Higher Socioeconomic Status Families Research Articles

The Link between Socioeconomic Status and Career Adaptability among Korean Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Parental Career-Related Support

Parental career-related support plays a crucial role in facilitating adolescents' career development, yet relatively little is known about its mediating role in Korean adolescents' career development. Using a sample of 581 Korean high school students, this study examined the role of parental career-related support in the link between socioeconomic status (SES) and adolescents' career adaptability. Results indicated that adolescents with high SES were more likely to have a high level of parental career-related support and a high level of career adaptability resources, and parental career-related support was significantly associated with career adaptability resources. Although curiosity and confidence were only significantly related to SES, parental career-related support was more likely to affect concern than other resources of career adaptability. The mediation models also supported the claim that adolescents from high SES families are more likely to perceive a higher degree of parental career-related support and the more they perceive such supports, the greater the level of career adaptability. These results suggest the need for parents and schools to facilitate career-related support for adolescents.

Ethnic Drinking Culture, Acculturation, and Enculturation in Relation to Alcohol Drinking Behavior Among Marriage-Based Male Immigrants in Taiwan.

Drinking behavior among immigrants could be influenced by drinking-related cultural norms in their country of origin and host country. This study examined the association of ethnic drinking culture, acculturation, and enculturation with alcohol drinking among male immigrants in Taiwan. This cross-sectional survey recruited 188 male immigrants. Ethnic drinking culture was divided into dry and wet according to per capita alcohol consumption and abstinent rate in the countries of origin in reference to that in Taiwan. A scale, Bidimensional Acculturation Scale for Marriage-Based Immigrants, was developed to measure acculturation (adaptation to the host culture) and enculturation (maintenance of the original culture). Drinking patterns (abstinent, low-risk drinking, and hazardous drinking) were determined by scores on the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test. There was a significant interaction between ethnic drinking culture and enculturation/acculturation on drinking patterns. Multinomial logistic regression models identified that for those from dry ethnic drinking cultures, a high level of acculturation was associated with increased low-risk drinking, while a high level of enculturation was associated with decreased low-risk drinking. For those from wet ethnic drinking cultures, a low level of acculturation and high level of enculturation were associated with increased hazardous drinking. High family socioeconomic status was associated with increased drinking, while perceived insufficient family income was positively associated with hazardous use. To prevent hazardous use of alcohol, health education should be targeted at immigrant men who drink, especially among those who have economic problems, are from wet ethnic drinking cultures, and demonstrate low adaptation to the host culture.

Effect of family socioeconomic status on the prognosis of complex congenital heart disease in children: an observational cohort study from China

Low socioeconomic status is associated with increased mortality for patients with cardiovascular disease; however, the effect of family socioeconomic status on the prognosis of children with congenital heart disease remains unclear, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries. We aimed to examine the association between family socioeconomic status and postoperative outcomes for paediatric patients with complex congenital heart disease (CCHD). In this observational cohort study, we enrolled children (aged <7 years) who had CCHD surgery at Fuwai Hospital (Beijing, China) between May 1, 2012, and Dec 31, 2015. Patients who were discharged alive were followed up for up to 60 months, until May 4, 2017, for all-cause mortality and unplanned readmission events. Baseline family socioeconomic status was established using a composite of household income in the past year, and occupation and education level of each parent in the family. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to evaluate the relationship between socioeconomic status and prognosis. Of 2555 patients (median age at operation 0·88 years, IQR 0·56-1·92) enrolled, 2485 (97%) were discharged alive and were assessed at a median follow-up of 32·1 months (IQR 19·6-44·7). During follow-up, 180 (7%) patients died, and 748 (30%) patients had 1477 unplanned readmissions. Children with low family socioeconomic status (n=899) had higher unadjusted all-cause mortality and more unplanned readmission events than children with middle (n=819) or high (n=767) family socioeconomic status; 3-year overall survival was 88·5% (95% CI 86·3-90·7), 93·1% (91·1-95·1), and 96·3% (94·7-97·9), and 3-year unplanned-readmission-free survival was 56·3% (52·8-59·8), 68·4% (64·9-71·9), and 82·4% (79·5-85·3) across the socioeconomic tertiles (both log-rank p<0·001). After adjustment for demographic factors, weight, cardiac diagnostic categories, operation types, and characteristics of the index hospital stay, hazard ratios were 2·66 (1·62-4·35) for all-cause mortality and 4·17 (3·31-5·25) for unplanned readmission for low versus high family socioeconomic status, and 1·95 (1·18-3·22) and 2·44 (1·94-3·07), respectively, for middle versus high family socioeconomic status. Low and middle family socioeconomic status is associated with worse prognosis after CCHD surgery than high family socioeconomic status. Measures to alleviate socioeconomic disparities are needed to improve postoperative prognosis of paediatric patients with CCHD in China. National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars and National Key R&D Program of China.

