Epidemiology of behavioral and emotional problems among children of Jamaica and the United States: parent reports for ages 6 to 11.
Research on child behavior problems requires standardized methodology in order to identify similarities and differences between societies. The present study compared parent-reported behavior problems of 360 Jamaican and 946 U.S. children aged 6 to 11. It revealed few differences in individual, total, internalizing (e.g., depression), and externalizing (e.g., fighting) problem scores as a function of nationality, gender, or age. Findings from this and other studies indicate the feasibility of a common methodology in cross-national studies of children's problems, but also the need for further refinement.
Lambert
M C
MC
Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824.
Knight
F
F
Taylor
R
R
Achenbach
T M
TM
D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007563:Jamaica / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D010552:Personality Assessment; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology