University of Nebraska - Lincoln
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Sociology Department, Faculty Publications
Sociology, Department of
3-1-2009
Birth Weight, Math and Reading Achievement Growth: A Multilevel Between-Sibling, BetweenFamilies Approach Bridget J. Goosby University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
[email protected]
Jacob Cheadle University of Nebraska - Lincoln,
[email protected]
Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/sociologyfacpub Goosby, Bridget J. and Cheadle, Jacob, "Birth Weight, Math and Reading Achievement Growth: A Multilevel Between-Sibling, Between-Families Approach" (2009). Sociology Department, Faculty Publications. Paper 161. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/sociologyfacpub/161
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Birth Weight, Math and Reading Achievement Growth: A Multilevel Between-Sibling, Between-Families Approach Bridget J. Goosby, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Jacob E. Cheadle, University of Nebraska-Lincoln We used multilevel covariance structure analysis to study the relationship between birth weight, family context and youth math and reading comprehension growth from approximately ages 5 through 14 within and between families. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth Child Sample, we examined the relationship between birth weight and subsequent academic achievement growth disparities, distinguishing between birth weight and other contextual social confounders. We found that smaller birth weight is associated with lower math and reading scores at age 5. Additional findings indicated that the home environment has important developmental consequences from early childhood and into adolescence. Overall, the pattern of findings painted a complex picture of disadvantage, beginning in the womb and extending through a variety of mechanisms into adolescence. The adverse impact of infant health on development is one of the many !"#$%&'(!()*$+,-.$)/$'#$)#$'01$,,1)1'(%12%&*%.")'()*$,-.$*)*,)'&3-"&#") later socioeconomic attainment (Conley, Strully and Bennett 2003). Children by social class and racial/ethnic background are not at equal risk for low birth weight (LBW , 2500g), with the most disadvantaged also more likely to be born prematurely and/or of lower birth weight (Sastry and Hussey 2003; Cramer 1995). Although researchers have recently begun using largescale longitudinal data sets to examine the association between poor birth ,-*#,!"(4)(5"#'6#%007)8'+*$)/"'.$*4)%&1)#$'01+"&9()1"2"0,5!"&*%0),-*#,!"(4) !,+")+"("%+#$)'()&""1"1)*,)%11+"(()*$")+"0%*'2")'&3-"&#"),:)8'+*$)/"'.$*4) 5,2"+*7)%&1)1'(%12%&*%."),&)*$")0':")#$%&#"(),:);!"+'#%9()7,-*$'!%*")"::"#*() are shown in Table 4. In addition, in order to provide a sense of bias in the relationship between birth weight and achievement produced descriptively in single-level analyses, results for a simple aggregate growth model including birth weight based upon a single-level analysis are presented in Table 3. PIAT Mathematics Achievement ;()($,/&)'&)?