The Experts below are selected from a list of 807 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
James M. Ernest - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Preschool Children’s Exposure to Media, Technology, and Screen Time: Perspectives of Caregivers from Three Early Childcare Settings
Early Childhood Education Journal, 2016Co-Authors: Kimberly A. Sharkins, Allison B. Newton, Najla Essa A. Albaiz, James M. ErnestAbstract:Young children are being increasingly exposed to media, technology, and screen time (MeTS) at home and in instructional settings. Little is known about the long-term effects of MeTS and there is a lack of research concerning caregivers’ opinions regarding young children’s exposure to and utilization of MeTS. Therefore, this study explored the opinions of parents and teachers of preschool-aged children from three diverse centers and examined MeTS usage across the varying centers and sociodemographic strata. Principal Components and MANOVA analyses indicated differences across, as well as similarities between, the centers. Collectively, caregivers from the three centers concur that MeTS can expand children’s knowledge, and that children’s exposure to violent MeTS is harmful. Caregivers from the varying centers differ in opinion regarding linking children’s MeTS exposure to harmful social and health outcomes, and teachers’ responsibilities regarding the developmentally appropriate usage of MeTS. Recommendations are provided for administrators and teachers to consider regarding communication efforts with parents, and MeTS usage in the Childcare setting.
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preschool children s exposure to media technology and screen time perspectives of caregivers from three Early Childcare settings
Early Childhood Education Journal, 2016Co-Authors: Kimberly A. Sharkins, Allison B. Newton, Najla Essa A. Albaiz, James M. ErnestAbstract:Young children are being increasingly exposed to media, technology, and screen time (MeTS) at home and in instructional settings. Little is known about the long-term effects of MeTS and there is a lack of research concerning caregivers’ opinions regarding young children’s exposure to and utilization of MeTS. Therefore, this study explored the opinions of parents and teachers of preschool-aged children from three diverse centers and examined MeTS usage across the varying centers and sociodemographic strata. Principal Components and MANOVA analyses indicated differences across, as well as similarities between, the centers. Collectively, caregivers from the three centers concur that MeTS can expand children’s knowledge, and that children’s exposure to violent MeTS is harmful. Caregivers from the varying centers differ in opinion regarding linking children’s MeTS exposure to harmful social and health outcomes, and teachers’ responsibilities regarding the developmentally appropriate usage of MeTS. Recommendations are provided for administrators and teachers to consider regarding communication efforts with parents, and MeTS usage in the Childcare setting.
Kimberly A. Sharkins - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Preschool Children’s Exposure to Media, Technology, and Screen Time: Perspectives of Caregivers from Three Early Childcare Settings
Early Childhood Education Journal, 2016Co-Authors: Kimberly A. Sharkins, Allison B. Newton, Najla Essa A. Albaiz, James M. ErnestAbstract:Young children are being increasingly exposed to media, technology, and screen time (MeTS) at home and in instructional settings. Little is known about the long-term effects of MeTS and there is a lack of research concerning caregivers’ opinions regarding young children’s exposure to and utilization of MeTS. Therefore, this study explored the opinions of parents and teachers of preschool-aged children from three diverse centers and examined MeTS usage across the varying centers and sociodemographic strata. Principal Components and MANOVA analyses indicated differences across, as well as similarities between, the centers. Collectively, caregivers from the three centers concur that MeTS can expand children’s knowledge, and that children’s exposure to violent MeTS is harmful. Caregivers from the varying centers differ in opinion regarding linking children’s MeTS exposure to harmful social and health outcomes, and teachers’ responsibilities regarding the developmentally appropriate usage of MeTS. Recommendations are provided for administrators and teachers to consider regarding communication efforts with parents, and MeTS usage in the Childcare setting.
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preschool children s exposure to media technology and screen time perspectives of caregivers from three Early Childcare settings
Early Childhood Education Journal, 2016Co-Authors: Kimberly A. Sharkins, Allison B. Newton, Najla Essa A. Albaiz, James M. ErnestAbstract:Young children are being increasingly exposed to media, technology, and screen time (MeTS) at home and in instructional settings. Little is known about the long-term effects of MeTS and there is a lack of research concerning caregivers’ opinions regarding young children’s exposure to and utilization of MeTS. Therefore, this study explored the opinions of parents and teachers of preschool-aged children from three diverse centers and examined MeTS usage across the varying centers and sociodemographic strata. Principal Components and MANOVA analyses indicated differences across, as well as similarities between, the centers. Collectively, caregivers from the three centers concur that MeTS can expand children’s knowledge, and that children’s exposure to violent MeTS is harmful. Caregivers from the varying centers differ in opinion regarding linking children’s MeTS exposure to harmful social and health outcomes, and teachers’ responsibilities regarding the developmentally appropriate usage of MeTS. Recommendations are provided for administrators and teachers to consider regarding communication efforts with parents, and MeTS usage in the Childcare setting.
