Purpose: To examine functioning and participation in a diverse U.S. sample of 180 infants at age 17 years.
Design and methods: The World Health Organization International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health model framed functioning and participation domains and contextual factors. Assessment included cognition, executive functioning, academic achievement, personal functioning, community participation, and social involvement.
Results: Socioeconomic status, not prematurity, impacted cognitive and academic outcomes. Across neonatal morbidities, male gender and social disadvantage are key determinants of cognitive, academic, and social functioning.
Practice implications: Interventions addressing academic and social-behavioral competencies in early school years may potentially optimize long-term preterm outcomes.
© 2012, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.