%80")B4)#$'01+"&9()%2"+%.")(#,+"()%*)%.")_)%+")%55+,>'!%*"07)[) points, although there is considerable heterogeneity between children (MKJ)%()'&1'#%*"1)87)*$")('.&'6#%&*)2%+'%&#")#,!5,&"&*(4)8"*/""&)#$'01+"&) within families, and average achievement levels between families (M-2). Furthermore, achievement levels more than triple by age 14, increasing by more than 40 points on average, once again with considerable heterogeneity between children (M-1), between children within families, and average math achievement growth between families (M-2). Descriptively, as shown in M-1, birth weight has a nontrivial association with math achievement at age 5 along with subsequent growth. Children born at the cutoff of LBW (2500g), score about .89 points or.19 standard deviations4 lower than children born 1000g larger (NBW). Because of nonlinearity in the association between birth weight and initial status, the difference between LBW and VLBW children is even larger, 1.7 points or .36 standard deviations, which translates into a 2.6 point or .5 standard deviation VLBW-NBW gap. There are also important estimated differences in growth. Average birth weight
Variables/Parameters Within-Family Between-Sibling Model Initial Status (Age 5) Birth Weight Birth Weight2 Female Early Home Score, Standard Early Poverty Early ln(Income) Early Single Parent Early Divorce Maternal Age Birth Order Growth by Age 14 Birth Weight Birth Weight2 Female Early Home Score, Std. Early Poverty Early ln(Income) Early Single Parent Early Divorce Maternal Age Birth Order Between-Family Model Initial Status (Age 5) Birth Weight Birth Weight2 Black Hispanic Maternal AFQT, Standard Early Home Score, Standard (.19)* (.11)*
(.36)* (.19)
1.30 -.41
2.10 -.24
Agg. (L-1) M-1
(.53) (.24)
(.32)* (.19)
1.29 -.33
(.28)* (.16)*
.43 .41
1.08 -.48
.35 -.20 -.34 -.75 1.33 .78
.35 .28 -1.46 .23 -.51 -.32 -.75 .53 .29 -.59
1.10 -.41 .25 .39 -.24 -.07 -.48 .83 -.07 .08
PIAT Math Two-Level (Between) M-2 M-3
(.29) (.16) (.22) (.22)* (.11)* (.12)*
(.53) (.23) (.34)* (.26) (.65) (.31) (.80) (.85) (.10)* (.32)
(.27)* (.15)* (.18) (.13)* (.34) (.14) (.43) (.47) (.05) (.16) 2.45 -.58
1.11 -.41
(.42)* (.22)*
(.18)* (.09)*
1.38 -.56
.52 -.20
.57 -.21
(.25)* (.15)*
(.52) (.30)
(.26)* (.14)
.79 -.40 1.75 -.14 1.20 .34
.44 -.05 .02 .25 1.08 .31 -.74 -.10 .10 -.96
.66 -.06 .94 .46 -.64 -.29 .26 .03 .03 -.42
(.23)* (.13)* (.22)* (.21) (.11)* (.12)*
(.50) (.28) (.35) (.27) (.66) (.26) (.80) (.82) (.10) (.33)*
(.25)* (.12) (.17)* (.12)* (.31)* (.13)* (.40) (.44) (.05) (.17)*
PIAT Reading Comprehension Agg. (L-1) Two-Level (Between) M-4 M-5 M-6
Table 3: PIAT Mathematics and Reading Comprehension Residual Growth Model Estimates Table 3: PIAT Mathematics and Reading Comprehension Residual Growth Model Estimates
Carol Anne, The bottom row was removed.