Socio-demographic differences in Colombian children's muscular fitness: Does scaling for differences in body size present a challenge to conventional thinking?

In low- to middle-income countries, children from less-deprived areas (from families of higher socio-economic status [SES]) have superior muscular fitness than those from low-SES groups. They are also taller and heavier, factors associated with muscular fitness. The purpose of this study was to identify any socio-demographic differences in Colombian children's muscular fitness and examine how these conclusions can be modified by scaling for differences in body size. A total of 38,098 youths (46% girls), ninth grade students (aged 14-15 years), participated in a study of cross-sectional design. We recorded SES and family incomes, stature, and mass. Standing broad jump and handgrip strength were used to assess muscular fitness. A multiplicative allometric model was adopted to adjust for body-size differences. Children from the mid- to high-SES groups jumped significantly higher than children from the lowest SES group, although no SES group difference in grip strength was observed. After adjusting for body size, children from higher SES and with higher family incomes had significantly lower handgrip strength, and their superior jump height performances remained but were greatly reduced. Only children from the highest SES now jumped significantly higher that the lowest SES group. The superior jump performance and no difference in handgrip strength of Colombian children from higher SES may simply reflect their superior physiques. When body size is accounted for, these differences are reduced or even reversed, suggesting that children from higher SES groups should not be complacent regarding their apparent superior muscular fitness.

The prevalence rates of medication adherence and factors influencing adherence to antiepileptic drugs in children with epilepsy: A systematic review and meta analysis

ObjectiveWe conducted a systematic review to assess antiepileptic drug (AED) adherence rates, and to identify the characteristics associated with nonadherence in children. MethodsWe searched PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library from inception to June 2017. Observational studies addressing medication adherence or examining factors influencing AED adherence were included. ResultsWe included 22 studies, involving 3955 participants. The general quality of included studies were rated as high quality. Adherence rates were reported in 18 studies, varying between 22.1% and 96.5%. Meta analysis of 13 studies (n = 2051) revealed a pooled adherence rate assessed by objective methods of 58% (95% CI [0.46, 0.74]). Meta analysis of nine studies (n = 1217) revealed a pooled adherence rate assessed by subjective Methods of 73%, (95% CI [0.63, 0.85]). Family support, smaller family size, stable parental marriage status, support from healthcare providers and higher family socioeconomic status were associated with better medication adherence. However, contradictory results were found regarding the effects of age, the frequency of seizure, type of seizures, type of medication and the number of administered drugs. ConclusionsAdherence to AEDs is challenging for pediatric patients with epilepsy. Few factors which influence adherence can be drawn because of differing variables and results. Future prospective research should be designed with longer study periods and larger samples in naturalistic settings.

Socioeconomic disparities in academic achievement: A multi-modal investigation of neural mechanisms in children and adolescents

Growing evidence suggests that childhood socioeconomic status (SES) influences neural development, which may contribute to the well-documented SES-related disparities in academic achievement. However, the particular aspects of SES that impact neural structure and function are not well understood. Here, we investigate associations of childhood SES and a potential mechanism—degree of cognitive stimulation in the home environment—with cortical structure, white matter microstructure, and neural function during a working memory (WM) task across development. Analyses included 53 youths (age 6–19 years). Higher SES as reflected in the income-to-needs ratio was associated with higher parent-reported achievement, WM performance, and cognitive stimulation in the home environment. Although SES was not significantly associated with cortical thickness, children raised in more cognitively stimulating environments had thicker cortex in the frontoparietal network and cognitive stimulation mediated the assocation between SES and cortical thickness in the frontoparietal network. Higher family SES was associated with white matter microstructure and neural activation in the frontoparietal network during a WM task, including greater fractional anisotropy (FA) in the right and left superior longitudinal fasciculi (SLF), and greater BOLD activation in multiple regions of the prefrontal cortex during WM encoding and maintenance. Greater FA and activation in these regions was associated higher parent-reported achievement. Together, cognitive stimulation, WM performance, FA in the SLF, and prefrontal activation during WM encoding and maintenance significantly mediated the association between SES and parent-reported achievement. These findings highlight potential neural, cognitive, and environmental mechanisms linking SES with academic achievement and suggest that enhancing cognitive stimulation in the home environment might be one effective strategy for reducing SES-related disparities in academic outcomes.

