The impact of positive parenting behaviors and maternal depression on the features of young children's home language environments

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 382-400
Author(s):  
Amy E. TREAT ◽  
Amanda SHEFFIELD MORRIS ◽  
Jennifer HAYS-GRUDO ◽  
Amy C. WILLIAMSON
Keyword(s):  
Maternal Depression ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Maternal Education ◽  
Parenting Behaviors ◽  
Positive Parenting ◽  
Home Language ◽  
Teaching Behaviors ◽  
Language Environment ◽  
Conversational Turns ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThis study investigated the associations between maternal depression when infants were 3 to 11 months old (M = 6 months), and positive parenting behaviors when children were between 12 and 22 months (M = 17 months) and the home language environment assessed when children were 18 to 28 months old (M = 23.5 months) in a sample of 29 low-income mother–child dyads. After controlling for maternal education, only teaching behaviors remained a moderate and significant predictor of adult word counts. Observed teaching behaviors significantly predicted conversational turns and marginally predicted child vocalizations; effects sizes were small. Encouraging behaviors were a small and significant predictor of conversational turns and a marginally significant predictor of adult word counts. Maternal depression was a moderate and significant predictor of children's vocal productivity scores and a small, marginal predictor of conversational turns. These findings have important implications for parenting and children's language outcomes.

Positive Parenting Behaviors: Impact on the Early Vocabulary of Infants/Toddlers With Cochlear Implants

2021 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 1210-1221
Author(s):  
Edith L. Bavin ◽  
Julia Sarant ◽  
Luke Prendergast ◽  
Peter Busby ◽  
Greg Leigh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cochlear Implants ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Maternal Education ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Vocabulary Development ◽  
Parenting Behaviors ◽  
Information Criterion ◽  
Positive Parenting ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Parent Child

Purpose To extend our knowledge about factors influencing early vocabulary development for infants with cochlear implants (CIs), we investigated the impact of positive parenting behaviors (PPBs) from the Indicator of Parent Child Interaction, used in parent–child interactions during everyday activities. Method Implantation age for the sample recruited from CI clinics in Australia ranged from 6 to 10 months for 22 children and from 11 to 21 months for 11 children. Three observation sessions at three monthly intervals were coded for use of PPBs. Children's productive vocabulary, based on the MacArthur–Bates Communicative Development Inventories parent checklist, was collected approximately 6 and 9 months later. A repeated-measures negative binomial generalized linear mixed-effects model was used to investigate associations between the total PPBs per session, covariates (maternal education, gender, and time since implant), and the number of words produced. In follow-up analyses with the PPBs entered separately, variable selection was used to retain only those deemed informative, based on the Akaike information criterion. Results As early as Session 1, associations between the PPBs and vocabulary were identified. Time since implant had a positive effect. For different sessions, specific PPBs (descriptive language, follows child's lead, and acceptance and warmth) were identified as important contributors. Conclusions Complementing previous findings, valuable information was identified about parenting behaviors that are likely to impact positively the early vocabulary of infants with CIs. Of importance is providing parents with information and training in skills that have the potential to help create optimal contexts for promoting their child's early vocabulary development.

scholarly journals Variations in the Home Language Environment and Early Language Development in Rural China

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 2671
Author(s):  
Yue Ma ◽  
Laura Jonsson ◽  
Tianli Feng ◽  
Tyler Weisberg ◽  
Teresa Shao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Child Language ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Rural China ◽  
Home Language ◽  
Early Language ◽  
Early Language Development ◽  
Language Environment ◽  
Conversational Turns ◽  
Home Language Environment

The home language environment is critical to early language development and subsequent skills. However, few studies have quantitatively measured the home language environment in low-income, developing settings. This study explores variations in the home language environment and child language skills among households in poor rural villages in northwestern China. Audio recordings were collected for 38 children aged 20–28 months and analyzed using Language Environment Analysis (LENA) software; language skills were measured using the MacArthur–Bates Mandarin Communicative Developmental Inventories expressive vocabulary scale. The results revealed large variability in both child language skills and home language environment measures (adult words, conversational turns, and child vocalizations) with 5- to 6-fold differences between the highest and lowest scores. Despite variation, however, the average number of adult words and conversational turns were lower than found among urban Chinese children. Correlation analyses did not identify significant correlations between demographic characteristics and the home language environment. However, the results do indicate significant correlations between the home language environment and child language skills, with conversational turns showing the strongest correlation. The results point to a need for further research on language engagement and ways to increase parent–child interactions to improve early language development among young children in rural China.