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Growth by Age 14 Birth Weight 2.10 (.36)* 2 -.24 (.19) Birth Weight Female Early Home Score, Std. Early Poverty Early 3 ln(Income) Table continued Early Single Parent Early Divorce Agg. (L-1) Maternal Age Variables/Parameters M-1 Birth Order Within-Family Between-Sibling Model Between-Family Model Initial Initial Status Status (Age (Age 5) 5) Birth 1.30 (.19)* Birth Weight Weight2 -.41 (.11)* Birth Birth Weight Weight2 Female Black Early Home Score, Standard Hispanic Early Poverty Maternal AFQT, Standard Early Early ln(Income) Home Score, Standard Early Early Single PovertyParent Early Divorce Early ln(Income) Maternal AgeParent Early Single Birth EarlyOrder Divorce Growth Age 14 Maternalby Age Birth Weight 2.10 (.36)* Birth Order 2 -.24 (.19) Birth Weight Growth by Age 14 Female Birth Weight EarlyWeight Home 2Score, Std. Birth Early Black Poverty Early ln(Income) Hispanic Early Single Parent Maternal AFQT, Standard Early Home DivorceScore, Standard Early Maternal Age Early Poverty Birth Order Early ln(Income) Between-Family Model Early Single Parent Initial Status (Age 5) Early Divorce Birth Weight Maternal Age2 Birth Order Weight Birth Black Parameters Growth Hispanic Initial Status (Age 5) 9.30 (.16)* Maternal Growth byAFQT, Age 14Standard 43.41 (.33)* EarlyVariance: Home Score, L-1 Initial Standard Status (Age 5) 22.31 (1.17)* Early Poverty L-1 Variance Growth by Age 14 56.14 (2.96)* Early ln(Income) L-1 Growth Factor Covariance 9.03 (1.47)* (.28)* (.32)* (.16)* (.19)
(.53) (.24) (.55)* (.32)*
(.32)* (.19) (.24)* (.41)* (1.12)* (3.14)* (1.53)
1.08 1.29 -.48 -.33
.43 .41 3.41 -.88
1.29 -.33 9.23 43.32 10.52 35.29 -.59
(.27)* (.29) (.15)* (.16) (.18) (.22) (.13)* (.22)* (.34) (.11)* (.14) (.12)* (.43) (.27) (.47) (.10)* (.05) (.36)* (.16) (.34) (.02) (.53) (.13)* (.23) (.34)* (.53)* (.26) (.30)* (.65) (.41)* (.31) (.41) (.80) (.20)* (.85) (.22) (.10)* (.47)* (.32) (.25) (.47) (.64) (.29) (.05)* (.16) (.24) (.22) (.22)* (.21)* (.11)* (.39)* (.12)* (1.08)* (.27) (3.17)* (.10)* (1.51)
1.10 .35 -.41 -.20 .25 -.34 .39 -.75 -.24 1.33 -.07 .78 -.48 .39 .83 .33 -.07 .69 .08 .43 .05 .35 -.60 .28 -1.46 1.82 .23 -.68 -.51 -1.27 -.32 -.34 -.75 2.02 .53 .35 .29 -1.34 -.59 -.13 -.40 .45 .35 .20 -.20 -.22 -.34 -.75 10.10 1.33 45.70 .78 10.53 .39 34.96 .33 -.38
.35 (.53) .28 (.23) -1.46 (.34)* .23 (.26) -.51 (.65) -.32 (.31) -.75 (.80) PIAT Math .53 (.85) Two-Level (Between) .29 (.10)* M-2 -.59 M-3 (.32)
(.53) (.24)
.43 .41
(.42)* (.22)*
(.18)* (.09)*
1.38 -.56
3.61 -.91
.52 -.20
.57 1.38 -.21 -.56
.52 -.20
(.25)* (.15)*
-.76 .15 .79 .02 -.40 -1.13 1.75 -.14 10.75 1.20 41.32 .34 10.49 -.21 38.11 .15 -1.28
.66 .79 -.06 -.40 .94 1.75 .46 -.14 -.64 1.20 -.29 .34 .26 -.21 .03 .15 .03 .25 -.42 .10 .02 (.52) .44 -.69 (.30) -.05 .02 (.60)* 1.13 .25 (.34)* -.54 1.08 -2.34 .31 .96 -.74 2.58 -.10 1.37 .10 -.64 -.96 -.01
(.26)* (.25)* (.14) (.15)*
(.52) (.30)
10.84 (.18)* 11.12 (.25)* 39.94 (.37)* 39.38 (.46)* 19.80 (1.37)* 11.78 (1.35)* 77.10 (3.23)* 39.47 (3.25)* 6.90 (1.78)* -1.84 (1.82)
2.45 -.58
1.11 -.41
(.42)* (.22)*
(.52) (.69) (.23)* (.05) (.13)* (.24)* (.22)* (.21) (.25)* (.11)* (.48)* (.12)* (.19)* (.27) (.43)* (.13) (1.78)
