scholarly journals Children's behavioural problems and its associations with socioeconomic position and early parenting environment: findings from the UK Millennium Cohort Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Tamura ◽  
J. Morrison ◽  
H. Pikhart
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Socioeconomic Position ◽  
Maternal Education ◽  
Behavioural Problems ◽  
Millennium Cohort Study ◽  
Early Parenting ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Internalising Problems ◽  
Parent Child

Abstract Aims To investigate behavioural problems throughout childhood and adolescent, and its relationship with socioeconomic position (SEP) and early parenting environment. Methods Using data from the Millennium Cohort Study conducted in the UK, behavioural problems of 14 452 children were analysed using a growth curve model. The children were followed from birth to adolescence, and their behavioural problems were measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). The SDQ was sub-scaled into externalising and internalising problems. After assessing the general trajectory of children's behavioural problems, variables representing SEP and parenting environments were introduced to the model to analyse the association with children's outcomes. Results Overall, children's trajectories in externalising problems showed a decreasing trend while internalising problems increased as they aged. Household income and maternal education in early childhood were independently associated with children's behavioural problems, while the association for maternal occupation was significantly weaker. Positive early parenting environments attenuated the association between SEP and children's behavioural problems. Also, with regards to children's behavioural problems, positive parenting explained more variance between children compared to SEP. Favourable parent–child relationship buffered the income gradient in children's behavioural problems during early childhood, and although this buffering effect did not last until adolescence, those who had good parent–child relationships developed better outcomes regardless of their SEP. Conclusions The results of the study emphasise the importance of a positive early parenting environment for improving and reducing the socioeconomic gap in children's behavioural problems and encourages policies to promote better parenting circumstances.

scholarly journals Prevalence and Factors Associated with Behavioural Problems in 5-year-old Children Born with Cleft Lip and/or Palate from the Cleft Collective

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha Berman ◽  
Gemma C Sharp ◽  
Sarah J Lewis ◽  
Rachel Blakey ◽  
Amy Davies ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
General Population ◽  
Cleft Lip ◽  
Maternal Education ◽  
Behavioural Problems ◽  
Emotional Difficulties ◽  
Millennium Cohort Study ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Parents And Children ◽  
The Uk

Abstract: Objectives: We determined the prevalence of behavioural problems in 5-year-old children born with Cleft Lip and/or Palate (CL/P) and compared it to the prevalence in general population samples. We also identified risk factors for behavioural problems in children with CL/P. Design: Observational study using questionnaire data from the Cleft Collective (CC) 5-Year-Old cohort study and three general population samples. Main Outcome Measure: The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used to measure behavioural problems. Participants: A total of 340 children born with CL/P whose mothers had completed the SDQ when their child was 5 years old. Published estimates from three large cohorts were used to approximate general population SDQ scores in the UK and these were used as comparison groups; Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) (n=12,511), Office of National Statistics (ONS) normative school-age SDQ data (n=5,855) and the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) (n=9,386). Results: An estimated 14.3% of 5-year-old children born with CL/P experienced behavioural problems. There was strong evidence to suggest children with CL/P were more likely to experience difficulties than children in the general population, as measured by SDQ total difficulties scores from all three population cohorts: MCS (OR = 2.07 [95% CI = 1.50-2.85]; P<.001), ONS Norms (OR = 1.53 [95% CI = 1.12-2.11]; P=.008), and ALSPAC (OR = 2.37 [95% CI = 1.72-3.27]; P<.001). The odds of hyperactivity, emotional, prosocial and peer problems were increased among children in the Cleft Collective compared with children in the Millennium Cohort Study. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals indicated that children in the Cleft Collective were nearly twice as likely as those in the MCS (OR = 1.91 [95% CI = 1.38-2.65]; P<.001) and three times those in ALSPAC (OR = 3.20 [95% CI = 2.29-4.47]; P<.001) to experience emotional difficulties. The odds of emotional difficulties were higher in boys than girls. Maternal smoking, marital status, younger maternal age at conception, lower maternal education, receiving income support, and measures of poor maternal and familial health showed some evidence of association with behavioural problems in 5-year-old children born with CL/P. Conclusions: Our findings suggest elevated levels of behavioural problems in children born with CL/P, particularly emotional difficulties in boys, compared to the general population and indicate several factors associated observationally with these difficulties.

