Cross-sectional Model Research Articles

Risk and protective correlates of suicidality in the military health and well-being project

Suicidality disproportionately affects Veterans, and in 2020 the Military Health and Well-Being Project was conducted in part to study the link between risk and protective constructs with suicidality among Veterans. In the present study, we investigate the relative contribution of risk (i.e., military self-stigma, daily stress, combat exposure, substance use, traumatic brain injury, and moral injury) and protective constructs (i.e., social integration, social contribution, public service motivation, purpose and meaning, and help-seeking) with suicidality. Using cross-sectional Pearson correlation and linear regression models, we studied the independent and relative contribution of risk and protective correlates in a sample of 1469 Veterans (male: n = 985, 67.1 %; female: n = 476, 32.4 %; transgender, non-binary, prefer not to say: n = 8, 0.5 %). When we investigated protective constructs individually as well as simultaneously, social contribution (β = −0.39, t = −15.59, p < 0.001) was the strongest protective construct against suicidality. Social integration (β = −0.13, t = −4.88, p < 0.001) additionally accounted for significant reduction in suicidality when all protective constructs were considered together. When we investigated the contribution of risk constructs towards suicidality, moral injury was most strongly associated with suicidality (r = 0.519, p < 0.001), yet when studied simultaneously for their relative contribution none of the constructs accounted for a significant amount of the variance in suicidality (|t|s ≤ 1.98, ps ≥ 0.07). These findings suggest that among Veterans it is possible that social contribution is protective against suicidality and could be a possible treatment target for the prevention or reduction of suicidality among Veterans.

Emotion dysregulation mediates the relationship between sleep problems and externalizing symptoms in early adolescents: A four-wave longitudinal study

BackgroundDespite the growing body of longitudinal research linking sleep problems and externalizing symptoms, regarding the direction of the effects of both variables, the results have been inconsistent. Given the mixed findings and inconsistent results in the literature, we propose that emotion dysregulation may link sleep problems and externalizing symptoms. MethodsThe participants (N = 1281, 49.65 % female; M = 12.73 years at time 1, SD = 0.68) were middle school students who completed assessments for sleep problems, externalizing symptoms, and emotion dysregulation. The interval between each wave was six months, for two consecutive years. Autoregressive mediation models using longitudinal data and cross-sectional mediation models using baseline data were evaluated and compared through structural equation modeling. ResultsThe results revealed that severe sleep problems (at T1, T2, or T3) were associated with higher levels of externalizing symptoms later in adolescence (at T2, T3, or T4), but not vice versa. In addition, analyses of indirect effects indicated that emotion dysregulation mediated this link, such that greater sleep problems led to more emotion dysregulation, which, in turn, led to more externalizing symptoms. ConclusionThe findings highlight the critical role that emotional regulation plays in the link between sleep problems and externalizing symptoms and emphasize the need for students as well as middle school administration to pay close attention to both the sleep and externalizing symptoms of early adolescents.

New nurses’ practice environment, job stress, and patient safety attitudes: a cross-sectional study based on the job demands-resources model

BackgroundPatient safety is paramount for all healthcare agencies. Health professionals' lack of patient safety competencies threaten patients’ lives, and increase patients, families, hospitals, and social burdens. The new nurse-related patient safety issues have particularly attracted much attention. The aim of this study was to examine the impacts of practice environment and job stress on new nurses' patient safety attitudes by employing the job demands–resources model.MethodsThe study used a cross-sectional structural equation modeling (SEM). A convenience sample of 370 new nurses was recruited from seven tertiary hospitals in Anhui province, China, from April 2022 to August 2022. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires including the Chinese version of the Nurse Job Stressors Scale, the Practice Environment Scale, and the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire.ResultsNew nurses' patient safety attitudes scores were moderate (126.99 ± 14.39). Practice environment had a significant direct effect on job stress (β = -0.337, t = 6.120), patient safety attitudes (β = 0.604, t = 13.766), practice environment had an indirect effect on patient safety attitudes through job stress (β = 0.066, t = 3.690), and the indirect effect accounted for 9.9% of the total effect. This model was able to explain 48.3% of patient safety attitudes with moderate prediction accuracy.ConclusionsThis study emphasizes the importance of improving new nurses' attitudes toward patient safety. Hospital administrators should develop policies and strategies to address job characteristics, and establish a favorable work environment to reduce new nurses' job stress as well as to improve patient safety.

