ORCID Profile
0000-0003-3097-5872
Current Organisation
The University of Auckland
Does something not look right? The information on this page has been harvested from data sources that may not be up to date. We continue to work with information providers to improve coverage and quality. To report an issue, use the Feedback Form.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.EARLHUMDEV.2019.04.001
Abstract: Poor maternal health, disadvantageous exposures during pregnancy and unfavourable perinatal events are associated with adverse trajectories in offspring cognitive development. To examine longitudinal associations between antenatal maternal, perinatal and maternal health characteristics and children's early cognitive development across executive control, motor ability and receptive language domains. Analyses comprised interview and observational data from 4587 children and their mothers enrolled in the longitudinal Growing Up in New Zealand cohort study. Children's executive control (Luria hand clap task), motor skills (mothers' report) and receptive language ability (Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test) were assessed at age 4.5 years. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted, controlling for sociodemographic factors. Smoking pre- and during pregnancy, no folate intake during first trimester and low birth weight were risk factors for poorer executive control. Perceived stress during pregnancy, no folate intake during first trimester and low birth weight were all risk factors for poorer motor ability. Smoking pre-pregnancy, antenatal anxiety and no folate intake during first trimester were risk factors for poorer receptive language ability. Adverse ante- and perinatal environments are associated with poorer executive control, motor and receptive language abilities in early childhood. Improving maternal education and support especially for more disadvantaged mothers during pregnancy may reduce the potential deleterious impact of adverse ante- and perinatal conditions on children's early cognition.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 21-06-2020
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 11-01-2021
DOI: 10.1017/S1355617720001265
Abstract: The objective of this study was to derive a factor structure of the measures of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Toolbox Cognition Battery (CB) that is representative of cognitive abilities in a large ethnically erse cohort of 8-year-old children in Aotearoa New Zealand. Our s le comprised of 4298 8-year-old children from the Growing Up in New Zealand study. We conducted exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis for the NIH Toolbox CB measures to discover the best-fitting factor structure in our s le. Measurement invariance of the identified model was tested across child’s gender, socio-economic status (SES), and ethnicity. A three-dimensional factor structure was identified, with one factor of Crystallised Cognition (Reading and Vocabulary), and two distinguished factors of fluid cognition: Fluid Cognition I (Attention/Inhibitory Control, Processing Speed, and Cognitive Flexibility) and Fluid Cognition II (Working Memory, Episodic Memory). The results demonstrate excellent model fit, but reliability of the factors was low. Measurement invariance was confirmed for child’s gender. We found configural, but neither metric nor scalar, invariance across SES and the four major ethnic groups: European, Māori, Pacific Peoples, and Asian. Our findings show that, at the age of 8 years, fluid abilities are more strongly associated with one another than with crystallised abilities and that fluid abilities need to be further differentiated. This dimensional structure allows for comparisons across child’s gender, but evaluations across SES and ethnicity within the Aotearoa New Zealand context must be conducted with caution. We recommend using raw scores of the in idual NIH Toolbox CB measures in future research.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 14-11-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S10578-022-01453-1
Abstract: We investigated the association between persistence and change in behavioral difficulties during early to middle childhood and several cognitive outcomes. We observed 3904 8-year-olds enrolled in the longitudinal study Growing Up in New Zealand (50% male/female 23% Māori, 9% Pacific Peoples, 13% Asian, 2% Middle Eastern/Latin American/African, 9% Other, 43% European). The NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery was used to assess cognitive functioning at 8 years and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire for behavioral difficulties at 4.5 and 8 years. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted, controlling for well-known sociodemographic confounders. Children with persistent or later onset of behavioral difficulties were at higher risk for poorer vocabulary, reading, inhibitory control/attention, episodic memory, working memory and processing speed at age 8 compared to children with no or improved difficulties. Our study supports the importance of addressing both cognitive and behavioral aspects when planning educational programmes and interventions in early and middle childhood.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2021
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 06-04-2022
No related grants have been discovered for Denise Neumann.