Sex and household socio-environmental conditions,but not age,are associated with social skills and behavioural problems in children aged four to eight / El sexo y las condiciones socioambientales del hogar,pero no la edad,se asocian con las habilidades sociales y los problemas de conducta en niños y niñas de cuatro a ocho años

Abstract

Social skills and behavioural problems can vary during childhood development based on sex and the socio-environmental conditions of the home. The objective of this study was to analyse variations in social skills and behavioural problems according to individual factors (age and sex) and their associations with socio-environmental factors (parents’ education and employment and home stimulation). To do so, reports from close family members were obtained through the Preschool and Kindergarten Behaviour Scale (PKBS-2), and behaviours associated with the socio-emotional development of children aged four to eight years from households with different socio-environmental conditions in Argentina were analysed. No age-based variations were found, but there were differences according to sex. Social skills were positively correlated with parental education and home stimulation. Maternal employment was inversely correlated with social interaction. This study helps to identify which individual and socio-environmental factors modulate the expression of social skills and behavioural problems in children.