Title

The Effects of Early Home Environment

Document Type

Student Presentation

Presentation Date

April 2016

Faculty Sponsor

Jennifer Weaver

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects that the early home environment has on pre-adolescent externalizing and internalizing behavior. Data were analyzed from 1,364 children and families in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care Youth Development (SECCYD). Dimensions of the home environment were examined and rated by interviewers using the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) inventory at 6 and 36 months. Child’s behavior was rated by the parents as well as teachers, using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) from grades 3-6. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed a significant relationship was found between home environment at 36 months and pre-adolescent externalizing behavior, such that a less enriching environment was predictive of higher externalizing behavior problems. Externalizing behaviors were also related to mother’s education and gender. Income-to-needs ratio, an indicator of the families poverty level, was the only significant variable related to pre-adolescent internalizing behavior. Further, it is supported that an enriching early home environment is predictive of lower externalizing and internalizing behavior.

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