were regressed on earlier FI and child, parent, and contextual covariates, then additionally regressed on concurrent FI, using models with full-information-maximum-likelihood and cluster control. Earlier FI was associated with harsh discipline (girls, year 5: β1=0.0811, P<0.05) and frequent evening meals at a regular time (girls and boys, years 2 and 4), before adding concurrent FI. Accounting for earlier FI and covariates, concurrent FI was associated with harsh discipline (girls, years 2 and 4: β2=0.0489 and 0.0705, P<0.05; boys, year 2: β2=0.0584, P<0.05), rules about foods (girls, year 4), frequent evening meals as a family (girls, years 2 and 4), and frequent evening meals at a regular time (girls, years 2 and 4; boys, year 2); earlier FI remained associated with harsh discipline (girls, year 5) and frequent evening meals at a regular time (girls, years 2 and 4; boys, year 4). FI was linked with suboptimal parenting practices in structuring a general and food-related living environment, particularly for girls and by the age of 5 y.

Pregnancy-Related Weight and Postpartum Depressive Symptoms: Do the Relationships Differ by Race/Ethnicity? [31E

INTRODUCTION: There are significant racial/ethnic disparities in the prevalence of postpartum depression. Prior research suggests that the relationships between weight status and depression may vary by race/ethnicity among the general population. However, few studies have investigated whether race/ethnicity moderates the relationships between pregnancy-related weight and postpartum depressive symptoms (PPDS). This study examines the relationships between pregnancy-related weight and maternal PPDS overall and by race/ethnicity. METHODS: This study used data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (N≈6950). Ordinary least squares and logistic regression were used to examine whether pregnancy-related weight, including preconception obesity and gestational weight gain, were associated with PPDS. Stratified analyses were used to assess whether these relationships varied by race/ethnicity. RESULTS: Preconception obesity was associated with higher levels of postpartum depressive symptoms (β=1.208, 95% CI 0.995–1.467). In contrast, gestational weight gain adequacy was not associated with PPDS. Among non-Hispanic (NH) whites, preconception obesity was positively associated with PPDS (β=1.016, 95% CI 0.448–1.584). In contrast, among Hispanics, preconception overweight was associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms (β=-0.887, 95% CI -1.580 to -0.195). There were no statistically significant relationships between pregnancy-related weight and PPDS among NH black or Asian women. However, both NH blacks and Asians were significantly more likely to report PPDS compared to NH whites. CONCLUSION: Pregnancy-related weight is associated with higher levels of PPDS, but only among NH white women. Addressing preconception weight could help to reduce overall levels of PPDS but doing so might not mitigate racial/ethnic disparities in postpartum mental health.

The Black/White Skill Gap in Early Childhood: The Role of Parenting

Researchers have sought to understand why cognitive skill disparities between black and white children persist in American society, but the most thorough examinations study school-aged children during a period when the black/white skill gap is already well established. Using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Birth Cohort of 2001, we find trivial black/white differences in cognitive skills at 10 months of age but large disparities at 24 and 48 months, suggesting that the gap emerges in force between 10 months and age four. Although black/white differences in parenting are a powerful predictor, these variations are driven by socioeconomic and related factors that directly and indirectly shape cognitive development gaps between black and white children.

Factors associated with early school readiness profiles for Black girls

This study used pre-academic and socioemotional data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth (ECLS-B) Cohort to examine the profiles of Black girls’ school readiness skills from preschool through kindergarten. In addition to examining profiles that emerged, analyses were conducted to determine whether family socio-economic status (SES), parenting, parental functioning, community social support, neighborhood quality, and early education experiences predicted the likelihood of being in a particular profile. Three profiles emerged: (1) Consistent Learner, (2) Struggling Learner, and (3) Excelling Learner. There was heterogeneity within these prekindergarten-to-kindergarten learning profiles; however, a relatively large group showed low achievement and aggression during these early years. Family demographics, parenting, parental functioning, and early education experiences predicted likelihood of being in a particular profile. Implications of how to support Black girls’ learning and adjustment from preschool through kindergarten are discussed.

Residential mobility in early childhood and obesity at kindergarten age among children from the United States.

Children who frequently move have poorer behavioural, emotional, and overall health. For similar reasons, the experience of changing home may contextualize children's risk for obesity. Few studies have assessed the relationship between residential mobility and obesity; even fewer explore this relationship with assessment of obesity before school age. We analysed data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort. Obesity at kindergarten age was determined from measured height and weight. Early childhood residential mobility was categorized as not moving or having moved once, twice, or three or more times. Analyses are weighted to be representative of children from the United States and variance estimates account for the complex survey design. The prevalence of obesity at kindergarten age was 17.5%, and most children (71%) moved in early childhood. Compared with children who did not move, the adjusted odd ratios for obesity at kindergarten age were 0.72 (95% CI, 0.57-0.92), 0.70 (95% CI, 0.55-0.89), and 0.64 (95% CI, 0.50-0.84) for children who experienced 1, 2, or 3+ moves. Our study suggests that obesity and mobility in early life are associated, but not in the way we might expect. Residential mobility may fit into a broader picture of instability and, on its own, may not elevate a child's risk for obesity.

