National Longitudinal Survey Of Children Research Articles

Psychosocial correlates of neurodevelopmental disabilities in 2- to 3-year-olds

RationaleCanada’s National Longitudinal Study of Children and Youth survey data provide insights into chronic health conditions in children. Children with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDD) are at increased risk for adverse behavioral outcomes. MethodsWe examined data from 3 cycles of Canada’s National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth for the presence of epilepsy (Epi), cerebral palsy (CP), and intellectual disability (ID) in 2- to 3-year-olds. We then examined the relationship of NDD to composite measures of behavior: hyperactivity-inattention (HI), prosocial behaviors (PS), emotional disorder-anxiety (EA), physical aggression oppositional behavior (AO), and separation anxiety (SA). ResultsThere were 15 children with Epi, 25 with CP and 28 with ID in a sample of 10,879, which represented a population of 756,848 2- to 3-year-old Canadian children. Comparison of mean scores of the NDD groups and controls (Welch’s ANOVA), indicated statistically significant differences in HI, PS, EA, and SA at the p < 0.001 level. Post hoc analysis showed significant intergroup differences. Children with epilepsy did not differ from controls on any of the behavioral measures. However, in comparison to controls, children with intellectual disability had higher EA and SA scores and lower PS scores, and those with cerebral palsy had lower PS scores. ConclusionsChildren with NDD show differences in behavioral outcomes at a very early age when compared with controls. Screening for these behaviors and early intervention programs may help avoid longer term psychiatric comorbidity associated with these disabilities.

The “Long-arm” of chronic conditions in childhood: Evidence from Canada using linked survey-administrative data

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between health conditions in childhood (ages 4–11), and health and socioeconomic outcomes in adulthood (ages 21–33). This study takes advantage of a new linkage between the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY) and administrative tax data from the T1 Family File (T1FF) from Statistics Canada. The NLSCY includes rich longitudinal information on child development, while the T1FF includes administrative tax information on each child in adulthood (e.g., income, social assistance). The primary measures of child health relate to the diagnosis of a chronic condition, affecting the child’s physical or mental/developmental health. The results suggest that mental/developmental health conditions in childhood more negatively influence adult health and socioeconomic conditions, compared to physical health conditions. Interaction models reveal modest heterogenous effects; for example, there is some evidence of a cushioning effect from higher household income in childhood, as well as an exacerbating negative effect from lower birth weight for mental/developmental health conditions. Using a covariate decomposition approach to explore underlying pathways, the results reveal that associations between health in early life and outcomes in adulthood are partially explained by differences in cognitive skills (i.e., mathematics test scores) in adolescence (ages 16–17). Results may encourage policy investments to mitigate the occurrence of health conditions in childhood and to ensure timely access to educational supports and health services for children with chronic conditions.

Parenting Styles and Their Associations With Children's Body Composition, Activity Patterns, Fitness, Diet, Health, and Academic Achievement.

Background: Evidence regarding the impact of parenting style on health and other outcomes is inconsistent and limited by measurement quality and type. This study will examine associations between parenting style and children's objectively assessed activity patterns, body composition, fitness, diet, health, and academic achievement. Methods: Two hundred fifty-five children (mean age: 9.4 years) from Adelaide, Australia, were included. Parenting style (items from Child Rearing Questionnaire and National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth to assess Authoritative, Authoritarian, Permissive, Disengaged parenting), diet, and health were proxy-reported by parents. Body composition, fitness, and 24 hour activity patterns were objectively measured, and children reported screen-time. Academic achievement was measured using standardized tests in reading and mathematics. Mixed models were used to regress parenting style against activity patterns, body composition, fitness, diet, health, and academic achievement, adjusted for age, sex, socioeconomic position, and pubertal stage. Results: Children with Disengaged parents had poorer activity patterns: less moderate to vigorous physical activity (standard mean difference [SMD] relative to grand mean = -0.23), light physical activity (SMD = -0.13) and sleep (SMD = -0.18), more sitting (SMD = 0.45), later bedtime (SMD = 0.18), lower overall energy expenditure (SMD = -0.23), and poorer overall self-reported health (SMD = -0.30). Children with Permissive parents had generally better activity patterns (SMD = 0.25-0.32). Children with Authoritative parents were more likely to meet dietary guidelines for fruit intake (SMD = 0.12). There were no associations for Authoritarian parenting style or for academic achievement, body composition, or fitness. Conclusions: Disengaged parenting was detrimental, while Permissive parenting was beneficial for activity patterns. As parenting styles may be malleable, future interventions may target Permissive parenting to improve children's activity patterns. Trial registration: Australia New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, identifier ACTRN12618002008202. Retrospectively registered on 14 December 2018.