scholarly journals Mixed ethnicity and behavioural problems in the Millennium Cohort Study

2016 ◽  
Vol 103 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Afshin Zilanawala ◽  
Amanda Sacker ◽  
Yvonne Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Middle Childhood ◽  
Behavioural Problems ◽  
Millennium Cohort Study ◽  
Growth Curve Models ◽  
Problem Behaviours ◽  
Mixed Mean ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Mixed Ethnicity

BackgroundThe population of mixed ethnicity individuals in the UK is growing. Despite this demographic trend, little is known about mixed ethnicity children and their problem behaviours. We examine trajectories of behavioural problems among non-mixed and mixed ethnicity children from early to middle childhood using nationally representative cohort data in the UK.MethodsData from 16 330 children from the Millennium Cohort Study with total difficulties scores were analysed. We estimated trajectories of behavioural problems by mixed ethnicity using growth curve models.ResultsWhite mixed (mean total difficulties score: 8.3), Indian mixed (7.7), Pakistani mixed (8.9) and Bangladeshi mixed (7.2) children had fewer problem behaviours than their non-mixed counterparts at age 3 (9.4, 10.1, 13.1 and 11.9, respectively). White mixed, Pakistani mixed and Bangladeshi mixed children had growth trajectories in problem behaviours significantly different from that of their non-mixed counterparts.ConclusionsUsing a detailed mixed ethnic classification revealed diverging trajectories between some non-mixed and mixed children across the early life course. Future studies should investigate the mechanisms, which may influence increasing behavioural problems in mixed ethnicity children.

scholarly journals Development of a predictive risk model for school readiness at age 3 years using the UK Millennium Cohort Study

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. e024851 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Camacho ◽  
Viviane S Straatmann ◽  
Jennie C Day ◽  
David Taylor-Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
School Readiness ◽  
Maternal Education ◽  
Risk Model ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Millennium Cohort Study ◽  
Housing Type ◽  
Predictive Risk ◽  
Uk Millennium Cohort Study ◽  
The Uk

ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to develop a predictive risk model (PRM) for school readiness measured at age 3 years using perinatal and early infancy data.Design and participantsThis paper describes the development of a PRM. Predictors were identified from the UK Millennium Cohort Study wave 1 data, collected when participants were 9 months old. The outcome was school readiness at age 3 years, measured by the Bracken School Readiness Assessment. Stepwise selection and dominance analysis were used to specify two models. The models were compared by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI).ResultsData were available for 9487 complete cases. At age 3, 11.7% (95% CI 11.0% to 12.3%) of children were not school ready. The variables identified were: parents’ Socio-Economic Classification, child’s ethnicity, maternal education, income band, sex, household number of children, mother’s age, low birth weight, mother’s mental health, infant developmental milestones, breastfeeding, parents’ employment, housing type. A parsimonious model included the first six listed variables (model 2). The AUROC for model 1 was 0.80 (95% CI 0.78 to 0.81) and 0.78 (95% CI 0.77 to 0.79) for model 2. Model 1 resulted in a small improvement in discrimination (IDI=1.3%, p<0.001).ConclusionsPerinatal and infant risk factors predicted school readiness at age three with good discrimination. Social determinants were strong predictors of school readiness. This study demonstrates that school readiness can be predicted by six attributes collected around the time of birth.

scholarly journals Medically assisted reproduction and parent–child relationships during adolescence: evidence from the UK Millennium Cohort Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Goisis ◽  
Maria Palma
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Millennium Cohort Study ◽  
Medically Assisted Reproduction ◽  
Uk Millennium Cohort Study ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Parent Child Relationships ◽  
Conflict Frequency ◽  
Parent Child

