Dataset Information

The association between crowding within households and behavioural problems in children: Longitudinal data from the Southampton Women's Survey.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In England, nearly one child in ten lives in overcrowded housing. Crowding is likely to worsen with increasing population size, urbanisation, and the ongoing concerns about housing shortages. Children with behavioural difficulties are at increased risk of mental and physical health problems and poorer employment prospects.

Objective

To test the association between the level of crowding in the home and behavioural problems in children, and to explore what factors might explain the relationship.

Methods

Mothers of 2576 children from the Southampton Women's Survey population-based mother-offspring cohort were interviewed. Crowding was measured at age 2 years by people per room (PPR) and behavioural problems assessed at age 3 years with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Both were analysed as continuous measures, and multivariable linear regression models were fitted, adjusting for confounding factors: gender, age, single-parent family, maternal education, receipt of benefits, and social class. Potential mediators were assessed with formal mediation analysis.

Results

The characteristics of the sample were broadly representative of the population in England. Median (IQR) SDQ score was 9 (6-12) and PPR was 0.75 (0.6-1). In households that were more crowded, children tended to have more behavioural problems (by 0.20 SDQ points (95% CI 0.08, 0.32) per additional 0.2 PPR, adjusting for confounding factors). This relationship was partially mediated by greater maternal stress, less sleep, and strained parent-child interactions.

Conclusions

Living in a more crowded home was associated with a greater risk of behavioural problems, independent of confounding factors. The findings suggest that improved housing might reduce childhood behavioural problems and that families living in crowded circumstances might benefit from greater support.

SUBMITTER: Marsh R

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6563047 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

The association between crowding within households and behavioural problems in children: Longitudinal data from the Southampton Women's Survey.

Marsh Rachael R Salika Theodosia T Crozier Sarah S Robinson Sian S Cooper Cyrus C Godfrey Keith K Inskip Hazel H Baird Janis J

Paediatric and perinatal epidemiology 20190429 3

<h4>Background</h4>In England, nearly one child in ten lives in overcrowded housing. Crowding is likely to worsen with increasing population size, urbanisation, and the ongoing concerns about housing shortages. Children with behavioural difficulties are at increased risk of mental and physical health problems and poorer employment prospects.<h4>Objective</h4>To test the association between the level of crowding in the home and behavioural problems in children, and to explore what factors might e ...[more]

PMID: 31034663

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundRates of childhood obesity are increasing globally, with poor dietary quality an important contributory factor. Evaluation of longitudinal diet quality across early life could identify timepoints and subgroups for nutritional interventions as part of effective public health strategies.ObjectiveThis research aimed to: (1) define latent classes of mother-offspring diet quality trajectories from pre-pregnancy to child age 8-9 years, (2) identify early life factors associated with these trajectories, and (3) describe the association between the trajectories and childhood adiposity outcomes.DesignDietary data from 2963 UK Southampton Women's Survey mother-offspring dyads were analysed using group-based trajectory modelling of a diet quality index (DQI). Maternal diet was assessed pre-pregnancy and at 11- and 34-weeks' gestation, and offspring diet at ages 6 and 12 months, 3, 6-7- and 8-9-years using interviewer-administered food frequency questionnaires. At each timepoint, a standardised DQI was derived using principal component analysis. Adiposity age 8-9 years was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and BMI z-scores.ResultsA five-trajectory group model was identified as optimal. The diet quality trajectories were characterised as stable, horizontal lines and were categorised as poor (n = 142), poor-medium (n = 667), medium (n = 1146), medium-better (n = 818) and best (n = 163). A poorer dietary trajectory was associated with higher maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, smoking, multiparity, lower maternal age and lower educational attainment. Using linear regression adjusted for confounders, a 1-category decrease in the dietary trajectory was associated with higher DXA percentage body fat (0.08 SD (95% confidence interval 0.01, 0.15) and BMI z-score (0.08 SD (0.00, 0.16) in the 1216 children followed up at age 8-9 years.ConclusionMother-offspring dietary trajectories are stable across early life, with poorer diet quality associated with maternal socio-demographic and other factors and childhood adiposity. The preconception period may be an important window to promote positive maternal dietary changes in order to improve childhood outcomes.