Sylvana M Cote - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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maternal depressive symptoms and children s cognitive development does Early Childcare and child s sex matter
PLOS ONE, 2020Co-Authors: Chantal Paquin, Sylvana M Cote, Richard E Tremblay, Michel Boivin, Jean R Seguin, Catherine M HerbaAbstract:BACKGROUND: Maternal depressive symptoms (MDS) have been associated with poorer child cognitive development. Some studies have shown that Childcare attendance moderates associations between MDS and child behavior problems, but we do not know if this is the case for children's cognitive development. Furthermore, few studies have evaluated whether associations between MDS and child cognitive development differ for boys and girls at school entry. METHODS: This study used data from a population-based cohort study (n = 1364) comprising well-validated measures of children's cognitive development including academic readiness and language development in kindergarten and reading and mathematics achievement in first grade. Information on MDS was collected repeatedly from the child's age of 5 months to 5 years and on Childcare from 5 months to 4.5 years. Moderation analyses were conducted to evaluate the differential associations of MDS with children's outcomes depending on the type of Childcare attended and the child's sex. RESULTS: Childcare type or child's sex did not moderate associations between MDS and children's cognitive outcomes except for MDS being associated with lower scores on reading achievement in first grade for girls with a very small effect size (sr2 = .003). Childcare attendance was associated with higher scores for children's cognitive development, however these associations disappeared after adjusting for covariates including child, mother and family characteristics. Regardless of MDS and Childcare type, boys had, even after adjusting for covariates, lower scores on academic readiness (sr2 = .029) and higher scores on mathematics achievement (sr2 = .004). CONCLUSIONS: Children's cognitive development at school entry was more strongly associated with maternal education, children's age in kindergarten and number of months of schooling in first grade than MDS. Contrary to associations between MDS and child behavior problems, Childcare attendance did not moderate associations between MDS and children's cognitive development at school entry.
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Early Childcare type predicts children s emotional and behavioural trajectories into middle childhood data from the eden mother child cohort study
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 2018Co-Authors: Ramchandar Gomajee, Sylvana M Cote, Laura Pryor, Fabienne Elkhoury, Maria MelchiorAbstract:Background The scientific literature on the impact of Early Childcare on children’s behavioural and emotional difficulties shows contrasting results. We studied this association in France, where Childcare is of high quality and children enter preschool at the age of 3. Methods 1428 children from the EDEN (Etude des Determinants du developpement et de la sante de l’ENfant) mother–child cohort set up in France (Nancy and Poitiers) were followed up since pregnancy to the age of 8 years. Group-based trajectory modelling was used to model their trajectories of behavioural and emotional symptoms (emotional symptoms, peer relationship problems, hyperactivity/inattention, conduct problems, prosocial behaviours) ascertained by three measures (3, 5.5 and 8 years) of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Using propensity scores and inverse probability weights (IPWs) to account for selection and confounding factors, we compared children in a childminder’s care or in centre-based Childcare (from birth to age 3) with those in informal Childcare. Results Compared with children in informal Childcare, those who attended centre-based Childcare had a lower likelihood of having high levels of emotional symptoms (ORIPW-adjusted=0.35, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.71), peer relationship problems (ORIPW-adjusted=0.31, 95% CI 0.15 to 0.67) and low prosocial behaviours (ORIPW-adjusted=0.50, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.90). Those who were looked after by a childminder had a higher likelihood of following a high trajectory of conduct problems (ORIPW-adjusted=1.72, 95% CI 1.05 to 2.81). Attendance of centre-based Childcare for more than 1 year was especially protective of high levels of emotional, peer-related difficulties and low prosocial behaviours. Girls and children from a favourable socioeconomic background reaped more benefits of Childcare than boys and those from a less favourable background. Conclusion High-quality centre-based Childcare may be linked to lower levels of emotional symptoms.
