Child Temperament Research Articles

Exploring temperament and sleep patterns in disruptive mood dysregulation disorder among children and adolescents: implications for clinical practice

Background Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD), characterized by severe irritability and temper outbursts, is a relatively new diagnosis included in the DSM-5. The study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics, temperament, comorbidities, medication use, and sleep quality of children and adolescents diagnosed with DMDD and compare them with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Methods A total of 233 participants (DMDD: n = 106; MDD: n = 127) were assessed using the K-SADS-PL. Evaluation tools included the Children’s Temperament and Character Inventory, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Strengths and Difficulties Child and Parent Form, Children’s Depression Inventory for children, and sociodemographic form. Results The DMDD group scored significantly lower in harm avoidance, reward dependence, and cooperation than the MDD group (p ≤ 0.001, p ≤ 0.02, p ≤ 0.002, respectively). DMDD exhibits significantly lower levels of social skill-related temperament traits, such as empathy, compassion, and helpfulness. Furthermore, a higher proportion of patients in the DMDD group received antipsychotic, mood stabilizer, and stimulant medications during treatment. Conclusion Children and adolescents diagnosed with DMDD demonstrated significantly lower scores in anticipatory worry, fear of uncertainty, shyness, fatigability, sentimentality, dependence, empathy, and helpfulness compared to those with MDD. Conversely, they exhibited higher levels of impulsiveness, disorderliness, and self-acceptance. These findings underscore the necessity of evaluating and enhancing social skills and reward sensitivity in the clinical management of DMDD, as these distinct psychological and behavioral profiles suggest the need for more tailored therapeutic approaches.

Risk-Taking Behaviors of Young Children: The Role of Children's and Parents' Socioemotional and Cognitive Control Systems.

To prevent young children's injuries, studies have considered both child (e.g., temperament, age, sex) and parent factors (e.g., parental supervision and style, attachment) associated with risk-taking behaviors. Building on risk-taking theory literature, Jonas and Kochanska (Jonas & Kochanska, Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology 46:1573-1583, 2018) adapted the dual systems model (Steinberg, Developmental Review 28:78-106, 2008) to children and suggested that risk-taking propensity arises from an imbalance between the overactivation of the child's socioemotional system (sensation seeking or traits of surgency) and the lower cognitive control system (lack of self-regulation or of effortful control). However, from an intergenerational transmission perspective, it is relevant to consider the role both parents' and the children's socioemotional and cognitive control systems have on a child's risk-taking behaviors. The current longitudinal study is the first to examines sensation seeking and lack of self-regulation in parents in addition to the child's surgency-effortful control imbalance to understand the child's risk-taking behaviors. The sample comprised 177 two-parent families (89 boys) observed at two time points (child age ranges: 12-18months and 24-30months). Both parents provided sociodemographic information and completed self-reported questionnaires on sensation seeking and self-regulation, child's temperament and risk-taking behaviors. Results showed that fathers' higher sensation-seeking and mothers' lack of self-regulation were associated with higher children's risk-taking behaviors. After controlling for these parent factors and child sex, child surgency-effortful imbalance was strongly associated with higher children's risk-taking behaviors. An adapted dual systems model including both parents (sensation seeking and self-regulation) and children (surgency-effortful imbalance) seems a promising avenue to a fuller understanding of children's risk-taking behaviors.

Are Parental Stress and Rewards Influenced by Child Temperament? Analysis of the Moderating Role of Social Support and Gender in Spanish Parents.