Duration of Breastfeeding and Subsequent Adolescent Obesity: Effects of Maternal Behavior and Socioeconomic Status

PurposePrevious research has shown that longer duration of breastfeeding is associated with less risk of obesity in childhood and adolescence. However, although putative physiological mechanisms have been proposed, less work has focused on psychosocial or environmental factors, including socioeconomic status (SES) and stressful family environments. MethodsThe current study examined the role of observed maternal emotional behavior and SES (parental education) in the association between duration of breastfeeding and adolescent body mass index (BMI). One hundred fifteen mothers and adolescents participated in interaction tasks when adolescents were approximately 12 years of age. We measured adolescent BMI at approximately 15 years of age and, at one point over the course of the study, mothers retrospectively reported on duration of breastfeeding. ResultsControlling for adolescent gender, age, physical activity, number of perinatal complications, SES, birth weight, and mother's depressive symptoms, longer duration of breastfeeding was associated with lower adolescent BMI (p = .019), and this association was moderated by the mother's observed behavior during interactions with her adolescent, such that greater frequency of dysphoric behavior was associated with a stronger association between breastfeeding and adolescent BMI (p = .002). Longer duration of breastfeeding mediated the association between higher family SES and lower adolescent BMI. ConclusionsThis study is the first to show that observed parental behavior during adolescence may be an important moderator of the association between breastfeeding and obesity. The findings provide justification for future intervention research examining family environment factors in improving adolescent health.

Positive Symptoms and Perceived Parental Acceptance-Rejection in Childhood: The Moderating Roles of Socioeconomic Status and Gender

The current study aimed to investigate the moderating roles of socioeconomic status (SES) and gender in the relationship between the positive symptoms of patients with schizophrenia and their recollections of parental acceptance-rejection in childhood. This study included 53 outpatients (20 females and 33 males) who were diagnosed with schizophrenia at the Ankara University and Ege University Faculty of Medicine Department of Psychiatry. Of the participants, 22.6% were from low SES families, 55.7% were from middle SES families, and 22.6% were from high SES families. The relationship between the participants' positive symptoms and recollections of parental acceptance-rejection in childhood were assessed by the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms and the Adult Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire/Control. Compared to schizophrenia patients from middle and high SES families, those from low SES families perceived their mothers and fathers as more cold, neglectful, rejecting, and less controlling in their childhood. Among the parental acceptance-rejection subscales, only maternal indifferences/neglect was related to the participants' positive symptoms. A three-way interaction (moderated moderation) analysis indicated that SES significantly moderated the effect of perceived maternal neglect on positive symptoms for female, but not male, patients with schizophrenia. The severity of positive symptoms of female patients with schizophrenia, especially those from low and middle SES families, may be reduced by examining recollections of maternal neglect in childhood and, if necessary, applying trauma or attachment-focused interventions.

Competition in the Family: Inequality between Siblings and the Intergenerational Transmission of Educational Advantage

Research on educational mobility is concerned with inequalities between families. Differences in innate abilities and parental responses lead, however, to educational differences between siblings. If parental responses vary by family socioeconomic background, within-family inequality can affect between-family inequality (i.e., educational mobility). This study uses data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP) to test whether sibling similarity in education varies by family socioeconomic background. In addition, I test whether the effects of birth order, birth spacing, and maternal age on education vary by family background. Results show that sibling similarity in education is similar in low– and high–socioeconomic status families. The negative influences of a higher birth order and a younger maternal age on educational attainment, however, are concentrated in socioeconomically disadvantaged families. These findings suggest that socioeconomically advantaged families do not generally compensate for ability differences between their children but that they compensate for disadvantageous life events.

Parental Socio-Economic Status and First Union Formation: Can European Variation Be Explained by the Second Demographic Transition Theory?

