TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2024//
TI  - Impact of family and caregiver factors on development and behaviours in maltreated young children
JO  - Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore
A1  - Li, Yunnan Kenneth
A1  - Agarwal, Pratibha Keshav
A1  - Oh, Jean Yin
A1  - Ong, Li Ming
A1  - Chow, Wen Hann
A1  - Daniel, Lourdes Mary
A1  - Chay, Oh Moh
A1  - Low, Cong Jin Wilson
A1  - Yeleswarapu, Sita Padmini
SP  - 361
EP  - 370
VL  - 53
IS  - 6
N2  - INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of developmental and emotional/ behavioural concerns in maltreated children and to examine the impact of adverse family/caregiver risk factors on these outcomes. <br><br>METHOD: We analysed family demographic and baseline data of 132 maltreated children and their caregivers from a family support programme in Singapore. We examined the associations of 3 main risk factors (i.e., caregiver mental health, educational attainment, and family socio-economic status [SES]) with developmental/behavioural outcomes using multivariable logistic regression, controlling for caregiver relationship to the child. Caregiver mental health was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) and General Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7) tools. Developmental/behavioural outcomes were assessed using the Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ-3), ASQ-Social-Emotional (ASQ-SE), and the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL). <br><br>RESULTS: The children ranged in age, from 2 months to 3 years 11 months (median age 1.7 years, interquartile range [IQR] 0.9-2.6). Among caregivers, 86 (65.2%) were biological mothers, 11 (8.3%) were biological fathers, and 35 (26.5%) were foster parents or extended family members. Low family SES was associated with communication concerns on the ASQ-3 (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 3.04, 95% CI 1.08-8.57, P=0.04). Caregiver mental health concerns were associated with increased behavioural concerns on the CBCL (AOR 6.54, 95% CI 1.83-23.33, P=0.004) and higher scores on the ASQ-SE (AOR 7.78, 95% CI 2.38-25.38, P=0.001). <br><br>CONCLUSION: Maltreated children with caregivers experiencing mental health issues are more likely to have heightened emotional and behavioural concerns. Those from low SES families are also at increased risk of language delay, affecting their communication.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0304-4602
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.202489
ID  - ref1
ER  -