Objective: The aims of this research work were twofold: (1) to validate the factor structure of the Spanish version of the Emotionality, Activity and Sociability Temperament Survey (EAS) and (2) to analyse the relationship between child temperament, and parental stress and rewards, testing the possible moderating roles of gender and social support. Method: The reference population was a group of mothers and fathers with children in early childhood education (aged 0-5). For the first study, we used a sample of 701 subjects (70.20% mothers, M age = 36.83), while for the second study, 422 individuals were selected (58.9% mothers, M age = 37.08). We conducted exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) and moderation analyses. Results: The EFA showed a three-factor structure composed of 12 items, and the CFA verified that the three-factor model (sociability, emotionality, and activity) was the most parsimonious and provided the best fit. The results reveal the moderating effect of social support and gender in the relationship between childhood emotionality and parental rewards. One the one hand, with mothers in particular, the parental rewards are especially affected by childhood emotionality when levels of social support are low to moderate. On the other hand, paternal rewards seem to depend to a greater extent on childhood emotionality when there is a high level of support from a significant other. Conclusions: Finally, we discuss the protective role played by social support and the possible risk factor of childhood emotionality in parents' appraisal of the parenting task, depending on the gender of the parents.

Exploring the relationship between child temperament, maternal psychiatric symptoms, family environment and infant feeding.

Infant temperament is assumed to be primarily innate. However, newer research suggests that maternal affection impacts ratings of temperament and environmental factors, including feeding method, can also influence infant temperament. This study investigates child temperament and its relationships with maternal psychiatric symptoms, environmental variables and feeding method longitudinally in a cohort of children followed from 6 to 72 months. Differences in temperament by feeding group are also investigated. We hypothesized that maternal psychiatric symptoms, environmental stressors, and impaired family dynamics would have negative impact on child temperament, whereas breastfeeding would have a positive impact on child temperament. Mothers' ratings of child's temperament, own psychiatric symptomatology, environmental stresses and family cohesion were obtained in 504 mother-infant dyads via rating scales completed by mothers. Infants were breastfeed (BF), fed soy-based infant formula (SF) or dairy-based infant formula (MF). Linear mixed effect models investigated the relationship of variables on child's temperament while controlling for significant covariates and repeated measurements. Mothers in this study did not endorse clinical-level psychiatric symptomatology; however, when adjusted for significant covariates, higher psychiatric symptomatology significantly correlated with environmental stressors, impaired family dynamics and elevations in temperament ratings of infants' adaptability and mood. There were no lasting differences for temperament between feeding groups. However, some significant transient increases in rhythmicity and adaptability were found between SF and BF children. Positive relationships between family environment stressors and maternal psychiatric ratings were found. Transient differences were found in child temperament based upon feeding method.

Infant Temperament and Coparenting Support as Antecedents of French-Canadian Fathers’ Autonomy Support During Toddlerhood

SYNOPSIS Objective. Although a growing body of evidence suggests that paternal autonomy support (AS) promotes optimal child development in multiple spheres, antecedents of paternal AS have seldom been explored. The present longitudinal study used a family systems perspective to gain deeper insights into child and maternal antecedents of observed paternal AS versus controlling practices during toddlerhood. Design. Using a sample of 169 French-Canadian fathers (M age = 33.70 years old, SD = 4.74) and mothers (M = 31.46 years, SD = 4.11) with an infant (52% boys, 48% girls), structural equation modeling was conducted to investigate the predictive role of infant temperament and maternal coparenting support and gate closing attitudes on observed paternal AS and control, controlling for paternal psychological symptoms. At 6 months post-partum, fathers’ and mothers’ perceptions of infant temperament (extraversion/surgency, effortful control, and negative affectivity), maternal coparenting support and gate closing attitudes, and paternal psychological symptoms were assessed using questionnaires. At 12 months, both paternal AS and control were rated using a well-validated coding scheme, applied to a father-toddler problem-solving sequence filmed at home. Results. Findings revealed that infant extraversion/surgency as perceived by fathers at 6 months was prospectively associated with less paternal AS and more paternal control at 12 months. In contrast, maternal coparenting support at 6 months was associated with more paternal AS and less paternal control at 12 months. Conclusions. Policies and intervention programs that want to promote paternal AS should consider fathers’ perceptions of coparenting support and child temperament.

