Social‐emotional problems among three‐year‐olds differ based on the child's gender and custody arrangement

Abstract

Aim The aim of this study was to investigate mental health with respect to social‐emotional problems among three‐year‐olds in relation to their gender, custody arrangements and place of residence. Methods A cross‐sectional population‐based design was used, encompassing 7179 three‐year‐olds in northern Sweden during the period 2014–2017 from the regional Salut Register. Descriptive and comparative analyses were performed based on parents’ responses on the Ages and Stages Questionnaires: Social‐Emotional, supplemented with items on gender, custody arrangement and place of residence. Results Parental‐reported social‐emotional problems were found in almost 10% of the children. Boys were reported to have more problems (12.3%) than girls (5.6%; p < 0.001). Parents were most concerned about children's eating habits and interactions at mealtimes. Parents not living together reported more problems among their children than those living together (p < 0.001). When stratifying by custody arrangement, girls in rural areas living alternately with each parent had more problems compared to those in urban areas (p < 0.008). Conclusion Gender and custody arrangements appear to be important factors for social‐emotional problems among three‐year‐olds. Thus, such conditions should receive attention during preschool age, preferably by a systematic preventive strategy within Child Health Care.

Social-Emotional Problems Among 3-Year-Olds Are Associated With an Unhealthy Lifestyle: A Population-Based Study

“…Children who did not live with both parents were more likely to be at risk, especially girls. We have discussed this finding in detail in our previous publication (7). The same applies to the gender differences we found.…”

“…The first edition of the ASQ:SE 36-month interval was included in the questionnaire used in this study (1,21). The ASQ:SE reflects the risk of social-emotional problems among children and it is considered to have adequate psychometric properties that includes validity and reliability internationally (7,(21)(22)(23). ASQ:SE consists of 31 items and three open-ended questions, the latter not used in this study.…”

Social-emotional problems among Swedish three-year-olds: an Item Response Theory analysis of the Ages and Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional

“…Previous study on the distribution of the ASQ:SE items [10] has shown that parents were mainly concerned about the following items: children's eating situation, problems when asked whether the child checks that you are nearby, does what you ask him/her, complies with your requests, cries or screams for a long time, or about a child's hyperactivity. Although many children may have difficulties in these areas, it does not necessarily mean that they should be considered having social-emotional problems.…”

“…Gender differences have been identified in children's social and behavioural problems. Pre-school aged boys have significantly more externalizing behaviour, depression and developmental disorders compared to girls [7][8][9][10]. Early childhood is an important period for measuring and detecting mental health problems, and use of a screening instrument can aid early detection of children's behavioural delays or disorders in order to enable early interventions suitable for both boys and girls.…”

“…Despite the growing concern about the increasing mental health problem in Sweden especially among children and young adults [15][16][17], our knowledge is very limited when it comes to pre-school children. Previous analyses, mainly in regard to social-emotional problems, focused on the psychometric properties of the instrument and provided a descriptive analysis of the ASQ:SE total score [10,18,19]. These studies have been valuable and have provided a basis for our understanding.…”