Predictors of child resilience in a community-based cohort facing flood as natural disaster

Background Natural disasters are unpredictable and uncontrollable events that usually induce significant level of stress and social disruption in afflicted individuals. The consequences are formidable, affecting lifetime health and economic prosperity. Among natural disasters, floods are the most common causes and tend to have the highest economic burden. The aim of this study was to examine factors associated with child resilience in the face of the natural disaster experienced by the city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada during its unprecedented flood of 2013. Methods The current study was conducted in a community-based cohort situated in the city of Calgary. The participants were recruited out of the All Our Families longitudinal cohort within the Cummings School of Medicine at the University of Calgary. Of the total 1711 people contacted, 469 people consented and completed questionnaire. Of those 469 who consented to be part of the study, 467 were eligible to be included for analysis. A flood impact questionnaire was delivered 6 months after the 2013 flood in families whose children were an average of 3 years old. Mother reported questionnaires were used to assess child resilience. The study included maternal data on a range of factors including socio-demographic, history of mental health, relationship with the partner and social support. Child related data were also incorporated into the study, and variables included delivery mode, child sex, and child age at the time of disaster. Results Child resilience was best predicted by mother’s age and social support, and by child gender, the child’s externalizing and internalizing behaviors and the Rothbart temperament scale: effortful control. Furthermore, this study revealed that children who were more exposed to the flood events, showed higher resilience compared to the children who were less or not exposed. Conclusions These findings highlight the risk and protective factors that predict child resilience and suggest that mother reported questionnaire are useful tools to assess child resilience amidst early life adversity.

Determinants of child resilience in poverty: findings from the Taiwan Birth Cohort Study

Background Poverty has adverse effects on child health. While children in poverty face greater health challenges, some still achieve positive health outcomes. This is in part due to their resilience when facing adversity. Identifying the factors that foster child resilience can aid in developing strategies to promote child resilience and reduce the harmful effects of child poverty. This study aims to identify the biological and social factors of resilience among children in poverty from birth to age 12. Methods Data for the analysis came from the Taiwan Birth Cohort Study, a nationally representative sample of 17,354 children who completed six waves of interview surveys between 2005 and 2017. Our sample included 4,570 children who experienced poverty from birth to age 12. The primary outcome variable was child resilience, defined as impoverished children who maintained good health outcomes over the 12-year survey period. Multiple logistic regression was used to examine the factors of child resilience. Results Of the 4,570 children, 36.1% always had good health despite experiencing poverty before the age of 12. An easy temperament (OR = 2.5, 95% CI: 1.9-3.0), female (OR = 1.1, 95% CI: 1.0-1.3), a birth weight greater than 2,500 grams (OR = 1.6, 95% CI: 1.2-2.1), having a foreign-born mother (OR = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.2-1.7), receiving breast milk after birth (OR = 1.3, 95% CI: 1.1-1.5), and good parent-child interaction at 3 years of age (OR = 1.4, 95% CI: 1.2-1.7) were associated with child resilience. Early parent-child interactions can moderate the effect of children's birth weight on later resilience. Conclusions Our findings indicated the factors associated with child resilience in the context of poverty, suggesting that supporting breastfeeding and nurturing parent-child relationships are effective public health actions to foster child resilience. Future research is needed to unravel the underlying mechanisms of biological factors associated with child resilience. Key messages Breastfeeding after birth and high-quality parent-child interaction can lead to positive adaptations to child poverty. Children with difficult temperaments, boys and those born at low birthweight are more vulnerable to poverty and should be targeted for building resilience against poverty.

What factors are associated with resilient outcomes in children exposed to social adversity? A systematic review

ObjectivesChildren exposed to social adversity—hardship as a result of social circumstances such as poverty or intergenerational trauma—are at increased risk of poor outcomes across the life course. Understanding what promotes resilient outcomes is essential for the development of evidence informed intervention strategies. We conducted a systematic review to identify how child resilience is measured and what factors are associated with resilient outcomes.DesignSystematic search conducted in CINAHL, MEDLINE and PsychInfo from January 2004 to October 2018 using the keywords ‘resilien* and child* in the title or abstract. Eligible studies: (1) described children aged 5–12 years; (2) identified exposure to social adversity; (3) identified resilience; and (4) investigated factors associated with resilience.Outcome measures(1) approaches to identifying resilience and (2) factors associated with resilient outcomes.ResultsFrom 1979 studies retrieved, 30 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most studies were moderate to high quality, with low cultural competency. Social adversity exposures included poverty, parent loss, maltreatment and war. Only two studies used a measure of child resilience; neither was psychometrically validated. Remaining studies classified children as resilient if they showed positive outcomes (eg, mental health or academic achievement) despite adversity. A range of child, family, school and community factors were associated with resilient outcomes, with individual factors most commonly investigated. The best available evidence was for cognitive skills, emotion regulation, relationships with caregivers and academic engagement.ConclusionsWhile there is huge variation in the type and severity of adversity that children experience, there is some evidence that specific individual, relational and school factors are associated with resilient outcomes across a range of contexts. Such factors provide an important starting point for effective public health interventions to promote resilience and to prevent or ameliorate the immediate and long-term impacts of social adversity on children.

Child Resilience, Survival, and Development

This chapter draws on a study which was conducted over a period of one and half years on orphans in Zimbabwe. While this chapter discusses extensive issues around resilience, survival and development of children, the highlights on their wellness are critically engaged with as well. The aim is to provide empirical insights to current and emerging debates on experiences of orphans especially from a developing country's perspective and Zimbabwe in particular. Drawing on the Ubuntu theory and the Wellness theory, the chapter consists of two sections. In section one; the chapter shall conceptualise the notions of Child Resilience, Survival and Development and further explore Ubuntu and Wellness through a theoretical lens. In section two there will be an in-depth discussion on issues around resilience, survival and development of orphans and how these are impacting their wellness.