Abstract
An index of adversity is a measure of risk that can be considered independently of individual risk factors. This study examined four areas of adversity in early childhood, namely perinatal complications, family background, child-rearing practices, and the child's physical health, and their relationship to developmental outcomes. Four indices of adversity in these areas were examined as predictors of cognitive ability and motor ability for 476 girls and 510 boys at age 5 years. Results of the study indicated that indices of family background and child-rearing practices were highly related to these developmental outcomes. An index of health problems was found to be significantly related to motor ability. The perinatal complications index was significantly related only to specific cognitive ability scores for boys. Previously, developmental outcomes have been assessed in terms of the magnitude of individual risk factors, but more effective screening procedures may need to take account of the additive effect of the number of relevant adverse risk factors.