Determinants of aggressive and prosocial behaviour among Jamaican schoolboys / Determinantes del comportamiento agresivo y prosocial entre los escolares Jamaicanos)

PURPOSE: This study examines risk factors for aggression among boys in Kingston, Jamaica. METHODS: One hundred and one aggressive and 101 prosocial schoolboys in grades 5-6 (mean age 11.7, SD 0.6 years) were selected by peer and teacher ratings from 10 schools in the capital city, Kingston, during 1998. They were given in-depth questionnaires, arithmetic, reading and verbal intelligence tests and their behaviour was rated. Their parents were also given a detailed questionnaire. RESULTS: The aggressive boys reported significantly more involvement in fights than the prosocial boys. They had lower scores on spelling/reading and verbal IQ, less ambitious aspirations and poorer quality school uniforms. They were not more likely to infer hostile intent in ambiguous situations but were more likely to respond with aggression. Aggressive boys came from poorer homes with more marijuana use, less parental affection or supervision and more family discord. They were less exposed to religious instruction, their parents had lower occupational levels and were more likely to be in common-law unions than married. They were more exposed to neighbourhood violence and were punished more often at home and at school. Logistic regression analyses were carried out to determine the independent risk factors for aggression. Exposure to neighbourhood violence, physical punishment at home and family discord were associated with increased risk; parents' being married, practising religion as a family and better school uniforms were associated with reduced risk. CONCLUSIONS: Although community violence was a serious problem, family characteristics were also important risk factors for aggressive behaviour.

Propósito: Este estudio examina los factores de riesgo que influyen en la agresión entre los niños en Kingston, Jamaica. Métodos: Ciento un escolares agresivos y 101 escolares prosociales en los grados 5­6 (edad promedio 11.7, desviación estándard 0.6 años) fueron seleccionados de acuerdo con las valoraciones de los pares y los maestros de 10 escuelas en la ciudad capital, Kingston, durante 1998. Se les aplicó cuestionarios exhaustivos, así como pruebas de aritmética y lectura, tests de inteligencia, y se clasificó su conducta. A sus padres también se les aplicó un cuestionario detallado. Resultados: Los niños agresivos reportaron una participación en peleas significativamente mayor que los niños prosociales. Asimismo, tuvieron puntuaciones más bajas en deletreo, lectura y coeficiente de inteligencia (C.I.) verbal, mostraron tener aspiraciones menos ambiciosas, y vestían uniformes más pobres. No estaban más inclinados a inferir intenciones hostiles en situaciones ambiguas, pero si más propensos a responder agresivamente. Los niños agresivos provenían de hogares más pobres, caracterizados por mayor consumo de marihuana, menos afecto o supervisión por parte de los padres, y más discordia en la familia. Estaban también menos expuestos a la instrucción religiosa, sus padres tenían bajo nivel ocupacional, y vivían en su mayor parte más en unión consensual que en matrimonio. Estaban más expuestos a la violencia del vecindario, y recibían castigos en la casa y la escuela con mayor frecuencia. Se llevaron a cabo análisis de regresión logística a fin de determinar los factores de riesgo de la agresión. La exposición a la violencia del vecindario, el castigo físico en el hogar, y la discordia familiar estaban asociados con el aumento del riesgo. En cambio, padres casados en matrimonio, la práctica de la religión como familia, y mejores uniformes escolares, estuvieron asociados con la reducción del riesgo. Conclusiones. Aunque la violencia comunitaria constituía un serio problema, las características de la familia fueron también importantes factores de riesgo en el comportamiento agresivo.

Factors associated with size and proportionality at birth in term Jamaican infants.

The objective of this study was to identify the factors associated with size and proportionality at birth in a cohort of term infants established to investigate their growth and development. One hundred and forty term low-birth-weight (birth-weight < 2,500 g) infants and 94 normal birth-weight infants (2,500- < 4,000 g) were recruited within 48 hours of birth at the main maternity hospital, Kingston, Jamaica. Birth anthropometry and gestational age were measured, and maternal information was obtained by interview and from hospital records. Controlling for gestational age, variables independently associated with birth-weight were rate of weight gain in the second half of pregnancy, maternal height, haemoglobin level < 9.5 microg/dL, time of first attendance in antenatal clinic, birth order, pre-eclampsia, and consumption of alcohol, with 33% of the variance in birth-weight explained. Birth length was associated only with maternal height and age, while measures of proportionality (ponderal index and head/length ratio) were associated with characteristics of the environment in late pregnancy, including rate of weight gain, weight in late pregnancy, and pre-eclampsia. The variation in maternal characteristics associated with size or proportionality at birth may reflect the times during gestation when different aspects of growth are most affected.

Nutritional deficiencies and subsequent effects on mental and behavioral development in children.

Nutritional deficiencies at all stages of growth, both pre- and post-natal, can affect a child's physical, mental and behavioral development. In this paper, we review literature about how mental development is affected by the following nutritional conditions: low birth weight, mild, moderate, and severe protein-energy malnutrition, iodine deficiency, and iron deficiency.