Adverse childhood experiences and onset of migraine in Canadian adolescents: A cohort study.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are cross-sectionally associated with headache, including migraine, in pediatric populations. The objective of this study was to determine whether ACEs are prospectively associated with incident health-professional diagnosed migraine and prevalence of non-migraine frequent headache in adolescence, either directly or indirectly through symptoms of depression and anxiety. We used data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, a Canadian cohort study that followed children aged 0/1 at baseline, and the person most knowledgeable about them (PMK) until the child reached adolescence. The PMK reported on 14 ACEs (e.g., parental death) when the child was 4/5 and 6/7 years, and symptoms of depression and anxiety in late childhood (age 8/9 years), using a validated tool. Migraine (primary outcome) was ascertained via PMK report of a health-professional diagnosis, and non-migraine frequent headache (>1 time per week) was adolescent self-report, both measured at age 14/15. We estimated direct and indirect effects (IEs) on the log-odds scale through symptoms of depression and anxiety (mediator). We adjusted for sex, parental migraine, and economic deprivation. The analytic sample sizes were: n=2058 (migraine) and n=1730 (frequent headache). There were nunweighted =71 respondents with migraine (3.4%, 71/2058) and nunweighted =204 with non-migraine frequent headache (11.8%, 204/1730). Most respondents experienced no ACEs (weighted percentage=55.7), followed by 1 ACE (weighted percentage=34.7) and greater than or equal to two ACEs (weighted percentage=9.6), respectively. There were direct associations between experiencing one (odds ratio [OR]=1.71, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-2.87) and equal to or greater than two (OR=2.33, 95% CI: 1.13-4.80) ACEs and migraine, but not for non-migraine frequent headache. There were no indirect relationships through symptoms of depression and anxiety for migraine (1 ACE: OR=1.06, 95% CI: 0.99-1.13 and ≥2 ACEs: OR=1.11, 95% CI: 0.98-1.28) or non-migraine frequent headache (1 ACE: OR=0.99, 95% CI: 0.95-1.03 and ≥2 ACEs: OR=0.98, 95% CI: 0.90-1.07). ACEs may confer an increased risk of migraine onset in adolescence. The association was not explained by symptoms of depression and anxiety in late childhood.

Do Childhood Conduct Problems Predict Negative Outcomes in Adolescence? A Longitudinal Analysis

The primary purpose of this study was to conduct a prospective ­­­examination of the relationship between childhood conduct problems and five outcomes in adolescence– namely, Physically violent offenses; Non-violent offenses; Deviant lifestyle; Consumption of tobacco, cannabis, or alcohol; and Meeting the symptom count diagnostic criteria for Conduct Disorder (CD) – while controlling for a series of sociodemographic factors, family characteristics and adolescent experiences. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine if childhood conduct problems in the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY) Cycle 1 contributed to negative outcomes in adolescence in NLSCY Cycle 4. This was a prospective, population-based study of 3,725 adolescents (12-15 years old) in the NLSCY Cycle 4 (2000-2001) who were 6-9 years old in NLSCY Cycle 1 (1994-95). Childhood conduct problems were found to be associated with Non-violent offenses and Consumption of tobacco, cannabis, or alcohol in adolescence, but they were not found to be associated with Physically violent offenses or Deviant lifestyle in adolescence. Furthermore, children with conduct problems before the age of 10 were more likely to meet the symptom count diagnostic criteria for CD in adolescence.&#x0D;

