The influence of familial environment, parental perception and economic level on the receptive vocabulary of children

ABSTRACT Purpose: to examine the influence of familial environment, parental perception, and socioeconomic conditions on the receptive vocabulary of elementary school children. Methods: an analytical cross-sectional observational study. The students were selected by stratified proportional sampling, using the Receptive Vocabulary Test. Those responsible for the children answered the anamnesis and the inventory of family environmental resources. Initially, a bivariate analysis was performed using the chi-square test, considering p<0.20. In the multivariate analysis of binary logistic regression, p<0.05 was considered, and the quality of the model was evaluated through the Hosmer-Lemeshow method. Results: out of the 263 students, 131 were males, 142 were in the third grade and were on average 7.6 years old (±0.57), and 111 had a low receptive vocabulary. In the bivariate analysis, there was a relationship between parental perception about learning to read and write, school failure, and the outcome (p<0.05). The variables environment, resources, and stability of family life were also used for multivariate analysis (p<0.20). Conclusion: Parental perception of difficulty in reading and writing and a lack of family stability were factors associated with poor receptive vocabulary.