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Conditions of Poverty, Parent–Child Interactions, and Toddlers’ Early Language Skills in Low-Income Families

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Abstract

Objectives The study examined the relations between parent–child interaction in the first year of life to toddlers’ language skills at age 2 years for a sample of children reared in poverty; of specific interest was testing the Family Stress Model, which proposes that the conditions of poverty influence children’s language skills through caregiver well-being (e.g., distress, depression) and interaction dysregulation. Methods Participants were from the Kids in Columbus Study, a birth-cohort study of children born to urban families experiencing material hardship. Caregiver questionnaires were collected when the child was 4–7 months to document poverty conditions (maternal hardship, institutional resources), caregiver well-being (depression, distress), and dysregulation in parent–child interactions. The Bayley-III assessed receptive and expressive language skills when the children were 2 years. Results On average, receptive language skills were nearly 1 SD below the normative mean. Path models showed a significant effect of caregiver-child dysregulated interactions on toddlers’ language skills, and an indirect effect of maternal distress on parent–child interactions and, in turn, toddlers’ language skills. Conclusions for Practice This study confirmed the theoretical Family Stress Model as a viable representation of the effects of poverty on the language skills of toddlers reared in homes experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, USA

    Laura M. Justice, Hui Jiang, Kelly M. Purtell, Kammi Schmeer, Kelly Boone & Randi Bates

  2. Educational Psychology Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, USA

    Laura M. Justice

  3. Human Development and Family Studies Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, USA

    Kelly M. Purtell

  4. Department of Sociology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, USA

    Kammi Schmeer

  5. College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, USA

    Randi Bates

  6. Health Behavior and Health Promotion Center for Health Outcomes, Policy, and Evaluation Studies, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, USA

    Pamela J. Salsberry

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  1. Laura M. Justice
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  2. Hui Jiang
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  3. Kelly M. Purtell
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  4. Kammi Schmeer
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  7. Pamela J. Salsberry
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Correspondence to Hui Jiang.

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Justice, L.M., Jiang, H., Purtell, K.M. et al. Conditions of Poverty, Parent–Child Interactions, and Toddlers’ Early Language Skills in Low-Income Families. Matern Child Health J 23, 971–978 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-018-02726-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-018-02726-9

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