HOME AND CLASSROOM BEHAVIORAL-ADJUSTMENT IN VERY-LOW-BIRTH-WEIGHT CHILDREN - THE INFLUENCE OF CAREGIVER STRESS AND GOODNESS-OF-FIT

The contribution of biological risk and environmental stress to the be havioral adjustment of school-age survivors of very low birthweight wa s investigated. The participants were 35 very low birthweight children and a comparison group of 31 normal birthweight children matched for age, sex, race, birth order, socioeconomic status, and maternal educat ion. Data on the children's social skills, goodness of fit, and behavi or problems in the home and classroom were provided by parents and tea chers. Forty-five percent of the variance in classroom behavior proble ms and 23% of the variance in behavior problems in the home were accou nted for by the combination of variables. Goodness of fit and single-p arent family structure made more important contributions to behavior p roblems in the classroom and home than birthweight.