If I [Take] Leave, Will You Stay? Paternity Leave and Relationship Stability.

Recent European studies suggest that fathers' leave-taking may contribute to parental relationship stability. Paternity leave-taking may signal a commitment by fathers toward a greater investment in family life, which may reduce the burden on mothers and strengthen parental relationships. This study uses longitudinal data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) to analyze the association between paternity leave-taking and relationship stability in the United States. Results indicate that paternity leave-taking, and taking relatively short leaves (i.e., two weeks or less) in particular, is associated with greater relationship stability. These findings increase our understanding of the potential benefits of paternity leave, and can inform policy decisions that aim to increase family stability.

Multiple risks, multiple systems, and academic achievement: A nationally representative birth-to-five investigation

This study examined individual and cumulative relations between child and family experiences from birth to school entry and kindergarten reading and mathematics achievement. Using nationally representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), this study documented prevalence and co-occurrence rates of publicly monitored risks, uncovering higher rates of relevant risks than prior research for poverty, low maternal education, maternal depression, and birth to a single parent. Findings demonstrated significant relationships between multiple risks (i.e., poverty, preterm/low birthweight, low maternal education, single mother, inadequate prenatal care, teen mother, and maternal depression) with academic outcomes. Findings also demonstrated the incremental disadvantages of cumulative risk exposure to academic outcomes, adding to our understanding of cumulative risk with this specific combination of relevant experiences. Findings provide actionable intelligence for public service systems charged with improving child outcomes that goes beyond intractable characteristics of poverty or race, and have implications for cross-sector partnerships among departments of education, public health, and child welfare to address early achievement gaps.

Race/ethnicity, human capital, and the selection of young children into early childhood education

Mexican-origin families face complex ethnic and immigration-based barriers to enrollment in early childhood education programs. As such, reducing barriers to enrollment for this population requires a better understanding of how Mexican-origin families work with, against, or around both general and group-specific constraints on educational opportunities. Using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Birth Cohort, this study tailored broad social theory to the experience of Mexican-origin families to examine associations between human capital considerations and early childhood education enrollment within this population. Results supported the hypothesis that human capital considerations would be associated with early childhood care and education and provide limited evidence for the expectation that this link would be stronger for Mexican-origin families.

Ready or not? Teachers’ perceptions of young children’s school readiness

Using a nationally representative dataset of young children in the United States (the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Birth Cohort), the purpose of this study was to test the associations between teachers’ perceptions of preschoolers’ ( N = 3350) school readiness and actual academic readiness levels, as measured by math and reading assessments. The dimensions of readiness included social/emotional, behavioral, cognitive, and physical well-being. The findings suggest that teachers’ perceptions of various aspects of readiness may matter differently for math and reading achievement as well as for certain racial/ethnic groups. Teachers’ perceptions of all domains of readiness appear to be an important predictor of math achievement for Black children. Perceptions of behavior were negatively associated with academic readiness for Hispanic children, yet significantly and positively associated with math achievement for Black children. Teachers’ perceptions of cognitive readiness were only positively associated with academic readiness for Black children. Training, education, and support for establishing close teacher–child relationships may maximize preschoolers’ academic readiness by promoting social/emotional, behavioral, cognitive, and physical well-being.

Native American children and school readiness: A nationally representative study of individual and cumulative risks

Using a nationally representative dataset (Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort) and bioecological-cumulative disadvantage framework, the present study investigated the relations between salient child and family risk experiences and American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) children's kindergarten academic and behavioral outcomes. Using hierarchical linear regression, individual risk models, cumulative risk models, and interaction models examining combinations of two types of individual risks were examined. Individual risk models including seven risks (i.e., poverty, preterm/low birth weight, low maternal education, single motherhood, inadequate prenatal care, teen motherhood, and severe maternal depression) revealed that poverty exposure at any point prior to kindergarten was associated with AIAN children's kindergarten academic skills (i.e., reading and math). Cumulative risk models suggest that children exposed to two or more risks displayed lower reading and math skills than those exposed to no or one risk. The interaction models revealed significant risk by risk interaction effects for kindergarten math and all behavior outcomes examined in this study. Specifically, children who experienced poverty and had mothers with risk characteristics (i.e., without a high school diploma or who gave birth as teenagers) demonstrated poorer behavioral outcomes (i.e., lower social competence and approaches to learning as well as higher externalizing behaviors) than children experienced poverty but with mothers having no such risk characteristics. Interestingly, findings also revealed that children living in poverty presented better kindergarten outcomes (i.e., scored higher on math and approaches to learning and lower on externalizing behaviors) when they were living with single mothers than with married/cohabitating parents. Given the salience of specific combinations of poverty and maternal characteristics for AIAN children, implications for two-generation programming is discussed along with the potential value of extended family networks. Further study implication was discussed.

