Structural inequality modifies midlife outcomes of a multisystemic early childhood program.

Introduction: The role of structural inequalities in the long-term benefits of early childhood programs has not been assessed. Previous findings in the Chicago Longitudinal Study, an early childhood cohort investigation with low-income families, indicate that Child-Parent Center (CPC) participation beginning in preschool was associated with a variety of positive health behaviors. In this secondary analysis, we assessed if structural inequalities (neighborhood poverty, history of discrimination) modified the magnitude of associations between CPC and health and education outcomes (cardiovascular health, body mass index, educational attainment) 30 years later.

Structural Equality and Support Index in Early Childhood Education.

Importance: Whether early childhood education is associated with a wide range of adult outcomes above and beyond individual- and family-level outcomes is unknown. As a consequence of improving educational and career success, it is postulated that participation in high quality, comprehensive programs can promote residence in more supportive community contexts in adulthood.

Objective: To investigate whether participation in high-quality early childhood programs (ECP) in high-poverty neighborhoods is associated with neighborhood-level social determinants of health (SDH) at midlife.

Evaluation of Midlife Educational Attainment Among Attendees of a Comprehensive Early Childhood Education Program in the Context of Early Adverse Childhood Experiences.

Importance: Educational attainment is a key social determinant of health and can be particularly consequential for racial and ethnic minority populations. Although the consequences of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are well established, there is little research on protective factors and policy-relevant strategies to mitigate ACE-related inequities.

Objective: To examine associations between early ACEs, comprehensive early intervention, and midlife educational attainment in a cohort of predominantly Black participants.

Closing Achievement Gaps Through Preschool-To-Third-Grade Programs.

Achievement gaps by family income, race, and ethnicity have persisted for decades. Yet only in recent years has this major social problem become a national priority in the U.S.

Is more child-initiated always better? Exploring relations between child-initiated instruction and preschoolers' school readiness.

Although research suggests that the use of child-initiated vs. teacher-directed instructional practices in early childhood education has implications for learning and development, the precise nature of these effects remains unclear. Using data from the Midwest Child-Parent Center (CPC) Expansion Project, the present study examined the possibility that a blend of child- and teacher-directed practices best promotes school readiness among preschoolers experiencing high levels of sociodemographic risk and explored whether the optimal blend varies based on child characteristics.

Early Education and Adult Health: Age 37 Impacts and Economic Benefits of the Child-Parent Center Preschool Program.

This paper evaluates the long-term impacts of the Chicago Child-Parent Center (CPC) program, a comprehensive early childhood program launched in the 1960s, on the physical and mental health outcomes. This study follows a cohort of 1539 participants born in 1979-1980 and surveyed most recently at age 35-37 by employing a matched study design created by including all students who were enrolled in kindergarten classrooms in CPC school sites as well as entire kindergarten classrooms in a matched set of similar high-poverty schools. Using propensity score weighting that addresses potential issues with differential attrition and nonrandom treatment assignment, results reveal that CPC preschool participation is associated with significantly lower rates of adverse health outcomes such as smoking and diabetes.

Psychiatric and substance use disorders in a predominately low-income, black sample in early midlife.

Decades of research have documented elevated rates of psychopathology among individuals affected by poverty. However, many studies have relied on predominately White samples, and on brief symptom screening measures which may not fully capture the experiences of individuals of color (who are disproportionately affected by poverty in the United States.) The present study examines prevalence rates of probable major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorder, and alcohol use disorder in a predominately Black sample that grew up in urban poverty, utilizing structured neuropsychiatric interview methods.

Psychological well-being in midlife following early childhood intervention.

The present study is the first to examine the relations between participation in a public early childhood intervention (the Child-Parent Center (CPC) program) and psychological well-being (or, positive functioning) into early mid-life. Data are drawn from the Chicago Longitudinal Study (CLS), which has followed a cohort of 1,539 individuals who grew up in urban poverty for over four decades. Approximately two-thirds of the original study cohort participated in the CPC program in early childhood; the rest comprise a demographically matched comparison group.

Educational growth trajectories in adulthood: Findings from an inner-city cohort.

Educational attainment is typically examined as a static status. As adult learners have become the new trend in higher education, the changes in educational attainment in adulthood warrant more attention. Using data from the Chicago Longitudinal study (CLS), an ongoing panel investigation of 1,539 children, predictors of educational growth trajectories in adulthood were investigated.

Assessment of a Comprehensive Early Childhood Education Program and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Midlife.

Importance: Educational attainment is an underrecognized factor associated with racial disparities in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Early childhood programs providing comprehensive family services can promote educational and socioeconomic success, but few, if any, studies of large-scale programs have assessed their associations with midlife CVD risk and mediating factors.

Objective: To examine the association between an early childhood program providing multisystemic services from ages 3 to 9 years with midlife CVD risk and whether years of education mediate these associations.

Preschool instructional approaches and age 35 health and well-being.

