title: [A study on the social adjustment and its affective factors in Down syndrome children].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the social adjustment status and affected factors thereof in Down syndrome children.
  
  
  METHODS
  The family environment, cognitive development and social adjustment were examined in 36 Down syndrome children aged 52 - 167 months, 30 mental age-matched children aged 20 - 65 months, and 40 chronological age-matched children aged 43 - 144 months with questionnaire of family influential factors, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) and Infants-Junior Middle School Students' Social-Life Abilities Scale from September 2004 to July 2006. The gender and general family environment were matched among the three groups. The information about the mode of delivery, history of newborn, family structure, income of family, and parents' education could be gathered from the questionnaire (used by parents). PPVT was adopted as research tool of cognitive development. Infants-Junior Middle School Students' Social-Life Abilities Scale was adopted as research tool of social adjustment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no differences between the Down syndrome children and mental age-matched group in communication and socialization. The Down syndrome children were better than the mental age-matched group in self-help [(20.0 +/- 4.8) vs (13.3 +/- 4.7), t = 5.72, P = 0.000]; locomotion [(7.5 +/- 1.4) vs (6.4 +/- 1. 6), t = 3.10, P = 0.003]; occupation [(8.2 +/- 2.4) vs (6.2 +/- 2.0), t = 3.68, P = 0.000], and self-direction [(5.9 +/- 2.6) vs (4.6 +/- 2.0), t = 2. 28, P = 0.026]. The chronological age-matched group were much better than the Down syndrome children in all factors of social-life abilities, including self-help [(20.0 +/- 4.8) vs (26.5 +/- 4.9), t = 5.84, P = 0.000]; locomotion [(7.5 +/- 1.4) vs (11.4 +/- 3.3), t = 6.76, P = 0.000]; occupation [(8.2 +/- 2.4) vs (14.4 +/- 3.9), t = 8.55, P = 0.000]; communication [(8.3 +/- 3.6) vs (18.3 +/- 4.8), t = 10.38, P = 0.000]; socialization [(9.6 +/- 2.3) vs (17.1 +/- 4.2), t = 9.76, P = 0.000], and self-direction [(5.9 +/- 2.6) vs (13. 8 +/- 4.6), t = 9.25, P = 0.000]. There was a relationship between the raw score of PPVT and social-life abilities in these children. Even after controlling effect of age, it was still associated with self-help (r = 0.70, P = 0.000), locomotion (r = 0.74, P = 0.000), occupation (r = 0.77, P = 0.000), communication (r = 0.86, P = 0.000), socialization (r = 0.80, P = 0.000), and self-direction (r = 0.76, P = 0.000). Multiple stepwise regression showed that the main factor influencing self-help was family structure. Family structure and mother's education influenced locomotion. Family structure and newborn history influenced occupation, communication, socialization and self-direction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Down syndrome children have better social adjustment than the mental age-matched group, yet worse than the chronological age-matched group. Cognition development, family environment and newborn history differently influence the Down syndrome child, which means proper intervention can improve their social adjustment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China.
authors.forename: Yan-xia
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Shan-shan
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Chun-hong
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Jian-ying
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Zhan
authors.forename: Yu-feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Zhi-wei
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Zheng-yan
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors