Background
Infants’ regulatory problems
Temperament and self-regulation
Link between temperamental traits and regulatory difficulties
Influence of early regulatory problems on subsequent behavioural problems
Link between temperament traits and child’s behavioural problems
Environmental factors
Study aims and hypothesis
Methods
Participants
Study design
Intervention group | Comparison group | Significance | |
---|---|---|---|
Age of mothers, M (SD) | 24.5 (6.7) | 28.2 (6.4) | p < .001 |
n (n%) | n (n%) | ||
---|---|---|---|
Marital status | |||
Married | 29 (24.8%) | 50 (39.1%) | p = .032 |
Single mother | 24 (20.5%) | 29 (22.7%) | |
Single, partnership with the child’s father | 61 (52.1%) | 44 (34.4%) | |
Single, a new partner | 3 (2.6%) | 5 (3.9%) | |
Education | |||
Without qualification | 27 (25%) | 13 (10.4%) | p = .008 |
Secondary general school | 47 (43.5%) | 47 (37.6%) | |
Intermediate secondary school | 25 (23.1%) | 39 (31.2%) | |
Technical college entrance qualification | 3 (2.8%) | 5 (4%) | |
University entrance diploma | 4 (3.7%) | 13 (10.4%) | |
University | 2 (1.9%) | 8 (6.4%) | |
Monthly income per household | |||
<€1000 | 76 (69.7%) | 41 (35%) | p < .001 |
€1000 to €1500 | 9 (8.3%) | 43 (36.8%) | |
€1500 to €2000 | 15 (13.8%) | 16 (13.7%) | |
>€2000 | 9 (8.3%) | 17 (14.5%) | |
Nationality | |||
German | 94 (83.9%) | 99 (78%) | ns |
Turkish | 6 (5.4%) | 7 (5.5%) | |
Other | 12 (10.8%) | 21 (16.6%) |
Intervention group, M (SD) | Comparison group, M (SD) | Significance | |
---|---|---|---|
Born in which week of pregnancy (Na = 292) | 38.3 (2.80) | 38.8 (2.27) | p = .06 |
Birth weight (g) (N = 300) | 3031.82 (710.93) | 3162.99 (615.39) | p = .09 |
Age T1 (corrected, in weeks) (N = 286) | 19.3 (3.32) | 19.0 (2.39) | ns |
n (n%) | n (n%) | ||
---|---|---|---|
Gender (N = 300) | 78 male (51.7%) | 78 male (52%) | ns |
Premature baby (birth < 37 SSW) (N = 292) | 28 (19.2%) | 16 (11.0%) | p = .05 |
Measures
Child variables
Environmental variables
Participant recruitment and procedure
Statistical analyses
Intervention group, M (SD) | Comparison group, M (SD) | Comparison between groups (U test) | Normal distribution (whole group) (K-S-Z) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
SFS crying, whining and sleep problems T2 | 1.54 (.31) | 1.56 (.30) | ns | *** |
n = 143 | n = 150 | |||
SFS feeding problems T2 | 1.22 (.29) | 1.23 (.29) | ns | *** |
n = 143 | n = 150 | |||
CBCL internalizing problems T5 | 9.40 (6.30) | 7.48 (6.11) | * | + |
n = 77 | n = 83 | |||
CBCL externalizing problems T5 | 12.66 (8.25) | 11.56 (7.58) | ns | ns |
n = 82 | n = 87 | |||
EAS emotionality T5 | 2.63 (.85) | 2.64 (.82) | ns | *** |
n = 89 | n = 92 | |||
EAS activity T5 | 4.14 (.64) | 4.05 (.64) | ns | *** |
n = 89 | n = 92 | |||
EAS sociability T5 | 3.85 (.58) | 3.81 (.56) | ns | *** |
n = 89 | n = 92 | |||
EAS shyness T5 | 2.20 (.70) | 2.24 (.70) | ns | *** |
n = 88 | n = 92 | |||
ADS (mothers) T5 | 13.84 (9.69) | 13.68 (10.17) | ns | *** |
n = 89 | n = 91 | |||
PSI parental distress T5 | 2.17 (.77) | 2.26 (.86) | ns | *** |
n = 92 | n = 92 | |||
PSI dysfunctional parent–child interaction T5 | 1.58 (.50) | 1.54 (.46) | ns | *** |
n = 92 | n = 92 | |||
PSI difficult child T5 | 2.05 (.71) | 2.09 (.65) | ns | *** |
n = 91 | n = 92 |
Results
Descriptive statistics
Correlations between SFS at T2 and CBCL 1.5–5, EAS, PSI and ADS at T5
SFS C/S T2 | SFS F T2 | EAS emo T5 | EAS act T5 | EAS soc T5 | EAS shy T5 | CBCL intern T5 | CBCL extern T5 | ADS T5 | PSI PD T5 | PSI DI T5 | PSI DC T5 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SFS C/S T2 | 1 | |||||||||||
N = 248 | ||||||||||||
SFS F T2 | .39*** | 1 | ||||||||||
N = 274 | N = 248 | |||||||||||
EAS emo T5 | .27*** | .23** | 1 | |||||||||
N = 175 | N = 175 | N = 181 | ||||||||||
EAS act T5 | −.18* | −.17* | −.25** | 1 | ||||||||
N = 175 | N = 175 | N = 181 | N = 181 | |||||||||
EAS soc T5 | −.16* | ns | −.25*** | .32*** | 1 | |||||||
N = 175 | N = 181 | N = 181 | ||||||||||
EAS shy T5 | ns | ns | .162* | −.338*** | −.498*** | 1 | ||||||
