{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]],"date-time":"2026-10-07T01:58:31Z","timestamp":1791338311594,"version":"4.3.1"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)","issue":"1","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[1997,7,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Objectives.\u2003To describe the characteristics of homeless and low-income preschool-aged children, and to identify family and environmental determinants of their behavior.<\/jats:p>\n               <jats:p>Methods.\u2003An unmatched case-control design was used to recruit a sample of sheltered homeless families and a comparison group of low-income housed families who were never homeless in Worcester, Massachusetts. Seventy-seven sheltered homeless and 90 low-income housed mothers with preschool-age children were assessed using a comprehensive interview protocol. Information about mothers' housing, income, service use, par-enting practices, and children's father was obtained. Data about children's background, health, and life events were included. Standardized instruments were administered to assess mothers' mental health and their children's behavior. Comparisons of homeless and low-income housed families were used to describe the sample of 167 preschoolers. Multiple linear regression was used to examine the association of various stressors, such as homelessness, and family factors with their behavior.<\/jats:p>\n               <jats:p>Results.\u2003Although homeless preschoolers were significantly more likely to have experienced stressful life events, undergone a care and protection investigation, and been placed in foster care when compared with low income preschoolers, differences in adverse behaviors were minimal. Although homeless children scored higher than housed children on the internalizing, externalizing, and total problem score on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) (52.5 vs 49.9, 54.8 vs 51.2, and 54.4 vs 51.1, respectively), approximately equal numbers of children from both groups scored in the clinical range. With regard to determinants of behavior, mothers' emotional status was one of the strongest independent predictors of negative behavioral outcomes on both subscales. Foster care placement and death of a child's friend were predictors of adverse internalizing behavioral outcomes on the CBCL. After controlling for housing status, parenting practices, child's age, child's history of physical abuse, and specific life stressors predicted adverse externalizing behavioral outcomes. For both subscales, housing status and behavior were only marginally associated in the multivariate model.<\/jats:p>\n               <jats:p>Conclusions.\u2003Both homeless and low-income children experienced significant adversity in their lives, with homeless preschool children facing more stress. However, differences in behavior as measured by the CBCL were minimal. Mothers' emotional status, in addition to various stressors, strongly predict children's negative outcomes for both CBCL subscales. These findings emphasize the importance of preventive family-oriented interventions that address the needs of preschoolers and their mothers.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1542\/peds.100.1.92","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2004,8,13]],"date-time":"2004-08-13T23:40:17Z","timestamp":1092440417000},"page":"92-100","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":73,"title":["Determinants of Behavior in Homeless and Low-income Housed Preschool Children"],"prefix":"10.1542","volume":"100","author":[{"given":"Ellen L.","family":"Bassuk","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"From the Better Homes Fund, Newton, Massachusetts; the"},{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; the"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Linda F.","family":"Weinreb","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"New England Biomedical Research Foundation, Cambridge, Massachusetts; and the"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ree","family":"Dawson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester, Massachusets."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jennifer N.","family":"Perloff","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"From the Better Homes Fund, Newton, Massachusetts; the"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"John C.","family":"Buckner","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"From the Better Homes Fund, Newton, Massachusetts; the"},{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; the"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"417","published-online":{"date-parts":[[1997,7,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"2021121018432682500_B1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"640","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.1996.03540080062031","article-title":"The characteristics and needs of sheltered homeless and low-income housed mothers.","volume":"276","author":"Bassuk","year":"1996","journal-title":"JAMA"},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B2"},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B3"},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1770","DOI":"10.1037\/0003-066X.46.11.1170","article-title":"The impact of homelessness on children.","volume":"46","author":"Rafferty","year":"1991","journal-title":"Am Psychol"},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"109","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1540-4560.1990.tb01801.x","article-title":"Constantly compromised. The impact of homelessness in children.","volume":"46","author":"Molnar","year":"1990","journal-title":"J Soc Issues."},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B6","first-page":"668","article-title":"Children in sheltered homeless families: reported health status and use of health services.","volume":"81","author":"Miller","year":"1988","journal-title":"Pediatrics."},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B7","first-page":"858","article-title":"Health of homeless children and housed, poor children.","volume":"86","author":"Wood","year":"1990","journal-title":"Pediatrics."},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"257","DOI":"10.1542\/peds.85.3.257","article-title":"Psychosocial characteristics of homeless and children with homes.","volume":"85","author":"Bassuk","year":"1990","journal-title":"Pediatrics."},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"210","DOI":"10.1037\/h0079236","article-title":"Ability, achievement and adjustment and homeless children.","volume":"61","author":"Rescorla","year":"1991","journal-title":"Am J Orthopsychiatry"},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B10","first-page":"520","article-title":"Rescorla L, Finkelstein J, Barnes N, Holmes J, Stolley P. A survey of the health and homeless children in Philadelphia shelters.","volume":"145","author":"Parker","year":"1991","journal-title":"Am J Dis Child"},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"516","DOI":"10.1093\/sw\/35.6.516","article-title":"Homelessness and cognitive performance in children: a possible link.","volume":"35","author":"Whitman","year":"1990","journal-title":"Soc Work."