Previous research has demonstrated that parental socio-economic status (SES) is an important determinant of the timing of entry into a first co-residential union. Whilst the majority of existing studies found that young adults from high-SES families delay their first union compared with those from lower-SES backgrounds, all these studies were conducted within a single country. This study examines the link between parental SES and the timing and type of first union for 25 European countries participating in the European Social Survey Round 3 (2006/2007). Results from two-step meta-analytical models indicate that in almost all countries young adults from advantaged backgrounds delay their entry into a first union. This delaying effect of parental SES is stronger if young adults marry directly than if they enter their first union via unmarried cohabitation. The impact of parental SES is only partly mediated by an individual's own education. The strength of the link between parental SES and union formation varies between countries: the delaying impact of parental SES is weakest in those Northern and Western European countries that are most advanced in the Second Demographic Transition. However, after controlling for individual education, the cross-national variation in the link between parental SES and union formation disappears.

Birth Order and College Major in Sweden

Previous research on birth order has consistently shown that later-borns have lower educational attainment than first-borns, however it is not known whether there are birth order patterns in college major. Given empirical evidence that parents disproportionately invest in first-born children, there are likely to be birth order patterns attributable to differences in both opportunities and preferences, related to ability, human capital specialization through parentchild transfers of knowledge, and personality. Birth order patterns in college major specialization may shed light on these explanatory mechanisms, and may also account for long-term birth order differences in educational and labour market outcomes. Using Swedish population register data and sibling fixed effects we find large birth order differences in university applications. First-borns are more likely to apply to, and graduate from, medicine and engineering programs at university, while later-borns are more likely to study journalism and business programs, and to attend art school. We also find that these birth order patterns are stronger in high SES families, and that differences in college major explain approximately half of the within-family birth order differences in long-term earnings. These results indicate that early life experiences and parental investment shapes sibling differences in ability, preferences, and ambitions even within the shared environment of the family.

Childhood Socioeconomic Status and Arterial Stiffness in Adulthood: The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study.

Increasing evidence supports the importance of socioeconomic factors in the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. However, the association of childhood socioeconomic status (SES) with arterial stiffness in adulthood has not been reported. Our aim was to determine whether higher childhood family-level SES is associated with lower arterial stiffness in adulthood. The analyses were performed using data gathered within the longitudinal Young Finns Study. The sample comprised 2566 participants who had data concerning family SES at ages 3 to 18 years in 1980 and arterial pulse wave velocity and carotid artery distensibility measured 21 or 27 years later in adulthood. Higher family SES in childhood was associated with lower arterial stiffness in adulthood; carotid artery distensibility being higher (β value±SE, 0.029±0.0089%/10 mm Hg; P=0.001) and pulse wave velocity lower (β value±SE, -0.062±0.022 m/s; P=0.006) among those with higher family SES in a multivariable analysis adjusted with age, sex, and conventional childhood cardiometabolic risk factors. The association remained significant after further adjustment for participant's SES in adulthood (β value±SE, 0.026±0.010%/10 mm Hg; P=0.01 for carotid artery distensibility and β value±SE, -0.048±0.023 m/s; P=0.04 for pulse wave velocity) but attenuated after adjustment for adulthood cardiometabolic risk factors (β value±SE, 0.015±0.008%/10 mm Hg; P=0.08 for carotid artery distensibility and β value±SE, -0.019±0.02 m/s; P=0.38 for pulse wave velocity). In conclusion, we observed an association between higher family SES in childhood and lower arterial stiffness in adulthood. Our findings suggest that special attention could be paid to children from low SES families to prevent cardiometabolic diseases primordially.

Streaming, tracking and reading achievement: A multilevel analysis of students in 40 countries.

Grouping similar students together within schools (streaming) or classrooms (tracking) based on past literacy skills (reported by parents), family socioeconomic status (SES) or reading attitudes might affect their reading achievement. Our multilevel analysis of the reading tests of 208,057 fourth-grade students across 40 countries, and their parents’, teachers’, principals’, and their survey responses yielded the following results. Streaming was linked to higher reading achievement (consistent with customized instruction), but tracking was linked to lower reading achievement (consistent with more help opportunities). Students had higher reading achievement when classmates had stronger past literacy skills (suggesting sharing ideas) or extremely poor ones (help opportunities). Also, when classmates have higher family SES, students had higher reading achievement (suggesting sharing resources), with diminishing marginal returns. When classmates’ family SES differed more (more diversity), students with greater past literacy skills had higher reading achievement (Matthew effect). Lastly, when classmates had better reading attitudes, students with lower past literacy skills showed higher reading achievement (modeling, norms). When classmates’ reading attitudes differed more, students had higher reading achievement (contrasting cases), although extreme differences weakened this link (less homophily). These results suggest that streaming across schools and mixing of students within classrooms (by past achievement, family SES and reading attitudes) are linked to overall reading achievement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)

Cumulative adversity, childhood behavioral problems, and educational mobility in China's poorest rural communities.