Project description:BackgroundPhysical activity (PA) has many health benefits, but motherhood is often associated with reduced PA. Considering that ages and number of children may be associated with maternal PA, and that PA patterns may change as children transition to formal schooling, we aimed to investigate the associations between ages and number of children and device-measured maternal PA.MethodsCross-sectional analyses were conducted using data from 848 mothers from the Southampton Women's Survey at two different timepoints. Two-level random intercept linear models were used to investigate associations between ages (≤4y(ears) ("younger"), school-aged, both age groups) and number (1, 2, ≥3) of children, and their interaction, and accelerometer-assessed minutes of maternal moderate or vigorous PA (log-transformed MVPA) and light, moderate or vigorous PA (LMVPA).ResultsWomen with any school-aged children engaged in more MVPA than those with only ≤4y (e.g. % difference in minutes of MVPA [95% confidence interval]: 46.9% [22.0;77.0] for mothers with only school-aged vs only ≤4y). Mothers with multiple children did less MVPA than those with 1 child (e.g. 12.5% [-1.1;24.3] less MVPA for those with 2 children). For mothers with multiple children, those with any school-aged children did less LMVPA than those with only ≤4y (e.g. amongst mothers with 2 children, those with only school-aged children did 34.0 [3.9;64.1] mins/day less LMVPA). For mothers with any ≤4y, those with more children did more LMVPA (e.g. amongst mothers with only ≤4y, those with 2 children did 42.6 [16.4;68.8] mins/day more LMVPA than those with 1 child).ConclusionsMothers with multiple children and only children aged ≤4y did less MVPA. Considering that many of these women also did more LMVPA than mothers with fewer or older children, interventions and policies are needed to increase their opportunities for higher intensity PA to maximise health benefits.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04715945.

Project description:Systemic inflammation is associated with reduced bone mineral density and may be influenced by pro-inflammatory diets. We undertook an observational analysis of associations between late pregnancy energy-adjusted dietary inflammatory index (E-DII) scores and offspring bone outcomes in childhood. E-DII scores (higher scores indicating pro-inflammatory diets) were derived from food frequency questionnaires in late pregnancy in two prospective mother-offspring cohorts: the Southampton Women's Survey (SWS) and the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). The mean (SD) offspring age at dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanning was 9.2 (0.2) years. Linear regression was used to assess associations between E-DII and bone outcomes, adjusting for offspring sex and age at DXA and maternal age at childbirth, educational level, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), parity, physical activity level, and smoking in pregnancy. Associations were synthesized using fixed-effect meta-analysis. Beta coefficients represent the association per unit E-DII increment. In fully adjusted models (total n = 5910) late pregnancy E-DII was negatively associated with offspring whole body minus head bone area (BA: β = -3.68 [95% confidence interval -6.09, -1.27] cm2 /unit), bone mineral content (BMC: β = -4.16 [95% CI -6.70, -1.62] g/unit), and areal bone mineral density (aBMD: β = -0.0012 [95% CI -0.0020, -0.0004] g.cm-2 /unit), but there was only a weak association with BMC adjusted for BA (β = -0.48 [95% CI -1.11, 0.15] g/unit) at 9 years. Adjustment for child height partly or, for weight, fully attenuated the associations. Higher late pregnancy E-DII scores (representing a more pro-inflammatory diet) are negatively associated with offspring bone measures, supporting the importance of maternal and childhood diet on longitudinal offspring bone health. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).