Contextual Approach for Fundamental Law of Active Management

Active Portfolio Management is a simple yet powerful tool for portfolio selection which has became a popular strategy among individual investors. Theoretical background of active management has been established by Fundamental Law of Active Management. The main postulate of this law suggests that in order to achieve additional return alpha, investors should apply a model with higher forecasting power (IC) and should apply it to a maximum number of assets (breadth). Individual investors are attracted by this straightforward and uncomplicated logic and that is the reason why active management is so popular strategy among them. However, the original and later developed variants of the law lead to the same conclusion – for better results the forecasting model must be applied to as many as possible assets. However, this contradicts with the concentration paradox which investors meet in their investment decisions – applying the same forecasting model to maximum amount of assets results in involving unknown assets with diverse characteristics in analysis. With contextual approach we change this perspective. By applying a contextual approach to active management investors can concentrate the forecasting models to a specific group of assets with similar characteristics. We justify the existence of concentration paradox and by using different fundamental contexts to differentiate stocks in different groups, we test fundamental cross-sectional regression models as forecasting models for active investment. With data from Taiwan Stock market we prove that both ex-ante IC and realized return achieved with contextual models outperform the general portfolios which follow the standard postulate of fundamental law.

Suicidal thoughts among young bisexual women: Sexual violence, minority stress, and interpersonal factors.

The present study tested a model of suicidal thoughts among bisexual women focusing on sexual violence, bisexual minority stress, and risk factors for suicide identified within the interpersonal theory of suicide (i.e., perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness). The model was tested using cross-sectional, baseline data and longitudinally using 3- and 6-month follow-up assessments in a sample of bisexual women (N = 393, 98.3% cisgender, ages 18-35). Using structural equation modeling, we tested a serial mediation model predicting recent suicidal thoughts related to sexual violence and antibisexual stigma via internalized binegativity and expectations of rejection and subsequent perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. Findings suggest that bisexual minority stress and child/adolescent sexual abuse relate to suicidal thoughts among bisexual women. In the cross-sectional model, the hypothesized serial links between antibisexual stigma and concurrent suicidal thoughts via expectations of rejection and internalized binegativity and subsequent perceived burdensomeness were significant. These paths were not significant in prospective analyses. Child/adolescent sexual abuse (but not adult sexual assault) related to suicidal thoughts via perceived burdensomeness; these paths were not significant in prospective analyses. It appears important to address both universal (i.e., perceived burdensomeness) and group-specific (i.e., expectations of rejection and internalized binegativity) mechanisms of risk in suicide prevention efforts with young bisexual women. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Investigating the Link between Flow, Perceived Feedback and Performance in Art

The current study set out to investigate the effect of flow experienced during artistic activities on performance. Furthermore, the study looked into how the relationship between flow and performance was affected by a moderating variable, namely the perceived feedback given by art teachers. Based on a non-experimental cross-sectional model, the research included a sample of 108 students of various art degrees. The results suggested that flow predicts performance in art (ΔR2 = .10, p &lt; .001), while perceived feedback acts as a moderator on the link between flow and performance (F(3, 104) = 11.17, p &lt; .001), having a buffering effect and not an enhancing effect as this study initially proposed (ΔR2 = .057, β = -.24, p &lt; .01). Moreover, a separate moderation analysis was performed for each subscale of the perceived feedback measuring instrument. Some possible explanations of the buffering effect are presented based on the scientific literature.

Adherence and Opportunity Frequency as Predictors of Communication Outcomes from Pivotal Response Parent Training.

Access to intervention is a barrier for children with autism. As parent-mediated interventions have emerged to address this need, understanding implementation components contributing to child gains is critically important. Existing literature documents relationships between parent treatment adherence and child progress; however, less is understood about components, such as frequency of learning opportunities, which could also affect child outcomes. This study is a secondary analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial evaluating Pivotal Response Treatment group parent training (PRTG) compared to psychoeducation. Linear regression and mediational models were employed to identify potential predictors and mediators of outcome. PRTG produced large increases in adherence and learning opportunities. In general, greater frequency of learning opportunities and adherence predicted better child outcomes. The best-fitting cross-sectional mediational models indicated at least partial mediational effects, whereby increased learning opportunities mediated the relationship between greater adherence and improved child outcomes. This study provides preliminary evidence of how early gains in adherence may support parents to provide more frequent learning opportunities, which, in turn, yield positive effects on child social communication. Future large-scale research, with greater granularity of measurement, is needed to further understand the temporal relationships between these variables.

