Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine the attributable risk of low income for child psychosocial morbidity. Data on 1,996 6- to 16-year-old participants from the Ontario Child Health Study, a province-wide cross-sectional study done in 1983, were used. Outcomes measured included psychiatric disorders, poor school performance, chronic health problems, and social impairment. The attributable risk for low income and child psychosocial morbidity was generally small except among selected disorders in younger children. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ministry of Supply and Services Canada (1995) Poverty Profile 1993. National Council on Welfare, Ottawa, Canada
Lipman EL, Offord DR, Boyle MH (1994) Economic disadvantage and child psychosocial morbidity. Can Med Assoc J 151: 431–437
Offord DR, Boyle MH, Jones BR (1987) Psychiatric disorder and poor school performance among welfare children in Ontario. Can J Psychiatry 32: 518–525
Rutter M, Cox A, Tupling C, Berger M, Yule W (1975) Attainment and adjustment in two geographical areas. I. Prevalence of psychiatric disorder. Br J Psychiatry 126: 493–509
Berger M, Yule W, Rutter M (1975) Attainment and adjustment in two geographical areas. II. The prevalence of specific reading retardation. Br J Psychiatry 126: 510–519
Boyle MH, Offord DR, Hoffman HG, Catlin GP, Byles JW, Links PS, Rae-Grant NI, Szatmari P (1987) Ontario Child Health Study. I. Methodology. Arch Gen Psychiatry 44: 826–831
Statistics Canada (1984) Canadian Statistical Reviews Ottawa (Catalogue No 11003) A note on the measurement of poverty in Canada. June VI–XIII
Lilienfeld AM, Lilienfeld DE (1980) Foundations of epidemiology, 2nd edn. Oxford University Press, New York
Egbuono L, Starfield B (1982) Child health and social status. Pediatrics 69: 550–557
Offord DR, Boyle MH, Racine YA (1989) Children at risk. Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services, Toronto, Canada
Shaw DS, Emery RE (1988) Chronic family adversity and school-age children's adjustment. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 27: 200–206
Velez CN, Johnson J, Cohen P (1989) A longitudinal analysis of selected risk factors for childhood psychopathology. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 28: 861–864
Rutter M, Graham P, Chadwick OFD, Yule W (1976) Adolescent turmoil: fact or fiction? J Child Psychol Psychiatry 17: 35–56
Offord DR, Boyle MH, Racine YA, Fleming JE, Cadman DT, Munroe Blum H, Byrne C, Links PS, Lipman EL, MacMillan HL, Rae-Grant NI, Sanford MN, Szatmari P, Thomas H, Woodward CA (1992) Outcome, prognosis, and risk in a longitudinal follow-up study. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 31: 916–923
Offord DR, Boyle MH, Racine YA (1989) Ontario Child Health Study: correlates of disorder. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 28: 856–860
Trickett PK, Aber JL, Carlson V, Cicchetti D (1991) Relationship of socioeconomic status to the etiology and developmental sequelae of physical child abuse. Dev Psychol 27: 148–158
Duncan GJ, Brooks-Gunn J, Klebanov PK (1994) Economic deprivation and early-childhood development. Special issue on children and poverty. Child Dev 65: 296–318
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lipman, E.L., Offord, D.R. & Boyle, M.H. What if we could eliminate child poverty?. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 31, 303–307 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00787925
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00787925