Behaviour problems at age three can affect GCSE grades

Children who display hyperactivity, inattention and conduct problems at the age of three are at risk of worse academic outcomes at age 16, according to new research published in the British Journal of Psychiatry . The study was carried out by researchers at the University of Nottingham and University of Bristol, and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council ( ESRC ). The research team studied 11, 640 women and their children who were part of the University of Bristol's Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children ( ALSPAC ) in the UK - also known as the 'Children of the 90s' study. Parents were asked to complete a questionnaire when their children were aged 47 months (just before their fourth birthday), to assess whether the children showed signs of hyperactivity/attention problems and conduct problems. The children's academic achievements were assessed at age 16 by looking at the results of their GCSE examinations. After adjusting for variables such as IQ, maternal and paternal education and parental social class, the researchers found that boys who displayed high levels of hyperactivity/inattention at 47 months were 33 per cent more likely to not achieve a minimum level of five good GCSE grades (A*-C) at age 16. For boys, both hyperactivity/inattention and conduct problems were associated with worse academic outcomes.