National innovation systems and sustainable environmental performance: A cross country analysis

This research seeks to understand the role of national innovation systems (NIS) in addressing countries’ environmental performance, namely their environmental health, ecosystem vitality, and climate change. The role played by NIS in these societal challenges was tested in 130 countries through cross-sectional models using the updated data from 2022/2021. The major findings of this research revealed that NIS contribute insignificantly to the attainment of meaningful environmental goals, such as enhancing ecosystem vitality or mitigating climate change. Despite making a positive impact towards protecting the population from environmental risks, NIS urgently need to make a paradigm shift towards environmental sustainability.

Global Associations of the Traditional Japanese Diet Score with Hypertension Prevalence and Systolic Blood Pressure from 2009 to 2019: A Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Ecological Study

Objective Prevention and improvement of hypertension is one of the most important health issues worldwide. The traditional Japanese diet contributes to the prevention of some non-communicable diseases associated with hypertension. However, whether traditional Japanese dietary patterns are associated with hypertension prevalence and systolic blood pressure (SBP) worldwide remains unknown. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether the traditional Japanese diet score (TJDS) is associated with hypertension prevalence and SBP. Methods This cross-sectional and longitudinal ecological study from 2009 to 2019 included 141 countries with a population of at least 1 million. All data used for analysis were obtained from internationally available databases. The TJDS was calculated using country-specific supplies of five foods commonly eaten in the traditional Japanese diet (rice, fish, soybean, vegetables, and egg) and three less commonly eaten foods (wheat, milk, and red meat). Hypertension was defined by SBP ≥140 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg, or use of antihypertensive medications. The mean SBP was >25 age-standardized data. A general linear model was used for the cross-sectional model in 2009, and a linear mixed model was used for the longitudinal analysis from 2009 to 2019. The covariates included gross domestic product, percentage of population aged >65 years, years of education, smoking rate, average body mass index, physical activity, and energy supply. Results The TJDS was negatively associated with hypertension prevalence (β ± standard error: −0.861 ± 0.202, p < 0.001) and SBP (β ± standard error: −0.364 ± 0.154, p < 0.05) in the cross-sectional analysis. The TJDS was significantly negatively associated with hypertension prevalence (β ± standard error: −0.845 ± 0.200, p < 0.001) and SBP (β ± standard error: −0.312 ± 0.149, p < 0.05) in the 10-year longitudinal analysis controlled for full covariables. Conclusions Traditional Japanese dietary patterns are associated with lower hypertension prevalence and SBP worldwide.

Scale modeling of thermo-structural fire tests of multi-orientation wood laminates

The stacking sequence of laminated wood significantly impacts the composite mechanical behavior of the material, especially when scaling down thermo-mechanical tests on plywood. In previous research, we developed a scaling methodology for thermo-structural tests on samples with similar cross sections, however this paper focused on testing plywood samples with different stacking sequences between the scales. Plywood samples at ½-scale and ¼-scale were subjected to combined bending and thermal loading, with the loading scaled to have the same initial static bending stresses. While the ¼-scale 4-layer [0°/90°]s laminate and the ½-scale 8-layer [0°/90°/90°/0°]s laminate had an equal number of 0° and 90° layers, as the char front progresses, the sections behave differently. Thus, modeling becomes essential to extrapolating the data from the smaller ¼-scale test to predict the behavior of the larger ½-scale test. Reduced cross-sectional area models (RCAM) incorporating classical laminated plate theory were used to predict the mechanical response of the composite samples as the char front increased. Three methods were proposed for calibrating the RCAM models: Fourier number scaling, from detailed kinetics-based pyrolysis GPyro models, and fitting to data from fire exposure thermal response tests. The models calibrated with the experimental char measurements produced the most accurate predictions. The experimental char models validated to predict the behavior of the ¼-scale tests within 2.5%, were then able to predict the ½-scale test behavior within 4.5%.

Minority Stress, Psychological Distress, Sexual Compulsivity, and Avoidance-Based Motivations Associated with Methamphetamine Use Among Sexual Minority Men Living with HIV: Examining Direct and Indirect Associations Using Cross-Sectional Structural Equation Modeling

