Neighbourhood level and individual level SES effects on child problem behaviour: a multilevel analysis.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined whether neighbourhood level socioeconomic variables have an independent effect on reported child behaviour problems over and above the effect of individual level measures of socioeconomic status.


METHODS
Multilevel analysis of cross sectional survey data relating individual level child behavioural problems and parental measures of socioeconomic status with neighbourhood level measures of socioeconomic deprivation in the city of Maastricht, the Netherlands.


METHODS
Children born in the years 1990-1991 attending the second grade of normal kindergarten schools in the city of Maastricht, the Netherlands. Out of 1417 eligible 5-7 year olds, the parents of 734 children (51.8%) agreed to participate.


RESULTS
Child behaviour problems were more frequent in families of low parental occupation and education (F=14.51, df 3, 721, p<0.001; F=12.20, df 3, 721, p<0.001, respectively) and in families living in deprived neighbourhoods (F=13.26, df 2, 722, p<0.001). Multilevel random effects regression analysis showed that the effect of neighbourhood level deprivation remained after adjustment for individual level socioeconomic status (B over three levels of deprivation: 1.36; 95%CI=0.28, 2.45).


CONCLUSIONS
Living in a more deprived neighbourhood is associated with higher levels of child problem behaviour, irrespective of individual level socioeconomic status. The additional effect of the neighbourhood may be attributable to contextual variables such as the level of social cohesion among residents.
Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, the Netherlands.
A C
AC
Kalff
M
M
Kroes
J S
JS
Vles
J G
JG
Hendriksen
F J
FJ
Feron
J
J
Steyaert
T M
TM
van Zeben
J
J
Jolles
J
J
van Os
D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D006801:Humans; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009426:Netherlands; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012307:Risk Factors; D020954:Single-Parent Family / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012923:Social Class