TY - JOUR
T1 - Handedness, health and cognitive development: Evidence from children in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth
AU - Johnston, David
AU - Nicholls, Michael
AU - Shah, Manisha
AU - Shields, Michael
PY - 2013/10
Y1 - 2013/10
N2 - Summary. Using data from the child supplement of the US National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, and fitting three-level random-effects models of child health and cognitive development, we test whether left-handed children have different outcomes from those of their right-handed counterparts. The health measures cover both physical health and mental health, and the cognitive development test scores span vocabulary, mathematics, reading and comprehension. Overall we find little evidence to suggest that left-handed children have a significantly higher probability of experiencing injury, illness or behavioural problems. In contrast, we find that left-handed children have significantly lower cognitive development test scores than right-handed children for all areas of development with the exception of reading. Moreover, we find no strong evidence that the left-handedness effect differs by gender or age.
AB - Summary. Using data from the child supplement of the US National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, and fitting three-level random-effects models of child health and cognitive development, we test whether left-handed children have different outcomes from those of their right-handed counterparts. The health measures cover both physical health and mental health, and the cognitive development test scores span vocabulary, mathematics, reading and comprehension. Overall we find little evidence to suggest that left-handed children have a significantly higher probability of experiencing injury, illness or behavioural problems. In contrast, we find that left-handed children have significantly lower cognitive development test scores than right-handed children for all areas of development with the exception of reading. Moreover, we find no strong evidence that the left-handedness effect differs by gender or age.
KW - Children
KW - Cognitive development
KW - Handedness
KW - Health
KW - Multilevel modelling
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84886294257&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1467-985X.2012.01074.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1467-985X.2012.01074.x
M3 - Article
VL - 176
SP - 841
EP - 860
JO - JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL STATISTICAL SOCIETY SERIES A-STATISTICS IN SOCIETY
JF - JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL STATISTICAL SOCIETY SERIES A-STATISTICS IN SOCIETY
SN - 0964-1998
IS - 4
ER -