Objective Sexual minority men (SMM) living with HIV report significantly greater methamphetamine use compared with heterosexual and HIV-negative peers. Greater use may be related to stressors (e.g., HIV-related stigma) faced by SMM living with HIV and subsequent psychological and behavioral sequelae. We tested an integrated theoretical model comprised of pathways between stigma, discrimination, childhood sexual abuse, psychological distress, sexual compulsivity, and cognitive escape in predicting methamphetamine use among SMM living with HIV. Methods Among 423 SMM living with HIV, we tested a structural equation model examining factors hypothesized to be directly and indirectly associated with methamphetamine use. Analyses were adjusted for demographic covariates and sampling bias. Results The model showed good fit (CFI = 0.96, RMSEA = 0.01). Heterosexist discrimination was associated with psychological distress (β = 0.39, p < 0.001) and psychological distress was associated with sexual compulsivity (β = 0.33, p < 0.001). Sexual compulsivity was associated with cognitive escape (β = 0.31, p < 0.001), which was associated with methamphetamine use (β = 0.51, p < 0.001). Psychological distress was associated with methamphetamine use via serial indirect effects of sexual compulsivity and cognitive escape (β = 0.05, p < 0.05). Conclusions Heterosexist discrimination contributed to psychological distress among SMM living with HIV. Psychological distress is linked to methamphetamine use via sexual compulsivity and cognitive avoidance. Interventions seeking to reduce the likelihood that SMM living with HIV use methamphetamine should include coping strategies specific to heterosexism and related psychological distress.

Active aging and health among older adults in China: a perspective based on downward intergenerational economic support.

In China, the rapid progression of population aging presents significant challenges to society and the economy, drawing widespread attention to the health conditions of older adults. While aging is often seen as a societal burden, the phenomenon of intergenerational economic support reveals the potential for older adults to continue playing an active role within their families. This study delves into how older parents' financial support to their children can reciprocally influence their own health, exploring the potential non-linear relationships involved. This research, utilizing data from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, employs instrumental variable techniques and cross-sectional threshold models to examine how financial support provided by older adults to their children affects their health. It particularly highlights the varied impacts of economic support on older adults' health at different levels of support. The findings indicate that moderate intergenerational economic support significantly enhances the health of older adults, while either minimal or excessive financial support does not demonstrate the same positive effect. Additionally, subjective life expectancy plays a mediating role between intergenerational economic support and the health of older adults, further emphasizing the beneficial impact of economic support. The study underscores the importance of moderate intergenerational economic support in improving the health of older adults amidst aging challenges. Future policies and practices should consider how to encourage and optimize such support to address the challenges of an aging society, enhance the welfare of older adults, and promote healthy aging.

Neighborhood Opportunity and Obesity in Early Adolescence: Differential Associations by Sex

PurposeThough research indicates that certain aspects of adverse neighborhood conditions may influence weight development in childhood and adolescence, it is unknown if the Child Opportunity Index (COI), a composite measure of 29 indicators of neighborhood conditions, is associated with weight outcomes in adolescence. We hypothesized that lower COI would be associated with higher overweight and obesity in cross-sectional and longitudinal modeling in a national sample of 9 year olds and 10 year olds and that this association would be different by sex. MethodsUsing data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study (n = 11,857), we examined the cross-sectional association between COI quintile and overweight and obesity in 9 year olds and 10 year olds. Additionally, we used hazard ratios to examine incident overweight and obesity across three waves of data collection. ResultsDue to the interaction between sex and COI (p < .05), we present sex-specific models. There was a stepwise bivariate association, in which higher COI was associated with lower obesity prevalence. This pattern held in multilevel models, with a stronger association in females. In models adjusted for individual and household characteristics, female adolescents in the lowest quintile COI neighborhoods had 1.81 (95% confidence interval: 1.32, 2.48) times the odds of obesity compared to those in the highest quintile. In longitudinal models, the COI was associated with incident obesity in females only: adjusted hazard ratio = 4.27 (95% confidence interval: 1.50, 12.13) for lowest compared to highest COI. DiscussionNeighborhood opportunity is associated with risk of obesity in pre-adolescence into mid-adolescence. Females may be particularly influenced by neighborhood conditions.

Can the Presence of Big 4 Auditors in IPO Prospectus Reduce Failure Risk?