Behavioral problems are recognized as playing a potentially important role in educational attainment, but their function in contexts of extreme poverty is not well understood. In such settings, other factors might swamp any effects of children's behavioral problems. Further, the interpretation of behavioral problems in circumstances of deep poverty is not clear: problematic behaviors might be in part a direct function of adverse experiences in childhood. In this paper, we focus on the case of 2000 rural youth sampled in the year 2000 from 100 villages in Gansu, one of China's poorest provinces, and followed up through 2015. We investigate whether behavioral problems-internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and teacher-reported behavior problems-predict subsequent educational attainment among the rural poor, and consider the contributions of cumulative adversity to behavioral problems. Results in a high-poverty context where promotion decisions are closely tied to performance show that behavioral factors are linked to long-term educational outcomes. These results are robust to adjustment for a host of individual, family, and community context variables. There is some evidence that children in higher socioeconomic status families and in more developed communities are less vulnerable to behavioral problems. While girls are slightly less vulnerable to teacher-reported behavior problems than boys, there is no gender difference in the implications of behavioral problems for educational attainment. Finally, behavioral problems do not appear to operate simply as a proxy for measured family adversity.

Impact of socioeconomic factors on paediatric cochlear implant outcomes

ObjectivesThe study was aimed at evaluating the impact of certain socioeconomic factors such as family income, level of parents' education, distance between the child's home and auditory verbal therapy clinic, and age of the child at implantation on postoperative cochlear implant outcomes. MethodsChildren suffering from congenital bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss and a chronologic age of 4 years or younger at the time of implantation were included in the study. Children who were able to complete a prescribed period of a 1-year follow-up were included in the study. These children underwent cochlear implantation surgery, and their postoperative outcomes were measured and documented using categories of auditory perception (CAP), meaningful auditory integration (MAIS), and speech intelligibility rating (SIR) scores. Children were divided into three groups based on the level of parental education, family income, and distance of their home from the rehabilitation-- auditory verbal therapy clinic. ResultsA total of 180 children were studied. The age at implantation had a significant impact on the postoperative outcomes, with an inverse correlation. The younger the child's age at the time of implantation, the better were the postoperative outcomes. However, there were no significant differences among the CAP, MAIS, and SIR scores and each of the three subgroups. Children from families with an annual income of less than $7,500, between $7,500 and $15,000, and more than $15,000 performed equally well, except for significantly higher SIR scores in children with family incomes more than $15,000. Children with of parents who had attended high school or possessed a bachelor's or Master's master's degree had similar scores, with no significant difference. Also, distance from the auditory verbal therapy clinic failed to have any significantimpact on a child's performance. DiscussionThese results have been variable, similar to those of previously published studies. A few of the earlier studies concurred with our results, but most of the studies had suggested that children in families of higher socioeconomic status had have better speech and language acquisition. ConclusionsCochlear implantation significantly improves auditory perception and speech intelligibility of children suffering from profound sensorineural hearing loss. Younger The younger the age at implantation, the better are the results. Hence, early implantation should be promoted and encouraged. Our study suggests that children who followed the designated program of postoperative mapping and auditory verbal therapy for a minimum period of 1 year seemed to do equally well in terms of hearing perception and speech intelligibility, irrespective of the socioeconomic status of the family. Further studies are essential to assess the impact of these factors on long-term speech acquisition andlanguage development.

How family, immigrant group, and school contexts shape ethnic educational disparities

ABSTRACTScholars have long questioned why average educational attainments among children of immigrants vary greatly by country of origin. Immigrants’ children from the same country share similar contexts of exit and reception and often similar school and family contexts. What is the relative importance of these factors in explaining ethnic differences in educational attainment? Using cross-classified multi-level models, this study shows that family contexts and immigrant group educational selectivity, but not school contexts, help explain ethnic differences. Immigrant selectivity is more decisive in shaping the second-generation’s educational attainment than other group characteristics related to immigrants’ contexts of exit and reception. While school socioeconomic status (SES) only influences the attainment of immigrants’ children from high-SES families, immigrant group selectivity matters regardless of the SES of the family or school, thus shedding light on why members of some national-origin groups tend to complete more education than others despite similar family and school contexts.

