A multilevel analysis of the role of parental and community variables on young children's health.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to examine the associations among community characteristics, family economic adversity, parents' health beliefs, and parents' and children's health using cross-level mediation analyses.


METHODS
Survey data were collected from a nationally representative sample of 1,337 families with children between 3 and 6 years nested within 45 Trinidad and Tobago community clusters.


RESULTS
At the individual level, parents' health belief of internality was a significant mediator between family economic adversity, adult health, and children's health. In the cross-level mediation analyses, health belief of internality was a significant mediator between community health problems and children's health. There were between-community variations in the relationship between adult health, health belief of powerful others, and children's health.


CONCLUSIONS
There is strong evidence of the role of community and family influences on children's health. Findings indicate the need to use a multilevel analytical approach in studies of children's health.
PhD, Department of Public Health, Food Studies and Nutrition, 426 Ostrom Avenue, Syracuse University, Syracuse NY 13244, USA. lnarine@syr.edu.
Lutchmie
L
Narine
Ambika
A
Krishnakumar
Jaipaul L
JL
Roopnarine
Carol
C
Logie
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D011203:Poverty / Q000208:ethnology*; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D014300:Trinidad and Tobago / Q000208:ethnology
Trinidad and Tobago; child health; community characteristics; economic adversity; parental health and beliefs