The goal of this project is to test risk and resiliency pathways linking social determinants of health and child characteristics to young children's health. We will examine the role of four social determinants of health (i.e., social position, racism, segregation, and promoting/inhibiting environments) and child characteristics (i.e., trauma exposure, age, gender, temperament) on the health (i.e., social, emotional, and cognitive development and physical health) of racial/ethnic minority and/or low socioeconomic status children aged 3 through 5 years. We will carry out two specific aims.
Aim 1 : To test the extent to which social determinants of health and child characteristics are associated with children's health. We hypothesize that social determinants of health will have a direct and an indirect effect on young children's health.
Aim 2 : To test specific mediating paths and moderating effects of child characteristics on children's health. We hypothesize that (1) children's level of exposure to traumatic events will mediate the relationship between social determinants of health and children's health;(2): traumatic events related to family violence or intimate partner violence, in particular, will function as critical mediators of the relationship between the social determinants of health and children's health, and (3) child characteristics of age, gender, and temperament, will moderate the effects of social determinants of health on children's health. To test these hypotheses, we will conduct a cross sectional study in which we will collect data from a community-based sample of 400 racial/ethnic minority and/or low income children aged 3 through 5 years attending early childhood care and education settings located in an underserved urban community. Children will complete developmental assessments and their caregivers and their early childhood care and education teachers will report on children's health (i.e., social, emotional, and cognitive development and physical health). We will also use geospatial information systems to derive variables of residential segregation and promoting and inhibiting environments. The study will be conducted through collaboration between our team of university-based researchers and representatives of 13 early childhood care and education settings operated by a non-profit anti-poverty agency.
This project will: (1) help us to better understand the role of multiple social determinants of health and child characteristics on the health of young children;(2) help us to understand which children are at the highest risk for poor health status;and (3) inform the development and evaluation of culturally appropriate strategies at multiple levels of children's ecology to promote health. The project supports NIH's mission to conduct science to extend healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability. It will further NIH's mission by fostering innovative research strategies and their application and seeks to do so for communities (geographic location, cultural groups, and young children) most at risk for poor health outcomes. The broad long-term objective is to inform a range of strategies at multiple levels of children's ecology to combat health disparities. This grant application proposes an innovative model to accelerate future scientific progress regarding the examination of multiple social determinants of health on young children's health. This project will: (1) help us to better understand the role of multiple social determinants of health and child characteristics on the health of young children;(2) help us to understand which children are at the highest risk for poor health status;and (3) inform the development and evaluation of culturally appropriate strategies at multiple levels of children's ecology to promote health.
| Roberts, Yvonne Humenay; Huang, Cindy Y; Crusto, Cindy A et al. (2014) Health, emergency department use, and early identification of young children exposed to trauma. J Emerg Med 46:719-24 |
| Roberts, Yvonne Humenay; Campbell, Christina A; Ferguson, Monette et al. (2013) The role of parenting stress in young children's mental health functioning after exposure to family violence. J Trauma Stress 26:605-12 |
| Roberts, Yvonne Humenay; Ferguson, Monette; Crusto, Cindy A (2013) Exposure to traumatic events and health-related quality of life in preschool-aged children. Qual Life Res 22:2159-68 |