Parental economic insecurity and child health

We explore the effects of parental economic insecurity on their children’s hyperactivity and anxiety. Our central argument is that even after controlling for current family income and employment status, parents may have legitimate feelings of economic insecurity, and these may be detrimental for their children. Data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth indicate that the health of 2- to 5-year-old children is worse when parents report themselves to be “worried about having enough money to support the family.” In particular, boys are more hyperactive and girls are more anxious when parents feel less economically secure. Changes in parenting styles appear to be channels through which parental economic insecurity affects their children.

Inequalities in test scores between Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth in Canada

This paper documents a robust achievement gap between the math scores of Indigenous and white youth in Canada between 1996 and 2008. Using data from the restricted-access National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth we show that after controlling for a rich set of observables, students who self-identify as Indigenous perform 0.31 standard deviations lower on a standardized math test compared to their white counterparts. We find that this test gap emerges by the age of 12, and it did not decline between 1996 and 2008, despite the recommendations of the 1996 Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples to ameliorate the public education system for Indigenous students. Counterfactual estimates from the decomposition method of Lemieux (2002) suggest that the test gap among the lowest performing students would have been eliminated if Indigenous students faced the same level of and returns to observable characteristics as white students. This exercise does not result in a narrowing of the test gap in the upper tail, suggesting that unobservables, rather than observables, are driving the majority of the test gap among high achieving students.

Depressive Symptom Trajectories and Early Adult Education and Employment: Comparing Longitudinal Cohorts in Canada and the United States.

Adolescent depressive symptoms are risk factors for lower education and unemployment in early adulthood. This study examines how the course of symptoms from ages 16–25 influences early adult education and employment in Canada and the USA. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (n = 2348) and the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 79 Child/Young Adult (n = 3961), four trajectories (low-stable; increasing; decreasing; and increasing then decreasing, i.e., mid-peak) were linked to five outcomes (working with a post-secondary degree; a high school degree; no degree; in school; and NEET, i.e., not in employment, education, or training). In both countries, increasing, decreasing, and mid-peak trajectories were associated with higher odds of working with low educational credentials, and/or NEET relative to low-stable trajectories. In Canada, however, all trajectories had a higher predicted probability of either being in school or working with a post-secondary degree than the other outcomes; in the USA, all trajectory groups were most likely to be working with a high school degree. Higher depressive symptom levels at various points between adolescent and adulthood are associated with working with low education and NEET in Canada and the USA, but Canadians are more likely to have better education and employment outcomes.

The effect of gestational diabetes mellitus on the risk of asthma in offspring

PurposeTo examine the effect of maternal gestational diabetes mellitus on the risk of asthma in the offspring. MethodsThis cohort study used data from 19,933 children in the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY), 1994/1995–2008/2009, Canada. Children were followed until the first-time report of having health professional-diagnosed asthma (hereafter incident asthma), loss to follow-up, or end of the NLSCY follow-up, whichever occurred first. As a surrogate for Cox proportional hazards regression, pooled logistic regression models, crude and adjusted for potential confounders, were fitted to estimate the effect of gestational diabetes mellitus on the risk of asthma in the offspring. ResultsAmong the 19,933 children, 1,178 (5.9%) had mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus. The median duration of follow-up was 4 (interquartile range: 4) years. A total of 1639 children in the cohort had reported incident asthma during the follow-up, and 119 of them had mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus. The adjusted hazard ratio for the association between gestational diabetes mellitus and incident asthma in offspring was 1.25 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03, 1.51). ConclusionsOur findings suggest that gestational diabetes mellitus increases the risk of asthma in the offspring.