Speaking of State of Mind: Maternal Mental Health Predicts Children's Home Language Environment and Expressive Language

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Brandon Neil CLIFFORD ◽  
Laura A. STOCKDALE ◽  
Sarah M. COYNE ◽  
Vanessa RAINEY ◽  
Viridiana L. BENITEZ
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Maternal Depression ◽  
Maternal Mental Health ◽  
Expressive Language ◽  
Home Language ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Negatively Associated ◽  
Children's Home ◽  
Language Environment ◽  
Home Language Environment

Abstract Maternal depression and anxiety are potential risk factors to children's language environments and development. Though existing work has examined relations between these constructs, further work is needed accounting for both depression and anxiety and using more direct measures of the home language environment and children's language development. We examined 265 mother-infant dyads (49.6% female, Mage = 17.03 months) from a large city in the Western United States to explore the relations between self-reports of maternal depression and anxiety and observational indices of the home language environment and expressive language as captured by Language Environment Analysis (LENA) and parent-reported language comprehension and production. Results revealed maternal depressive symptoms to be negatively associated with home language environment and expressive language indices. Maternal anxiety symptoms were found to be negatively associated with children's parent-reported language production. These findings provide further evidence that maternal mental health modulates children's home language environments and expressive language.

scholarly journals Associations Between Socioeconomic Status and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes: A Greater Magnitude of Perinatal Inequities in Montreal Than in Brussels

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mouctar Sow ◽  
Marie-France Raynault ◽  
Myriam Spiegelaere
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Preterm Birth ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Pregnancy Outcomes ◽  
Maternal Education ◽  
Social Inequalities ◽  
Administrative Databases ◽  
Income Quintile ◽  
Adverse Pregnancy ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Objective This paper compares the associations between socioeconomic status (SES) and 1) low birth weight (LBW) and 2) preterm birth, in Brussels and Montreal, and discusses hypotheses that may explain the differences between these two regions. Methods This population-based study uses administrative databases from Belgian and Quebec birth records. The analysis is based on 97,844 and 214,620 singleton live births in Brussels and Montreal, respectively. Logistic regression models were developed for each region in order to estimate the relationship between SES (maternal education and income quintile) and pregnancy outcomes. The analyses were performed for all births according to the mother’s origin. Results SES is associated with LBW and preterm birth in both regions. This association varies according to the mother’s birth place; the impact of SES being greater for mothers born in Belgium or Canada than for those born abroad. The main difference between the two regions concerns the magnitude of perinatal inequalities, which is greater in Montreal than in Brussels, whether among the general population, native-born mothers, or immigrant mothers. Conclusion Significant differences in social inequalities in perinatal health are observed between Brussels and Montreal. The different characteristics of low-income and immigrant households between the two contexts help explain these results. In fact, the poor are relatively poorer in Quebec than in Belgium and live in a more unequal context.

scholarly journals Parental buffering in the context of poverty: positive parenting behaviors differentiate young children's stress reactivity profiles

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 1778-1787
Author(s):  
Samantha M. Brown ◽  
Lisa J. Schlueter ◽  
Eliana Hurwich-Reiss ◽  
Julia Dmitrieva ◽  
Elly Miles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hpa Axis ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
Stress Reactivity ◽  
Growth Models ◽  
Parenting Behaviors ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Positive Parenting ◽  
Cortisol Reactivity ◽  
Hpa Axis Functioning

AbstractExperiencing poverty increases vulnerability for dysregulated hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis functioning and compromises long-term health. Positive parenting buffers children from HPA axis reactivity, yet this has primarily been documented among families not experiencing poverty. We tested the theorized power of positive parenting in 124 parent–child dyads recruited from Early Head Start (Mage = 25.21 months) by examining child cortisol trajectories using five samples collected across a standardized stress paradigm. Piecewise latent growth models revealed that positive parenting buffered children's stress responses when controlling for time of day, last stress task completed, and demographics. Positive parenting also interacted with income such that positive parenting was especially protective for cortisol reactivity in families experiencing greater poverty. Findings suggest that positive parenting behaviors are important for protecting children in families experiencing low income from heightened or prolonged physiologic stress reactivity to an acute stressor.

Disentangling food insecurity and maternal depression: Which comes first?

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Layton Reesor-Oyer ◽  
Aliye B. Cepni ◽  
Che Young Lee ◽  
Xue Zhao ◽  
Daphne C. Hernandez
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Maternal Depression ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Structural Equation Models ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Composite International Diagnostic Interview ◽  
The United States ◽  
Time Points ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Objective: To determine the temporal directionality of the association between food insecurity and maternal depression. Design: Food insecurity was measured at two time points using the 18-item USDA Food Security Scale. Maternal depression was measured at two time points using the 15-item Composite International Diagnostic Interview-Short Form. Two structural equation models were utilized to evaluate the impact of food insecurity on maternal depression (model 1) and the impact of maternal depression on food insecurity (model 2). Both models controlled for socio-demographic and parenting characteristics and child behavior problems, along with prior measures of the dependent variable, concurrent measures of the independent variable. Setting: Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing (FFCW) study, 20 cities across the United States Participants: 4,897 mothers who participated in two waves of the FFCW study. Results: On average, 17% (time 1) and 15% (time 2) of mothers experienced food insecurity and 21% (time 1) and 17% (time 2) of mothers experienced depression over time. Maternal depression at time 1 was associated with 53% increased odds (OR=1.53; B=0.43; p <.001) of food insecurity at time 2, controlling for time 1 food insecurity, concurrent depression, and covariates. Food insecurity at time 1 was associated with 36% increased odds (OR=1.36; B=0.31; p <.001) of maternal depression at time 2, controlling for time 1 depression, concurrent food insecurity, and covariates. Conclusions: We found a bidirectional relationship between food insecurity and maternal depression. A holistic approach that combines food assistance and mental health services may be an efficacious approach to reducing both depressive symptoms food insecurity among low-income mothers.