(.25)* (.23)* (.12) (.13)* (.17)* (.22)* (.12)* (.21) (.31)* (.11)* (.13)* (.12)* (.40) (.27) (.44) (.13) (.05) (.32) (.17)* (.32) (.02) (.50) (.13)* (.28) (.35) (.56)* (.27) (.31) (.66) (.48)* (.26) (.44)* (.80) (.21)* (.82) (.22)* (.10) (.49) (.33)* (.24)
.44 (.50) -.05 (.28) .02 (.35) .25 (.27) 1.08 (.66) .31 (.26) -.74 (.80) PIAT Reading Comprehension -.10 (.82) Agg. (L-1) Two-Level (Between) .10 (.10) M-4 M-5 -.96 M-6(.33)*
2.45 -.58
tSocial Forces 87(3)
Black -1.27 (.41)* Hispanic -.34 (.41) Maternal AFQT, Standard 2.02 (.20)* Early Home Score, Standard .35 (.22) Early Poverty -1.34 (.47)* Early ln(Income) -.13 (.25) Early Single Parent -.40 (.47) Early Divorce .45 (.64) Maternal Age .20 (.05)* Birth Order -.22 (.24) Growth Parameters Initial Status (Age 5) 9.30 (.16)* 9.23 (.24)* 10.10 (.21)* Growth by Age 14 43.41 (.33)* 43.32 (.41)* 45.70 (.39)* L-1 Variance: Initial Status (Age 5) 22.31 (1.17)* 10.52 (1.12)* 10.53 (1.08)* L-1 Variance Growth by Age 14 56.14 (2.96)* 35.29 (3.14)* 34.96 (3.17)* L-1 Growth Factor Covariance 9.03 (1.47)* -.59 (1.53) -.38 (1.51) L-2 Variance: Initial Status (Age 5) 11.06 (.92)* 4.58 (.73)* L-2 Variance Growth by Age 14 18.84 (2.27)* 9.97 (2.13)* L-2 Growth Factor Covariance 10.04 (1.05)* 4.04 (.93)* Variance Explained L-1 Initial Status (Age 5) .01 .01 .02 L-1 Growth by Age 14 .02 .00 .02 L-2 Initial Status (Age 5) .02 .48 L-2 Growth by Age 14 .08 .53 *! p , .05, stand errors are in parentheses .(Mathematics N = 5,947, Reading N = 5,924) .01 .02
.00 .00 .03 .05
10.84 (.18)* 11.12 (.25)* 39.94 (.37)* 39.38 (.46)* 19.80 (1.37)* 11.78 (1.35)* 77.10 (3.23)* 39.47 (3.25)* 6.90 (1.78)* -1.84 (1.82) 7.27 (.91)* 35.21 (2.64)* 9.01 (1.04)* .03 .01 .36 .54
10.75 41.32 10.49 38.11 -1.28 4.17 16.22 2.75
-2.34 .96 2.58 1.37 -.64 -.01 -.76 .15 .02 -1.13 (.25)* (.48)* (.19)* (.43)* (1.78) (.79)* (2.26)* (.94)*
(.48)* (.44)* (.21)* (.22)* (.49) (.24) (.52) (.69) (.05) (.24)*
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tSocial Forces 87(3)
children are expected to acquire 1.9 more points on the math assessment than LBW children, which is a difference of .25 standard deviations, while children at the VLBW cutoff are expected to acquire 2.4, about .3 standard deviations, fewer points. The estimated achievement gap between VLBW and NBW children is approximately .56 standard deviations, which suggest nontrivial growth gaps along the birth weight continuum. The estimates in column M-2 capture the association between birth weight and sibling achievement gaps. The nonlinear birth weight %((,#'%*',&) /'*$) #$'01+"&9() (L'00() %*) %.") _) '() +"0%*'2"07) '&2%+'%&*) *,) *$") inclusion of unobserved family characteristics, as indicated by the fact that birth weight associations change little between models M-1 and M-2. In addition, this nontrivial relationship does not appear to be the result of other early childhood characteristics that vary between siblings including the early HOME environment, poverty experiences, maternal age or birth ,+1"+
