Heterogeneity in Risk and Protection Among Alaska Native/American Indian and Non-Native Children

Abstract

Currently, little is known about patterns of co-occurring risk and protective factors among young children. Understanding variations in co-occurring risk and protective factors among children in Alaska is important as experiences of collective trauma may contribute to differences in the intersection of risk and protective factors between Alaska Native/American Indian (AN/AI) and non-Native children. Using data from the Alaska Longitudinal Child Abuse and Neglect Linkage (ALCANLink) project, a linkage of the 2009-2011 Alaska Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System survey and administrative data sources, and the 2012-2014 Childhood Understanding Behaviors Survey, we conducted latent class analysis to identify classes of AN/AI (N=593) and non-Native (N=1,018) children in terms of seven risk factors (poverty, maternal

Patterns of Risk and Protective Factors Among Alaska Children: Association With Maternal and Child Well‐Being

“…In a previous study, we conducted LCA to identify classes of AN/AI and non-Native children with distinct patterns of seven risk factors (low socioeconomic status [SES], maternal depression, maternal binge drinking, parental incarceration, intimate partner violence exposure, child exposure to violence exposure, CPS contact for suspected maltreatment), and four protective factors (father figure involvement, reading by parents, family meals, peer interactions) experienced prior to age 3 years (Austin et al, 2019). Risk and protective factor measures were based on maternal responses to questions included on CUBS, with the exception of CPS contact, which was based on records from the Alaska OCS.…”

“…Specific questions used to derive risk and protective factor measures are included in Table S1. Among AN/AI children, we identified a high risk/moderate protection class (29.1%) characterized by moderate to high probabilities of several risk factors (low SES, maternal depressions, parental incarceration, violence exposure, CPS contact) and three protective factors (regular father figure involvement, family meals, and interactions with peers; Austin et al, 2019). We also identified a low SES/high protection class (70.9%) characterized by a high probability of low SES and all protective factors (Austin et al, 2019).…”

“…Among AN/AI children, we identified a high risk/moderate protection class (29.1%) characterized by moderate to high probabilities of several risk factors (low SES, maternal depressions, parental incarceration, violence exposure, CPS contact) and three protective factors (regular father figure involvement, family meals, and interactions with peers; Austin et al, 2019). We also identified a low SES/high protection class (70.9%) characterized by a high probability of low SES and all protective factors (Austin et al, 2019). Among non-Native children, we identified a moderate risk/high protection class (32.9%) characterized by moderate to high probabilities of low SES, maternal depression, and all protective factors (Austin et al, 2019).…”

“…We also identified a low SES/high protection class (70.9%) characterized by a high probability of low SES and all protective factors (Austin et al, 2019). Among non-Native children, we identified a moderate risk/high protection class (32.9%) characterized by moderate to high probabilities of low SES, maternal depression, and all protective factors (Austin et al, 2019). We also identified a low risk/high protection class (67.1%) characterized by a high probability of all protective factors (Austin et al, 2019).…”

“…In a previous study, we conducted LCA to identify and summarize key patterns of risk and protective factors experienced by AN/AI and non-Native children in Alaska prior to age 3 years (Austin et al, 2019). Risk factors related to aspects of the child's early family environment and protective factors related to aspects of interpersonal relationships (Austin et al, 2019). The aim of this study was to examine the association of the previously identified latent classes of risk and protective factors with child developmental risk at age 3 years.…”