New Destinations and the Early Childhood Education of Mexican-Origin Children.

This study examined differences in exposure to early childhood education among Mexican-origin children across Latino/a destinations. Early childhood educational enrollment patterns, which are highly sensitive to community resources and foundational components of long-term educational inequalities, can offer a valuable window into how destinations may be shaping incorporation among Mexican-origin families. Integrating data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort with county-level data from the decennial census, multilevel logistic regression models revealed that Mexican-origin, black, and white children had lower odds of enrollment in early childhood education programs if they lived in new Latino/a destinations versus established destinations. The negative association between new destinations and early childhood education enrollment persisted despite controls for household selectivity, state and local early childhood education contexts, Latino/a educational attainment, Latino-white residential segregation, and immigration enforcement agreements. Within the Mexican-origin subgroup, the enrollment gap between new and established destinations was widest among the least-acculturated families, as measured by parental nativity, duration of residence, citizenship status, and English proficiency. These findings highlight how both place and acculturation stratify outcomes within the large and growing Mexican-origin subset of the Latino/a population.

A Longitudinal Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model of Storybook Reading: Children’s Word Use as a Mediator

ABSTRACTThe present study examined the dyadic nature of fathers’ and mothers’ reported frequency of storybook reading by testing (1) the longitudinal association in parents’ frequency of storybook reading when their children were 10.47 months old and 52.95 months old, (2) the interdependence between both parents’ reported frequency of storybook reading, (3) whether children’s word use would be a potential mediator, and (4) potential moderators (e.g., education levels, language skills). The analytical sample consisted of 8,400 two-parent households from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B). The actor-partner interdependence mediation model was conducted. Findings showed a significant effect for the continuity in mothers’ storybook reading, but not fathers. Mothers’ reported storybook reading when their children were 10.47 months old significantly predicted fathers’ reported storybook reading when their children were 52.95 months old. Children’s word use was not a significant mediator. Implications and future research are discussed.

Nonparental Caregivers, Parents, and Early Academic Achievement Among Children from Latino/a Immigrant Households

Drawing on ecological systems and social capital perspectives, this study uses the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Birth Cohort to investigate links between early nonparental caregiver beliefs about early academic skills and children’s math and reading achievement in kindergarten with special attention to the children from Latino/a immigrant households. Regression analyses revealed that nonparental caregiver beliefs were associated with academic achievement at kindergarten entry and that types of alignment or misalignment between nonparental caregiver and parental beliefs were differentially associated with math achievement but not reading. Notably, the association between nonparental caregiver beliefs and children’s academic achievement was more consequential for children from Latino/a immigrant households. Results suggest that having nonparental caregivers with low early academic skills beliefs may be especially detrimental for children from Latino/a immigrant households.

The Impact of Child Care Subsidies on Mothers’ Education Outcomes

The federal child care subsidy program reduces child care costs for eligible low-income families to facilitate parental employment and educational attainment. Using national data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), this study is the first to ask whether subsidies induce an increase in maternal education level over time, and if so, whether this increase is steeper for mothers who use subsidies to increase their education when their children are younger. After matching subsidy recipients with subsidy-eligible non-recipients on a range of background variables, we assess whether mothers increase their education levels in response to entry into the subsidy program at two different points in a child’s early years: first when children are 2 years old and then when children are in preschool. Results suggest that subsidy receipt promotes mothers’ educational attainment, with the largest impacts for mothers who receive subsidies when their children are younger (2 years old vs preschool-age) and for subgroups of mothers who have low baseline levels of education (high school or below) and who are not initially enrolled in school.

Associations between publicly funded preschool and low-income children’s kindergarten readiness: The moderating role of child temperament.

Publicly funded center-based preschool programs were designed to enhance low-income children's early cognitive and social-emotional skills in preparation for kindergarten. In the U.S., the federal Head Start program and state-funded public school-based pre-kindergarten (pre-k) programs are the two primary center-based settings in which low-income children experience publicly funded preschool. Although evidence suggests that these programs generally promote cognitive and social-emotional skills for low-income children overall, whether the benefits of program participation vary for low-income children with difficult temperaments is unexplored. Difficult temperament status is a source of vulnerability that connotes increased risk for poor early school outcomes-risks that may be ameliorated by public preschool programs known to promote kindergarten readiness among other vulnerable populations. Using a nationally representative sample of low-income children (N ≈ 3,000) drawn from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), this study tests whether associations between public preschool participation and children's cognitive and social-emotional skills in kindergarten are moderated by difficult temperament status. We focus on Head Start and public school-based pre-k, comparing both with parental care and with each other. Results provide weak evidence that public preschool's benefits on children's cognitive and social-emotional skills in kindergarten are moderated by child temperament. School-based pre-k is significantly associated with better reading skills relative to parental care only for children with difficult temperaments. Additionally, for children with difficult temperaments, Head Start is significantly associated with better approaches to learning relative to parental care, and with reduced externalizing behavior problems relative to school-based pre-k. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Genetic and Environmental Links between : General Factors of Psychopathology and Cognitive Ability in Early Childhood.

