Roy Amanda L, Raver C Cybele
Steinhardt School of Education, Culture, & Human Development, Department of Applied Psychology, New York University.
J Fam Psychol. 2014 Jun;28(3):391-400. doi: 10.1037/a0036683. Epub 2014 Apr 21.
Using cumulative risk and latent class analysis (LCA) models, we examined how exposure to deep poverty (income-to-needs ratio <0.50) and 4 poverty-related risks (i.e., single-parent household, residential crowding, caregiver depression, and multiple life stressors) in preschool is related to children's future difficulty in school in a longitudinal sample of 602 Head Start-enrolled, low-income families. Results from the LCA revealed 4 risk profiles: low risk, deep poverty and single, single and stressed, and deep poverty and crowded household. Tests of measurement invariance across racial/ethnic groups established that, although patterns of risk are similar across groups (i.e., risks covary in the same way), the prevalence of risk profiles differs. African American families were overrepresented in the "deep poverty and single" profile while Latino and White families were overrepresented in the "deep poverty and crowded" profile. Finally, children's third grade functioning in 3 domains (i.e., academic performance, behavior problems, and self-regulatory skills) was predicted using a cumulative risk index and LCA-identified risk profiles. Both approaches demonstrated that children who experienced higher levels of risk in preschool had worse school performance than children with low levels of risk. However, LCA also revealed that children who experienced "single and stressed" family settings had more behavior problems than low-risk children while children who experienced "deep poverty and crowded" family settings had worse academic performance. The results indicate that all risks are not equal for children's development and highlight the utility of LCA for tailoring intervention efforts to best meet the needs of target populations.
我们使用累积风险和潜在类别分析（LCA）模型，在一个包含602个参加“启智计划”的低收入家庭的纵向样本中，研究了学前阶段暴露于深度贫困（收入需求比<0.50）和4种与贫困相关的风险（即单亲家庭、居住拥挤、照顾者抑郁和多种生活压力源）如何与儿童未来在学校面临的困难相关。LCA的结果揭示了4种风险概况：低风险、深度贫困且单亲、单亲且有压力、深度贫困且家庭拥挤。跨种族/族裔群体的测量不变性检验表明，尽管各群体的风险模式相似（即风险以相同方式共变），但风险概况的患病率不同。非裔美国家庭在“深度贫困且单亲”概况中占比过高，而拉丁裔和白人家庭在“深度贫困且家庭拥挤”概况中占比过高。最后，使用累积风险指数和LCA确定的风险概况预测了儿童在三年级时在3个领域（即学业成绩、行为问题和自我调节技能）的表现。两种方法都表明，在学前阶段经历较高风险水平的儿童比低风险儿童的学业表现更差。然而，LCA还显示，经历“单亲且有压力”家庭环境的儿童比低风险儿童有更多行为问题，而经历“深度贫困且家庭拥挤”家庭环境的儿童学业表现更差。结果表明，所有风险对儿童发展的影响并不相同，并突出了LCA在调整干预措施以最佳满足目标人群需求方面的效用。