After-School Care, Child Care Arrangements, and Child Development

In 1998, the Canadian province of Quebec introduced a $5 per day before- and after-school care program targeting primary school children. Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, we employ a difference-in-differences analysis to study the effects of after-school care on child care arrangements and child development. Our results show an increase in the use of after-school care by 6–10 percentage points, mainly replacing self-care and care provided by a sibling. We also find an increase in indirect aggression, a deterioration in reading and writing skills, and a decrease in the incidence of the child getting injured.

Divorce, Remarriage and Child Cognitive Outcomes: Evidence from Canadian Longitudinal Data of Children

ABSTRACT This study investigates the role of divorce and remarriage on cognitive outcomes of children. Using the rich panel data information from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY), collected biennially since 1994, we investigate the association between children’s math and reading performance and divorce and remarriage relative to intact families. We find that children who stay-in or move-to non-intact families have lower reading scores than those who stay in intact families. Although initial findings indicate that family structure has an overall small effect on children’s math performance, we find a differential impact of family structure on Math performance across gender and cultural heritage.

Relationships between sleep and internalizing problems in early adolescence: Results from Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth

BackgroundBoth inadequate sleep and internalizing problems, such as symptoms of anxiety and depression, are prevalent among adolescents with sparse epidemiological literature outlining sex-specific relationships at this critical age. ObjectiveTo examine cross-sectional and prospective relationships between self-reported sleep problems, indicated by sleep duration, difficulties getting to sleep and changes in difficulties getting to sleep with internalizing problems in early adolescence. MethodsThis study was a secondary analysis of data from the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth. Multivariable linear regression was used to estimate cross-sectional and longitudinal associations. Relevant family and social context variables were controlled for in multivariable analyses. Family functioning was assessed as a potential effect modifier. ResultsThere were 993 and 736 participants [longitudinal cohort entry age of 10 or 11 years; 49% male] in longitudinal and cross-sectional analyses, respectively. Most cross-sectional multivariable analyses of sleep duration and internalizing problems revealed no statistical associations. Difficulties sleeping and concurrent internalizing problems were positively associated in 12/13 year old females (β = 1.77 [0.94, 2.61], R2 = 17%) and males (β = 1.18 [0.36, 2.01], R2 = 16%). High persistent difficulties sleeping in females aged 12/13 to 14/15 years also positively predicted internalizing problems in females age 14/15 years (β = 1.90 [0.52, 3.29], R2 = 21%) while controlling for initial internalizing symptoms. Family functioning was not found to be an effect modifier. ConclusionFindings highlight the potential role of difficulties sleeping for adolescents' mental health. Public health initiatives to promote sleep hygiene in this population subgroup are critical to prevent the potential long-term health impact of sleep problems.

Effects of low exposure to traffic related air pollution on childhood asthma onset by age 10 years

Although NO2, a major traffic related air pollutant, has been associated with onset of childhood asthma, young children may be more susceptible to traffic related air pollution exposure compared to other individuals. We linked data from National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youths Cycle 1–5 (1994–2003) and the National Air Pollution Surveillance Program to determine the association between NO2 exposure and either early or late onset childhood asthma phenotypes. Children diagnosed with asthma from age 0–3 were defined as having early onset asthma. Children diagnosed with asthma from age 4–9 were defined as having late onset asthma. Mean NO2 exposure for each quartile was 6.31 ppb, 9.45 ppb, 11.83 ppb, and 17.9 ppb. Higher levels of NO2 exposure were more strongly associated with early childhood asthma (Quartile 3 OR: 2.11, 95% CI: 1.29, 3.44, Quartile 4 OR: 2.16, 95% CI: 1.27, 3.68) compared to the lowest level of NO2 exposure (Quartile 1). No such association was observed with risk of late childhood asthma onset. Asthma susceptibility to NO2 exposure may vary with the childhood developmental stage, and young children may be susceptible to NO2 exposure at levels well below national and international guidelines. Our study emphasizes the importance of considering the timing of childhood asthma onset in future studies and confirms the increased risk of early onset of childhood asthma associated even with relatively low NO2 exposure levels.