This paper addresses a void in the research on auditing and initial public offering (IPO) failure by investigating the impact of the Big 4 auditing firms on the likelihood of an IPO failure. This research is the first comprehensive analysis of more than 33,000 global IPOs that either failed or were successful between 1995 and 2019 across a wide range of nations with vastly different regulatory, cultural, and economic settings. A cross-sectional probit regression model is utilized to investigate the influence of hiring the Big 4 auditing firms on IPO failure, building upon prior studies on IPO failure. We found strong evidence that IPO failure rates were diminished by up to 67% when one of the Big 4 auditing firms was involved in auditing the IPO prospectus. For IPO founders, hiring Big 4 auditors before an IPO is a quality signaling strategy that minimizes the risk of a failed IPO by reducing information asymmetry among IPO participants. Our findings provide useful policy implications. Hiring one of the Big 4 auditing firms before an IPO is a reassuring signaling strategy for founders, since it decreases information asymmetry among IPO investors and so lowers the risk of the IPO failing. Primary market investors now have access to credible evidence indicating that backing IPOs from companies that use the Big 4 auditing firms increases the likelihood of such IPOs being listed on stock exchanges and yields positive returns. This is the first time, as far as the academicians are aware, that conclusive evidence has been found of a strong inverse association between the presence of Big 4 audits and failure risk for IPO firms. Our research could be helpful to primary market regulators since it shows how crucial it is to encourage Big 4 audits in IPO companies. The quality work of the Big 4 auditors does lower the risk of failure in the IPO market, which might help owners of small private equities to list their firms on the IPO market, boosting economic growth.

Cross-Sectional Variation of Option-Implied Volatility Skew

The stock option-implied volatility skew reflects both the structural risk characteristics of the underlying company and the short-term information flow about the stock price movement. This paper builds a semistructural, cross-sectional option pricing model to separate the structural risk contributions from the information flow. The model identifies two structural risk sources that contribute to the cross-sectional variation of the skew: the company’s business cyclicality and its default risk. The model can explain as much as 44% of the cross-sectional variation in implied volatility skew and is particularly informative during and after recessions. The remaining skew variation reflects mainly short-term information flow and can be used to construct stock portfolios with much better investment performance and without hidden structural risk exposures. This paper was accepted by Agostino Capponi, finance. Funding: L. Wu gratefully acknowledges support by a grant from the City University of New York PSC-CUNY Research Award Program. Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4872 .

Intra-organizational knowledge sharing, ambidexterity and firm performance: evaluating the role of knowledge quality

PurposeThis study aims to examine how knowledge sharing contributes to organizations’ ambidexterity, their overall performance and the role of knowledge quality in this relationship. Knowledge sharing is conceptualized based on tacit and explicit dimensions, and ambidexterity is viewed as comprising exploitative and explorative capabilities.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a cross-sectional survey-based research design and structural equation modeling to test the proposed model of knowledge sharing and knowledge quality in organizational ambidexterity and the related hypotheses.FindingsThe results indicate that tacit knowledge sharing has a significant, direct impact on the exploitative and explorative capabilities of the organization and indirectly impacts both dimensions of ambidexterity (i.e. exploitative and explorative) through knowledge quality. In contrast, explicit knowledge sharing does not have a significant impact on knowledge quality and affects only the exploitative extent of ambidexterity. Both exploitative and explorative capabilities significantly impact organizational performance.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first study to empirically examine the role of knowledge quality in the context of knowledge sharing for ambidexterity, especially within the context of organizations in the United Arab Emirates.

A Study on the Heterogeneity and Anisotropy of the Porous Grout Body Created in the Stabilization of a Methane Hydrate Reservoir through Grouting

To solve the sand problem during the depressurization of methane hydrate (MH), we proposed a method to build a porous grout body with sufficient permeability and strength around the wellbore through inhibitor pre-injection and grouting, and verified its effectiveness and potential in our previous research using artificial cores created with silica sand and alternative hydrates such as TBAB- hydrate and iso-butane hydrate. However, all of the artificial cores mentioned above were created with high homogeneity, injected, cured, and had their physical properties measured in the vertical direction, which differs from real reservoir conditions. To investigate the effects of grouting in a more realistic fluid flow, we conducted further experiments using horizontal 1D cores, 1D cubic models, and a 2D cross-sectional model mimicking the near wellbore. These experiments revealed that (1) the generated gas somewhat suppressed the effects of grouting as in the case of previous experiments, and (2) grouted reservoirs would be heterogenous and anisotropic due to the fluid densities and the distribution of grout particles and turbidite sediments, but sufficient permeability and satisfactory strength could still be attained. The above series of experiments demonstrated that our method has the potential to effectively produce actual MH, preventing sand problems even in heterogeneous and anisotropic grouted reservoirs.

Research on the Hot Straightening Process of Medium-Thick Plates Based on Elastic-Viscoplastic Material Modeling.

