The effects of house moves during early childhood on child mental health at age 9 years

BMC Public Health

Table 1 Characteristics of the mothers, children and family environment in participating families (n = 403)

Characteristics	N	%
Child sex female	207	51.4
Child age at interview, mean SD	9.6	0.3
Maternal age at birth, mean SD	30.3	4.9
Maternal education ^*
HS not completed	124	30.8
HS not completed, TAFE or Univ. completed	61	15.1
HS completed only	68	16.9
HS completed, TAFE completed	67	16.6
HS completed, Univ. completed	83	20.6
Household income ^†
≤$31,199	119	29.5
$31,200-$51,999	117	29.0
≥$52,000	167	41.4
Experience of stressful events in the family from birth to 2 years	157	39.0
Number of children in the household at 2 years ^‡
1 child	103	25.5
2 children	192	47.6
3 children	75	18.6
≥4 children	33	8.2
Additional children in the household from 2 to 3.5 years
None^§	301	74.7
≥1 child	102	25.3
Continuously with the same partner from birth to 9 years	310	76.9
Housing tenure status at 9 years
Purchased own house	330	81.9
Public housing rental	16	4.0
Private rental	50	12.4
Living with extended family	4	1.0
Occupying a residence rent free	3	0.7
Child behaviour checklist at 9 years
Internalizing behaviour problem score, mean SD	6.3	5.6
Externalizing behaviour problem score, mean SD	6.8	6.7
Transformed internalizing behaviour problem score, mean SD	2.2	1.1
Transformed externalizing behaviour problem score, mean SD	2.3	1.3

HS = High School, SD = Standard Deviation, TAFE = Technical and Further Education College, Univ. = University.
^*Education recorded during early pregnancy interview.
^†Income recorded during late pregnancy interview.
^‡Includes the study child.
^§Includes 10 families where there were fewer children in the household at 3.5 years than at 2 years.

ISSN: 1471-2458