The Journal of Pediatrics
Volume 151, Issue 3 , Pages 284-288.e1, September 2007

Socioeconomic Position, Maternal IQ, Home Environment, and Cognitive Development

  • Shilu Tong, PhD

      Affiliations

    • School of Public Health Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Australia
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: Dr Shilu Tong, School of Public Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Qld. 4059, Australia.
    • ,
  • Peter Baghurst, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Public Health Research Unit, Children, Youth, and Women’s Health Service, and Disciplines of Paediatrics and Public Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
    • ,
  • Graham Vimpani, PhD

      Affiliations

    • The Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia
    • ,
  • Anthony McMichael, PhD

      Affiliations

    • National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.

Received 16 September 2006; received in revised form 16 January 2007; accepted 15 March 2007. published online 26 June 2007.

Objective

To assess whether socioeconomic position, maternal intelligence (IQ), and the home environment are inter-related to cognitive development in childhood.

Study design

Prospective cohort study (n = 723) with cognitive tests at ages 2, 4, 7, and 11 to 13 years.

Results

There were statistically significant positive associations of father’s occupational prestige, Home Observation for Measurement of Environment (HOME) score, and maternal IQ with cognitive performance in childhood. After adjustment for confounding factors, there was an increase in cognitive development by 0.8 to 2.0, 2.9 to 4.8, and 4.2 to 9.0 points for a 10-unit increment in father’s occupational prestige, maternal IQ, and HOME score, respectively.

Conclusions

These results demonstrate that socioeconomic position, maternal IQ, and the home environment are independently and positively predictive of children’s cognitive development. These findings provide additional rationale for implementing social policies that reduce socioeconomic inequalities.

Abbreviations: HOME, Home Observation for Measurement of Environment, IQ, Intelligence Quotient, MDI, Mental Development Index

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 Supported by a series of grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation; Dr Shilu Tong is supported by an NHMRC Research Fellowship.

PII: S0022-3476(07)00261-2

doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2007.03.020

The Journal of Pediatrics
Volume 151, Issue 3 , Pages 284-288.e1, September 2007

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