Detailed contribution information
| Contribution title | Sex differences in socio-emotional, motor and regulatory functioning in infancy as predictors of externalizing and internalizing problems at age 5-7 years: a longitudinal population-based study. |
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| Contribution code | D1.150 |
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| Form of presentation | Poster |
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| Abstract |
Introduction and objectives: Sex differences in risk of emotional-behavioral problems are present in childhood and peak in adolescence. However, the early origin of sex-specific trajectories of psychopathology is unknown. Therefore, we explored whether deviations in socio-emotional development, motor milestones and regulatory problems showed sex differences at 8-10 months of age, and/or interacted with sex to predict internalizing and externalizing symptoms at 5-7 years. Method: The Copenhagen Child Cohort (CCC2000) is a longitudinal birth cohort study. Community health nurses evaluated deviations in infant development at age 8-10 months assessing motor, socio-emotional and regulatory functioning (N=5019); and internalizing and externalizing problems were measured at age 5–7 years (N=2799) using the parent-reported Strength and Difficulty Questionnaire. Logistic and Quasi-Poisson regression were conducted to address our research questions. Results and Conclusion: Girls had increased odds of displaying deviations in reaction to verbal contact (OR 4.12) and contact smile (OR 1.98), but decreased odds of showing problems with nonverbal communication, including waving (OR 0.78), pointing (OR 0.72) and imitating clapping (OR 0.78), and gross motor development (OR 0.67) compared to boys. We found no interactions with sex in the prediction of internalizing and externalizing problems. However, across both sexes, abnormalities in reaction to verbal contact and sustained play predicted both internalizing and externalizing scores, while eating problems predicted internalizing problems. In conclusion, sex differences in motor and social-emotional development are present already from infancy, and while specific deviations in infancy predicted emotional-behavioural problems in preschool-aged children, the associations were similar for girls and boys. |