With the continuous improvement in the strength of medium-thick plate materials, the hot straightening of plates at high temperatures is increasingly influencing the final defect characteristics of products. In the high-temperature hot straightening process, the temperature and straightening speed of the plate significantly influence its intrinsic material properties, which, in turn, affect the straightening characteristics of the plate. However, most current material models used in the straightening process do not consider the relationship between temperature and strain rate, which leads to an inaccurate characterization of the actual material structure. Additionally, the continuous reverse bending mechanics model for straightening does not account for the impact of different bending strain rates on the bending characteristics of the plate in the thickness direction. In this study, a numerical calculation method was employed to investigate the evolution process of stress and curvature in the roll-type hot straightening process of medium-thick plates. Experimental data and mathematical methods were utilized to develop a viscous plastic material model that accounted for temperature and strain rate. Furthermore, a cross-sectional continuous reverse bending model was established, taking into account the temperature and straightening speed, enabling a reasonable interpretation of the mechanical parameter behaviors of medium-thick plates during high-temperature straightening.

A new insight for geophysical and geospatial mapping quaternary alluvium of Indo-Gangetic plains for exploration and assessment of groundwater in Haryana, India

A comprehensive study on groundwater exploration and assessment was conducted, integrating geophysical, geological, lithological, and resistivity logging techniques for a holistic evaluation of groundwater resources in Haryana, India. The primary research objective was to gain insight into the geological composition of alluvial sand and its implications for groundwater occurrence in Haryana's semi-arid region. The study showcases high-resolution electrical resistivity tomography results alongside conceptual cross-sectional models and 3D lithological models, revealing buried channels that serve as groundwater sources and saturated sand as well as recharge conduits within the alluvial region of Haryana. Moreover, borehole drilling at two sites and resistivity logging data demonstrate a strong correlation between various lithologies and resistivity logs. Overall, groundwater prospect zones are delineated at depths ranging from 18 m to over 100 m based on resistivity values of aquifer zones inferred from electrical resistivity tomography models, as well as mapped thick sand layers with significant hydrogeological importance in the study area. This emphasizes the stress on the aquifer system, where groundwater is being extracted from deeper depths. The conceptual litho-sectional model reveals a thick sand signature at intermediate depths, indicating the presence of buried paleochannels extending from Galedwa (Kurukshetra) to Jubbal (Yamunanagar). Additionally, the 3D lithological models, along with the electrical resistivity tomography results, facilitate strategic planning for shallow and deep boreholes for groundwater exploration and prospecting, aiming at sustainable groundwater development and management of resources in both the present and future.

The relationship between mathematics self-efficacy and mathematics achievement: multilevel analysis with NAEP 2019

BackgroundThis empirical study aims to investigate the association between mathematics self-efficacy and mathematics achievement gaps among students in Grades 4, 8, and 12, utilizing data from the 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The study also considers student-level (e.g., mathematics self-efficacy, gender, race/ethnicity) and school-level (e.g., school location, proportion of underrepresented students) demographics to provide a comprehensive analysis of the factors contributing to mathematics achievement gaps.MethodsA two-level cross-sectional multilevel modeling approach was employed to analyze the variance in mathematics achievement, partitioning it into within- and between-school components. This approach allowed for an examination of association between mathematics self-efficacy and achievement gaps while considering various student and school characteristics. The rationale behind this methodology lies in its ability to capture the hierarchical nature of educational data and provide a nuanced understanding of the factors associated with mathematics achievement.ResultsThe analysis of the NAEP data revealed substantial variability in mathematics achievement across schools in the United States at all grade levels. Furthermore, mathematics self-efficacy emerged as a robust predictor of students' mathematics achievement, exhibiting significant effect sizes for Grades 4, 8, and 12. Remarkably, when students' mathematics self-efficacy was held constant, the mathematics achievement gaps among different student subgroups by gender, race/ethnicity, ELL, IEP, NSLP status narrowed, highlighting the importance of self-efficacy in addressing these disparities. The study also identified the presence of significant school contextual effects, further emphasizing the role of the educational environment in shaping mathematics achievement.ConclusionsThis study underscores the critical role of mathematics self-efficacy in influencing mathematics achievement gaps among students. By acknowledging the association between self-efficacy beliefs and mathematics achievement, policymakers and educators can develop targeted interventions to enhance students' confidence and motivation in mathematics, ultimately promoting equitable educational outcomes. The findings also emphasize the significance of school-level factors, calling for comprehensive approaches that consider both individual and contextual factors in narrowing achievement gaps. The implications of adopting a self-efficacy perspective to address mathematics achievement gaps extend to educational policy, curriculum development, and instructional practices, ultimately fostering more inclusive and effective mathematics education for all students.