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Number of words at age 2.5 years is associated with intellectual functioning at age 7 years in the SELMA study
Author(s) -
Marinopoulou Maria,
Billstedt Eva,
Lin PingI,
Hallerbäck Maria,
Bornehag CarlGustaf
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
acta paediatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/apa.15835
Subject(s) - wechsler adult intelligence scale , medicine , wechsler intelligence scale for children , intelligence quotient , association (psychology) , borderline intellectual functioning , comprehension , wechsler preschool and primary scale of intelligence , test (biology) , pediatrics , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , psychology , cognition , psychiatry , biology , paleontology , linguistics , philosophy , psychotherapist
Aim We examined the association between the number of words used at age 2.5 years and deficits in intellectual functioning at age 7 years, in 549 children, and whether such association is confirmed by parental concern about the child's development. Methods Parental reports of how many words their children used at age 2.5 years were analysed for the association to intellectual functioning (assessed with Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – Fourth Edition,WISC‐IV) at age 7 years using linear regression, adjusting for sex, maternal education level, parental IQ and smoking during pregnancy. Parental concern at age 7 years was examined with the Early Symptomatic Syndromes Eliciting Neurodevelopmental Clinical Examinations‐Questionnaire (ESSENCE‐Q). Results Adjusted linear regression showed that use of 50 words or fewer at age 2.5 years, relative to use of more than 50 words, was associated with lower scores of Full‐scale IQ (B = 7.27, p = 0.001), verbal comprehension (B = 8.53, p < 0.001), working memory (B = 9.04, p < 0.001) and perceptual reasoning (B = 4.21, p = 0.045), in the WISC‐IV, at age 7 years. Parental concern was more common in the group that used 50 words or fewer (Mann‐Whitney U test, p = 0.011). Conclusion This easily accessible measure of number of words seems to be a valuable marker for intellectual functioning later in life.