(SDAR) A Latent Class Analysis of Risk and Protective Factors in Child Development: Identifying Clusters among Alaska Native and non-Native Children
Grantee: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Principal Investigator: Meghan Shanahan Harris
Project Number: R40MC30757
Project Date: 4/01/17
Final Report
Age group(s)
- Toddlerhood (13-35 months)
Abstract
The early years of life represent a critical period for children's cognitive, emotional, social, and physical development. Young children live in complex environments characterized by the presence of multiple factors that either undermine (i.e. risk factors) or promote (i.e. protective factors) their development. Previous research has primarily focused on examining the effect of risk factors and exposure to accumulating risks on child development. While this research has contributed substantially to maternal and child health research and practice, this approach fails to account for the influence of protective factors in shaping children's developmental trajectories. It also fails to account for the way in which risk and protective factors occur concurrently andoperate in conjunction. In the proposed project, latent class analysis will be used to examine the natural clustering of risk and protective factors among young children in Alaska in order to understand which specific factors co-occur. Logistic regression will be used to examine maternal characteristics during pregnancy that predict specific clusters of risk and protective factors and to identify clusters associated with concerns about child development in order to inform targeted prevention and intervention efforts. Data will be derived from the Alaska Longitudinal Child Abuse and Neglect Linkage (ALCANLink) project and the Alaska Child Understanding Behaviors Survey (CUBS). The data are population-representative and pertain to the first three years of a child's life. Young children in Alaska represent a vulnerable population in need of services based on research specific to their unique experiences and context. Analyses will be stratified by race (Alaska Native vs. non-Native) in order to inform efforts intended to address demonstrated disparities among the Alaska Native population. In Alaska, 58% of three year-old children are white and 25% are Alaska Native/American Indian. The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services will provide de-identified data for the project. Efforts are currently underway to shift the child development research and practice paradigm from a deficits-based to a strengths-based framework, and the proposed project seeks to contribute to these efforts. Findings from the proposed project will have the potential to improve delivery of a broad range of maternal and child health services and will aid in targeting strengthsbased services to the highest-risk children. The proposed project will expand the MCH Block Grant Performance Domain Injury Prevention in the MCH Population Domain Child Health by addressing risk factors such as child maltreatment and exposure to violence. In addition, the proposed project's objective to identify groups of children with different sets of risk and protective factors for poor child development is fully consistent with the MCHB Strategic Research Issue that seeks to promote healthy development of MCH populations. Targeted populations include Native American/Alaska Native populations.Publications
Listed is descending order by year published.
Austin AE, Gottfredson NC, Zolotor AJ, Halpem CT, Marshall SW, Naumann RB, Shanahan ME. Trajectories of child protective services contact among Alaska Native/American Indian and non-Native children. Child Abuse & Neglect. 2019 Sep;95:104044.
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