N = 180 | N = 180 | N = 180 | N = 180 | |||||||||
CBCL intern T5 | .26*** | .25*** | .51*** | −.19* | −.31*** | .30*** | 1 | |||||
N = 156 | N = 156 | N = 154 | N = 154 | N = 154 | N = 153 | N = 160 | ||||||
CBCL extern T5 | .32*** | .28*** | .55*** | ns | −.25** | .20* | .72*** | 1 | ||||
N = 164 | N = 164 | N = 162 | N = 162 | N = 161 | N = 153 | N = 169 | ||||||
ADS T5 | .37*** | .22*** | .43*** | −.19* | −.29*** | ns | .36*** | .41*** | 1 | |||
N = 174 | N = 174 | N = 178 | N = 178 | N = 178 | N = 154 | N = 161 | ||||||
PSI PD T5 | .36*** | .29*** | .49*** | −.26*** | −.30*** | .19* | .39*** | .42*** | .71*** | 1 | ||
N = 178 | N = 178 | N = 178 | N = 181 | N = 181 | N = 180 | N = 156 | N = 165 | N = 180 | ||||
PSI DI T5 | .33*** | .22*** | .39*** | −.16* | −.20*** | .21** | .59*** | .58*** | .45*** | .57*** |
1
| |
N = 178 | N = 178 |
N = 181
| N = 181 | N = 181 | N = 180 | N = 156 | N = 165 | N = 180 | N = 184 | |||
PSI DC T5 | .39*** | .31*** | .68*** | −.21** | −.23*** | .16* | .57*** | .66*** | .55*** | .66*** | .69*** | 1 |
N = 177 | N = 177 |
N = 181
| N = 181 | N = 181 | N = 180 | N = 156 | N = 164 | N = 180 | N = 183 | N = 183 |
Prediction of internalizing problems (CBCL) at 3 years (T5) by means of regulatory problems at 6 months (T2), maternal distress, maternal depressive symptoms and child’s temperament traits
Model summary | R2 change | R2
| Corrected R2
| F | Beta |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Block 1/SES, global risk
| ns | .028 | .003 | ns | |
Mother’s education | ns | ||||
Household income | ns | ||||
Global risk score (HBS) | ns | ||||
Block 2
| ns | .036 | .003 | ns | |
Child’s gender | ns | ||||
Block 3
| ns | .053 | .013 | ns | |
Group (IG/CG) | ns | ||||
Block 4/early regulatory problems SFS
| .143
| .196 | .148 | 4.046*** | |
Crying/sleeping problems at 6 months | .202* | ||||
Feeding problems at 6 months | .257** | ||||
Block 5/maternal depression ADS
| .090
| .286 | .237 | 5.766*** | |
ADS at 3 years | .337*** | ||||
Block 6/PSI scales
| .130
| .416 | .359 | 7.264*** | |
Parental distress at 3 years | ns | ||||
Dysfunctional parent–child-interaction at 3 years | ns | ||||
Difficult child at 3 years | .467*** | ||||
Block 7/child’s temperament EAS
| .047
| .464 | .389 | 6.223*** | |
Emotionality at 3 years | .221* | ||||
Activity at 3 years | ns | ||||
Sociability at 3 years | ns | ||||
Shyness at 3 years | .164
+
| ||||
Block 8/interaction maternal depression X child’s temperament
| .003 | .467 | .381 | 5.453*** | |
ADS X Difficult child | ns | ||||
ADS X Emotionality | ns |
Prediction of externalizing problems (CBCL) at 3 years by means of regulatory problems at 6 months, maternal distress, maternal depressive symptoms and child’s temperament traits
Model summary | R2 change | R2
| Corrected R2
| F | Beta |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Block 1/SES, global risk
| .066
| .066 | .043 | 2.92* | |
Mother’s education | ns | ||||
Household income | ns | ||||
Global risk score (HBS) |
.165
+
| ||||
Block 2
| .037
| .103 | .074 | 3.55** | |
Child’s gender | −.196* | ||||
Block 3
| .000 | .103 | .066 | 2.82* | |
Group (IG/CG) | ns | ||||
Block 4 early regulatory problems SFS
| .158
| .261 | .218 | 6.098*** | |
Crying/sleep problems at 6 months | .287*** | ||||
Feeding problems at 6 months | .190* | ||||
Block 5/maternal depression ADS
| .117
| .378 | .336 | 9.113*** | |
ADS at 3 years | .384*** | ||||
Block 6/PSI scales
| .176
| .554 | .512 | 13.232*** | |
Parental distress at 3 years | ns | ||||
Dysfunctional parent–child-interaction at 3 years | ns | ||||
Difficult child at 3 years | .562*** | ||||
Block 7/child’s temperament
| |||||
EAS
| .055
| .609 | .558 | 11.754*** | |
Emotionality at 3 years | .220* | ||||
Activity at 3 years | .199** | ||||
Sociability at 3 years | ns | ||||
Shyness at 3 years |
.130
+
| ||||
Block 8/maternal depression X child’s temperament
| .001 | .610 | .551 | 10.226*** | |
ADS X difficult child | ns | ||||
ADS X emotionality | ns |