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Evans & Kim (2007) - Childhood Poverty & Health

4 important questions on Evans & Kim (2007) - Childhood Poverty & Health

What was the study of Evans & Kim (2007) about?

Environmental stress:

The study is about if multiple risks (environmental and social risks) during early childhood damage stress regulation mechanisms

(So, childhood poverty lead to increased moribity and decreased life span)

Which concequences of design include the studies of Evans et al? (3)

- housing quality
- Physical context
- Social context

How was the study design?

There are two risks:
1- physical/environmental risks for example noise/inside density in homes
2- social risks like familiy tumoil, violence, no raising parents.

There were 207 participants,
tested in two waves (9,2 and 13,4 years)
Doing a math test,
53% below the poverty line,
and the proportion of years poverty.

They measured stress regulation like bloodpressure, and cortisol during and after doing a math task.

Conclusions of the Evans paper?(3)

- Cortisol level higher by longer poverty duration (not mediated by risks).
- The longer duration of poverty, the less adequate stress regulation
- Effects due to poverty during early childhood period (0-9 years), not the middle age (9-13 years) period -> sensitive phase

So young childhood period is important for stress later age.