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Early Childcare type predicts children’s emotional and behavioural trajectories into middle childhood. Data from the EDEN mother–child cohort study
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 2018Co-Authors: Ramchandar Gomajee, Sylvana M Cote, Fabienne El-khoury, Laura Pryor, Maria MelchiorAbstract:Background The scientific literature on the impact of Early Childcare on children’s behavioural and emotional difficulties shows contrasting results. We studied this association in France, where Childcare is of high quality and children enter preschool at the age of 3. Methods 1428 children from the EDEN (Etude des Determinants du developpement et de la sante de l’ENfant) mother–child cohort set up in France (Nancy and Poitiers) were followed up since pregnancy to the age of 8 years. Group-based trajectory modelling was used to model their trajectories of behavioural and emotional symptoms (emotional symptoms, peer relationship problems, hyperactivity/inattention, conduct problems, prosocial behaviours) ascertained by three measures (3, 5.5 and 8 years) of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Using propensity scores and inverse probability weights (IPWs) to account for selection and confounding factors, we compared children in a childminder’s care or in centre-based Childcare (from birth to age 3) with those in informal Childcare. Results Compared with children in informal Childcare, those who attended centre-based Childcare had a lower likelihood of having high levels of emotional symptoms (ORIPW-adjusted=0.35, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.71), peer relationship problems (ORIPW-adjusted=0.31, 95% CI 0.15 to 0.67) and low prosocial behaviours (ORIPW-adjusted=0.50, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.90). Those who were looked after by a childminder had a higher likelihood of following a high trajectory of conduct problems (ORIPW-adjusted=1.72, 95% CI 1.05 to 2.81). Attendance of centre-based Childcare for more than 1 year was especially protective of high levels of emotional, peer-related difficulties and low prosocial behaviours. Girls and children from a favourable socioeconomic background reaped more benefits of Childcare than boys and those from a less favourable background. Conclusion High-quality centre-based Childcare may be linked to lower levels of emotional symptoms.
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closing the gap in academic readiness and achievement the role of Early Childcare
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 2010Co-Authors: Marieclaude Geoffroy, Sylvana M Cote, Charles Edouard Giguere, Ginette Dionne, Philip David Zelazo, Richard E Tremblay, Michel Boivin, Jean R SeguinAbstract:Background: Socially disadvantaged children with academic difficulties at school entry are at increased risk for poor health and psychosocial outcomes. Our objective is to test the possibility that participation in Childcare ‐ at the population level ‐ could attenuate the gap in academic readiness and achievement between children with and without a social disadvantage (indexed by low levels of maternal education). Methods: A cohort of infants born in the Canadian province of Quebec in 1997/1998 was selected through birth registries and followed annually until 7 years of age (n = 1,863). Children receiving formal Childcare (i.e., center-based or non-relative out-of-home) were distinguished from those receiving informal Childcare (i.e., relative or nanny). Measures from 4 standardized tests that assessed cognitive school readiness (Lollipop Test for School Readiness), receptive vocabulary (Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test Revised), mathematics (Number Knowledge Test), and reading performance (Kaufman Assessment Battery for children) were administered at 6 and 7 years. Results: Children of mothers with low levels of education showed a consistent pattern of lower scores on academic readiness and achievement tests at 6 and 7 years than those of highly educated mothers, unless they received formal Childcare. Specifically, among children of mothers with low levels of education, those who received formal Childcare obtained higher school readiness (d = 0.87), receptive vocabulary (d = 0.36), reading (d = 0.48) and math achievement scores (d = 0.38; although not significant at 5%) in comparison with those who were cared for by their parents. Childcare participation was not associated with cognitive outcomes among children of mothers with higher levels of education. Conclusions: Public investments in Early Childcare are increasing in many countries with the intention of reducing cognitive inequalities between disadvantaged and advantaged children. Our findings provide further evidence suggesting that formal Childcare could represent a preventative means of attenuating effects of disadvantage on children’s Early academic trajectory. Keywords: Cognition, prevention, social class, day care.