The Relationship between Temperament Characteristics and Play Behaviors of Preschool Children

This research examines the relationship between play behaviors and temperament characteristics of preschool children from the point of parent and teacher evaluation. It is designed in survey model. The study group of the research consists of 313 children aged 60-72 months attending the educational institutions selected by cluster sampling method among the pre-school education institutions in Istanbul in the 2017-2018 academic year and their mothers and teachers (n=21). In the research, three data collection tools were used, namely the Parent Form and the Teacher Form of the Penn Interactive Peer Play Scale (PIPPS) and the Short Temperament Scale for Children. The Short Temperament Scale for Children consists of four sub-dimensions (reactivity, persistence, approach/withdrawal and rhythmicity) and Penn Interactive Peer Play Scale has three sub-dimensions as play interaction, play disruption and play disconnection. The research indicates significant relationships between children's temperament characteristics and play behaviors according to the evaluation of parents and teachers. Role of temperament in forming the behavior patterns of children supports the results of the research on the relationships between temperament characteristics and play behaviors in peer-to-peer interactions from the point of parent and teacher evaluations.

Longitudinal predictors for internalizing and externalizing symptomatology at age 4: KUNO-Kids cohort study.

Numerous early-life risk factors are thought to significantly contribute to the development of psychological problems in toddlerhood. However, these factors have seldom been investigated concomitantly and longitudinally, and few studies include both mothers and fathers. This study examines the longitudinal impact of early environmental, parental, and child-specific risk factors on children's internalizing and externalizing symptomatology at age 4. Families were recruited from a perinatal center at birth and completed self-report questionnaires at birth, 4 weeks postpartum, 6 months postpartum, and annually thereafter. The final population-based sample consisted of n = 560 mothers (and fathers) who gave birth after June 2015, with children who turned 4 years old before March 31, 2021. The primary outcomes, children's internalizing and externalizing symptomatology at age 4, were measured using the Strengthsand Difficulties Questionnaire. Linear mixed effect models were used to estimate growth curves for predictors between 4 weeks and 4 years postpartum, which were subsequently entered into multivariable linear regressions to predict internalizing and externalizing symptomatology at age 4. The study identified several key risk factors: environmental (lack of social support, lower parental education, male sex), parental (poor parental mental health, increased parenting stress, parental sleep difficulties) and child-specific (children's low physical health, children's reduced sleep quality, temperament). The findings underscore that most identified risk factors are related to children's temperament, mental and physical health of parents, their experienced stress, and families' social support networks. These insights highlight the importance of targeted interventions focusing on improving parental mental health, reducing stress, and enhancing social support to mitigate early-life psychological problems in children.

School Refusal and Determinants: Parental Psychopathology, Family Functioning, Attachment and Temperament

ABSTRACTIn the current study investigated the psychopathologies of parents, family functioning, child temperament characteristics, and attachment of kindergarten and primary school‐age children who were brought to the child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinic due to school refusal behavior. Fifty‐two children with school refusal and 64 children without school refusal and their parents participated in the current study. School Refusal Assessment Scale, Systemic Family Functionality Scale(SFFS), Family Harmony Scale(FHS), Kerns Secure Attachment Scale(KSAS), Temperament Scale for Children(TSC), and Depression Anxiety Stress Scales(DASS) for parents were used. It was determined that, compared to children without school refusal, the children with school refusal had lower KSAS score(mother)(p = 0.049), higher DASS‐stress and anxiety(mother) scores(p = 0.014 and p = 0.020, respectively), lower TSC‐Responsiveness/Reactivity subscale score (p = 0.005), lower SFFS‐intrafamilial support and SFFS‐intrafamilial connection scores (p = 0.002 and p < 0.001, respectively), and lower FHS‐total score (p = 0.002). It was determined that school refusal was 11 times more common in children who had difficulty adjusting to school in previous years. Each point increase in the SFFS‐intrafamilial connection score reduced school refusal by 30%. In the current study shows that among the interventions required for treatment, the family should also be targeted in addition to the child and adolescent. Therefore, it is essential to identify factors such as parents' psychopathology and their roles in the family, family functioning, and family harmony in school refusal. Because parents play a crucial role in both the development and maintenance of school refusal, using more parent‐targeted strategies or techniques is necessary to improve interventions.

