Family income may influence a child's cognitive development

By Staff Writer

Persistent poverty can lead to cognitive development problems among young children, according to a new study.

The report, which appears in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, is based on a longitudinal study of 18,819 babies born between 2000 and 2002. When the children were 5 years old, their parents filled out questionnaires about their family's socioeconomic situation and their domestic dynamics. In addition, the children were given a vocabulary test.

Researchers concluded that kids who grew up in poor households were significantly more likely than children in middle-class or wealthy homes to develop cognitive problems. Common characteristics of cognitive disorders include difficulties processing information and applying their knowledge.

Some kids who grow up in low-income families engage in gang behavior when they reach adolescence. According to the National Center for Juvenile Detention, about one-third of public high school principals report gang activity in their schools. By age 17, about 8 percent of teens say they belong to a gang.

Although income level was a major contributing factor to learning problems, the study's author found no correlation between cognitive issues and family instabilities, such as single-parent homes and divorce.

Adolescents who struggle in school may benefit from summer boot camps for teens.