Are all risks equal? Early experiences of poverty-related risk and children’s functioning.

Abstract

Using cumulative risk and latent class analysis (LCA) models, this research examines how exposure to deep poverty (income-to-needs ratio <.50) and four poverty-related risks (single-parent household, residential crowding, caregiver depression, and multiple life stressors) in preschool is related to children’s future difficulty in school in a longitudinal sample of 602 Head-Start enrolled, low-income families. Results from the LCA revealed four risk profiles: low risk, deep poverty and single, single and stressed, and deep poverty and crowded household. Tests of measurement invariance across racial/ethnic groups established that although patterns of risk are similar across groups (i.e. risks co-vary in the same way), the prevalence of risk profiles differ. African American families were over-represented in the ‘deep poverty and single’ profile while Latino and White families were over-represented in the ‘deep poverty and crowded’ profile. Finally, children’s third grade functioning in three domains (academic performance, behavior problems, self-regulatory skills) was predicted using a cumulative risk index and LCA identified risk profiles. Both approaches demonstrated that children who experienced higher levels of risk in preschool had worse school performance than children with low levels of risk. However, the LCA also revealed that children who experienced ‘single and stressed’ family settings had more behavior problems than low risk children while children who experienced ‘deep poverty and crowded’ family settings had worse academic performance. The results indicate that all risks are not equal for children’s development and highlight the utility of LCA for tailoring intervention efforts to best meet the needs of target populations.

Unmet basic needs and health intervention effectiveness in low-income populations

“…7,15,25 In our sample of nearly universally low-income adults, there was wide variability in the experience of unmet basic needs, especially in the areas of financial, housing, and food security. The use of latent class analysis is a strength of the study.…”

Cognitive and behavioral rating measures of executive function as predictors of academic outcomes in children

“…The context for this study is an urban public school setting where students are diverse and frequently encounter linguistic and economic challenges. This context is important because children with limited socioeconomic resources and from minority populations may be considered as being at risk of experiencing executive dysfunction and/or academic failure (Finn & Rock, 1997; Noble, Farah, & McCandliss, 2006; Roy & Raver, 2014). The term “at risk” can also be used within school districts to mean being at risk of experiencing academic failure, with categories including students who have been retained or perform unsatisfactorily on state-mandated tests, or who are homeless.…”

The Roles of School Readiness and Poverty-Related Risk for 6th Grade Outcomes

“…Emerging research documents the differential relationships between types or clusters of risk and student outcomes (Roy & Raver, 2014) as well as the importance of considering the role of the stability or instability of risks over time (i.e., Roy et al, 2014; Wolf et al, 2014). In future work we would like to examine variations in the types of risks families experienced over time, within the 7 dimensions of poverty operationalized within the paper.…”