School Mathematics as Gatekeeper

ABSTRACTIn the United States, students’ ability to perform well in school mathematics is important for gaining access to a selective college and affects entry into sought-after majors. We find that the gatekeeper function of mathematics is not a function of general academic prowess and operates separately from advantages attributable to family background. Moreover mathematics is especially important for educational attainment among youth from higher socioeconomic status families. Human capital theory implies that schooling’s emphasis on math reflects its functional importance in the workplace. However, our analyses of skills used in workplaces indicate that very small proportions of educated workers ever use “school math.” We draw out the implications of this disjuncture both for theories of class reproduction and for human capital theory.

Korepetycje uczniów jako przykład praktyki w polu edukacyjnym – Polska, Ukraina, Węgry

The article aims at presenting the phenomenon of taking private lessons by secondary school leavers in Poland, Ukraine and Hungary. The research is an attempt to give an answer to the question of the scale of the phenomenon and its causes. In the research the survey method was used. The sample was of quota character. The research sample in Poland consisted of 3,479 respondents, 1,289 in Ukraine and 359 in Hungary. The collected data indicate that private lessons were taken by 52% of the respondents in Poland, 60% in Hungary and 71% in Ukraine. The results of correlative analysis indicate that private lessons were taken most often by the school leavers from the families of higher socio-economic status, having higher life aspirations and equipped with cultural capital with better average marks. Private lessons were taken more often in cities among students attending better schools. In the researched countries private lessons were taken in order to increase marks on the Matura exam as well as in order to get to a dream university. Perceiving private lessons as a “lifebelt” for students who lack knowledge was observed less often. Youth of higher status perceived private lessons as a strategy of building up advantage in the field of education.

Table talk: How mothers and adolescents across socioeconomic status discuss food

This article reports findings from a qualitative study of food practices among families of differing socioeconomic circumstances. Using in-depth interviews from sixty-two families in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2015–2016, we find socioeconomic differences in how mothers and adolescents talk about food. Across SES, mothers and adolescents engage in discussions about healthy eating. However, these conversations are more commonplace and embedded within high-SES family life than among low-SES families. Beyond conversations about 1) healthy eating, the topics of 2) food quality and 3) price are discussed to varying degrees across SES. Within high-SES families, frequent discussions of healthy eating are paired with dialogue highlighting the importance of consuming higher quality food. Price is largely absent as a topic of conversation among high-SES families. On the other end of the socioeconomic spectrum, low-SES mothers and adolescents frequently engage in conversations about price when discussing food. Mentions of food quality are rare, but when they do occur, they underscore important trade-offs between food's healthiness, quality and price. Given prior research showing the impact of dialogue between parents and adolescents on adolescents' dietary behaviors, these findings help us understand how family discussions contribute to shaping adolescents' approaches to food. An important implication is that high-SES families' discussions of food quality may strengthen messages about healthy eating, while conversations about affordability within low-SES families may highlight financial barriers to healthy eating.

A randomised controlled trial to test the effect of promoting caregiver contingent talk on language development in infants from diverse socioeconomic status backgrounds.

Early language skills are critical for later academic success. Lower socioeconomic status (SES) children tend to start school with limited language skills compared to advantaged peers. We test the hypothesis that this is due in part to differences in caregiver contingent talk during infancy (how often the caregiver talks about what is in the focus of the infant's attention). In a randomised controlled trial with high and low SES families, 142 11-month olds and their caregivers were randomly allocated to either a contingent talk intervention or a dental health control. Families in the language intervention watched a video about contingent talk and were asked to practise it for 15min a day for a month. Caregiver communication was assessed at baseline and after 1month. Infant communication was assessed at baseline, 12, 15, 18 and 24months. At baseline, social gradients were observed in caregiver contingent talk to their 11-month olds (but not in infant communication). At posttest, when infants were 12months old, caregivers across the SES spectrum who had been allocated to the language intervention group engaged in significantly more contingent talk. Lower SES caregivers in this intervention group also reported that their children produced significantly more words at 15 and 18months. Effects of the intervention did not persist at 24months. Instead expressive vocabulary at this age was best predicted by baseline infant communication, baseline contingent talk and SES. A social gradient in children's communication emerges during the second year of life. A low-intensity intervention demonstrated that it is possible to increase caregiver contingent talk and that this is effective in promoting vocabulary growth for lower SES infants in the short term. However, these effects are not long-lasting, suggesting that follow-up interventions may be necessary to yield benefits lasting to school entry.