Longitudinal Study Of Child Development Research Articles

Using Repeated-Measures Data to Make Stronger Tests of the Association between Executive Function Skills and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptomatology in Early Childhood.

Theoretical models of Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have long implicated executive function (EF) skills as contributing to the etiology, maintenance, and changes in ADHD symptomatology over time. Although there is interest making within-person inferences (i.e., deficits in EF skills give rise to ADHD behaviors), most of the evidence has been derived from studies that conflated between- and within-person sources of variance. Here, we use repeated-measures data to test within-person association between EF skills and ADHD behaviors. Participants included 1160 children from the Family Life Project, an ongoing prospective longitudinal study of child development in low-income, nonmetropolitan communities. We tested the magnitude of the association between EF skills and ADHD behaviors when children were 3, 4, and 5years old. Consistent with meta-analyses, unadjusted bivariate associations between EF and ADHD (which reflect combined between- and within-person variation) were of moderate magnitude (rs = -0.20 to -0.30). However, after controlling for all time-invariant, between-person sources of variation, the within-person associations between EF skills and ADHD behaviors were weak (βs - 0.04 to -0.05, ps = 0.01). These results suggest that EF skills may contribute less prominently to ADHD behaviors in early childhood than is commonly assumed and provoke broader questions about developmental models of ADHD.

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

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.

Developmental trajectories of childhood symptoms of hyperactivity/inattention and suicidal behavior during adolescence.

Hyperactive/inattentive symptoms (ADHD symptoms) are associated with suicidal behavior in clinical studies, but there is still a lack of population-based longitudinal investigations on the developmental aspects of this association. Additionally, it is unclear whether the association is similar for boys and girls. The objectives of the study were to test the association between the ADHD symptoms during childhood and suicidal ideation and attempt during adolescence, and to investigate sex differences. 1407 children from the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development were followed up from 5months to 17years of age. We used teacher-reports of ADHD symptoms from 6 to 12years, and self-report of suicidal ideation and attempt at 13, 15, and 17years. We identified three ADHD symptoms trajectories: low (boys: 32.2%, girls: 48.7%), moderate (boys: 44.6%; girls: 42.2%) and high (boys: 23.2%; girls: 9.1%). Compared to boys on a low trajectory, boys on a moderate trajectory were at higher risk for suicidal ideation (OR 4.2, 95% CI 1.2-14.8), and boys on a high trajectory were at higher risk for suicide attempts (OR 4.5, 95% CI 1.1-17.9). Girls on moderate or high ADHD symptoms trajectories were not at higher risk for suicidal ideation or attempts than girls on low trajectories. For boys, but not for girls, moderate-to-high ADHD symptoms increased the suicidal risk in adolescence. Interventions with boys showing ADHD symptoms should include a suicide prevention component.

Psychopathic Traits in Middle Childhood: Evidence of a Hierarchical Three-Factor Structure

Although the development of psychopathy is not well understood, prior studies suggest that psychopathic traits begin to develop in childhood. Whereas research suggests consistency in the structure and correlates of psychopathic traits as assessed with clinical measures of psychopathic traits in adolescence and in adulthood, there is less agreement about the nature of psychopathic traits earlier in childhood. This study was designed to enhance understanding of the nature of psychopathic traits in youth by: 1) examining the fit of one, two, three, and four factor models of psychopathic traits during middle childhood, and 2) examining the stability of the factor structure of psychopathic traits over time through invariance testing. The participants were youth in the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD) whose teachers provided ratings on 17 items associated with four validated dimensions of psychopathy at six (N = 605), seven (N = 747) and eight years of age (N = 686). Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that a hierarchical three-factor model of psychopathic traits, consisting of interpersonal, affective, and lifestyle/ antisocial components provided the best fit to the data at all three ages. Analyses also demonstrated strong invariance across these ages. These findings provide preliminary evidence that the internal structure for a syndrome of psychopathic traits in middle childhood is somewhat similar but slightly less differentiated than the factor structure identified during adolescence. Current findings also suggest that this internal structure is stable over a three-year period during middle childhood.

Two Lifestyle Risks Intertwined: Parental Smoking Predicts Child Gambling Behavior at Age 12 Years.

