ABSTRACT
[Objective]To explore the effects of family cohesion and child-teacher dependency on children's attention-deficit/hy?peractivity behaviors at one year after their kindergarten entry.[Methods]Based on a cohort of 7465 first-year preschoolers in Long?hua district of Shenzhen in 2014,the information about social-demographic characteristics,family cohesion(assessed with Family Environment Scale-Chinese Version)were collected from their primary-caregivers at kindergarten entry. The teacher rating scores of child-teacher dependency(assessed with Student-Teacher Relationship Scale)and parental rating scores of attention-deficit/hyperac?tivity behaviors(assessed with Conners'Parent Symptom Questionnaire)were examined at one year after their kindergarten entry. Lo?gistic regression were performed to analyze the relationship and interaction between family cohesion and child-teacher dependency in attention-deficit/hyperactivity behaviors,after adjusting for potential confounders.[Results]Children's attention-deficit/hyperactivity behaviors at one year after kindergarten entry were negatively associated with family cohesion (OR=0.85,95% CI=0.75~0.97,P=0.01),but were not significantly associated with child-teacher dependency(OR=1.00,95%CI=0.93~1.08,P=0.98). Furthermore, family cohesion moderated the impact of child-teacher dependency on children ' s attention-deficit/hyperactivity behaviors at one year after kindergarten entry(OR=0.96,95% CI=0.92~0.99,P=0.03). In addition,neither family cohesion(OR=1.08,95%CI=0.88~1.34,P=0.47)nor child-teacher dependency(OR=1.03,95%CI=0.93~1.15,P=0.53)could protect preschoolers from persistence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity behaviors in the first year of kindergarten.[Conclusion]The association of child-teacher dependency and onset of attention-deficit/hyperactivity behaviors is modified by the level of family cohesion in preschool children.