Behavior problems in 5- to 11-year-old children from low-income families.
OBJECTIVE
The aims of the present study were to survey the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) scores (behavioral section) in a nonclinical population of US urban children from low-income families and to compare the distribution and pattern of scores with the normative data in the CBCL manual (1991).


METHODS
The sample consisted of 890 low-income children and a mother or female guardian selected randomly from among Seattle public school students aged 5 to 11 years.


RESULTS
In this sample the total CBCL score as well as all subscale scores were significantly higher than the norms. The proportion of children who scored in the clinical/borderline range was also higher than the norm.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings support previous work showing that poverty is a risk factor for mental distress in children. They also raise questions about the validity of the CBCL norms for screening or research purpose for low-income families.
Raadal
M
M
Department of Pedodontics, University of Bergen, Norway.
Milgrom
P
P
Cauce
A M
AM
Mancl
L
L
D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000175:diagnosis; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012737:Sex Factors; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires