TY - JOUR
T1 - Risk of mother-reported child abuse in the first 3 years of life
AU - Windham, Amy M.
AU - Rosenberg, Leon
AU - Fuddy, Loretta
AU - McFarlane, Elizabeth
AU - Sia, Calvin
AU - Duggan, Anne K.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported in part by the federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau (R40 MC 00029 (formerly MCJ 240637) and R40 MC 00123 (formerly MCJ 240838)); The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (18303); The Annie E. Casey Foundation (94-4041); The David and Lucile Packard Foundation (93-6051, 94-7957, 97-8058, and 98-3448); and the Hawaii State Department of Health (99-29-J).
Copyright:
Copyright 2008 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2004/6
Y1 - 2004/6
N2 - Objective: The purpose of this research was to investigate, within an at-risk population, parent and child characteristics associated with a mother's self-reports of severe physical assault and assault on the self-esteem of the child in the first 3 years of life. Design: The study population consisted of a community-based sample of mothers of newborns identified as at-risk for child maltreatment (n=595). Families were assessed annually from the child's birth through age 3 using instruments with established psychometric properties. Independent variables investigated included: family socio-demographics, parity, mother's social support, maternal depression, maternal problem drug or alcohol use, partner violence, child's age, child's sex, low birth weight/small for gestational age (SGA), and mother's perception of child's demand level. Associations with maltreatment were examined using multivariable methods for longitudinal data. Results: Child severe physical assault was significantly associated with parent characteristics (maternal depression and partner violence); and child characteristics (SGA). Assault to the child's self-esteem was significantly associated with maternal depression, maternal illicit drug use, partner violence and mother's perception of child's demand level. Controlling for family sociodemographic characteristics did not change the associations. Likewise, while mother's perception of child demand level had an independent association with self-esteem assault, the associations described above persisted while demand level was held constant. In this high-risk sample, abuse was not associated with mother's age, education, race, parity, or household income level. Conclusions: While characteristics such as SGA can serve as markers for increased abuse risk, they are not amenable to intervention after the child is born. However, certain other risk factors, such as maternal depression and domestic violence are malleable and should be targeted for intervention with the goal of preventing child maltreatment.
AB - Objective: The purpose of this research was to investigate, within an at-risk population, parent and child characteristics associated with a mother's self-reports of severe physical assault and assault on the self-esteem of the child in the first 3 years of life. Design: The study population consisted of a community-based sample of mothers of newborns identified as at-risk for child maltreatment (n=595). Families were assessed annually from the child's birth through age 3 using instruments with established psychometric properties. Independent variables investigated included: family socio-demographics, parity, mother's social support, maternal depression, maternal problem drug or alcohol use, partner violence, child's age, child's sex, low birth weight/small for gestational age (SGA), and mother's perception of child's demand level. Associations with maltreatment were examined using multivariable methods for longitudinal data. Results: Child severe physical assault was significantly associated with parent characteristics (maternal depression and partner violence); and child characteristics (SGA). Assault to the child's self-esteem was significantly associated with maternal depression, maternal illicit drug use, partner violence and mother's perception of child's demand level. Controlling for family sociodemographic characteristics did not change the associations. Likewise, while mother's perception of child demand level had an independent association with self-esteem assault, the associations described above persisted while demand level was held constant. In this high-risk sample, abuse was not associated with mother's age, education, race, parity, or household income level. Conclusions: While characteristics such as SGA can serve as markers for increased abuse risk, they are not amenable to intervention after the child is born. However, certain other risk factors, such as maternal depression and domestic violence are malleable and should be targeted for intervention with the goal of preventing child maltreatment.
KW - Child abuse
KW - Depression
KW - Family violence
KW - Psychological abuse
KW - Temperament
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U2 - 10.1016/j.chiabu.2004.01.003
DO - 10.1016/j.chiabu.2004.01.003
M3 - Article
C2 - 15193853
AN - SCOPUS:2942583033
SN - 0145-2134
VL - 28
SP - 645
EP - 667
JO - Child Abuse and Neglect
JF - Child Abuse and Neglect
IS - 6
ER -