Nonmaternal care in infancy and emotional/behavioral difficulties at 4 years old: moderation by family risk characteristics.
The authors examined the role of familial risk and child characteristics in the association between the type of child care in infancy (maternal care [MC]) versus nonmaternal care [NMC]) and emotional/behavioral difficulties at 4 years old. Canadian families (N=1,358) with children between 1 and 12 months old were followed over 4 years. Family risks were found to moderate the association between type of child care and physical aggression. MC in infancy was associated with lower levels of physical aggression among children from a low-risk family background but not among those from a high-risk family background. The effect size was small (d=-0.16; confidence interval [CI]=-0.3, -0.01). Family risk and the sex of the child moderated the association between child care and emotional problems. MC in infancy was associated with a lower level of emotional difficulties among girls from low-risk families but not among boys or among children from high-risk families. The effect size was moderate (d=-0.44; CI=-0.65, -0.23). The study indicates that the effect of child care type in infancy varies by family and child characteristics.
Côté
Sylvana M
SM
Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. sylvana.cote@umontreal.ca
Borge
Anne I
AI
Geoffroy
Marie-Claude
MC
Rutter
Michael
M
Tremblay
Richard E
RE
D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000367:Age Factors; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D000465:Algorithms; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007224:Infant Care / Q000523:psychology*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013694:Temperament