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Early Childcare and physical aggression differentiating social selection and social causation
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 2004Co-Authors: Anne I H Borge, Sylvana M Cote, Michael Rutter, Richard E TremblayAbstract:BACKGROUND: Some research findings have suggested that group day-care may be associated with an increased risk for physical aggression. METHODS: Cross-sectional maternal questionnaire data from a representative sample of 3431 Canadian 2- to 3-year-olds were used to compare rates of physical aggression shown by children looked after by their own mothers and those attending group day-care. A family risk index (using occupational level, maternal education, size of sibship, and family functioning) was created to test whether any difference in physical aggression might reflect social selection rather than social causation. RESULTS: Aggression was significantly more common in children looked after by their own mothers than in those attending group day-care. Strong social selection associated with family risk was found, not only in the sample as a whole, but even within the high-risk subsample. However, after taking social selection into account, physical aggression was significantly more common in children from high-risk families looked after by their own parents. No such difference was evident in the majority (84%) of children from low-risk families. CONCLUSION: Insofar as there are any risks for physical aggression associated with homecare they apply only to high-risk families.
Richard E Tremblay - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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maternal depressive symptoms and children s cognitive development does Early Childcare and child s sex matter
PLOS ONE, 2020Co-Authors: Chantal Paquin, Sylvana M Cote, Richard E Tremblay, Michel Boivin, Jean R Seguin, Catherine M HerbaAbstract:BACKGROUND: Maternal depressive symptoms (MDS) have been associated with poorer child cognitive development. Some studies have shown that Childcare attendance moderates associations between MDS and child behavior problems, but we do not know if this is the case for children's cognitive development. Furthermore, few studies have evaluated whether associations between MDS and child cognitive development differ for boys and girls at school entry. METHODS: This study used data from a population-based cohort study (n = 1364) comprising well-validated measures of children's cognitive development including academic readiness and language development in kindergarten and reading and mathematics achievement in first grade. Information on MDS was collected repeatedly from the child's age of 5 months to 5 years and on Childcare from 5 months to 4.5 years. Moderation analyses were conducted to evaluate the differential associations of MDS with children's outcomes depending on the type of Childcare attended and the child's sex. RESULTS: Childcare type or child's sex did not moderate associations between MDS and children's cognitive outcomes except for MDS being associated with lower scores on reading achievement in first grade for girls with a very small effect size (sr2 = .003). Childcare attendance was associated with higher scores for children's cognitive development, however these associations disappeared after adjusting for covariates including child, mother and family characteristics. Regardless of MDS and Childcare type, boys had, even after adjusting for covariates, lower scores on academic readiness (sr2 = .029) and higher scores on mathematics achievement (sr2 = .004). CONCLUSIONS: Children's cognitive development at school entry was more strongly associated with maternal education, children's age in kindergarten and number of months of schooling in first grade than MDS. Contrary to associations between MDS and child behavior problems, Childcare attendance did not moderate associations between MDS and children's cognitive development at school entry.
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closing the gap in academic readiness and achievement the role of Early Childcare
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 2010Co-Authors: Marieclaude Geoffroy, Sylvana M Cote, Charles Edouard Giguere, Ginette Dionne, Philip David Zelazo, Richard E Tremblay, Michel Boivin, Jean R SeguinAbstract:Background: Socially disadvantaged children with academic difficulties at school entry are at increased risk for poor health and psychosocial outcomes. Our objective is to test the possibility that participation in Childcare ‐ at the population level ‐ could attenuate the gap in academic readiness and achievement between children with and without a social disadvantage (indexed by low levels of maternal education). Methods: A cohort of infants born in the Canadian province of Quebec in 1997/1998 was selected through birth registries and followed annually until 7 years of age (n = 1,863). Children receiving formal Childcare (i.e., center-based or non-relative out-of-home) were distinguished from those receiving informal Childcare (i.e., relative or nanny). Measures from 4 standardized tests that assessed cognitive school readiness (Lollipop Test for School Readiness), receptive vocabulary (Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test Revised), mathematics (Number Knowledge Test), and reading performance (Kaufman Assessment Battery for children) were administered at 6 and 7 years. Results: Children of mothers with low levels of education showed a consistent pattern of lower scores on academic readiness and achievement tests at 6 and 7 years than those of highly educated mothers, unless they received formal Childcare. Specifically, among children of mothers with low levels of education, those who received formal Childcare obtained higher school readiness (d = 0.87), receptive vocabulary (d = 0.36), reading (d = 0.48) and math achievement scores (d = 0.38; although not significant at 5%) in comparison with those who were cared for by their parents. Childcare participation was not associated with cognitive outcomes among children of mothers with higher levels of education. Conclusions: Public investments in Early Childcare are increasing in many countries with the intention of reducing cognitive inequalities between disadvantaged and advantaged children. Our findings provide further evidence suggesting that formal Childcare could represent a preventative means of attenuating effects of disadvantage on children’s Early academic trajectory. Keywords: Cognition, prevention, social class, day care.
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Early Childcare and physical aggression differentiating social selection and social causation
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 2004Co-Authors: Anne I H Borge, Sylvana M Cote, Michael Rutter, Richard E TremblayAbstract:BACKGROUND: Some research findings have suggested that group day-care may be associated with an increased risk for physical aggression. METHODS: Cross-sectional maternal questionnaire data from a representative sample of 3431 Canadian 2- to 3-year-olds were used to compare rates of physical aggression shown by children looked after by their own mothers and those attending group day-care. A family risk index (using occupational level, maternal education, size of sibship, and family functioning) was created to test whether any difference in physical aggression might reflect social selection rather than social causation. RESULTS: Aggression was significantly more common in children looked after by their own mothers than in those attending group day-care. Strong social selection associated with family risk was found, not only in the sample as a whole, but even within the high-risk subsample. However, after taking social selection into account, physical aggression was significantly more common in children from high-risk families looked after by their own parents. No such difference was evident in the majority (84%) of children from low-risk families. CONCLUSION: Insofar as there are any risks for physical aggression associated with homecare they apply only to high-risk families.
Maria Melchior - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Early Childcare type predicts children s emotional and behavioural trajectories into middle childhood data from the eden mother child cohort study
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 2018Co-Authors: Ramchandar Gomajee, Sylvana M Cote, Laura Pryor, Fabienne Elkhoury, Maria MelchiorAbstract:Background The scientific literature on the impact of Early Childcare on children’s behavioural and emotional difficulties shows contrasting results. We studied this association in France, where Childcare is of high quality and children enter preschool at the age of 3. Methods 1428 children from the EDEN (Etude des Determinants du developpement et de la sante de l’ENfant) mother–child cohort set up in France (Nancy and Poitiers) were followed up since pregnancy to the age of 8 years. Group-based trajectory modelling was used to model their trajectories of behavioural and emotional symptoms (emotional symptoms, peer relationship problems, hyperactivity/inattention, conduct problems, prosocial behaviours) ascertained by three measures (3, 5.5 and 8 years) of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Using propensity scores and inverse probability weights (IPWs) to account for selection and confounding factors, we compared children in a childminder’s care or in centre-based Childcare (from birth to age 3) with those in informal Childcare. Results Compared with children in informal Childcare, those who attended centre-based Childcare had a lower likelihood of having high levels of emotional symptoms (ORIPW-adjusted=0.35, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.71), peer relationship problems (ORIPW-adjusted=0.31, 95% CI 0.15 to 0.67) and low prosocial behaviours (ORIPW-adjusted=0.50, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.90). Those who were looked after by a childminder had a higher likelihood of following a high trajectory of conduct problems (ORIPW-adjusted=1.72, 95% CI 1.05 to 2.81). Attendance of centre-based Childcare for more than 1 year was especially protective of high levels of emotional, peer-related difficulties and low prosocial behaviours. Girls and children from a favourable socioeconomic background reaped more benefits of Childcare than boys and those from a less favourable background. Conclusion High-quality centre-based Childcare may be linked to lower levels of emotional symptoms.
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Early Childcare type predicts children’s emotional and behavioural trajectories into middle childhood. Data from the EDEN mother–child cohort study
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 2018Co-Authors: Ramchandar Gomajee, Sylvana M Cote, Fabienne El-khoury, Laura Pryor, Maria MelchiorAbstract:Background The scientific literature on the impact of Early Childcare on children’s behavioural and emotional difficulties shows contrasting results. We studied this association in France, where Childcare is of high quality and children enter preschool at the age of 3. Methods 1428 children from the EDEN (Etude des Determinants du developpement et de la sante de l’ENfant) mother–child cohort set up in France (Nancy and Poitiers) were followed up since pregnancy to the age of 8 years. Group-based trajectory modelling was used to model their trajectories of behavioural and emotional symptoms (emotional symptoms, peer relationship problems, hyperactivity/inattention, conduct problems, prosocial behaviours) ascertained by three measures (3, 5.5 and 8 years) of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Using propensity scores and inverse probability weights (IPWs) to account for selection and confounding factors, we compared children in a childminder’s care or in centre-based Childcare (from birth to age 3) with those in informal Childcare. Results Compared with children in informal Childcare, those who attended centre-based Childcare had a lower likelihood of having high levels of emotional symptoms (ORIPW-adjusted=0.35, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.71), peer relationship problems (ORIPW-adjusted=0.31, 95% CI 0.15 to 0.67) and low prosocial behaviours (ORIPW-adjusted=0.50, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.90). Those who were looked after by a childminder had a higher likelihood of following a high trajectory of conduct problems (ORIPW-adjusted=1.72, 95% CI 1.05 to 2.81). Attendance of centre-based Childcare for more than 1 year was especially protective of high levels of emotional, peer-related difficulties and low prosocial behaviours. Girls and children from a favourable socioeconomic background reaped more benefits of Childcare than boys and those from a less favourable background. Conclusion High-quality centre-based Childcare may be linked to lower levels of emotional symptoms.