In this study we sought to explore the association between preschool instructional approach and health and well-being at age 35 for a large sample of low-income children. Participants included 989 low-income, minority children who attended Child-Parent Center preschools as part of the Chicago Longitudinal Study from 1983 to 1985. Preschool curriculum was obtained from teacher reports and validated by program evaluators.

Adverse childhood experiences in a low-income black cohort: The importance of context.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have been definitively linked with cross-domain life course well-being. While scales measuring the ten "Conventional" ACEs (ACEs-C; intrafamilial experiences of abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction) are parsimonious, use of such scales alone may fail to capture crucial information about adversity, particularly in youth growing up in underresourced areas. Patterns and disparities in Conventional and Expanded ACEs (ACEs-E; experiences more common in impoverished and densely populated areas) were examined in the large, primarily Black Chicago Longitudinal Study cohort.

Preschool and Kindergarten Impacts of the Midwest Expansion of the Child-Parent Centers in the Saint Paul Public Schools.

The Midwest Child-Parent Center (CPC) Expansion began preschool implementation in fall 2012 in five Minnesota and Illinois districts. This study reports preschool and kindergarten impact findings for the Saint Paul Public School District. It is the first impact study of CPC outside of Chicago.

A Comprehensive, Multisystemic Early Childhood Program and Obesity at Age 37 Years.

This cohort study analyzes reductions in obesity rates at age 37 years among individuals who participated in a multisystemic Child-Parent Center preschool program.

Child development as social action: Reflections on four underrated contributions of Edward Zigler to science and society.

In a career spanning six decades, Edward Zigler redefined developmental psychology as the equal integration of scientific inquiry and evidence with social policy formulation and analysis to improve child well-being. The theme of his accumulated work was advancing child development as social action for children and families. Besides early childhood intervention and policy, for which he devoted most of his time, Dr.

Socio-Emotional Learning among Low-Income Prekindergarteners: The Roles of Individual Factors and Early Intervention.

Research Findings: Previous research has indicated that low-income children are at increased risk for socio-emotional problems, which may contribute to socioeconomic disparities in wellbeing and academic achievement. The present study examines socio-emotional learning (SEL) across the prekindergarten year in a low-income, racially and ethnically diverse sample of Chicago Public School students (=2,630). The sample included participants of the Child-Parent Center early educational intervention program (=1,724) and a propensity-score matched comparison group (=906).

Interstate Variability in COVID-19 Infection and Death Rates: Do Climate, Health Conditions, and Distancing Policies Matter?

A comprehensive model to explain variation across U. S. states in COVID-19 outcomes through August 7, 2020 indicated that improvements in social distancing, intermediate spring relative humidity and temperature, and lower concentrations of elderly residents were associated with lower rates of coronavirus/COVID-19 infection and mortality as well as changes over time.

Early Childhood Education and Adult Depression: An Attrition Reanalysis With Inverse Propensity Score Weighting.

In a previous study of the Child-Parent Centers (CPC) education program, preschool participation was linked to a 4.6 percentage point reduction (26%) in depressive symptoms at ages 22-24 over the matched comparison group enrolling the usual programs. The present study reanalyzed these data in the Chicago Longitudinal Study to address potential attrition bias since more than a quarter of the sample was missing on the outcome.

Does early childhood education enhance parental school involvement in second grade?: Evidence from Midwest Child-Parent Center Program.

This paper examines the impact on parent involvement in second grade in the Midwest Child-Parent Centers (MCPC), a high-quality preschool-to-third-grade school reform model. A new focus of research on early childhood programs is understanding how early childhood learning gains can be sustained. Two-generation programs that provide diverse family services may be one approach.

Childhood predictors of adult obesity in the Chicago Longitudinal Study.

Despite obesity being a major concern for both children and adults in the United States today, there are few successful childhood interventions that curb obesity later in life. The objective of the current study is to identify childhood predictors of adult obesity at multiple levels in a large longitudinal sample of participants from an economically disadvantaged childhood cohort. 1065 participants (93% Black) from the Chicago Longitudinal Study were interviewed as part of a 30-year follow-up between 2012 and 2017.

Thirty years later: Locating and interviewing participants of the Chicago Longitudinal Study.

Retaining study participants over time is essential for longitudinal studies to prevent selection bias and to achieve their long-term goals. The present paper examines the extent to which participants can be retained in a 30-year longitudinal study when a multi-pronged approach is employed. The paper specifically describes the approach that was used to locate and interview participants of the Chicago Longitudinal Study (CLS), three decades after the study began.

Adverse childhood experiences: Mechanisms of risk and resilience in a longitudinal urban cohort.

There is an extensive literature describing the detrimental effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACE; e.g., abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction) on physical and mental health.

Reducing poverty and inequality through preschool-to-third-grade prevention services.

The contributions of psychology to the development and evaluation of preschool-to-third-grade prevention programs are analyzed with an emphasis on poverty alleviation through implementation of effective services for a greater number of children. The need to alleviate poverty and increase economic success is high. Early childhood programs have been found to be an effective strategy for promoting educational success and economic well-being, but the availability of high quality programs that are aligned and integrated with schools across the learning continuum is limited.