Parental smoking can create a toxic environment for child development. A parental smoking lifestyle can predispose children to executive deficits, influencing precocious risk activities. Using a prospective birth cohort design, we examine the association between 2 lifestyle factors by estimating the relative contribution of long-term parental household smoking in predicting subsequent precocious child gambling behavior. Parents reported on the amount of household smoke exposure from ages 1.5 to 7.5 years for children from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. The main outcome measure was children's self-report of gambling behavior (at age 12 years). Sixty percent of parents reported that their children were never exposed to secondhand smoke in the home, while 27% and 13% reported transient and continuous levels of secondhand smoke, respectively. Overall, 16% of children reported gambling participation. When compared with never-exposed children, children exposed to secondhand smoke had 18% more chances of having participated in gambling at age 12 years (odds ratio = 1.18; 95% CI = 1.080-1.293). These results are adjusted for competing explanations and possible individual and family confounders. Higher levels of early childhood household smoke exposure are associated with greater odds of reporting gambling participation at age 12 years, which is more than several years before it is normative youthful behavior. By connecting the neurotoxic influence of one lifestyle factor on another, we show a nontrivial link between 2 public health issues (smoke exposure and precocious gambling) associated with considerable individual and societal costs that are amenable to community information campaigns.

Risk Factors Associated With Boys’ and Girls’ Developmental Trajectories of Physical Aggression From Early Childhood Through Early Adolescence

This study used multitrajectory modeling to identify distinct trajectories of physical aggression from ages 1.5 to 13 years for boys and girls. To trace the development of boys' and girls' physical aggression problems from infancy to adolescence using mother ratings, teacher ratings, and self-ratings and to identify early family predictors of children on the high physical aggression trajectories. This cohort study used data from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD), a study of a representative, population-based sample of 2223 infants born in 1997 and 1998 in the Canadian province of Quebec. The dates of analysis were January 2017 to January 2018. Trained research assistants conducted 7 interviews (at child ages 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, 4.5, 5, 6, and 8 years) with the person most knowledgeable about the child (mothers in 99.6% [2214 of 2223] of cases). Teachers assessed the child's behavior at ages 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, and 13 years. Self-reports of behavior problems were obtained from the child at ages 10, 12, and 13 years. The sample included 2223 participants, 51.2% of whom were boys and 91.2% of whom were of white race/ethnicity. The mean response rate for mother ratings of physical aggression during the first 8 years of life was 80.9% (range, 65.1%-91.7%). For teacher ratings of physical aggression from ages 6 to 13 years, the mean response rate was 45.7% (range, 35.4%-56.9%), while the mean response rate of physical aggression assessment from self-ratings between ages 10 and 13 years was 57.9% (range, 55.2%-60.5%). Attrition was higher among families with low socioeconomic status and single-parent families, as well as among young mothers and mothers who were not fluent in French or English. A statistical analysis to examine the consequences of attrition was included. For boys and girls, the frequency of physical aggressions increased from age 1.5 years (2039 [91.7%]) to age 3.5 years (1941 [87.3%]) and then substantially decreased until age 13 years (1228 [55.2%]). Three distinct developmental trajectories of physical aggression were observed for girls and 5 for boys. Most family characteristics measured at 5 months after the child's birth were associated with a high physical aggression trajectory for boys and girls. Family characteristics at 5 months after the child's birth could be used to target preschool interventions aimed at preventing the development of boys' and girls' chronic physical aggression problems.

Prospective associations between television in the preschool bedroom and later bio-psycho-social risks.

North American child media guidelines suggest screen-free zones without offering clear evidence and alternative harm-reduction strategies. Our hypothesis is that having a bedroom television during the preschool years will be prospectively associated with mental and physical health risks in adolescence. Participants are from a prospective-longitudinal birth cohort of 907 girls and 952 boys from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. Child outcomes at ages 12 and 13, measured by multiple sources, were linearly regressed on having a bedroom television at age 4. Bedroom television at age 4 predicted a higher body mass index at age 12 (standardized B = 0.10, p < 0.001), more unhealthy eating habits at age 13 (B = 0.10, p < 0.001), higher levels of emotional distress (B = 0.12, p < 0.001), depressive symptoms (B = 0.08, p < 0.001), victimization (B = 0.07, p < 0.001), physical aggression (B = 0.09, p < 0.001), and lowers levels of sociability (B = -0.09, p < 0.001) at age 12, above and beyond pre-existing individual and family factors. The bedroom as a screen-based preschool zone does not bode well for long-term cardio-metabolic wellness, mental health, and social relationships.