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Early Childcare and trajectories of behavioral difficulties in children the eden mother child cohort study
European Psychiatry, 2017Co-Authors: Maria MelchiorAbstract:Background There is no consensus of the relationship between Early Childcare and later psychological development. Methods We studied 1428 children participating in the French EDEN cohort. Childcare was reported prospectively between ages 4 months and 3 years: childminder, collective care, informal care. Children's behavior was assessed by mother-reported strength and difficulty questionnaire (SDQ) scores at ages 3.5, 5.5 and 8 years. Trajectories of children's behavioral difficulties (emotional difficulties, behavioral problems, peer-relations difficulties, symptoms of hyperactivity and inattention, prosocial behavior) were identified using group-based trajectory modelling (PROC TRAJ, SAS). To control for selection and confounding factors, we used propensity scores based on over 30 covariates, included in multinomial regression models as inverse probability weights of exposure. Results Compared to children in informal care, those who were cared for by a childminder or in collective care were less likely to have peer problems (respectively, ORs for the intermediate level trajectory = 0.67 [95% IC: 0.47–0.95] and 0.49 [95% IC: 0.34–0.72]; ORs for the high level trajectory = 0.47 [0.27–0.82] and 0.33 [0.17–0.62]). Collective care was also associated with a reduced likelihood of intermediate (OR = 0.71 [0.52–0.98]) and high trajectories of hyperactivity and inattention (OR = 0.50 [0.35–0.81]), intermediate (OR = 0.58 [0.39–0.88]) and high trajectories of emotional symptoms (OR = 0.54 [0.32–0.92]) and intermediate (OR = 0.72 [0.51–1.01]) and high behavioral problems trajectories (OR = 0.54 [0.34–0.85]). Conclusion Childcare attendance prior to school entry – particularly collective Childcare – may have beneficial effects for children's psychological development and peer relations.
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Early Childcare and trajectories of behavioral difficulties in children: The EDEN mother–child cohort study
European Psychiatry, 2017Co-Authors: Maria MelchiorAbstract:Background There is no consensus of the relationship between Early Childcare and later psychological development. Methods We studied 1428 children participating in the French EDEN cohort. Childcare was reported prospectively between ages 4 months and 3 years: childminder, collective care, informal care. Children's behavior was assessed by mother-reported strength and difficulty questionnaire (SDQ) scores at ages 3.5, 5.5 and 8 years. Trajectories of children's behavioral difficulties (emotional difficulties, behavioral problems, peer-relations difficulties, symptoms of hyperactivity and inattention, prosocial behavior) were identified using group-based trajectory modelling (PROC TRAJ, SAS). To control for selection and confounding factors, we used propensity scores based on over 30 covariates, included in multinomial regression models as inverse probability weights of exposure. Results Compared to children in informal care, those who were cared for by a childminder or in collective care were less likely to have peer problems (respectively, ORs for the intermediate level trajectory = 0.67 [95% IC: 0.47–0.95] and 0.49 [95% IC: 0.34–0.72]; ORs for the high level trajectory = 0.47 [0.27–0.82] and 0.33 [0.17–0.62]). Collective care was also associated with a reduced likelihood of intermediate (OR = 0.71 [0.52–0.98]) and high trajectories of hyperactivity and inattention (OR = 0.50 [0.35–0.81]), intermediate (OR = 0.58 [0.39–0.88]) and high trajectories of emotional symptoms (OR = 0.54 [0.32–0.92]) and intermediate (OR = 0.72 [0.51–1.01]) and high behavioral problems trajectories (OR = 0.54 [0.34–0.85]). Conclusion Childcare attendance prior to school entry – particularly collective Childcare – may have beneficial effects for children's psychological development and peer relations.
