TY - JOUR
T1 - No Excess of Mathematics Anxiety in Adolescents Born Very Preterm
AU - Trickett, Jayne
AU - Gilmore, Camilla
AU - Cragg, Lucy
AU - Clayton, Sarah
AU - Marlow, Neil
AU - Simms, Victoria
AU - Spong, Rebecca
AU - Johnson, Samantha
PY - 2020/11/2
Y1 - 2020/11/2
N2 - Objective:
To assess whether adolescents born very preterm (VP; <32 weeks’ gestation) have an excess of mathematics anxiety compared with their classmates born at term.
Methods:
This cohort study included 127 adolescents born VP (51% male, mean age 13.9 years, SD 0.7) and 95 term-born classmates (56% male, mean age 13.7 years, SD 0.7) who completed the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test 2nd UK Edition and the Mathematics Anxiety Scale-UK at age 11-15 years. Self-reported trait anxiety was assessed using a composite of three items from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.
Results:
Adolescents born VP had significantly poorer mathematics attainment than adolescents born at term (difference in means: -0.64 SD; 95% CI -0.95, -0.34). However, there were no between-group differences in self-reported mathematics anxiety or trait anxiety. There were significant moderate associations between mathematics anxiety and mathematics attainment for adolescents born VP (rho: -.44) and at term (rho:-.52), after controlling for trait anxiety.
Conclusion:
Adolescents born VP do not have heightened mathematics anxiety compared with their term- born classmates, despite poorer attainment in mathematics. Improving domain-general cognitive skills and scaffolding learning in the classroom may be more promising avenues for intervention than attempting to reduce mathematics anxiety.
AB - Objective:
To assess whether adolescents born very preterm (VP; <32 weeks’ gestation) have an excess of mathematics anxiety compared with their classmates born at term.
Methods:
This cohort study included 127 adolescents born VP (51% male, mean age 13.9 years, SD 0.7) and 95 term-born classmates (56% male, mean age 13.7 years, SD 0.7) who completed the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test 2nd UK Edition and the Mathematics Anxiety Scale-UK at age 11-15 years. Self-reported trait anxiety was assessed using a composite of three items from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.
Results:
Adolescents born VP had significantly poorer mathematics attainment than adolescents born at term (difference in means: -0.64 SD; 95% CI -0.95, -0.34). However, there were no between-group differences in self-reported mathematics anxiety or trait anxiety. There were significant moderate associations between mathematics anxiety and mathematics attainment for adolescents born VP (rho: -.44) and at term (rho:-.52), after controlling for trait anxiety.
Conclusion:
Adolescents born VP do not have heightened mathematics anxiety compared with their term- born classmates, despite poorer attainment in mathematics. Improving domain-general cognitive skills and scaffolding learning in the classroom may be more promising avenues for intervention than attempting to reduce mathematics anxiety.
KW - Preterm
KW - outcome
KW - anxiety
KW - mathematics
KW - cognition
M3 - Article
JO - Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
JF - Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
ER -