},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B12","first-page":"247","article-title":"The growth and developmental status of homeless children entering shelters in Boston.","volume":"104","author":"Lewis","year":"1989","journal-title":"Public Health Rep."},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"732","DOI":"10.1097\/00004583-199009000-00009","article-title":"Psychopathology and developmental delay in homeless children.","volume":"29","author":"Fox","year":"1990","journal-title":"J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry."},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B14"},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"241","DOI":"10.2105\/AJPH.87.2.241","article-title":"Homelessness in female-headed families: childhood and adult risk and protective factors.","volume":"87","author":"Bassuk","year":"1997","journal-title":"Am J Public Health"},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B16"},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"723","DOI":"10.1037\/0012-1649.22.6.723","article-title":"Ecology of the family as a context for human development: research perspectives.","volume":"22","author":"Brofenbrenner","year":"1986","journal-title":"Dev Psychol"},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B18"},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"723","DOI":"10.1037\/0012-1649.22.6.723","article-title":"Ecology of the family as a context for human development: research perspectives.","volume":"22","author":"Brofenbrenner","year":"1986","journal-title":"Dev Psychol"},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B20"},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1097","DOI":"10.2105\/AJPH.76.9.1097","article-title":"Characteristics of sheltered homeless families.","volume":"76","author":"Bassuk","year":"1986","journal-title":"Am J Public Health"},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B22"},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B23"},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"75","DOI":"10.2307\/351733","article-title":"Measuring intrafamily conflict and violence: the Conflict Tactics (CT) Scales.","volume":"14","author":"Straus","year":"1979","journal-title":"J Marriage Fam."},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B25"},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B26"},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"75","DOI":"10.2307\/351733","article-title":"Measuring intrafamily conflict and violence: the Conflict Tactics Scales.","volume":"14","author":"Strause","year":"1979","journal-title":"J Marriage Fam"},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"613","DOI":"10.1097\/00004583-198809000-00016","article-title":"A parent practices scale and its relation to parent and child mental health.","volume":"27","author":"Strayhorn","year":"1988","journal-title":"Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry"},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B29"},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B30"},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"8","DOI":"10.1001\/archpsyc.1994.03950010008002","article-title":"Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of DSM-II-R psychiatric disorders in the United States. Results from the National Comorbidity Survey.","volume":"51","author":"Kessler","year":"1994","journal-title":"Arch Gen Psychiatry."},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"335","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-006X.61.2.335","article-title":"Children in homeless families. Risk to mental health and development.","volume":"61","author":"Masten","year":"1993","journal-title":"J Consult Clin Psychol"},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"335","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-006X.61.2.335","article-title":"Children in homeless families: risks to mental health and development.","volume":"61","author":"Masten","year":"1993","journal-title":"J Consult Clin Psychol."},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1017","DOI":"10.1097\/00004583-199409000-00013","article-title":"Behavior problems in 5- to 11-year-old children from low-income families.","volume":"33","author":"Raadal","year":"1994","journal-title":"J Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry"},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1049","DOI":"10.2105\/AJPH.80.9.1049","article-title":"Homeless and housed families in LA: a Study comparing demographic, economic, and family function characteristics.","volume":"80","author":"Wood","year":"1990","journal-title":"Am J Public Health"},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B36"},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B37"},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"53","DOI":"10.1016\/0145-2134(87)90033-0","article-title":"The medical and psychosocial needs of children entering foster care.","volume":"11","author":"Hochstadt","year":"1987","journal-title":"Child Abuse Negl"},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B39"},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"885","DOI":"10.2307\/353308","article-title":"Parental and nonparental childcare and children's socioemotional development: a decade in review.","volume":"52","author":"Belsky","year":"1990","journal-title":"J Marriage Fam"},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"432","DOI":"10.1037\/0003-066X.41.4.432","article-title":"Performance models for antisocial boys.","volume":"41","author":"Patterson","year":"1986","journal-title":"Am Psychol."},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1183","DOI":"10.1016\/0145-2134(95)00086-N","article-title":"Depression and maltreatment as predictors of social competence and social problem-solving skills in school-age children.","volume":"10","author":"Levendonsky","year":"1995","journal-title":"Child Abuse Negl."},{"key":"2021121018432682500_B43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"830","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-006X.59.6.830","article-title":"Promoting competent young people in competence-enhancing environments: a systems-based perspective on primary prevention.","volume":"59","author":"Weissberg","year":"1991","journal-title":"J Consult Clin Psychol."}],"container-title":["Pediatrics"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/publications.aap.org\/pediatrics\/article-pdf\/100\/1\/92\/889403\/pe079700092o.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/publications.aap.org\/pediatrics\/article-pdf\/100\/1\/92\/889403\/pe079700092o.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2021,12,11]],"date-time":"2021-12-11T05:31:58Z","timestamp":1639200718000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/publications.aap.org\/pediatrics\/article\/100\/1\/92\/38840\/Determinants-of-Behavior-in-Homeless-and-Low"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[1997,7,1]]},"references-count":43,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[1997,7,1]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[1997,7,1]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1542\/peds.100.1.92","relation":{},"ISSN":["1098-4275","0031-4005"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1098-4275","type":"electronic"},{"value":"0031-4005","type":"print"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[1997,7,1]]}}}