DEVELOPMENTAL PATHWAYS LEADING TO EXTERNALIZING BEHAVIORS IN 5-YEAR OLDS BORN BEFORE 29 WEEKS OF GESTATION

Longitudinal data for 62 infants born before 29 weeks of gestation wer e used to assess the influence of four factors (i.e., neonatal health, family environment, language skill, and nonverbal ability) on the par ental report of hyperactive and oppositional behaviors of children at 5 years 9 months. The proposed path analysis model tested the followin g: (1) whether neonatal health and family environment have a direct in fluence on language skill and nonverbal ability both measured at 18 mo nths corrected age, (2) the predictive value of language skill and non verbal ability on oppositional and hyperactive behaviors, and (3) whet her the effects of neonatal health and/or family environment on opposi tional and hyperactive behaviors can be conceived as mediated by langu age skill and/or nonverbal ability. The results revealed three main pa thways. First, family environment predicted language skill, which, in turn, was negatively associated with children's hyperactivity. Second, neonatal health predicted nonverbal ability, which was positively lin ked to oppositional behaviors. Third, a direct negative relation betwe en neonatal health and hyperactive outcome was observed. The implicati ons of these substantially different pathways for hyperactive and oppo sitional behaviors are discussed.