ABSTRACT
Behavioral problems are commonly observed in primary school children, yet the educational contexts in which children’s behaviors occur vary across regions of the world. Thus, culturally adapted and context-specific behavioral assessments are needed to successfully identify and support children at risk for severe behavior problems. This study examines behavior problems in a nationally representative sample (N = 700) of primary school students in Trinidad and Tobago using the Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents, a contextually-based assessment that has been adapted and standardized for use with this population. We applied latent profile analysis, a person-centered approach, to identify distinct patterns of behavior problems and contexts in which behaviors occurred. The resultant 6-profile model consisted of two profiles of adjusted children making up 60% of the sample and four profiles of at-risk children with elevated underactive and/or overactive behavior problems associated with different classroom contexts. Profiles were differentially associated with classroom learning behaviors and reading ability. The most vulnerable subgroup of primary school students showed high levels of under- and overactive behaviors in peer, learning, and teacher contexts, deficits in reading fluency, problem-solving, and motivation.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Data availability statement
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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Notes on contributors
Clara-Christina E. Gerstner
Clara-Christina E. Gerstner, MPhil, is a graduate student in Quantitative Methods at the University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Education.
Paul A. McDermott
Paul A. McDermott, PhD, is a Professor of Quantitative Methods at the University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Education.
Emily M. Weiss
Emily M. Weiss, MS, is a graduate student in Quantitative Methods at the University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Education.
Michael J. Rovine
Michael J. Rovine, PhD, is a Senior Fellow in Quantitative Methods at the University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Education.
Frank C. Worrell
Frank C. Worrell, PhD, is a Professor of School Psychology at the University of California- Berkeley, Graduate School of Education.
Tracey E. Hall
Tracey E. Hall, PhD, is a Senior Research Scientist and Instructional Designer at the Center for Applied Special Technology.