Page 37 - Sample Moderate prematurity, socioeconomic status, and neurodevelopment in early childhood

Prevalence of behavioural and emotional problems
Prevalence rates of subclinical and clinical CBCL problem scores are presented
in Figure 1a-1c. Among all MP children, 6.8% had a total problems score in the
subclinical range, and 7.9% in the clinical range (combined 14.6%). For term-born
children, these figures were 4.8%, and 4.6% respectively (combined 9.4%), Figure
1a. Total problem scores in the clinical range were more prevalent in MP boys
than in MP girls (9.0% versus 6.4%), Figure 1b and 1c. The risk for a clinical total
problems score compared with term-born peers was lower for MP boys (odds
ratio [OR] 1.52, 95% CI 0.84-2.75) than for MP girls (2.62, 1.09-6.26). In MP boys,
the prevalence rates of elevated externalizing problem scores were highest (9.0%
subclinical and 10.5% clinical), while in MP girls the prevalence rates of elevated
internalizing problem scores were highest (8.4% subclinical and 9.9% clinical). 3
1A
Clinical Subclinical
0 5 10 15 20
Total problems FT MP
Externalizing problems FT MP
Internalizing problems FT MP
Emotionally reactive FT MP
Anxious/depressed FT MP
Somatic complaints FT MP
Withdrawn FT MP
Sleep problems FT MP
Attention problems FT MP
Aggressive behavior FT MP
Overall prevalence (%)
Figure 1 Prevalence rates of behavioural and emotional problems in moderately preterm (MP) and fullterm (FT) children. For total, externalizing and internalizing problems, ‘clinical’ indicates scores > 90th percentile and ‘subclinical’ indicates scores >84th and <90th percentiles. For the syndrome scales, ‘clinical’ indicates scores >97th percentile and ‘subclinical indicates scores >93th and <97th percentiles. (A) Overall prevalence, (B) Prevalence in boys, and (C) Prevalence in girls.
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