INFANT Research Centre, Department of Paediatrics, University College Cork, T12 K8AF Cork, Ireland.
School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health, Dublin City University, 9 Dublin, Ireland.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Dec 8;18(24):12923. doi: 10.3390/ijerph182412923.
Children with below average cognitive ability represent a substantial yet under-researched population for whom cognitive and social demands, which increase in complexity year by year, may pose significant challenges. This observational study examines the longitudinal relationship between early cognitive ability and emotional-behavioral difficulties (EBDs) between the age of three and nine. Participants include 7134 children from the population-based cohort study growing up in Ireland. Cognitive ability was measured at age three using the Picture Similarities Scale. A t-score one to two standard deviations below the mean was defined as below average cognitive ability ( = 767). EBDs were measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) at three, five, and nine years of age. Generalized linear mixed models and logistic regression were used to examine the relationship. Below average cognitive ability was an independent predictor of higher longitudinal SDQ scores. After adjustment, children with below average cognitive ability were 1.39 times more likely (AOR 1.39, 95% CI 1.17-1.66, < 0.001) to experience a clinically significant EBD between the ages of three to nine years. This study demonstrates the increased risk of EBDs for children with below average cognitive ability. A scalable method of early identification of at-risk children should be a research priority for public health, enabling early intervention for cognitive and adaptive outcomes.
儿童认知能力低于平均水平，这一人群数量庞大，但研究却相对较少。对于这些儿童来说，他们的认知和社会需求逐年增加，可能会面临重大挑战。本观察性研究考察了 3 至 9 岁儿童早期认知能力与情绪行为困难（EBD）之间的纵向关系。参与者包括来自爱尔兰基于人群的队列研究的 7134 名儿童。在三岁时使用图片相似性量表测量认知能力。得分低于平均值一个到两个标准差被定义为认知能力低于平均水平（ = 767）。使用长处和困难问卷（SDQ）在三岁、五岁和九岁时测量 EBD。使用广义线性混合模型和逻辑回归来检验关系。认知能力低于平均水平是纵向 SDQ 评分较高的独立预测因素。调整后，认知能力低于平均水平的儿童在 3 至 9 岁之间出现临床显著 EBD 的可能性增加了 1.39 倍（优势比 1.39，95%置信区间 1.17-1.66， < 0.001）。本研究表明，认知能力低于平均水平的儿童患 EBD 的风险增加。对于公共卫生而言，应优先研究一种可规模化的早期识别高危儿童的方法，以便针对认知和适应结果进行早期干预。