Considering heterogeneity within negative emotionality can inform the distinction between diathesis-stress and differential susceptibility: Children's early anger and fear as moderators of effects of parental socialization on antisocial conduct.

The importance of interactions between child temperament and parenting has been accepted ever since Thomas and Chess (1977) proposed their "goodness-of-fit" construct, but over the last three decades, pertinent research has grown exponentially. Researchers examining child characteristics that can moderate the effects of socialization have tested increasingly complex, nuanced, and sophisticated models, largely inspired by the highly influential frameworks of child plasticity or differential susceptibility (Belsky & Pluess, 2009). Yet, multiple questions remain unsettled. We addressed four such questions as applied to predicting children's observed disregard for rules at age 4.5 in a study of 200 community families from the US Midwest. (a) We examined children's observed negative emotionality at 16 months, most commonly seen as a plasticity "trait," but separating anger and fear proneness, which may differently moderate effects of socialization. (b) We examined two separate aspects of observed parental socialization at age 3, mutually responsive orientation and power assertion. (c) We distinguished analytically diathesis-stress from differential susceptibility. (d) We examined all effects in mother- and father-child relationships. We supported both diathesis-stress and differential susceptibility, depending on the facet of negative emotionality, the aspect of socialization considered, and parental gender, highlighting the nuanced nature of the processes involved.

Bidirectional Association Between Parental Pressure to Eat and Children's Satiety Responsiveness: The Moderating Effect of Children's Temperament.

This study aimed to examine the directionality of the relationship between children's satiety responsiveness and parental pressure to eat and to explore how children's temperament moderates this relationship. Parents of preschoolers (n = 482, Mage = 3.66, SD = 0.29, 51.2% boys) were surveyed at two-time points spaced 2 years in China, and 76.6% of those were mothers. Cross-lagged analyses indicated that children's satiety responsiveness positively predicted parental pressure to eat over time. Moderation analyses revealed that children's high anger/frustration intensified the predictive relationship above. These findings suggest that parents should accurately understand their children's satiety responsiveness and tailor their responses based on children's temperament, thereby fostering a virtuous cycle of parent-child interaction.

Neurodevelopment in the First 2 Years of Life Following Prenatal Exposure to Maternal SARS-CoV-2 Infection

The effects of prenatal exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection on child development throughout the first 2 years of life are unknown. To evaluate whether prenatal exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with child neurodevelopmental outcomes during the first 2 years of life. This cohort study used data from the longitudinal, population-based pan-Canadian Pregnancy During the COVID-19 Pandemic cohort, which recruited participants from April 2020 to July 2022. Children were categorized as exposed to prenatal SARS-CoV-2 infection if their birthing parent had a positive polymerase chain reaction test performed by a health authority or as a healthy negative comparison if their birthing parent did not have SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in their postpartum dried blood spot sample. Prenatal SARS-CoV-2 infection. The birthing parent reported on their child's temperament at ages 6 and 24 months, developmental milestones at ages 12 and 24 months, and social-emotional milestones at ages 12 and 24 months. A total of 896 children were included, with 96 children who had been exposed to a prenatal SARS-CoV-2 infection (mean [SD] gestational age at birth, 39.20 [1.50] weeks; 45 [47%] male) and 800 were healthy negative comparisons (mean [SD] gestational age at birth, 39.47 [1.54] weeks; 388 [49%] male). In analyses of covariance adjusted for prepregnancy medical conditions and household socioeconomic status, prenatal exposure to SARS CoV-2 infection was associated with slightly higher regulatory control scores, indicating more regulation, at age 6 months (difference in means, 0.19 [95% CI, 0.02-0.36]; P = .03; ηp2 = 0.01). No significant differences were observed for the other neurodevelopmental outcomes. In mixed models adjusted for the same covariates that aimed to examine change in outcomes over time, prenatal SARS-CoV-2 infection exposure was not associated with developmental change in any neurodevelopmental outcomes between ages 6 and 24 months. In this longitudinal cohort study of multiple aspects of child neurodevelopment between ages 6 and 24 months, negligible associations between prenatal exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection and child outcomes were observed. Follow-up research is warranted to determine whether these predominantly null effects persist into later childhood.