Pathways of Association Between Childhood Irritability and Adolescent Suicidality

Childhood irritability predicts suicidal ideation/attempt (suicidality), but it is unclear whether irritability is an independent and direct risk factor for suicidality or a marker of intermediate mental health symptoms associated with suicidality. This study aimed to identify developmental patterns of childhood irritability and to test whether childhood irritability is directly associated with suicidality or indirectly associated with intermediate mental health symptoms. One thousand three hundred ninety-three participants from the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development were followed from birth to 17 years. Teachers assessed irritability yearly (at 6-12 years) and children self-reported intermediate mental health symptoms (depression, anxiety, disruptiveness, and hyperactivity-impulsivity; at 13 years) and suicidality (at 15 and 17 years). Four irritability trajectories were identified: low (74.7%), rising (13.0%), declining (7.4%), and persistent (5.0%). Children following a rising irritability trajectory (versus a low trajectory) were at higher suicidality risk. A large proportion of this association was direct (odds ratio 2.11, 95% CI 1.30-3.43) and a small proportion was indirect by depressive symptoms (accounting for 23% of the association; odds ratio 1.17, 95% CI 1.03-1.34). Children on a persistent irritability trajectory (versus a low trajectory) were at higher risk of suicidality and this association was uniquely indirect by depressive symptoms (accounting for 73% of the association; odds ratio 1.51, 95% CI 1.16-1.97). The declining trajectory was not related to suicidality; no association with anxiety, disruptiveness, and hyperactivity-impulsivity was found. Rising irritability across childhood represents a direct risk for suicidality. Persistent irritability appears to be a distal marker of suicidality acting through more proximal depressive symptoms.

Explaining school entry math and reading achievement in Canadian children using the Opportunity-Propensity framework

The Opportunity–Propensity framework predicts that academic success is a function of: (a) Antecedent; (b) Opportunity; and (c) Propensity factors. The aim of the present study was to replicate and expand the O-P framework model with a population-based representative sample of French-Canadian children. The sample consisted of 2120 children followed in the context of the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD). Structural equation models revealed that the O-P framework provided a good fit to the Canadian data and predicted 55 and 51% of the variance in kindergarten math and verbal achievement, respectively. Furthermore, the addition of previously unexamined antecedent (i.e., gestational smoking), opportunity (i.e., home literacy activities), and propensity (i.e., motor skills) predictors contributed significant variance to the model. Similarities and differences between the Canadian findings and those obtained with American samples are discussed in terms of social policy and intervention programs.

Prospective associations between participation in leisure-time physical activity at age 6 and academic performance at age 12

For many children, leisure time represents a privileged moment to engage in physical activity. This study aims to examine prospective associations between kindergarten participation in leisure-time physical activity and academic performance by the end of sixth grade. Gender-specific associations are also explored. Participants are from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, a 1997–1998 birth cohort from the province of Quebec, Canada (n = 2837). When children were age 6 (2004), mothers reported on their child's participation in three types of leisure-time physical activity (sports, other structured physical activities, and unstructured physical activities). At age 12 (2010), children's academic indicators were reported by teachers and by children themselves. Academic outcomes were then linearly regressed on leisure-time physical activity participation, while controlling for individual and family confounders. Unstructured physical activities were the most popular among both girls and boys. Sports were the second most popular activity among boys, whereas other structured physical activities were the second most popular among girls. Higher overall participation in leisure-time physical activity at age 6 was associated with better teacher-reported grades in language and math (β = 0.075 and β = 0.102, respectively) and self-reported grades in language (β = 0.103), as well as with higher classroom engagement (β = 0.077,) at age 12. Regression coefficients are standardized. All the associations were significant (p ≤ .05). Promoting leisure-time physical activity may be an effective way to encourage children to be active and to help them improve their academic performance, both leading to long-term wider benefits.

Developmental motor screening scale for preschool children: An item response theory analysis

Developmental Motor Screening Scale for Preschool Children (DMSSPC) exhibits high reliability and validity. This study aims to analyze this tool by Item Response Theory (IRT). Data of this study were collected from Kids In Taiwan: National Longitudinal Study of Child Development & Care (KIT). Four hundred and fifty children's parents (216 boys and 234 girls) from New Taipei City were recruited. DMSSPC includes gross motor (stability and locomotion, body coordination) and fine motor (grasp and manipulation, visual motor integration) domains. The ConQuest software was used to perform the IRT analysis, including difficulty estimates and mean square error (MNSQ). After IRT analysis, the difficulty estimates of DMSSPC were −3.33–1.85, and the MNSQ values were 0.53–1.76. The difficulty estimates for the DMSSPC ranged from −2.08–1.99 for the fine motor and from −3.43–2.33 for the gross motor. The MNSQ values of fine motor and gross motor were 0.52–1.83 and 0.50–1.59, respectively. According to the IRT analysis, the difficulty estimates and MNSQ values of DMSSPC were within reasonable limits. Future studies will develop the Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) of DMSSPC based on the IRT results.