In adults, psychiatric disorders are highly comorbid, and are negatively associated with cognitive abilities. Individual cognitive measures have been linked with domains of child psychopathology, but the specificity of these associations and the extent to which they reflect shared genetic influences are unknown. This study examines the relation between general factors of cognitive ability (g) and psychopathology (p) in early development using two genetically-informative samples: the Texas "Tiny" Twin project (TXtT; N = 626 individuals, age range = 0.16 - 6.31 years) and the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B; N ≈ 1,300 individual twins, age range = 3.7 - 7.1 years). The total p-g correlation (-.21 in ECLS-B; -.34 in TXtT) was primarily attributable to genetic and shared environmental factors. The early age range of participants indicates that the p-g association is a reflection of overlapping genetic and shared environmental factors that operate in the first years of life.

Community contexts and utilization of early childhood care and education among Mexican-origin children

Children of Mexican origin are under-enrolled in early childhood education programs relative to Black and White children, which is problematic given the potential benefits of early childhood education. To better understand this under-enrollment in ways that can inform efforts to change it in the future, this study examined how utilization of early care and education programs varied among Mexican-origin families according to the community contexts where they lived. Integrating data on Mexican-origin children in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (n = 1100) with community data from the U.S. Census Bureau, logistic regressions revealed that the odds of enrollment in early care and education programs among Mexican-origin children increased as the supply of childcare centers in their counties increased. Holding childcare center supply constant, their enrollment also increased as the percent of co-ethnic Latinos/as in the county increased, especially for children from the least acculturated Mexican-origin families. Overall, these results suggest that ethnic enclaves might link Mexican-origin families to early childhood care and education programs for their children and that this role might be most important for families least likely to be connected to U.S. institutions.

Gender, Couples’ Fertility Intentions, and Parents’ Depressive Symptoms

Unintended childbearing is associated with poorer parental well-being, but most scholarship in this area takes an individual-level approach to unintended childbearing. Drawing on couple data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), I treat unintended childbearing as a couple-level construct to provide a more comprehensive understanding of how individuals’ intentions, partners’ intentions, and gender are linked with psychological distress in the transition to parenthood. I make two chief contributions to prior research. First, the inclusion of fathers’ perspectives provides an important addition to research, which primarily focuses on mothers’ unintended childbearing. Second, I assess gender differences in the association between couples’ intentions and health. For mothers, one’s own intentions appeared most closely tied to distress regardless of the father’s intentions, whereas fathers reported more depressive symptoms if either parent did not intend the birth. Formal post-estimation tests of differences in the magnitude of coefficients for mothers and fathers suggest few gender differences exist in the association between couples’ intentions and psychological distress. For mothers and fathers alike, belonging to a couple where neither parent intended the birth was consistently associated with the highest levels of distress. Implications for policy and research are discussed in relation to findings.

Family socioeconomic status and maternal depressive symptoms: Mediation through household food insecurity across five years

RationaleFood insecurity is a significant social problem that has been found to co-occur with both poverty and depression. However, few studies have utilized longitudinal data to investigate the associations among poverty, depression, and food insecurity. ObjectiveThis study tested two competing hypotheses, the food inadequacy hypothesis and the mental health hypothesis, in examining the associations among family socioeconomic status (SES), maternal depression, and household food insecurity across children's first five years of life. MethodsData were drawn from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), a dataset nationally representative of all children born in the United States in 2001. Mothers reported family SES and household food insecurity when their children were nine months, 24 months, four years, and at kindergarten entry; maternal self-rated depressive symptoms were included at nine months, four years, and kindergarten entry. ResultsAn autoregressive cross-lagged model showed that family SES was predictive of later household food insecurity, which in turn was associated with later maternal depressive symptoms. Significant mediation pathways were found with household food insecurity mediating the link between family SES and maternal depressive symptoms. ConclusionsThis study highlights the need to consider household food insecurity as an underlying mechanism of maternal depressive symptoms in under-resourced families. Findings of this study can inform public health policy by highlighting the importance of considering factors such as food insecurity in the delivery of services to depressed mothers and their children in under-resourced contexts, and emphasizing the need for coordinated, integrated care in responding to the needs of these high-risk, vulnerable families.