Publication year
2014
Citation Title
The effects of military deployment on early child development
Journal Name
US Army Medical Department Journal
Journal Volume
4
Page Numbers
81-86
Summary
An examination of the relationships between parental deployment and the cognitive and social-emotional development of preschool age children was conducted. The study divided U.S. Army families into two groups: the deployed group, in which one parent had been deployed at some point in the child’s life and the non-deployed group, where neither parent had been deployed. Overall, the study found that parental deployment had adverse risks for young children.
Key Findings
Children of deployed parents failed the cognitive or social-emotional developmental screen at least twice as often as children whose parents did not deploy.
There were significant differences between the two groups on gross motor and personal-social skills, two of the five subcomponents on the cognitive developmental screen.
A trend appeared to exist between the length of parent deployment and frequency of failing a developmental screen; however, the relationship was not statistically significant.
Implications for Program Leaders
Provide early childhood screening for early detection of developmental delays in young military-connected children
Disseminate information among professionals working with returning Service members and their families on the importance of early intervention and childhood education
Provide workshops that assist returning Service members and their families in parenting their young children
Implications for Policy Makers
Continue support for programs that address the unique challenges faced by young children who have a deployed parent
Recommend education of professionals (e.g., child caregivers, mental health, and education professionals) on the emotional and educational needs of young children of military families
Encourage collaboration among DoD programs and local early intervention programs to support young children of military families
Methods
Participants were recruited through a convenience sample of parents who brought their children in for routine appointments at a family medicine clinic.
Basic data such as family demographics as well as military rank and length of deployments were collected. In addition, two child assessments were administered which measured a child’s cognitive and social-emotional development.
Data analysis examined the relationship between parental deployment and a child’s cognitive and social-emotional development.
Participants
The study sample consisted of 151 children of Active Duty Service members who were between the ages of 6 and 65 months.
Deployed parents identified as 62% White, 14% Black, 14% Latino, 4% Asian American, 3% Native American, and 3% other; whereas, non-deployed parents identified as 67% White, 18% Black, 9% Latino, 2% Asian American, 4% Native American.
Active Duty Service members’ deployment ranged from 1-36 months, with the average being 11 months.
Limitations
The tools used to assess children’s cognitive and social-emotional level do not offer a diagnosis of developmental delay; therefore, findings should be interpreted with caution.
Children in the study represented many different developmental stages and as such could experience deployment differently; thus, conclusions must not generalize to all children between the ages of 0-6 years.
The study sample came from one military branch and one location; therefore, the findings are not generalizable to other military branches or contexts.
Avenues for Future Research
Examine in greater depth the relationship between deployment and early childhood development
Explore the relationship between factors such as a military families’ social network and parental level of education, deployment, and early childhood development
Evaluate the potential positive effects of early intervention programs on military-connected young children
Focus
Army
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this observational, point prevalence study is to determine if parental deployment affects the cognitive, social and emotional development of preschool age children in the military family.
Methods: Demographic information was collected and an age-appropriate Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3) and Ages and Stages Social-Emotional Inventory (ASQ:SE) were administered. The primary outcome measure was the failure rates on the developmental instruments.
Results: We identified 151 parents of eligible children; 95 children had a parent that deployed during their lifetime. We found a significant difference in ASQ-3 failure rates for children in the deployed group compared to those in the nondeployed group. Children of deployed parents were at least twice as often to fail the ASQ-3 or ASQ:SE developmental screen compared to children whose parents did not deploy. 30.5% of children in the deployed group failed the ASQ-3 screen while 12.5% of children who did not have a deployed parent failed (P=.009). On the ASQ:SE developmental screen, 16.8% of children who had a parent deploy failed versus 5.4% of children who did not have a parent deploy (P=.031).
Conclusions: This study suggests that parental deployment is related to adverse risk for developmental delays in children in military families. The psychological burden on military children could be life-long or require significant resources to address. These adverse outcomes could be possibly mitigated by early detection of developmental delay and firm attention to aggressive screening techniques in military communities.
Methods: Demographic information was collected and an age-appropriate Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3) and Ages and Stages Social-Emotional Inventory (ASQ:SE) were administered. The primary outcome measure was the failure rates on the developmental instruments.
Results: We identified 151 parents of eligible children; 95 children had a parent that deployed during their lifetime. We found a significant difference in ASQ-3 failure rates for children in the deployed group compared to those in the nondeployed group. Children of deployed parents were at least twice as often to fail the ASQ-3 or ASQ:SE developmental screen compared to children whose parents did not deploy. 30.5% of children in the deployed group failed the ASQ-3 screen while 12.5% of children who did not have a deployed parent failed (P=.009). On the ASQ:SE developmental screen, 16.8% of children who had a parent deploy failed versus 5.4% of children who did not have a parent deploy (P=.031).
Conclusions: This study suggests that parental deployment is related to adverse risk for developmental delays in children in military families. The psychological burden on military children could be life-long or require significant resources to address. These adverse outcomes could be possibly mitigated by early detection of developmental delay and firm attention to aggressive screening techniques in military communities.
Abstract Document
Attach