NEW MORBIDITY-PROBLEMS AND PEER RELATIONS IN A SAMPLE OF SWEDISH PRIMARY-SCHOOL CHILDREN - A FOLLOW-UP FROM THE 1ST TO 3RD GRADE

The stability in the new morbidity-problem domains motor skills, readi ng/writing ability, behavioral-psychological-social function and conce ntration ability in school, and the stability of peer status and peer preferences as well as relationships between peer status and problems among boys and girls was studied in a sample of 81 Swedish primary sch ool children. The children were rated by teachers and made peer nomina tions six months after school start, and in the third grade. There was considerable stability in problems, while the stability in peer statu s was modest. There were marked gender differences. Boys in contrast t o girls improved in motor skills from the first to the third grade, an d boys had more concentration problems and multiple problems than girl s in both grade 1 and 3. In the first grade, low peer acceptance in bo ys was accompanied by low motor skill. In the third grade, low peer ac ceptance in boys was accompanied by deficient concentration ability an d externalizing problems. For girls, few relationships between low pee r acceptance and problems emerged. Various explanations for these find ings are discussed.