Attachment relationship quality with mothers and fathers and child temperament: An individual participant data meta-analysis.

A growing body of research suggests that, compared with single parent-child attachment relationships, child developmental outcomes may be better understood by examining the configurations of child-mother and child-father attachment relationships (i.e., attachment networks). Moreover, some studies have demonstrated an above-chance level chance of concordance between the quality of child-mother and child-father attachment relationships, and child temperament has been offered as a plausible explanation for such concordance. To assess whether temperament plays a role in the development of different attachment network configurations, in this preregistered individual participant data meta-analysis we tested the degree to which the temperament dimension of negative emotionality predicts the number of secure, insecure-avoidant, insecure-resistant, and disorganized attachment relationships a child has with mother and father. Data included in the linear mixed effects analyses were collected from seven studies sampling 872 children (49% female; 83% White). Negative emotionality significantly predicted the number of secure (d = -0.12) and insecure-resistant (d = 0.11), but not insecure-avoidant (d = 0.04) or disorganized (d = 0.08) attachment relationships. Nonpreregistered exploratory analyses indicated higher negative emotionality in children with insecure-resistant attachment relationships with both parents compared to those with one or none (d = 0.19), suggesting that temperament plays a small yet significant role in child-mother/child-father insecure-resistant attachment relationships concordance. Taken together, results from this study prompt a more in-depth examination of the mechanism underlying the small yet significantly higher chance that children with increased negative emotionality have for developing multiple insecure-resistant attachment relationships. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Prenatal maternal immune activation predicts observed fearfulness in infancy.

Fear reactivity is an early emerging temperament trait that predicts longer term behavioral and health outcomes. The current analysis tests the hypothesis, an extension of prior research on maternal immune activation (MIA), that the prenatal maternal immune system is a reliable predictor of observed fear reactivity in infancy. The analysis is based on a prospective longitudinal cohort study that collected data from the first trimester and conducted observational assessments of temperament at approximately 12 months of age (n = 281 infants). MIA was assessed from immune biomarkers measured in maternal blood at each trimester; infant temperament was assessed using the Laboratory Temperament Assessment Battery assessment at 12 months; covariates included family and sociodemographic factors. Patterns of inflammatory markers across gestation reliably predicted observed temperament: elevated prenatal MIA was associated with high fear reactivity to novel stimuli. The findings provide novel evidence of prenatal origins of fear reactivity and suggest developmental mechanisms that may underlie early emerging individual differences in child temperament. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Measuring temperament in developmental research: A thin-slice approach to capturing temperament in infants and toddlers.

Temperament is a key factor in early development and predicts several key developmental outcomes. The ability to capture temperament in a variety of settings and ages is thus increasingly useful. Recent work has demonstrated the utility, reliability, and validity of thin-slice assessments in which brief snapshots of children's behavior are used to make inferences about general traits (Tackett et al., 2016). Thin-slice has been effective for assessing personality in older children (over 7-years; Tackett et al., 2016, 2017) and preschoolers 3-6 years old (Whalen et al., 2021) when engaging in lab tasks or clinical assessments. However, no work has examined the use of thin-slice for temperament in younger, typically developing infants/toddlers during lab-based tasks. The present study aims to test a downward extension of a modified thin-slice approach to assess temperament using archived videos of 516 infants/toddlers (nfemale = 255; Mage = 27.51 months, Rangeage = 17-47 months). Children were originally recruited from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds across the central United States and completed a short play session, which incorporated standard language and cognition tasks that were not designed to elicit temperament; caregivers also reported their children's temperament using the Early Child Behavior Questionnaire (Putnam & Rothbart, 2006). Naive raters scored the videos using a modification of the thin-slice approach. We find evidence of good reliability and validity for temperament scores using this approach suggesting thin-slice assessments are another method for measuring temperament in infants and toddlers. Moreover, thin-slice allows for post assessment of temperament even when it had not been formally assessed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Restrictive, but not instrumental feeding, is associated with Eating in the Absence of Hunger in toddlers: A cross-sectional lab-based study

