Health and Self-Regulation among School-Age Children Experiencing Family Homelessness

• Main Authors: Andrew J. Barnes (Author), Theresa L. Lafavor (Author), J. J. Cutuli (Author), Lei Zhang (Author), Charles N. Oberg (Author), Ann S. Masten (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: MDPI AG, 2017-08-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 2227-9067; 10.3390/children4080070
• Keywords: family homelessness; cognitive functioning; chronic health conditions; middle childhood; child development; resilience; psychosocial risk; Pediatrics; RJ1-570
• Source: Children, Vol 4, Iss 8, p 70 (2017)

Children in homeless families have high levels of adversity and are at risk for behavior problems and chronic health conditions, however little is known about the relationship between cognitive-emotional self-regulation and health among school-aged homeless children. Children (n = 86; mean age 10.5) living in shelters were assessed for health, family stress/adversity, emotional-behavioral regulation, nonverbal intellectual abilities, and executive function. Vision problems were the most prevalent health condition, followed by chronic respiratory conditions. Cumulative risk, child executive function, and self-regulation problems in children were uniquely related to child physical health. Homeless children experience problems with cognitive, emotional, and behavioral regulation as well as physical health, occurring in a context of high psychosocial risk. Several aspects of children's self-regulation predict physical health in 9- to 11-year-old homeless children. Health promotion efforts in homeless families should address individual differences in children's self-regulation as a resilience factor.