Maternal personality and first graders' somatic complaints: Exploring the moderating role of inhibited temperament

Childhood somatic complaints are common and associated with negative childhood outcomes including anxiety and depression. Inhibited temperament is identified as a susceptibility factor. Using the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (Research Triangle Institute, 2002) data set, this study longitudinally investigated the interaction of infant inhibited temperament and maternal personality to predict children's somatic complaints in first grade. Linear regressions found two significant interactions as predictors of first grade somatic complaints. First, infant approachability inhibition moderated maternal agreeableness to predict first grade somatic complaints. Second, infant adaptability inhibition moderated maternal neuroticism to predict first grade somatic complaints. Empirical steps to test interactions for differential susceptibility were applied with neither interaction fully meeting the requirements.