Effects of home environment on changes in the motor development for typical-development infants and toddlers

Motor functions are affected by the home environment in childhood. This study aims to identify the home environment factors in the motor development of infants and toddlers. This follow-up study had involved 1000 typical-development children, classifying children into infant group (6 months old, n = 500) and toddler group (3 years old, n = 500). Participants were from Kids in Taiwan: National Longitudinal Study of Child Development & Care (KIT). Developmental Motor Screening Scale for Preschool Children (DMSSPC), including body coordination (BC), stability and locomotion (S&L), visual motor integration (VMI), and grasp and manipulation (G&M) domains, was used to assess motor development at baseline and follow up (infants: 6-months follow up and toddlers: 12-months follow up). Home Environment Scale (HES), including parent response (PR), parent participation/learning stimulation (PP/LS), physical environment (PE), child acceptance (CA), speech stimulation (SS), learning material (LM), and environmental diversity (ED), was measured at baseline. Pearson correlation was used to analyze the correlation between HES and DMSSPC at baseline and change scores of DMSSPC (DMSSPC score at follow-up - DMSSPC score at baseline). Nearly all HES domains had significantly positive correlations with DMSSPC domains at baseline in infant group. In toddler group, HES domains had significantly positive correlations with DMSSPC domains, except PE with VMI and S&L, and CA with VMI and S&L. Additionally, HES domains except PE and CA had significantly negative correlations with change scores of G&M in infant group. While only PP/LS and ED had significantly negative correlations with change scores of G&M in toddler group. A better home environment is associated with greater motor development in most domains. However, a better home environment is linked to lesser changes in G&M development, especially infant groups. These findings may suggest providing a good home environment is important for motor development, especially infant groups.

Longitudinal Association Between Peer Victimization and Sleep Problems in Preschoolers: The Moderating Role of Parenting

This study examined the moderating role of parental behaviors in the longitudinal link between peer victimization and sleep problems during preschool. The sample consisted of 1,181 children (594 girls) attending day care between the ages of 3 and 6 years. Participants were part of the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, a longitudinal study of child development led by the Institut de la Statistique du Quebec. Controlling for potential confounders, latent growth curve analyses revealed that the association between peer victimization and sleep problems varied depending on parents’ behaviors. Coercive parenting exacerbated the link between peer victimization and parasomnias. In contrast, positive parenting mitigated the link between peer victimization and insomnia. The findings suggest that persistent sleep problems at a young age may be an indicator of chronic peer victimization but that parents’ behaviors can play a key role in victimized children’s sleep problems.

Reciprocal Prospective Relationships Between Loneliness and Weight Status in Late Childhood and Early Adolescence

Adolescents who do not conform to weight ideals are vulnerable to disapproval and victimization from peers in school. But, missing from the literature is a prospective examination of weight status and feelings of loneliness that might come from those experiences. Using data from the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, we filled that gap by examining the prospective associations between loneliness and weight status when the sample was aged 10–13 years. At ages 10, 12, and 13 years, 1042 youth (572 females; 92% from French speaking homes) reported on their loneliness and were weighed and measured. Family income sufficiency was included in our analyses given its relationship with weight status, but also its possible link with loneliness during early adolescence. The findings showed that (1) weight status and loneliness were not associated concurrently; (2) weight status predicted increases in loneliness from ages 12 to 13 years; and (3) loneliness predicted increases in weight from ages 12 to 13 years among female adolescents, but weight loss among male adolescents. The fact that loneliness was involved in weight gain for females suggests that interventions focused on reducing loneliness and increasing connection with peers during early adolescence could help in reducing obesity.

