J Korean Acad Nurs.  2012 Dec;42(7):1039-1049. 10.4040/jkan.2012.42.7.1039.

Individual and Environmental Factors Influencing Questionable Development among Low-income Children: Differential Impact during Infancy versus Early Childhood

• Lee G
• McCreary L
• Kim MJ
• Park CG
• Yang S

• KMID: 1739542
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.2012.42.7.1039

Abstract

PURPOSE
From the holistic environmental perspective, individual and environmental influences on low-income children's questionable development were identified and examined as to differences in the influences according to the child's developmental stage of infancy (age 0-35 months) or early childhood (age 36-71 months).
METHODS
This study was a cross-sectional comparative design using negative binominal regression analysis to identify predictors of questionable development separately for each developmental stage. The sample was comprised of 952 children (357 in infancy and 495 in early childhood) from low-income families in South Korea. Predictors included individual factors: child's age and gender; proximal environmental influences: family factors (family health conditions, primary caregiver, child-caregiver relationship, depression in primary caregiver) and institution factors (daycare enrollment, days per week in daycare); and distal environmental influences: income/resources factors (family income, personal resources and social resources); and community factors (perceived child-rearing environment). The outcome variable was questionable development.
RESULTS
Significant contributors to questionable development in the infancy group were age, family health conditions, and personal resources; in the early childhood group, significant contributors were gender, family health conditions, grandparent as a primary caregiver, child-caregiver relationships, daycare enrollment, and personal resources.
CONCLUSION
Factors influencing children's questionable development may vary by developmental stage. It is important to consider differences in individual and environmental influences when developing targeted interventions to ensure that children attain their optimal developmental goals at each developmental stage. Understanding this may lead nursing professionals to design more effective preventive interventions for low-income children.

Keyword

Child development; Environment; Poverty

MeSH Terms

Caregivers
Child
Child Day Care Centers/utilization
*Child Development
Child Rearing
Child, Preschool
Cross-Sectional Studies
Family Health
Female
Health Status
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Male
Poverty
Regression Analysis
Risk Factors
Social Environment

Figure

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  Figure 1 Conceptual framework.

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  Figure 2 Study flow.

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