Socio-economic status of the place of residence and children's psychomotor development and mental health: Results from the French ELFE cohort study

Objectives This study aimed to measure the association between the socio-economic status of the place of residence and children's psychomotor development and mental health in France. Methods Data originated from the ELFE cohort study, a nationally representative birth cohort of approximately 18,000 children born in France in 2011 were matched to information on the socio-economic status of the place of residence (n = 8,985 children). Children's psychomotor development at age five years was measured using the Child Developmental Inventory (CDI); their mental health using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). To measure the socio-economic status of children’s place of residence, we used the French Deprivation Index (FDep) of the municipality where they were living at birth. Unadjusted and adjusted linear regression models with covariates relative to the child's sex and health status at birth, the mother's level of education and health status during pregnancy and the parents' occupation yielded beta coefficients with their accompanying standard errors and 95% Confidence Intervals (CI). Statistical analyses were weighted to produce estimates representative of children in France. Results Among participating children 5.6% showed developmental delay, 13% emotional problems, 16% behavioral problems, 12% symptoms of hyperactivity or inattention and 7.8% had peer relationship problems. In general, child developmental problems and adverse mental health were most frequent among those residing in the poorest cities. After stratifying the statistical analysis by region of residence, in the Greater Paris region, children living in socio-economically disadvantaged areas had higher levels of externalizing symptoms than those living in more affluent areas (β 3 = 0.92). Discussion Our data show an association between the socio-economic status of the area of residence and children’s psychomotor development and mental health that are statistically explained by family and child characteristics. For reasons of confidentiality, our statistical analyses were limited by the use of socio-economic status at the town level, in broad categories. Future studies would gain from investigating the role of neighborhood socio-economic situation and testing other dimensions of the socio-economic status scale. Conclusion The relationship between socio-economic status of the place of residence and children's psychomotor development and mental health appears to be explained by family and child characteristics.