Understanding the early origins of Eating in the Absence of Hunger (EAH) is crucial, as maladaptive appetite regulation contributes to excessive weight gain in childhood. This cross-sectional study primarily investigated in toddlers the associations between EAH and parental feeding practices (PFP), focusing on instrumental feeding. It also explored the associations with children's temperament or food accessibility, and their potential moderating effects on the relationship between EAH and PFP. Sixty-six parents and toddlers aged 24–36 months participated. EAH (kcal) was assessed using Fisher and Birch's (1999) lab-based paradigm. PFP, children's general temperament and appetitive traits, and food accessibility were parent-reported. Children's weight and height were measured to calculate their BMI z-score. Linear regressions analyzed associations between EAH and PFP, adjusted or not for children's or parents' characteristics. Interactions assessed the moderating effects of temperament or food accessibility. Toddlers' EAH (43 ± 41 kcal) was unrelated to instrumental feeding, namely using food as a reward (r = −0.08, p = 0.76) and to regulate emotions (r = 0.04, p = 0.76), which were rarely applied by parents. EAH was not associated with children's temperament or food accessibility, but exploratory analyses revealed a positive association with parental restriction for health reasons (RFH, r = 0.30, p = 0.01), especially at high and moderate levels of Ease of access to food (RFH x Ease of access interaction: β = 12.2, p = 0.01). Soothability did not moderate the relationship between EAH and PFP. In conclusion, toddler's EAH was not associated with instrumental feeding but correlated positively with health-related restriction. This was moderated by food accessibility, suggesting that limiting food accessibility in early childhood may mitigate this adverse relationship. This study was preregistered (https://osf.io/6r5m8) and received ethical approbation (CEEI, registration number 23–1001).

Late Adolescents' Early Maladaptive Schemas: Are They Longitudinally Linked with Middle Childhood Temperament Over and Above Attachment?

Temperament is thought to influence the development of early maladaptive schemas (EMSs). However, whether temperament is longitudinally related to EMSs beyond attachment, the best known predictor of EMSs, hasbeen underexplored. Hence, this study investigated (1) Whether middle childhood temperament is longitudinally related to late adolescent EMSs, (2) To what extent temperament explains EMSs beyond middle childhood attachment, and (3) Whether attachment moderates this temperament-EMSs link. In total, 157 children (Mage = 10.91 in middle childhood,Mage = 16.71 in late adolescence) participated in this study. Adolescent EMSs were assessed along with middle childhood temperamental negative affect, affiliation, surgency, and effortful control, and attachment at both explicit and implicit levels. Results indicated that all temperamental features were longitudinally related to later EMSs; themajority of the temperament-EMSs links did not survive after controlling for attachment, except for some limited correlations between EMSs and negative affect and effortful control; and an inconsistent moderating effect for attachment on the temperament-EMSs link. This study provides further insight into the role of child factors (middle childhood temperament and late adolescent attachment) in understanding EMSs variability in late adolescence. It suggests that EMSs are informed more by past relational experiences (attachment) thanchildren'sinborn tendencies (temperament).

The Unique Impacts of COVID-19 on Low-Income and Diverse Canadian Women's Mental Health Profiles: A Latent Transition Analysis.

