Examining Pregnant Women’s Hostile Attributions About Infants as a Predictor of Offspring Maltreatment
| dc.contributor.author | Berlin, L. J., Dodge, K. A., & Reznick, J. S. | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2014-11-10T18:08:27Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2014-11-10T18:08:27Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2013 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Importance: Child maltreatment is a serious public health problem that disproportionately affects infants and toddlers. In the interest of informing prevention and intervention efforts, this study examined pregnant women’s attributions about infants as a risk factor for child maltreatment and harsh parenting during their children’s first and second years. We also provide specific methods for practitioners to assess hostile attributions. Objective: To evaluate pregnant women’s hostile attributions about infants as a risk factor for early child maltreatment and harsh parenting. Design: Prospective longitudinal study. Setting: A small Southeastern city and its surrounding county. Participants: A diverse, community-based sample of 499 pregnant women. Main Outcomes and Measures: Official records of child maltreatment and mother-reported harsh parenting behaviors. Hostile attributions were examined in terms of women’s beliefs about infants’ negative intentions (eg, the extent to which infants purposefully dirty their diapers). Results: Mothers’ hostile attributions increased the likelihood that their child would be maltreated by the age of 26 months (adjusted odds ratio, 1.26 [90% CI, 1.02–1.56]). Mothers who made more hostile attributions during pregnancy reported engaging in more harsh parenting behaviors when their children were toddlers (β=0.14, P<.05). Both associations were robust to the inclusion of 7 psychosocial covariates. Conclusions and Relevance: A pregnant woman’s hostile attributions about infant’s intentions signal risk for maltreatment and harsh parenting of her child during the first years of life. (Author Abstract) | en_US |
| dc.identifier.citation | Berlin, L. J., Dodge, K. A., & Reznick, J. S. (2013). Examining pregnant women's hostile attributions about infants as a predictor of offspring maltreatment. JAMA pediatrics, 167(6), 549-553. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3753676/pdf/nihms490252.pdf | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11212/1785 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_US | en_US |
| dc.publisher | JAMA Pedicatrics | en_US |
| dc.subject | risk factors | en_US |
| dc.subject | child abuse | en_US |
| dc.subject | infants | en_US |
| dc.subject | mothers | en_US |
| dc.subject | research | en_US |
| dc.subject | physical abuse | en_US |
| dc.title | Examining Pregnant Women’s Hostile Attributions About Infants as a Predictor of Offspring Maltreatment | en_US |
| dc.type | Article | en_US |