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Adolescent Internalizing, Externalizing, and Social Problems Following Iron Deficiency at 12–18 Months: The Role of Maternal Responsiveness
Author(s) -
Doom Jenalee R.,
Gahagan Sheila,
East Patricia L.,
Encina Pamela,
Delva Jorge,
Lozoff Betsy
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/cdev.13266
Subject(s) - psychology , developmental psychology , structural equation modeling , externalization , iron deficiency , cohort , clinical psychology , anemia , psychiatry , medicine , statistics , mathematics , psychoanalysis
This study tested whether maternal responsiveness moderated or mediated pathways from iron deficiency (ID) at 12–18 months to adolescent behavior problems. Participants were part of a large Chilean cohort ( N = 933). Iron status was assessed at 12 and 18 months. Maternal responsiveness was assessed at 9 months and 5 years. Parents reported their child’s symptomology at 5 years, 10 years, and adolescence (11–17 years; M = 14.4). Structural equation modeling identified a previously unrecognized pathway by which child externalizing problems and negative maternal responsiveness at 5 years mediated associations between ID at 12–18 months and adolescent internalizing, externalizing, and social problems. Positive maternal responsiveness in infancy did not buffer those with ID anemia from developing 5‐year internalizing problems.