Income trajectories of families raising a child with a neurodisability

Purpose To examine household income trajectories of children with and without neurodisability over a period of 6 years. Method We used four cycles of the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, a longitudinal study of the development and well-being of Canadian children from birth into adulthood. Results While household income increased over time for both groups, families of children with neurodisability had consistently lower household income compared to families of children without neurodisability even after controlling for child and family socio-demographic characteristics. The presence of an interaction effect between parent work status and child with neurodisability at baseline indicated that among children whose parent(s) were not working at baseline, household incomes did not differ between children with and without neurodisability. Conclusions The association between child with neurodisability and lower household income may not hold for all types of parents’, working status is an important consideration. Implications for Rehabilitation Findings support the health selection hypothesis that health status shapes diverging economic conditions over time: children with a ND have lower household incomes than children without a ND child across all waves of the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Income gaps did not increase or decrease over time; rehabilitation services and policies must consider the lower average incomes associated with raising a child with a ND. Social assistance support likely plays a key role in closing the gap, especially for non-working families.

Trajectories of Sport Participation Among Children and Adolescents Across Different Socio-Economic Categories: Multilevel Findings From the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth

Building upon prior theoretical and empirical work, this study explores the sport participation trajectories of children across different socio-economic status (SES) categories to assess the possibility of changes in the SES-sport participation relationship as children age. Using representative panel data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, a multilevel analysis of 4,858 children aged 6 to 9 suggests that as children age the SES effect on sport participation persists over time. However, the SES effect on sport participation appears to have relatively small predictive import compared to other factors.

The Subjective Well-Being of Adolescent Canadians with Disabilities

In line with growing interest in subjective well-being (SWB) as a goal of public policy, a substantial research base examining the correlates, effects and determinants of adolescent SWB is beginning to develop. However, there is a dearth of data on the SWB of adolescents with disabilities. The limited available data suggest that adolescents with disabilities in high-income countries face a heightened risk of poorer SWB relative to peers without disabilities. Few studies have investigated potential causes of disability-based differences in adolescent SWB. This lack of research may be due, in part, to the widely held but now contested assumption that disability is inherently negative and therefore a direct cause of poorer SWB. Utilising data from the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, this study investigated the potential mediating role of adverse life conditions, including socioeconomic disadvantage, impoverished peer relationships, and peer victimisation. Employing structural equation modelling, the study found evidence consistent with a causal chain running from early childhood disability, through adverse life conditions, to poorer adolescent SWB. The findings suggest that poorer SWB in adolescents with disabilities cannot be assumed or attributed to disability in any straightforward way. With equivalent means, including economic and social resources, adolescents with disabilities may enjoy levels of SWB that are not significantly different from their peers without disabilities.

Pathways from parenting practices to adolescent suicidality: Evidence on the role of emotional and behavioral symptoms from a prospective cohort of Canadian children.

To investigate longitudinal relationships between parenting practices in childhood and adolescent suicidality, and assess the mediating role of emotional and behavioral symptoms. Data were drawn from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, a Canadian population-based longitudinal cohort study. The sample included 9,490 children aged 10-11 who were followed up biennially to ages 14-15. Parents reported their positive and punitive parenting practices when children were 10-11. Adolescents self-reported symptoms of depression/anxiety, hyperactivity, conduct disorder, and social aggression at 12-13, and past-year suicidal ideation and suicide attempts at 14-15. The inverse associations between positive parenting at 10-11 and suicidal behaviors at 14-15 were significantly mediated by symptoms of hyperactivity, conduct disorder, and social aggression at 12-13. Direct relationships between punitive parenting and suicidal behaviors were observed. These associations were significantly mediated by hyperactivity and, among boys only, by conduct disorder and social aggression. The association between punitive parenting and suicide attempt was additionally mediated by depression/anxiety. Parenting in childhood may be associated with adolescent suicidality both directly and indirectly through emotional and behavioral symptoms. Interventions aimed at reducing the use of harsh disciplinary strategies and promoting positive parent-child interactions may reduce the burden of adolescent suicidality.

