Maternal educational practices and infant behavioral repertoires: a comparison and prediction study

Abstract

This study aimed to describe, compare and predict maternal and infant behaviors considering the problems of child behavior, schooling and gender. A total of 155 mothers whose children were in early childhood education or elementary schooling participated. They completed the CBCL, RE-HSE-P and QRSH-Pais. Analyses including chi-squared tests, student’s t-test, and logistic regression revealed that children’s behavior did not differ during the school phase; however, boys showed more behavior problems, while girls showed more social skills. Furthermore, negative practices were associated with children with behavioral problems and younger boys. In addition, additional predictors included social skills, complaints of behavioral problems, and positive and negative practices, reinforcing the influence of several variables on the behavioral health of mothers and children.