K.Kiernan University of York
Child Well-Being in the Early Years: What Matters?
Kathleen KiernanUniversity of York
International Society for Child Indicators Conference July 2011
K.Kiernan University of York
Child Well-Being in the Early Years: What Matters?
Evidence from the UK Millennium Cohort Study
CollaboratorsJohn Hobcraft, Fiona Mensah, Maria del Carmen Huerta and
Anna Garriga
K.Kiernan University of York
Policy Context
• Reduction in Child Poverty• Child Poverty Bill June 2010
• “Every Child Matters”– Being healthy: Staying safe: Enjoying and
Achieving: Making a positive contribution and Economic well-being
• UNICEF Report (February 2007)
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The Early Years Matter
• Neurons to Neighbourhoods –concluded”“ virtually every aspect of human development, from
the brains evolving circuitry to the child’s capacity for empathy, is affected by the environment and experiences that are encountered in a cumulative fashion, beginning in the pre-natal period and extending throughout the early childhood years”
US National Academy of Sciences 2000
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Millennium Cohort Study
• Initially 18553 Families 18819 Children– Born in 2001-2– Families interviewed when baby 9 months old and age 3
and 5 years and age 7 years
• Over-representation– Children in disadvantaged areas– Ethnic minority communities– Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
• Linkage to hospital and school records
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Cognitive and Behaviour Children’s outcomes at age 5
Learning and development (Foundation stage profile – QCA 2003) - Communication, language and literacy (CLL)
- Mathematical development- Personal, social and emotional development- Knowledge and understanding of the world- Physical development- Creative development
Behaviour – total difficulties score - (SDQ – Goodman 1997)- Emotional symptoms- Conduct problems- Hyperactivity- Peer problems
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Focal Factors
History of Poverty
History of Maternal Depression
Parenting at age 3 (Mediator)
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Income povertyHistory of income poverty1 %
None reported 61
At 9 months or age 3 (Early) 13
At age 5 (Current) 12
At 9 months, age 3 and age 5 (Persistent)
14
1less than 60 percent of the median for the UK
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Odds (ratios) of being in lowest decile of the CLL assessment
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1.4
1.7
2.2
2.5
3.2
5.6
0 2 4 6
Earlier Poverty
Current Poverty
Persistent Poverty
Unadjusted
Adjusted
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Odds (ratios) of having high levels of behaviour problems at age 5
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1.2
1.2
1.3
2.3
2.6
4.4
0 2 4 6
Earlier Poverty
Current Poverty
Persistent Poverty
Unadjusted
Adjusted
K.Kiernan University of York
Maternal depression and anxiety
History of maternal depression and anxiety1
%
None reported 70
At 9 months or age 3 (Prior) 14
At age 5 (Current) 12
At 9 months, age 3 and age 5 3
1Assessed using Malaise scale at 9 months and Kessler scale at 3 and 5 years
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Odds (ratios) of being in lowest decile of CLL Assessment
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1.3
1.4
2.1
1.7
1.9
3.5
0 2 4
Earlier Depression
Current Depression
Persistent Depression
Unadjusted
Adjusted
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Odds (ratios)of having high levels of behaviour problems at age 5
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2.8
5.5
7.4
3.5
6.8
11.6
0 5 10 15
Earlier Depression
Current Depression
Persistent Depression
Unadjusted
Adjusted
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Findings on Poverty and Depression
• Poverty matters for children’s cognitive development but less so for behaviour problems
• Maternal Depression matters notably so for behaviour problems but also for children’s cognitive development
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Parenting measures (at Age 3)
• Parental warmth and Parental Conflict
• Positive and negative discipline
• Irregular Meal times and Bedtimes
• Frequency of reading to the child
• Home Learning Environment
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Parenting and Child Outcomes Odds Ratios
CLL SDQ
Warmth - Low 2.9 3.2
Conflict - High 1.9 9.7
Irregular Mealtimes 2.5 3.3
Rarely reads 3.9 3.2
Smacks frequently 1.3 ns 3.0
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School Performance – Percentage performing at a good level
No Poverty and Positive Parenting 73%No Poverty and Poor Parenting 42%No Poverty (Total) 60%
Persistent Poverty and Positive Parenting 58%Persistent Poverty and Poor Parenting 19%Persistent Poverty (Total) 26%
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A broader canvas
• Use data from UK Millennium Cohort Study• Examine cognitive and behaviour outcomes at
age 5 across the full distribution• Use inputs around birth, age 9 months and
age 3• Explore child characteristics & attributes• Explore parenting and parental attributes• Ascertain “What matters?”
Child Outcomes at age 5
• Total Difficulties Score on SDQ
• British Ability Scales. Overall score on three cognitive tests given in the home which assess vocabulary, pattern construction abilities and ability to identify similar pictures. .
Domains
• Child characteristics• Early mothering behaviours• Mother’s Parenting attitudes and behaviours
– Positive and negative• Mother’s mental and general health • Demographic characteristics• Partnership status and relations• Socioeconomic characteristics
Child characteristicsAround Birth SDQ at 5 Cog at 5
Male *** ***
Low Birth weight ***
Development at 9 months
Gross Motor ***
Fine Motor **
Communication/ gestures **
Carey Temperament at 9 months
Adaptability **
Regularity feeds etc ***
Cry/Fuss **
Mothering – Birth & 9 monthsAround Birth SDQ at 5 Cog at 5Obese before pregnancy ***Smoking through pregnancy **Breastfeeding ** ***At 9 monthsParental resentment/ hostility **
Parental stimulation *
Misses child if away (Reverse) ***
Parenting at age 3 - PositiveMother SDQ at 5 Cog at 5Maternal warmth *** **
Positive Home observations ***
Reads to child * ***
Home Learning environment positive ***
Regular bedtimes * ***
Regular mealtimes ** *
Parenting at age 3 - negativeMother SDQ at 5 Cog at 5Maternal child conflict high ***Home observation negative ** ***
Harsh disciplinary practices if child naughty
***
Mother’s HealthSDQ at 5 Cog at 5
Self-rated General Health *** *
Malaise (Depression) ***
Self-efficacy ***
Demographic Characteristics
SDQ at 5 Cog at 5
Mother’s age at birth under 25 ***
Family size *** positive *** negative
Mother’s ethnicity * ***
Language spoken at home ***
Partnership Status and Quality SDQ at 5 Cog at 5
Quality of Partnership and no partnership
***
Family Status at age 3 (Step Family)
*
Parental separation between 9 months and age 3
**
Socioeconomic situationSDQ at 5 Cog at 5
Mother’s education *** ***Income ***
Mother never worked at 9 months * ***
Workless household ***
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What matters to age 5 in MCS?
• Measures from all domains matter for each of poor outcomes on children’s cognition and behaviour at age 5: – Pregnancy, – Parenting, – Income deprivation – Maternal Education– Maternal health– Parental Relationships– Demographic characteristics of parents and child – Child outcomes at earlier ages
Key messages
Results of very extensive analyses of MCS shows
• No ‘magic bullet’ domain• Child outcomes are a legacy of multiple poorer
inputs and circumstances across a range of domains
• Different factors matter for different outcomes
Future directions
• A greater focus on processes:– Time:
• Persistence of disadvantage• Scarring effects of disadvantage
– Change• Development as an malleable process• Drivers and inhibitors of change
• Developmental trajectories• Longitudinal Studies
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Future Inequalities (UK)
• Raft of Policies enacted since MCS children passed through their early years
• 2013 Cohort – will these children fare better?