Childhood Socioeconomic Status and Depressive Symptom Trajectories in the Transition to Adulthood in the United States and Canada

PurposeWe examined whether young people in the U.S. and Canada exhibit similar depressive symptom trajectories in the transition to adulthood and compared the effect of childhood socioeconomic status on trajectory membership. MethodsWe used the American National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 Child/Young Adult (n = 6,315) and the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (n = 3,666). Depressive symptoms were measured using five items from the Center for Epidemiological Studies on Depression scale. Latent trajectories of depressive symptoms from ages 16–25 years were identified using growth mixture models. We estimated the effect of childhood family income, parental education, and parental unemployment on trajectory membership using multivariable Poisson regression models with robust variances. ResultsWe identified four similar trajectories in the two countries: (1) low stable; (2) mid-peak; (3) increasing; and (4) decreasing. Relatively more Americans were in the low-stable trajectory group than Canadians (77.6% vs. 64.9%), and fewer Americans were in the decreasing group (7.1% vs. 19.1%). In the U.S., childhood family income in the bottom two quartiles was related to higher rates of increasing trajectory membership compared with income in the top quartile (incidence rate ratios: 1.59–1.79, p < .05), but not in Canada. In the U.S., parental education at a high school level was associated with higher rates of decreasing trajectory membership compared with higher education (incidence rate ratio = 1.45, confidence interval: 1.10–1.91; p = .01), but not in Canada. ConclusionsDepressive symptoms may take a similar course in the transition to adulthood within these two countries. Country differences may modify the degree to which childhood socioeconomic status determines trajectory membership.

Life-History Factors Influence Teenagers' Suicidal Ideation: A Model Selection Analysis of the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth.

Suicidality is an important contributor to disease burden worldwide. We examine the developmental and environmental correlates of reported suicidal ideation at age 15 and develop a new evolutionary model of suicidality based on life history trade-offs and hypothesized accompanying modulations of cognition. Data were derived from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (Statistics Canada) which collected information on children's social, emotional, and behavioral development in eight cycles between 1994 and 2009. We take a model selection approach to understand thoughts of suicide at age 15 (N ≈ 1,700). The most highly ranked models include social support, early life psychosocial stressors, prenatal stress, and mortality cues. Those reporting consistent early life stress had 2.66 greater odds of reporting thoughts of suicide at age 15 than those who reported no childhood stress. Social support of the primary caregiver, neighborhood cohesion, nonkin social support of the adolescent, and the number of social support sources are all associated with suicidal thoughts, where greater neighborhood cohesion and social support sources are associated with a reduction in experiencing suicidal thoughts. Mother's prenatal smoking throughout pregnancy is associated with a 1.5 greater odds of suicidal thoughts for adolescents compared to children whose mother's reported not smoking during pregnancy. We discuss these findings in light of evolutionary models of suicidality. This study identifies both positive and negative associations on suicidal thoughts at age 15 and considers these in light of adaptive response models of human development. Findings are relevant for mental health policy.

How Parental Love Received in Childhood Affects Consumers’ Future Financial Discipline

The quantity and quality of nurturance that a child receives from her parents has a significant effect on the child’s future psychological health. However, it is unclear whether early nurturance similarly impacts future financial well-being—an issue of growing global importance. This article examines the effects of “parental love” on the future financial well-being of children, using measures of financial discipline and income. We analyze longitudinal data involving 1,428 children through the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth and document that the children in our sample who received higher levels of parental love during childhood are subsequently financially more disciplined and report earning higher incomes. Furthermore, we find that this association between early parental love and future financial well-being is mediated by the child’s emotional quotient. These findings are robust to the use of retrospective data from 398 consumers in the United States.