1. Objectifs

Intentions :
This thesis by articles aims to «assess the behavior problems risk and underlying mechanisms related to poverty exposure acting at various times during development, from birth to early adolescence.» (p. 61) Only the first and the third articles will be summarized. The first article assesses «the extent to which the association between chronic poverty and behavior problems during early childhood is mediated by specific types of family mediators.» (p. 61) The third article examines «the timing and duration of childhood poverty in association with behavior problems in early adolescence.» (p. 62)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«The data originated from the 1998–2011 waves of the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD), a population-based longitudinal study of children followed prospectively from 0.5 to 13 years (N=2120).» (p. iii) For the first article, author «selected for the present study only those with 4 or more time points that included behavior problems and poverty data as well as those with weight variable (N=1759).» (p. 103) For the third article, author «used 12 assessments points at ages: 5 months, 1½, 2½, 3½, 4½, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, and 13 years. When participants were 13 years of age, 1290 participants from the initial sample remained in the study (i.e. 60.8% retention rate), of which a total of 983 had non-missing values on at least one of the three subtypes of behavior problems.» (p. 170)

Instruments :
Questionnaire

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

«The current dissertation strengthens empirical support for the causal association between poverty and behavior problems outcomes by demonstrating the importance of early childhood as a sensitive period as well as prolonged exposure to poverty over the course of development.» (p. 222) For the first article, «[s]tudy findings indicate that poverty is a key risk factor for behavior problems and highlight the importance of family mediating factors. In this paper we identify two potential targets for intervention and prevention efforts at the family level: overprotection and maternal depression. Results add specificity to the family stress model at least through age 5 years. Our findings support antipoverty policies directed at reducing child poverty.» (p. 117) For the third article, «[f]amilies who experienced poverty at all time periods were 9.3% of the original sample. Those who were poor at least one time period were 39.2%. The accumulation of risk model was the best fitting model for hyperactivity and opposition. The risk for physical aggression problems was associated only to poverty between 0-3 years supporting the sensitive period. [Thus, early] and prolonged exposure to childhood poverty predicted higher levels of behavior problems in early adolescence. Antipoverty policies targeting the first years of life and long term support to pregnant women living in poverty are likely to reduce behavior problems in early adolescence.» (p. 166)