Y protocols to ensure the confidential use of the data. Analytic Plan Path analysis investigated the effects of kinship care in context of other placement characteristics on mental health over time. A hypothesized model regressed caregiver mental health at the 18 month assessment on baseline mental health symptoms, child age, child SC144 chemical information gender, primary type of abuse that led to the investigation, change of living environment between baseline and 18-month follow-up, kinship care versus other formal out-of-home placements, caregiver age, caregiver physical health, and neighborhood problems. Additionally, models incorporated terms to test the interactive effects of placement characteristics on mental health outcomes. These included two-way interactions between placement type and neighborhood problems, placement type and physical health scores, placement type and caregiver age, and caregiver age and physical health. A three-way interaction also examined the combined influence of placement type, caregiver physical health scores, and caregiver age. Variables were centered prior to inclusion in the model and construction of interaction terms to facilitate interpretation. Path analysis simultaneously predicated contextual effects on internalizing and externalizing problems at 18 months, while allowing for outcomes to correlate. The model incorporated cross-domain prediction, such that externalizing problems at 18 months was predicted by internalizing symptoms as well as externalizing symptoms at baseline. Conversely, internalizing symptoms at 18 months was predicted by both baseline internalizing and externalizing scores.Author Manuscript Author Manuscript Author Manuscript Author ManuscriptJ Soc Serv Res. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2016 February 25.Rufa and FowlerPageFull information maximum likelihood derived parameter estimates using MPLUS Version 5, while correcting accommodating missing outcome data (Muth Muth , 2007). MPLUS also allowed incorporation of study-derived sample weights to account for probability of selection into the study, as well as missingness at the 18-month follow-up (Dowd et al., 2004). Model fit to the data was evaluated using a number of indices. The model chi-square captured absolute fit of the data. The root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) as well as standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) provided estimates of relative fit (Browne Cudeck, 1992). Values below .05 indicated good fit to the data (Hox, 2010).Author Manuscript Results Author Manuscript Author Manuscript Author ManuscriptThe present study examined the relationships between child welfare placement type, internalizing and externalizing behaviors, and placement characteristics such as caregiver age, physical health, and neighborhood, among African American families. Descriptive statistics, including percentages means, and standard deviations, were reported for each variable included in the final model in Table 1. The sample comprised of 225 African American youth plus current caregivers who had complete baseline data. The sample was evenly divided by gender, and most youth were middle school-aged. Neglect was the primary reason for out-of-home placement accounting for nearly half of the investigations. Caregivers were slightly older than would be OPC-8212MedChemExpress Vesnarinone expected in biological families of children in this sample, and they rated neighborhoods as relatively stable, on average. Path analysis tested the independent and interactive effects of p.Y protocols to ensure the confidential use of the data. Analytic Plan Path analysis investigated the effects of kinship care in context of other placement characteristics on mental health over time. A hypothesized model regressed caregiver mental health at the 18 month assessment on baseline mental health symptoms, child age, child gender, primary type of abuse that led to the investigation, change of living environment between baseline and 18-month follow-up, kinship care versus other formal out-of-home placements, caregiver age, caregiver physical health, and neighborhood problems. Additionally, models incorporated terms to test the interactive effects of placement characteristics on mental health outcomes. These included two-way interactions between placement type and neighborhood problems, placement type and physical health scores, placement type and caregiver age, and caregiver age and physical health. A three-way interaction also examined the combined influence of placement type, caregiver physical health scores, and caregiver age. Variables were centered prior to inclusion in the model and construction of interaction terms to facilitate interpretation. Path analysis simultaneously predicated contextual effects on internalizing and externalizing problems at 18 months, while allowing for outcomes to correlate. The model incorporated cross-domain prediction, such that externalizing problems at 18 months was predicted by internalizing symptoms as well as externalizing symptoms at baseline. Conversely, internalizing symptoms at 18 months was predicted by both baseline internalizing and externalizing scores.Author Manuscript Author Manuscript Author Manuscript Author ManuscriptJ Soc Serv Res. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2016 February 25.Rufa and FowlerPageFull information maximum likelihood derived parameter estimates using MPLUS Version 5, while correcting accommodating missing outcome data (Muth Muth , 2007). MPLUS also allowed incorporation of study-derived sample weights to account for probability of selection into the study, as well as missingness at the 18-month follow-up (Dowd et al., 2004). Model fit to the data was evaluated using a number of indices. The model chi-square captured absolute fit of the data. The root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) as well as standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) provided estimates of relative fit (Browne Cudeck, 1992). Values below .05 indicated good fit to the data (Hox, 2010).Author Manuscript Results Author Manuscript Author Manuscript Author ManuscriptThe present study examined the relationships between child welfare placement type, internalizing and externalizing behaviors, and placement characteristics such as caregiver age, physical health, and neighborhood, among African American families. Descriptive statistics, including percentages means, and standard deviations, were reported for each variable included in the final model in Table 1. The sample comprised of 225 African American youth plus current caregivers who had complete baseline data. The sample was evenly divided by gender, and most youth were middle school-aged. Neglect was the primary reason for out-of-home placement accounting for nearly half of the investigations. Caregivers were slightly older than would be expected in biological families of children in this sample, and they rated neighborhoods as relatively stable, on average. Path analysis tested the independent and interactive effects of p.
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