Association of Childhood Irritability and Depressive/Anxious Mood Profiles With Adolescent Suicidal Ideation and Attempts

Suicidal ideation and suicide attempt (suicidality) are common in adolescence and a public health concern. Childhood depression is a key risk factor for later suicidality and often co-occurs with irritability. No study to date has examined the joint association of depressive mood and irritability during childhood with later suicidality. To investigate the association of childhood irritability and depressive/anxious mood profiles with adolescent suicidality. This population-based cohort study included 1430 participants in the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. Participants underwent assessment yearly or bi-yearly (5 months to 17 years). Data were collected from March 16, 1998, through July 17, 2015. Profiles defined by the joint developmental trajectories of irritability and depressive/anxious mood at 6 to 12 years of age. Self-reported past-year suicidality (ie, serious suicidal ideation or suicide attempt) at 13, 15, and 17 years of age. Irritability and depressive/anxious mood were assessed using teacher report 5 times from 6 to 12 years of age. The study included 1430 participants (676 boys [47.3%] and 754 girls [52.7%]) followed up to 17 years of age. Group-based multitrajectory modeling identified the following profiles: combined no irritability and low depressive/anxious mood with low irritability and low depressive/anxious mood (831 [58.1%]; reference group), moderate irritability and low depressive/anxious mood (353 [24.7%]), high depressive/anxious mood only (94 [6.6%]), and high irritability and depressive/anxious mood (152 [10.6%]). Children with high irritability and high depressive/anxious mood reported higher rates of suicidality (25 of 152 [16.4%]) compared with the group with the lowest symptom levels (91 of 831 [11.0%]). In logistic regression analyses, the high irritability and depressive/anxious mood profile (odds ratio [OR], 2.22; 95% CI, 1.32-3.74; number needed to be exposed [NNE], 18) was associated with suicidality. To a lesser extent, the moderate irritability and low depressive/anxious mood profile was also associated with suicidality (OR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.02-2.25; NNE = 48). The high depressive/anxious mood only profile was not associated with later suicidality (OR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.47-1.95; NNE = -320). The high irritability and depressive/anxious mood profile was associated with a higher suicidal risk compared with the depressive/anxious mood only profile (OR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.02-5.15). Girls with the high irritability and high depressive/anxious mood profile had higher risk for suicidality (OR, 3.07; 95% CI, 1.54-6.12; NNE = 5). Children with high irritability and depressive/anxious mood and, to a lesser extent, with moderate irritability only had a higher suicidal risk during adolescence compared with children with low symptom levels. Early manifestation of chronic irritability during childhood, especially when combined with depressive/anxious mood, may be associated with an elevated risk for adolescent suicidality. The putatively causal role of irritability should be investigated.

A Longitudinal Study of Child Development in Children Enrolled in Brazilian Public Daycare Centers

A longitudinal research study was conducted that examined aspects of child development in children who were enrolled in public daycare centers in Brazil. The participants were 596 children (1-3 years old, n = 51; 2-4 years old, n = 545) who were enrolled in 198 public daycare centers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem-solving, and personal-social domains were assessed using the Brazilian version of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, 3rd edition, adapted for public child daycare centers. A Bayesian robust regression model was performed to check for gender and age differences and interactions. The findings indicated main effects of gender and age. Females had higher scores than males in the communication and personal-social domains. No interactions were found, suggesting the absence of moderation effects between age and gender. This study provides information about child development, especially in children who are enrolled in public daycare centers in Brazil.

Associations Between Early Family Meal Environment Quality and Later Well-Being in School-Age Children.

Past research suggests a positive link between family meals and child and adolescent health. Although researchers have often relied on how often families eat together, this may not capture the complexity of the experience. Using a birth cohort, this study examines the prospective associations between the environmental quality of the family meal experience at age 6 years and child well-being at age 10. Participants are 1492 children of the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. When children were age 6, parents reported on their typical family meal environment quality. At age 10, parents, teachers, and children themselves provided information on lifestyle habits, academic achievement, and social adjustment, respectively. The relationship between early family meal environment quality and later child outcomes was analyzed using a series of multivariate linear regression. Family meal environment quality at age 6 predicted higher levels of general fitness and lower levels of soft drink consumption, physical aggression, oppositional behavior, nonaggressive delinquency, and reactive aggression at age 10. These relationships were adjusted for child characteristics (sex, temperament problems and cognitive abilities, and baseline body mass index [BMI]) and family characteristics (family configuration and functioning, maternal education, depression, and BMI). From a population-health perspective, our findings suggest that family meals have long-term influences on children's biopsychosocial well-being. At a time when family meal frequency is on a natural decline in the population, this environmental characteristic can become a target of home-based interventions and could be featured in information campaigns that aim to optimize child development.

