Risk factors for early language delay in children within a minority ethnic, bilingual, deprived environment (Born in Bradford’s Better Start): a UK community birth cohort study
Background Preschool language skills and language delay predict academic and socioemotional outcomes. Children from deprived environments are at a higher risk of language delay, and both minority ethnic and bilingual children can experience a gap in language skills at school entry. However, research...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMJ Publishing Group
2023-12-01
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| Series: | BMJ Paediatrics Open |
| Online Access: | https://bmjpaedsopen.bmj.com/content/7/1/e001764.full |
| _version_ | 1797367967196905472 |
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| author | Josie Dickerson Kathryn Willan Rachael W Cheung Claudine Bowyer-Crane |
| author_facet | Josie Dickerson Kathryn Willan Rachael W Cheung Claudine Bowyer-Crane |
| author_sort | Josie Dickerson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background Preschool language skills and language delay predict academic and socioemotional outcomes. Children from deprived environments are at a higher risk of language delay, and both minority ethnic and bilingual children can experience a gap in language skills at school entry. However, research that examines late talking (preschool language delay) in an ethnically diverse, bilingual, deprived environment at age 2 is scarce.Methods Data from Born in Bradford’s Better Start birth cohort were used to identify rates of late talking (≤10th percentile on the Oxford-Communicative Development Inventory: Short) in 2-year-old children within an ethnically diverse, predominantly bilingual, deprived UK region (N=712). The relations between known demographic, maternal, distal and proximal child risk factors, and language skills and language delay were tested using hierarchical linear and logistic regression.Results A total of 24.86% of children were classified as late talkers. Maternal demographic factors (ethnicity, born in UK, education, financial security, employment, household size, age) predicted 3.12% of the variance in children’s expressive vocabulary. Adding maternal language factors (maternal native language, home languages) and perinatal factors (birth weight, gestation) to the model predicted 3.76% of the variance. Adding distal child factors (child sex, child age) predicted 11.06%, and adding proximal child factors (receptive vocabulary, hearing concerns) predicted 49.51%. Significant risk factors for late talking were male sex (OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.38 to 3.09), receptive vocabulary delay (OR 8.40, 95% CI 4.99 to 14.11) and parent-reported hearing concerns (OR 7.85, 95% CI 1.90 to 32.47). Protective factors were increased household size (OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.77 to 0.95) and age (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.70 to 0.96).Conclusions Almost one in four children living in an ethnically diverse and deprived UK area have early language delay. Demographic factors explained little variance in early vocabulary, whereas proximal child factors held more predictive value. The results indicate further research on early language delay is warranted for vulnerable groups. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T17:25:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7ead05b7626d4d029b63e0598ca9c51a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2399-9772 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T17:25:43Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Paediatrics Open |
| spelling | doaj.art-7ead05b7626d4d029b63e0598ca9c51a2024-01-02T20:00:08ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Paediatrics Open2399-97722023-12-017110.1136/bmjpo-2022-001764Risk factors for early language delay in children within a minority ethnic, bilingual, deprived environment (Born in Bradford’s Better Start): a UK community birth cohort studyJosie Dickerson0Kathryn Willan1Rachael W Cheung2Claudine Bowyer-Crane31 Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bradford, Bradford, UK1 Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bradford, Bradford, UK1 Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, UK3 National Institute of Economic and Social Research, London, UKBackground Preschool language skills and language delay predict academic and socioemotional outcomes. Children from deprived environments are at a higher risk of language delay, and both minority ethnic and bilingual children can experience a gap in language skills at school entry. However, research that examines late talking (preschool language delay) in an ethnically diverse, bilingual, deprived environment at age 2 is scarce.Methods Data from Born in Bradford’s Better Start birth cohort were used to identify rates of late talking (≤10th percentile on the Oxford-Communicative Development Inventory: Short) in 2-year-old children within an ethnically diverse, predominantly bilingual, deprived UK region (N=712). The relations between known demographic, maternal, distal and proximal child risk factors, and language skills and language delay were tested using hierarchical linear and logistic regression.Results A total of 24.86% of children were classified as late talkers. Maternal demographic factors (ethnicity, born in UK, education, financial security, employment, household size, age) predicted 3.12% of the variance in children’s expressive vocabulary. Adding maternal language factors (maternal native language, home languages) and perinatal factors (birth weight, gestation) to the model predicted 3.76% of the variance. Adding distal child factors (child sex, child age) predicted 11.06%, and adding proximal child factors (receptive vocabulary, hearing concerns) predicted 49.51%. Significant risk factors for late talking were male sex (OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.38 to 3.09), receptive vocabulary delay (OR 8.40, 95% CI 4.99 to 14.11) and parent-reported hearing concerns (OR 7.85, 95% CI 1.90 to 32.47). Protective factors were increased household size (OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.77 to 0.95) and age (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.70 to 0.96).Conclusions Almost one in four children living in an ethnically diverse and deprived UK area have early language delay. Demographic factors explained little variance in early vocabulary, whereas proximal child factors held more predictive value. The results indicate further research on early language delay is warranted for vulnerable groups.https://bmjpaedsopen.bmj.com/content/7/1/e001764.full |
| spellingShingle | Josie Dickerson Kathryn Willan Rachael W Cheung Claudine Bowyer-Crane Risk factors for early language delay in children within a minority ethnic, bilingual, deprived environment (Born in Bradford’s Better Start): a UK community birth cohort study BMJ Paediatrics Open |
| title | Risk factors for early language delay in children within a minority ethnic, bilingual, deprived environment (Born in Bradford’s Better Start): a UK community birth cohort study |
| title_full | Risk factors for early language delay in children within a minority ethnic, bilingual, deprived environment (Born in Bradford’s Better Start): a UK community birth cohort study |
| title_fullStr | Risk factors for early language delay in children within a minority ethnic, bilingual, deprived environment (Born in Bradford’s Better Start): a UK community birth cohort study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Risk factors for early language delay in children within a minority ethnic, bilingual, deprived environment (Born in Bradford’s Better Start): a UK community birth cohort study |
| title_short | Risk factors for early language delay in children within a minority ethnic, bilingual, deprived environment (Born in Bradford’s Better Start): a UK community birth cohort study |
| title_sort | risk factors for early language delay in children within a minority ethnic bilingual deprived environment born in bradford s better start a uk community birth cohort study |
| url | https://bmjpaedsopen.bmj.com/content/7/1/e001764.full |
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