Project description:We compared bone outcomes in children with breech and cephalic presentation at delivery. Neonatal whole-body bone mineral content (BMC) and area were lower in children with breech presentation. At 4 years, no differences in whole-body or spine measures were found, but hip BMC and area were lower after breech presentation. INTRODUCTION:Breech presentation is associated with altered joint shape and hip dysplasias, but effects on bone mineral content (BMC), area (BA) and density (BMD) are unknown. METHODS:In the prospective Southampton Women's Survey mother-offspring cohort, whole-body bone outcomes were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in 1430 offspring, as neonates (mean age 6 days, n?=?965, 39 with a breech presentation at birth) and/or at age 4.1 years (n?=?999, 39 breech). Hip and spine bone outcomes were also measured at age 4 years. RESULTS:Neonates with breech presentation had 4.2 g lower whole-body BMC (95% CI -7.4 to -?0.9 g, P?=?0.012) and 5.9 cm2 lower BA (-?10.8 to -?1.0 cm2, P?=?0.019), but BMD was similar between groups (mean difference -?0.007, -?0.016 to 0.002 g/cm2, P?=?0.146) adjusting for sex, maternal smoking, gestational diabetes, mode of delivery, social class, parity, ethnicity, age at scan, birthweight, gestational age and crown-heel length. There were no associations between breech presentation and whole-body outcomes at age 4 years, but, in similarly adjusted models, regional DXA (not available in infants) showed that breech presentation was associated with lower hip BMC (-?0.51, -?0.98 to -?0.04 g, P?=?0.034) and BA (-?0.67, -?1.28 to -?0.07 cm2, P?=?0.03) but not with BMD (-?0.009, -?0.029 to 0.012 g, P?=?0.408), or spine outcomes. CONCLUSIONS:These results suggest that breech presentation is associated with lower neonatal whole-body BMC and BA, which may relate to altered prenatal loading in babies occupying a breech position; these differences did not persist into later childhood. Modest differences in 4-year hip BMC and BA require further investigation.

Project description:AimTo investigate the associations between indices of bone health in childhood and corresponding parental measures.MethodsThe Southampton Women's Survey characterised 12,583 non-pregnant women aged 20-34 years; 3158 subsequently had singleton live births. In a subset, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measurements of bone area (BA), bone mineral content (BMC) and areal bone mineral density (aBMD) lumbar spine and total hip were obtained in the parent/offspring (aged 8-9 years) trios. Another subset of children (aged 6-7 years), and their parents, had peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT; 4% and 38% tibia) measures. Using multivariable linear regression we examined relationships between mother/father and offspring, adjusting for parental age, habitual walking speed and education; offspring age and sex; and the corresponding bone measure in the other parent (β-coefficients (95%CI) unit/unit for each bone measure).ResultsData were available for 260 trios with DXA and 99 with pQCT. There were positive associations for BA, BMC and aBMD between either parent and offspring. Mother-child associations were of greater magnitude than father-child; for example, mother-child aBMD (β = 0.26 g·cm-2/g·cm-2 (0.21,0.32)) and father-child aBMD (β = 0.16 g·cm-2/g·cm-2 (0.11,0.21)), P-difference in β = 0.007. In the subset with pQCT there was a positive association for mother-offspring 4% tibial total area (β = 0.33 mm2/mm2 (0.17,0.48)), but little evidence of a father-offspring association (β = -0.06 mm2/mm2 (-0.17,0.06)). In contrast offspring 38% cortical density was more strongly associated with this measure in fathers (β = 0.48 mg·cm-3/mg·cm-3 (0.15,0.82)) than mothers (β = 0.27 mg·cm-3/mg·cm-3 (-0.03,0.56)). In general mother-father differences were attenuated by adjustment for height.ConclusionsWhilst offspring bone measures are independently associated with those of either parent, the magnitude of the association is often greater for maternal than paternal relationships. These findings are consistent with an in utero influence on offspring growth but might also reflect genetic and/or epigenetic parent of origin effects.SummaryIn an established parent-offspring cohort, associations between parent and offspring bone indices were generally greater in magnitude for mother-offspring than father-offspring relationships.

Dataset Information

The association between crowding within households and behavioural problems in children: Longitudinal data from the Southampton Women's Survey.

Background

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

The association between crowding within households and behavioural problems in children: Longitudinal data from the Southampton Women's Survey.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets