1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«The present study sought to extend our understanding of family mediators through which poverty shapes behavior problems by addressing two objectives: (1) to estimate the associations between chronic poverty from 5 months to 3.5 years of age and high levels of physical aggression and hyperactivity from 1.5 to 5 years of age, and (2) to examine whether the association between poverty and behavior problems is mediated simultaneously by perceived parenting (self-efficacy, parental impact, coercion, and overprotection), family dysfunction and maternal depression symptoms.» (p. 2)

Questions/Hypothèses :
«Three main hypotheses were generated from previous research: 1) poverty would be associated with all behavior problems; 2) perceived parenting, family dysfunction and maternal depression symptoms would be associated with all behavior problems; and 3) the association between poverty and behavior problems would be mediated by perceived parenting, family dysfunction, and/or maternal depression symptoms.» (p. 2)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«Data were obtained from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Childhood Development. […] The sample was born during the years 1997 to 1998 and was drawn from the Quebec Birth Registry using a stratified procedure based on living area and birth rate.» (p. 2) For the study, 1,759 participants were selected due to their behavior problems and level of poverty.

Instruments :
Questionnaires

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

«Grounded on the family stress model, we examined the associations between chronic poverty and children’s high trajectories of physical aggression and hyperactivity during early childhood and tested weather family processes such as perceived parenting, family functioning, or maternal depression symptoms mediated these associations. Our findings indicate that children exposed to chronic poverty are more likely to exhibit high levels of physical aggression and hyperactivity between 1.5 and 5 years than children not exposed, or children exposed to transient poverty. Only overprotection and maternal depression symptoms emerged as significant mediators of the association between poverty and children’s high trajectories of behavior problems. Contrary to previous studies among older children, coercion and family dysfunction were not identified as mediators of the poverty–behavior problems link […].» (p. 8) «Overall, our findings are consistent with prior research showing that poverty is associated with children’s mental health both directly and indirectly through mediators such as maternal depression symptoms and perceived parenting (Conger, Conger, & Martin, 2010; Shelleby et al., 2014).» (p. 8)