A multi-group mediation analysis of the impact of poverty on the language performance of Hong Kong preschool children

Empirical studies have shown relations between childhood poverty and adverse outcomes of physical and mental health, cognitive ability, poor academic achievement and income in adulthood. However, previous studies have suggested that positive parenting and income effect through family resources (e.g., home literacy environment) have the potential to mediate the effects of poverty on child development. It is, therefore, critical to assess what mediates the income effect on children’s cognitive achievement.

Empirical studies demonstrate the mediating effect of parental investment on child cognitive development. The accessibility to cognitively stimulating materials (e.g., books and educational toys) and educationally enriching activities (e.g., reading, visiting the library) has consistently been predictive of children’s cognitive and academic functioning. It has been well-documented that family characteristics largely influence children’s cognitive development. However, most studies on parents’ role in child cognitive development predominantly focused on mother-child interactions. Previous studies have identified reasons for extending father involvement in child cognitive development studies, such as new beliefs about parental roles amid socioeconomic changes and policy implications of paternal involvement in child cognitive and language development. Therefore, this article aims to examine the mediating effect of parental investment on child language development and assess the differences between maternal and paternal involvement in child language development in Hong Kong particularly.

In addition to the ‘investment’ theories, the impact of income on child development outcomes can also be explained via a family stress model. Low-income families may experience economic strains, such as limited access to necessities and difficulties in bill payments. Unstable work and income loss can lead to economic hardship. Parents with low incomes may also be unable to engage in cognitively stimulating activities with their children. Parents’ non-monetary capacities, such as emotional well-being and interactions with children, are related to child developmental outcomes. This article, therefore, aims to examine the mediating effect of parental distress on child language development in the context of Hong Kong.

In light of the existing literature, we made three predictions. First, we hypothesise that parental investment positively mediates family SES and child language development. Second, we assume parental distress negatively mediates family SES and child language development. Third, we expect that there will be maternal and paternal differences in the involvement in child language development. The analysis is based on a cross-sectional study of 167 preschool children (36 to 47 months) who completed a neurocognitive assessment with their self-administered parent questionnaire. The neurocognitive assessment was adopted to assess the language functions of preschool children. Neuropsychology Second Edition (NEPSY-II) and Hong Kong Comprehensive Assessment Scales for Preschool Children (HKCAS-P) were adopted to assess the languages (both in Cantonese and English) of preschool children aged 36 to 47 months. A structured questionnaire was self-administered by parents to understand their SES, parental investment and parental distress. Four groups of path analysis models were examined in this study using AMOS v28. Group 1 examined the impact of parental language-related investment on child Chinese performance, followed by the impact on English performance (Group 2). Likewise, Groups 3 and 4 examined the impact of parental non-language-related investment on Chinese and English performance. Implications of these findings for policy and practice and priorities for future research will also be discussed.