There is evidence of an overall decline in women's mental health, particularly those with young children, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, research has also found heterogeneity in women's mental health responses. This longitudinal study sampled low-income women with young children by recruiting from the government's child care financial subsidy waitlist. To examine heterogeneity in women's mental health responses to COVID-19, a latent transition analysis was employed to identify profiles of anxiety, depression, and stress among 289 low-income mothers. Using these identified profiles, we examined the transitional patterns between profiles before and during COVID-19 and the sociodemographic and familial factors related to these profiles. A three-profile solution was identified prior to COVID-19 and a four-profile solution during COVID-19, with some profiles exhibiting qualitatively different defining characteristics. Latent transition analyses found diverse patterns of mental health changes after the onset of COVID-19. Mothers with better mental health prior to COVID-19 tended to have the most stable mental health during COVID-19. In contrast, mothers who were highly stressed prior to COVID-19 were equally likely to improve or decline after the onset of the pandemic. In addition, the relationships between race, parenting practices, child temperament, and child mental health were significantly related to mothers' mental health profiles. These findings describe mothers' experiences and areas where policymakers and practitioners can tailor support to low-income women with young children.

Infant and young child feeding practices as mediators in the relationship between early temperament and children's eating behaviors: A longitudinal study during COVID-19 pandemic

Simultaneously investigating the influence of multiple early temperament dimensions on children's eating behaviors through infant and young child feeding practices may be essential for developing optimal intervention strategies. This longitudinal study gathered data at two assessment points: Time 1, evaluation of infant and young child feeding practices and children's temperament when they were between 6 and 12 months, and Time 2, assessment of children's eating behaviors at age 2. This study included sociodemographic characteristics, the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire for Toddlers (CEBQ-T), the short form of Children Behavior Questionnaire (Revised IBQ-RSF), and the Infant Feeding Style Questionnaire (IFSQ) in eastern China. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to examine the pathways from three dimensions of early temperament to five types of children's eating behaviors mediated by three styles of infant and young child feeding practices. A total of 972 children, children's mean age was 14.58 ± 5.11 months, 464 (47.74%) being girls, while the mothers' mean age was 30.23 ± 3.56 years. Effortful control exhibited significant effects on food responsiveness and satiety responsiveness mediated by responsive feeding. Additionally, effortful control influenced enjoyment of food and satiety responsiveness mediated by restrictive feeding. Surgency had a significant effect on food responsiveness mediated by indulgent feeding. Negative affectivity impacted satiety responsiveness, enjoyment of food, and food responsiveness mediated by responsive feeding. This longitudinal study delineates the pathways from early temperament to eating behaviors mediated by infant and young child feeding practices among children aged 6–23 months. These findings highlight the need to prioritize intervention programs aimed at nurturing early temperament through appropriate infant and young child feeding practices to promote healthy eating behaviors for upper- and middle-income countries (UMICs) with similar contexts.

Influence of temperament on early neurodevelopmental disorders: a systematic review protocol

IntroductionSeveral studies have highlighted the role of temperament as a relevant construct to understand the wide variability observed in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) such as autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit...

Parenting Stress and Styles as Predictors of Verbal Aggression in Early Childhood: A Study in Pemalang Kindergartens

Verbal aggression in early childhood, often characterised by behaviours such as mocking, cursing, and insulting, is a growing concern influenced by parenting stress and parenting styles. This study aims to analyse the relationship between parenting stress and parenting styles and their effects on verbal aggression in young children. A quantitative descriptive approach was employed, involving 125 parents from seven kindergartens in Pemalang Regency. Data collection utilised validated questionnaires, and the sample was determined through proportional sampling. The analysis included descriptive statistics, partial significance testing (T-test), and linear regression. The findings reveal that parenting stress has a significant effect on verbal aggression, with a significance value of 0.002 (< 0.050). Parenting style was also shown to significantly influence verbal aggression, with a significance value of 0.000 (< 0.050). Collectively, these variables were found to substantially contribute to the level of verbal aggression in early childhood. This research underscores the importance of addressing parenting stress and promoting positive parenting styles to mitigate verbal aggression in young children. Limitations include focusing solely on parenting variables and the absence of longitudinal analysis. Future research should explore additional contributing factors, such as socioeconomic status and child temperament, to develop comprehensive intervention strategies.