Abstract STUDY QUESTION Do the parent–child relationships of adolescents born after medically assisted reproduction (MAR) using the parents’ own gametes differ from those of adolescents born after natural conception (NC)? SUMMARY ANSWER MAR and NC families have similar parent–child relationships in terms of closeness and conflict frequency, except that MAR mothers report being closer to their children than NC mothers. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Prior work on parent–child relationships during childhood has reported mixed findings. While some studies have documented no differences between MAR and NC families, others have shown that MAR families have greater levels of warmth and positive feelings than NC families. Evidence on parent–child relationships during the adolescent period is generally positive but is limited because of the small number of existing studies and the reliance on small samples. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This work is based on the UK Millennium Cohort Study, whose study members were born in 2000–2002. The analyses focused on Sweep 6 which was collected when cohort members were around 14 years old. We also relied on variables collected in Sweep 1, when cohort members were aged around 9 months, to account for characteristics that could confound or mediate the relationship between MAR and our outcomes. The attrition rate between Sweeps 1 and 6 was 36.7%. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS The final sample consisted of 10 233 cohort members, 320 of whom were conceived with the help of MAR (3.1%). A total of six dependent variables were used to measure, when the cohort members were around 14 years old, levels of parent–child closeness and conflict, reported separately by the mother, the father and the cohort member. Linear models were used to analyse the association between parent–child relationships before and after adjustment for socio-demographic characteristics and mental health. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Sweep 6 achieved a response rate of 76.3% of the eligible sample. The results show that, on average, MAR and NC families had similar parent–child relationships in terms of closeness and conflict frequency. The only difference was that MAR mothers reported being closer to their children than NC mothers both before (β = 0.149, P &lt; 0.05) and after (β = 0.102, P &lt; 0.1) adjustment for family socio-demographic characteristics and mental health. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The outcome variables are self-reported by each of the respondents and could be subject to social desirability bias. Second, some parents may have not reported they conceived through donor insemination, which could result in the analytical sample including a small subset of children who were not genetically related to their parents. Third, the data did not include information about whether the children were aware of their conception mode, since the Millennium Cohort Study did not collect information on MAR disclosure. Moreover, they did not allow us to study other aspects of parent–child relationships. Finally, as we observed parent–child relationships at only one moment in time; we were unable to test whether they changed over time. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS The results suggest that the difficulties and the stress parents underwent to conceive through MAR did not translate into more difficult parent–child relationships during adolescence. Given the increasing number of children conceived via MAR, the finding that MAR and NC families had similar parent–child relationships in terms of closeness and conflict frequency is reassuring. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This work was supported by European Research Council agreement n. 803959 (MARTE to A.G.). The authors declare no competing interests. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER n/a

scholarly journals Early individual and family predictors of weight trajectories from early childhood to adolescence: results from the Millennium Cohort Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Constança Soares dos Santos ◽  
João Picoito ◽  
Carla Nunes ◽  
Isabel Loureiro
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Maternal Education ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Growth Mixture Modeling ◽  
Millennium Cohort Study ◽  
Early Weight Gain ◽  
Bmi Trajectories ◽  
Weight Trajectories

AbstractBackgroundEarly infancy and childhood are critical periods in the establishment of lifelong weight trajectories. Parents and early family environment have a strong effect on children’s health behaviors that track into adolescence, influencing lifelong risk of obesity.ObjectiveWe aimed to identify developmental trajectories of body mass index (BMI) from early childhood to adolescence and to assess their early individual and family predictors.MethodsThis was a secondary analysis of the Millennium Cohort Study and included 17,166 children. Weight trajectories were estimated using growth mixture modeling based on age- and gender-specific BMI Z-scores, followed by a bias-adjusted regression analysis.ResultsWe found four BMI trajectories: Weight Loss (69%), Early Weight Gain (24%), Early Obesity (3.7%), and Late Weight Gain (3.3%). Weight trajectories were mainly settled by early adolescence. Lack of sleep and eating routines, low emotional self-regulation, child-parent conflict, and low child-parent closeness in early childhood were significantly associated with unhealthy weight trajectories, alongside poverty, low maternal education, maternal obesity, and prematurity.ConclusionsUnhealthy BMI trajectories were defined in early and middle-childhood, and disproportionally affected children from disadvantaged families. This study further points out that household routines, self-regulation, and child-parent relationships are possible areas for family-based obesity prevention interventions.

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