Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #101573

Ron Gray, MPH¹, Alka Indurkhya, PhD², Marie C. McCormick, ScD², and Stephen Buka, ScD². (1) National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7LF, United Kingdom, +44 (0) 1865 226608, ron.gray@npeu.ox.ac.uk, (2) Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA MA 02115-609

BACKGOUND: Clinically significant behavior problems are twice as common in children born preterm compared to their peers but little is known about the continuity of these behavior problems into adult life. AIM: To determine the prevalence, continuity and perinatal predictors of behavior problems at age 18 in a cohort of preterm low birth weight infants. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. POPULATION STUDIED: Full data was available on 584 of the 985 children enrolled in the Infant Health and Development Program (IHDP) at eight US sites between October 1984 and August 1985. Behavior problems were assessed at ages 5 and 8 using the Child Behavior Checklist and at 18 using the Behavior Problems Inventory to form 'clinical' and 'normal' groups. Maternal postnatal psychological distress was defined by score on the General Health Questionnaire at 40 weeks gestation. Prevalence and continuity of behavior problems at each age were estimated and alternating logistic regression analysis was used to model the adjusted log odds of being in the 'clinical' group at ages 5, 8 and 18 against several perinatal variables including maternal psychological distress. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: At 18 years 24.7% were in the clinical group. This compared with 19.2% at age 5 and 21.5% at age 8. Clinically significant behavior problems at ages 5 and 8 showed marked continuity into adulthood. Clinically significant behavior problems at ages 5 through to 18 were predicted by gender, maternal psychological distress, use of cigarettes during pregnancy, and having significant behavior problems at ages 5 and 8.

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