TY - JOUR
T1 - Unpacking the link between socioeconomic status and behavior problems
T2 - A second-order meta-analysis
AU - Korous, Kevin M.
AU - Causadias, Jose
AU - Bradley, Robert
AU - Luthar, Suniya
PY - 2018/1/1
Y1 - 2018/1/1
N2 - Substantial evidence links socioeconomic status to internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. However, it is unclear how these two categories of behavior problems relate to specific components of socioeconomic status (e.g., income, educational attainment, and occupational prestige) or overall social status. In this study, we conducted a second-order meta-analysis to estimate the average associations of income, education, occupation, and overall socioeconomic status with internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, and to examine if age, sex, and race/ethnicity moderated these associations. Our systematic search in PsycINFO, PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global identified 12 meta-analyses (17% unpublished), including approximately 474 primary studies and 327,617 participants. In relation to internalizing, we found small average associations with income, r+ = -.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) [-.31, -.04], and education, r+ = -.12, 95% CI [-.15, -.09]. In relation to externalizing, we found smaller associations with income, r+ = -.02, 95% CI [-.15,.10], education, r+ = -.03, 95% CI [-.16,.10], and overall socioeconomic status, r+ = -.05, 95% CI [-.11,.01], but these CIs included zero. Only sex composition of the samples moderated the latter association. We provide recommendations for best practices and future research directions.
AB - Substantial evidence links socioeconomic status to internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. However, it is unclear how these two categories of behavior problems relate to specific components of socioeconomic status (e.g., income, educational attainment, and occupational prestige) or overall social status. In this study, we conducted a second-order meta-analysis to estimate the average associations of income, education, occupation, and overall socioeconomic status with internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, and to examine if age, sex, and race/ethnicity moderated these associations. Our systematic search in PsycINFO, PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global identified 12 meta-analyses (17% unpublished), including approximately 474 primary studies and 327,617 participants. In relation to internalizing, we found small average associations with income, r+ = -.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) [-.31, -.04], and education, r+ = -.12, 95% CI [-.15, -.09]. In relation to externalizing, we found smaller associations with income, r+ = -.02, 95% CI [-.15,.10], education, r+ = -.03, 95% CI [-.16,.10], and overall socioeconomic status, r+ = -.05, 95% CI [-.11,.01], but these CIs included zero. Only sex composition of the samples moderated the latter association. We provide recommendations for best practices and future research directions.
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U2 - 10.1017/S0954579418001141
DO - 10.1017/S0954579418001141
M3 - Article
C2 - 30259823
AN - SCOPUS:85055262533
SN - 0954-5794
JO - Development and Psychopathology
JF - Development and Psychopathology
ER -