PURPOSE: Risk factors for children's development are multifarious and co-occur, having cumulative as well as individual impacts. Yet common configurations of early childhood risks remain little understood. The current study aimed to identify patterns of early risk exposure and to examine their relationship with diverse outcomes in middle childhood. METHODS: Using latent class analysis in a large, community-based, UK sample (N = 13,699), we examined 13 putative risk factors to identify patterns of exposure. RESULTS: Four risk configurations were identified: low (65 %), socio-demographic (14 %), family dysfunction (12 %), and multiple (9 %) risk classes. As expected, children in the low risk group fared best on all outcome measures, and those with multiple risk, worst. Importantly, specificity in associations with outcomes emerged, such that cognitive outcomes were predominantly linked with socio-demographic adversities, emotional difficulties with family dysfunction, and conduct problems increased across risk classes. CONCLUSIONS: Better understanding of configurations of childhood risk exposures may help to target resources for children in need.
PURPOSE: Risk factors for children's development are multifarious and co-occur, having cumulative as well as individual impacts. Yet common configurations of early childhood risks remain little understood. The current study aimed to identify patterns of early risk exposure and to examine their relationship with diverse outcomes in middle childhood. METHODS: Using latent class analysis in a large, community-based, UK sample (N = 13,699), we examined 13 putative risk factors to identify patterns of exposure. RESULTS: Four risk configurations were identified: low (65 %), socio-demographic (14 %), family dysfunction (12 %), and multiple (9 %) risk classes. As expected, children in the low risk group fared best on all outcome measures, and those with multiple risk, worst. Importantly, specificity in associations with outcomes emerged, such that cognitive outcomes were predominantly linked with socio-demographic adversities, emotional difficulties with family dysfunction, and conduct problems increased across risk classes. CONCLUSIONS: Better understanding of configurations of childhood risk exposures may help to target resources for children in need.
Authors: Susan P Walker; Theodore D Wachs; Sally Grantham-McGregor; Maureen M Black; Charles A Nelson; Sandra L Huffman; Helen Baker-Henningham; Susan M Chang; Jena D Hamadani; Betsy Lozoff; Julie M Meeks Gardner; Christine A Powell; Atif Rahman; Linda Richter Journal: Lancet Date: 2011-09-22 Impact factor: 79.321
Authors: Jennifer Greif Green; Katie A McLaughlin; Patricia A Berglund; Michael J Gruber; Nancy A Sampson; Alan M Zaslavsky; Ronald C Kessler Journal: Arch Gen Psychiatry Date: 2010-02
Authors: Abigail Fraser; Corrie Macdonald-Wallis; Kate Tilling; Andy Boyd; Jean Golding; George Davey Smith; John Henderson; John Macleod; Lynn Molloy; Andy Ness; Susan Ring; Scott M Nelson; Debbie A Lawlor Journal: Int J Epidemiol Date: 2012-04-16 Impact factor: 7.196
Authors: Paul G Ramchandani; Thomas G O'Connor; Jonathan Evans; Jon Heron; Lynne Murray; Alan Stein Journal: J Child Psychol Psychiatry Date: 2008-10 Impact factor: 8.982
Authors: Gilbert R Parra; Gail L Smith; W Alex Mason; Jukka Savolainen; Mary B Chmelka; Jouko Miettunen; Marjo-Riitta Järvelin; Irma Moilanen; Juha Veijola Journal: J Child Fam Stud Date: 2017-11-17