SOCIAL AND FAMILY RISK-FACTORS FOR INFANT DEVELOPMENT AT ONE-YEAR - AN APPLICATION OF THE CUMULATIVE RISK MODEL

This study examined the utility of using a cumulative risk model for p redicting cognitive and language outcomes in an infant sample. The sam ple was comprised of 83 biologically normal 12 month-old African-Ameri can infants who attended local child care centers. The sample was 53% female and approximately two-thirds fell within the lower socioeconomi c strata. Ten social and family risk factors based on Sameroff's risk model were used to construct a Cumulative Risk Index: poverty status, maternal education less than high school, household size, unmarried mo ther, stressful life events, depressed maternal affect, mother-infant interactions, maternal IQ, the quality of the home environment, and qu ality of the day care environment. Outcome measures included the Menta l Development Index from the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (MDI) , the Total Score from the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scale ( CSBS), and the Receptive Communication Age score from the Sequenced In ventory for Communication Development-Revised (SICD-RCA). Results indi cated that the Cumulative Risk Index was significantly correlated with the CSBS and SICD-RCA, but not with the MDI, with modest amounts of v ariance being accounted-for. Further, the predictive utility of the Cu mulative Risk Index was slightly better than an overall regression mod el of prediction for the CSBS, but was outperformed by the regression model on the other two outcome measures.