Behavioral problems in preadolescence: Does gender matter?

Abstract

Behavioral problems in children are increasingly acknowledged as a global issue in mental health. Preadolescence is the transitory phase of development that links childhood and adolescence, and the presence of behavioral problems in this phase could be detrimental to children's present and future. This study aimed to describe the epidemiology of "behavioral problems" in preadolescents aged 11 to 12 years and to examine their distribution by socioeconomic status and children's characteristics while developing an in-depth understanding of the role of gender as a risk factor for such problems. A school-based, cross-sectional study was conducted in Karachi, Pakistan. Participants were selected from a middle-class, coeducational school chain. Sociodemographic questionnaires and an officially adapted version of Youth Self Report Form, which is child-and adolescent-reported version of Child Behavior Checklist, were used to collect data from children. The prevalence of Overall Behavioral Problems was 28.6%. From Broadband Scales, the relative prevalence of internalizing problems was about 52% higher than that of externalizing problems. Among the Narrowband Scales, somatic complaints were the most prevalent (23.2%). Male children significantly had higher odds for being at risk of Overall Behavioral problems, internalizing problems, and co-occurring behavioral issues, as compared to female children. The study concludes that the prevalence of overall behavioral problems is at the higher end of the global range. Male children are more at risk for overall behavioral problems, and contrary to previous studies, they are significantly more at risk of internalizing problems. Our study is the first to report the risk of co-occurrence of multiple issues with respect to gender, and adds that male children are significantly at risk of multiple co-occurring behavioral problems. Our study highlights the need for an in-depth understanding of cultural, sociopolitical conditions for actionable and gender-sensitive interventions for preadolescents.

Assessment of Behavioral Disorders in Iranian Children with Functional Constipation

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Exploring Gender Moderation: The Impact of Neighborhood Factors on Adolescent Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms

“…Gender is one of the strongest and most consistent factors associated with internalizing and externalizing symptoms, but findings have been inconsistent [46][47][48]. Rocchino et al's study [47] found that gender predicted adolescent internalizing symptoms but not externalizing symptoms, whereas Gauthier-Duchesne et al [49] suggested that girls showed a higher likelihood of experiencing increased internalizing symptoms, whereas boys demonstrated a higher likelihood of experiencing increased externalizing symptoms.…”

Improving Children’s Mental Health Literacy Through the Cocreation of an Intervention and Scale Validation: Protocol for the CHILD-Mental Health Literacy Research Study

“…Among different childhood stages, mid-late childhood or preadolescence (9-11 years old) deserves attention as it is a vulnerable transition period during which children have many developmental tasks to accomplish and difficulty in achieving them [14]. The age between 9 and 11 years corresponds to the last 2 years of primary school across the world according to the UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) definition [15].…”