Does shyness interact with peer group affiliation in predicting substance use in adolescence?

Cigarette use and binge drinking are risky behaviors emerging during adolescence. Although many beneficial factors are well documented, studies linking shyness to substance use are somehow conflicting, which may be due to the contribution of moderators. Therefore, the present study has 2 objectives: (a) to prospectively analyze the association between shyness and substance use during adolescence, and (b) to test the moderating role of peer group affiliation on the relationship between shyness and substance use. Participants are 1447 adolescents from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, a representative cohort of single-birth children born between 1997 and 1998 in the province of Quebec, Canada. Shyness was assessed at age 12 years. Peer group affiliation, as well as past year cigarette use and binge drinking were assessed at age 15 years. Logistic regressions were used to analyze the data. All analyses were carried out using weighted data accounting for the complex multistage sample design. Results show that shyness negatively predicts the use of tobacco and the occurrence of binge drinking while controlling for confounding variables. However, shyness does not interact with peer group affiliation in predicting substance use. This is the first study that confirms the presence of a negative relationship between shyness and substance use during adolescence over a 3-year period. Results suggest that shyness could exert a beneficial effect against substance use notwithstanding the adolescent's social context. (PsycINFO Database Record

Childhood trajectories of peer victimization and prediction of mental health outcomes in midadolescence: a longitudinal population-based study

Exposure to peer victimization is relatively common. However, little is known about its developmental course and its effect on impairment associated with mental illnesses. We aimed to identify groups of children following differential trajectories of peer victimization from ages 6 to 13 years and to examine predictive associations of these trajectories with mental health in adolescence. Participants were members of the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, a prospective cohort of 2120 children born in 1997/98 who were followed until age 15 years. We included 1363 participants with self-reported victimization from ages 6 to 13 years and data available on their mental health status at 15 years. We identified 3 trajectories of peer victimization. The 2 prevailing groups were participants with little or moderate exposure to victimization (441/1685 [26.2%] and 1000/1685 [59.3%], respectively); the third group (244 [14.5%]) had been chronically exposed to the most severe and long-lasting levels of victimization. The most severely victimized individuals had greater odds of reporting debilitating depressive or dysthymic symptoms (odds ratio [OR] 2.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.27-5.17), debilitating generalized anxiety problems (OR 3.27, CI 1.64-6.51) and suicidality (OR 3.46, CI 1.53-7.81) at 15 years than those exposed to the lowest levels of victimization, after adjustment for sex, childhood mental health, family hardship and victimization perpetration. The association with suicidality remained significant after controlling for concurrent symptoms of depression or dysthymia and generalized anxiety problems. Adolescents who were most severely victimized by peers had an increased risk of experiencing severe symptoms consistent with mental health problems. Given that peer victimization trajectories are established early on, interventions to reduce the risk of being victimized should start before enrolment in the formal school system.

Children's Early Disruptive Behavior Predicts Later Coercive Behavior and Binge Drinking by Mothers

PurposeWe examined the prospective influence of early child problematic behavior on later coercive interactions and binge drinking by mothers. Design and methodsCanadian participants are from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, born between spring 1997 and 1998, which allowed a longitudinal birth cohort design. At the 41months, 628 parents reported on children's oppositional, aggressive, turbulent, and inattentive/hyperactive behavior. Mothers then reported on their own coercive and binge drinking behavior at the 60month follow-up. ResultsWe estimated a series of ordinary least-squares regressions to examine the relationship between early child behavior problems and later parental coercion and binge drinking, above and beyond many key pre-existing/concurrent confounding factors including prior parenting stress and binge alcohol use. Oppositional, aggressive, and turbulent child behaviors at 41months predicted harsh, negative parenting at 60months. Early inattentive/hyperactive child behavior also forecasted later binge alcohol use by mothers within the same time frame. ConclusionNegative preschool behavior predicted harsh, negative maternal behavior kindergarten entry. Early inattentive/hyperactive behavior also forecasted later binge alcohol use by mothers. Coercive parenting and alcohol use are clinically signs of adult distress. Such parents might use alcohol excessively because of its perceived stress-dampening effects and mental evasion from their life difficulties and frustration experiences. Practice implicationsProblematic preschool behavior can lead to less effective child-rearing and unhealthy parental behavior. Such at-risk mothers would benefit from professional caring practices. Practitioners can inspire change, especially using interaction interventions which encourage positive parent-child relations that, in turn, diminish parental distress.