scholarly journals Maternal Depressive Symptomatology, Social Support, and Language Development of Bilingual Preschoolers From Low-Income Households

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 411-425 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren M. Cycyk ◽  
Dana Bitetti ◽  
Carol Scheffner Hammer
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Language Development ◽  
Maternal Depression ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Depressive Symptomatology ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
Bilingual Children ◽  
Language Growth ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Low Income Households

Purpose This study examined the impact of maternal depressive symptomatology and social support on the English and Spanish language growth of young bilingual children from low-income backgrounds. It was hypothesized that maternal depression would slow children's development in both languages but that social support would buffer the negative effect. Method Longitudinal data were collected from 83 mothers of Puerto Rican descent and their children who were attending Head Start preschool for 2 years. The effects of maternal depressive symptomatology and social support from family and friends on receptive vocabulary and oral comprehension development in both languages were examined. Results Growth curve modeling revealed that maternal depressive symptomatology negatively affected Spanish receptive vocabulary development only. Maternal depression did not affect children's English receptive vocabulary or their oral comprehension in either language. Social support was not related to maternal depressive symptomatology or child language. Conclusions These findings suggest that maternal depression is 1 risk factor that contributes to less robust primary language development of bilingual children from low-income households. Speech-language pathologists must (a) increase their awareness of maternal depression in order to provide families with appropriate mental health referrals and (b) consider their roles as supportive adults for children whose mothers may be depressed.

scholarly journals The education word gap emerges by 18 months: findings from an Australian prospective study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary E. Brushe ◽  
John Lynch ◽  
Sheena Reilly ◽  
Edward Melhuish ◽  
Murthy N. Mittinty ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prospective Study ◽  
Maternal Education ◽  
Verbal Interactions ◽  
Environment Analysis ◽  
Audio Recordings ◽  
Language Environment ◽  
Low Educated ◽  
Word Gap ◽  
Education Groups ◽  
Conversational Turns

Abstract Background The idea of the ‘30 million word gap’ suggests families from more socioeconomically advantaged backgrounds engage in more verbal interactions with their child than disadvantaged families. Initial findings from the Language in Little Ones (LiLO) study up to 12 months showed no word gap between maternal education groups. Methods Families with either high or low maternal education were purposively recruited into a five-year prospective study. We report results from the first three waves of LiLO when children were 6, 12 and 18 months old. Day-long audio recordings, obtained using the Language Environment Analysis software, provided counts of adult words spoken to the child, child vocalizations and conversational turns. Results By the time children were 18 months old all three measures of talk were 0.5 to 0.7 SD higher among families with more education, but with large variation within education groups. Changes in talk from 6 to 18 months highlighted that families from low educated backgrounds were decreasing the amount they spoke to their children (− 4219.54, 95% CI -6054.13, − 2384.95), compared to families from high educated backgrounds who remained relatively stable across this age period (− 369.13, 95% CI − 2344.57, 1606.30). Conclusions The socioeconomic word gap emerges between 12 and 18 months of age. Interventions to enhance maternal communication, child vocalisations and vocabulary development should begin prior to 18 months.

Demonstrating Nutrient Cost Gradients: A Brooklyn Case Study

2014 ◽  
Vol 84 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 244-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Karp ◽  
Gary Wong ◽  
Marguerite Orsi
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Energy Content ◽  
Food Selection ◽  
The United States ◽  
United States Department ◽  
Micronutrient Deficiencies ◽  
Caloric Density ◽  
Low Income Families ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Introduction: Foods dense in micronutrients are generally more expensive than those with higher energy content. These cost-differentials may put low-income families at risk of diminished micronutrient intake. Objectives: We sought to determine differences in the cost for iron, folate, and choline in foods available for purchase in a low-income community when assessed for energy content and serving size. Methods: Sixty-nine foods listed in the menu plans provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for low-income families were considered, in 10 domains. The cost and micronutrient content for-energy and per-serving of these foods were determined for the three micronutrients. Exact Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for comparisons of energy costs; Spearman rho tests for comparisons of micronutrient content. Ninety families were interviewed in a pediatric clinic to assess the impact of food cost on food selection. Results: Significant differences between domains were shown for energy density with both cost-for-energy (p < 0.001) and cost-per-serving (p < 0.05) comparisons. All three micronutrient contents were significantly correlated with cost-for-energy (p < 0.01). Both iron and choline contents were significantly correlated with cost-per-serving (p < 0.05). Of the 90 families, 38 (42 %) worried about food costs; 40 (44 %) had chosen foods of high caloric density in response to that fear, and 29 of 40 families experiencing both worry and making such food selection. Conclusion: Adjustments to USDA meal plans using cost-for-energy analysis showed differentials for both energy and micronutrients. These differentials were reduced using cost-per-serving analysis, but were not eliminated. A substantial proportion of low-income families are vulnerable to micronutrient deficiencies.

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