Kohen D E, Brooks-Gunn J, McCormick M, Graber J A
Center for Young Children and Families, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.
J Dev Behav Pediatr. 1997 Oct;18(5):295-303. doi: 10.1097/00004703-199710000-00003.
To examine the concordance of mother and teacher ratings of children born at different birth weights on measures of school functioning, behavioral problems, and social competencies, we used a prospective cohort study involving children in two previously studied multisite birth cohorts whom we recontacted at 8 to 10 years of age. This provided a multisite sample of 784 low birth weight children and 334 normal birth weight children. Teacher reports of children's behaviors were obtained from 80% of the 1400 teachers contacted. We found that birth weight and neonatal health were associated with both maternal and teacher reports; that maternal characteristics, e.g., low levels of education and poor mental health, were associated with the greatest discrepancies in reports; and that although mothers' reports of objective measures were accurate, their assessments of behavioral problems and social competence often differed from those of teachers.
