title: Concordance of maternal and teacher ratings of school and behavior problems in children of varying birth weights.
abstract: To examine the concordance of mother and teacher ratings of children born at different birth weights on measures of school functioning, behavioral problems, and social competencies, we used a prospective cohort study involving children in two previously studied multisite birth cohorts whom we recontacted at 8 to 10 years of age. This provided a multisite sample of 784 low birth weight children and 334 normal birth weight children. Teacher reports of children's behaviors were obtained from 80% of the 1400 teachers contacted. We found that birth weight and neonatal health were associated with both maternal and teacher reports; that maternal characteristics, e.g., low levels of education and poor mental health, were associated with the greatest discrepancies in reports; and that although mothers' reports of objective measures were accurate, their assessments of behavioral problems and social competence often differed from those of teachers.
authors.affiliation: Center for Young Children and Families, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA. dkohen@unixg.ubc.ca
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Kohen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brooks-Gunn
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McCormick
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Graber
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D001724:Birth Weight; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D015588:Observer Variation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000592:standards; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012938:Social Perception; D013663:Teaching