Temperamental Characteristics, Its Impacted Factors And The Health Status Among Preschooler In Shanghai City

PartⅠ Temperamental characteristics and its impacted factors among preschooler in Shanghai CityObjectivesTo understand the characteristics of preschooler temperament and explore the impacted factors, then to provide the feasible intervention measures and the basis for the scientific education of preschool children.MethodsCross sectional survey method and cluster sampling techniques were used in the study. The1200students were selected from10kindergartens in four districts in Shanghai City. Two classes were extracted in each grade. Parents of the preschoolers were surveyed by NYLS Preschool-children Temperament Scale and other questionnaire involved the family basic information, the family environment scale and the parent behavior inventory. SPSS16.0was used in the study.ResultsThe age of preschoolers was among3to6years and the average age was4.89±0.90years old. The gender ratio was1:1.24. The temperament type distribution of preschoolers showed that9.6%children were easy nurturing type,10.1%slow-to-warm up type,10.3%difficult nurturing type and70.1%medium nurturing type. The major was the medium type in the preschool children’s temperament style distribution. The proportion of the other three types was similar. There were no gender and age differences in the temperament style distribution. In the nine temperament dimensions, the scores of boys’activity level and the response threshold were higher than girls, but, the scores of the mood and the attention dispersion lower than girls(p <0.05). There were statistically significant differences in the dimension scores of approach/withdrawal, adaptability, response intensity and response threshold among boys in different age groups (p<0.05). For girls, there were statistically significant differences in the dimension scores of activity level, approach/withdrawal and response intensity in different age groups (p<0.05).Multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that the medium type and the slow-to-warm up type were not affected by parenting behavior, home environment, the parent attitude toward children, the attitude of the elderly and parents to children, and the gestational age compared with the easy type. Controlling for possible confounding factors, in comparison with the easy type, the parenting hostility/coercion behavior, the supportive/engaged behavior, the Independence of family environment were the risk factors of the difficult type.Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that the influencing factors of preschooler temperament dimensions involved the parenting hostility/coercion behavior, the supportive/engaged behavior, home environment (conflict, intellectual-cultural orientation, recreation, orientation, moral emphasis, organization, control), the family basic information (the father career, mother’s age, the attitude of the elderly and parents to children, the family decided people), the pregnancy of mother and the child birth condition (pregnancy reaction, pregnancy major life events, gestational age), watching TV time, difficulty in falling asleep.ConclusionsThe major was the medium type in the preschool children’s temperament style distribution. There were no gender and age differences in the temperament style distribution. The main influencing factors of the temperament type were the parenting behavior and the independence of the home environment. There were age and gender differences in the partial temperament dimensions. The impacted factors of the temperament dimensions involved the parenting behavior, the home environment, the family basic condition, the pregnancy of mother and the child birth condition, watching TV time, difficulty in falling asleep. So the parent should pay more attention to the temperament of their children and raise children in an appropriate manner. The concept of "goodness of fit" is essential in the interaction between home environment and the child temperament. PartⅡ The relationship between preschool temperament characteristics and health statusObjectivesTo understand the preschooler health related conditions and explore the relationship between preschool temperament characteristics and health status, then to provide some practical measurements and the basis for the early intervention.MethodsCross sectional survey method and cluster sampling techniques were used in the study. The1200students were selected from10kindergartens in four districts in Shanghai city. Two classes were extracted in each grade. Parents of the preschoolers were surveyed by NYLS Preschool-children Temperament Scale and self-made questionnaire involved the family basic information, the family environment scale, the parent behavior inventory and the health status. SPSS16.0was used in the study.ResultsThe overall health status of preschoolers showed that54.6%children were good status,40.7%general health condition,4.7%bad condition. Caries rate was27.6%. The two-week outpatient rate of health servies utilization was17.3%. The gender differences of overall health status were not statistically significant, as well as the dental caries and the two-week outpatient rate. There were age differences in the dental caries rate and the two-week outpatient rate. The6-year-old children’s caries rate was37.2%, higher than that of the4-year-old and5-year-old children. Instead, the6-year-old children’s two-week outpatient rate was lower than that of the4-year-old and5-year-old children. There were no age differences in the overall health status.Multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that, compared with the good health status, the temperament type still affected the overall health status. The risk factors of the general health status involved D-type temperament, the low scores of approach/withdrawl dimension and adaptability dimension.Binary logistic regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between caries and temperament charactetistics. Univariate and multivariate analysis all showed that the risk factors of caries included the D-type temperament, the low scores of rhythmicity and the high scores of threshold of responsiveness and intensity. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the relationship between the two-week outpatient rate and the temperament characteristics. The two-week outpatient rate of the D-type preschoolers was higher than that of the E-type children.ConclusionsChildren’s temperament characteristics affect the overall health status, the caries and the two-week outpatient rate. Temperament characteristics not only have an impact on children’s physical health problems, but also affect the utilization of child health servies. Parents should take a different raising way according to the special temperament of their child."Good of fit" results when the properties of environment and its expections and demand are in accord with the preschooler’s temperament. Emphasis is placed on helping parents to understand their toddler’s temperament-based behavior and to devise strategies that maximize compatibility between the toddler’s temperament and parental expectations.