Wu Saishuang, Zhang Donglan, Li Xinyue, Zhao Jin, Sun Xiaoning, Shi Lu, Mao Yuping, Zhang Yunting, Jiang Fan
Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, China.
Division of Health Services Research, Department of Foundations of Medicine, New York University Long Island School of Medicine, New York, NY 11501, USA.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 May 9;19(9):5739. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19095739.
(1) Background: The current study aims to investigate the association between the presence of a sibling and early childhood development (ECD). (2) Methods: Data were obtained from a large-scale population-based cohort in Shanghai. Children were followed from three to six years old. Based on birth order, the sample was divided into four groups: single child, younger child, elder child, and single-elder transfer (transfer from single-child to elder-child). Psychosocial well-being and school readiness were assessed with the total difficulties score from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the overall development score from the early Human Capability Index (eHCI), respectively. A multilevel model was conducted to evaluate the main effect of each sibling group and the group × age interaction effect on psychosocial well-being and school readiness. (3) Results: Across all measures, children in the younger child group presented with lower psychosocial problems (β = −0.96, 95% CI: −1.44, −0.48, p < 0.001) and higher school readiness scores (β = 1.56, 95% CI: 0.61, 2.51, p = 0.001). No significant difference, or marginally significant difference, was found between the elder group and the single-child group. Compared to the single-child group, the single-elder transfer group presented with slower development on both psychosocial well-being (Age × Group: β = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.18, 0.56, p < 0.001) and school readiness (Age × Group: β = −0.75, 95% CI: −1.10, −0.40, p < 0.001). The sibling-ECD effects did not differ between children from families of low versus high socioeconomic status. (4) Conclusion: The current study suggested the presence of a sibling was not associated with worse development outcomes in general. Rather, children with an elder sibling are more likely to present with better ECD.
(1) 背景：本研究旨在调查兄弟姐妹的存在与幼儿发展（ECD）之间的关联。(2) 方法：数据来自上海一个大规模的基于人群的队列研究。对儿童从三岁到六岁进行跟踪。根据出生顺序，样本被分为四组：独生子女、弟弟妹妹、哥哥姐姐以及独子变长子（从独生子女转变为有哥哥或姐姐）。分别采用长处与困难问卷（SDQ）的总困难得分和早期人类能力指数（eHCI）的总体发展得分来评估心理社会幸福感和入学准备情况。采用多层次模型来评估每个兄弟姐妹组的主效应以及组×年龄交互效应对心理社会幸福感和入学准备情况的影响。(3) 结果：在所有测量指标中，弟弟妹妹组的儿童心理社会问题较少（β = -0.96，95%置信区间：-1.44，-0.48，p < 0.001）且入学准备得分较高（β = 1.56，95%置信区间：0.61，2.51，p = 0.001）。在哥哥姐姐组和独生子女组之间未发现显著差异或边缘显著差异。与独生子女组相比，独子变长子组在心理社会幸福感（年龄×组：β = 0.37，95%置信区间：-0.18，0.56，p < 0.001）和入学准备（年龄×组：β = -0.75，95%置信区间：-1.10，-0.40，p < 0.001）方面的发展都较慢。社会经济地位低和高的家庭中的儿童，兄弟姐妹与幼儿发展的效应没有差异。(4) 结论：本研究表明，一般而言，兄弟姐妹的存在与较差的发展结果无关。相反，有哥哥或姐姐的儿童更有可能有更好的幼儿发展。
