Parent Domain Research Articles

Early impacts of Room to Grow: A multifaceted intervention supporting parents and children age zero to three

Children experiencing poverty or low incomes fare worse than their more advantaged peers on a host of developmental and educational outcomes. Interventions have focused on strengthening parenting in families with young children, when supports appear to be most critical. But most parenting programs for low-income families fail to address parents’ economic needs, which almost always take precedence relative to broader educational or developmental goals. In this article, we describe the early results of a multifaceted intervention aimed at supporting parents, infants, and toddlers in the first three years of life. The Room to Grow program provides parents, primarily mothers, with support from a clinical social worker, connections to community referrals, and up to $10,000 in material support for the baby in the form of in-kind assistance such as clothes, books, toys, strollers, and other necessities. The current study examines proximal outcomes of the intervention after one year using a randomized controlled trial evaluation design. The study finds that early impacts on proximal outcomes are uniformly positive, especially with regards to the presence of books and developmental goods in the home, developmentally-oriented parenting outcomes, and reduced stress and aggravation in the domain of parenting.

Social support as a factor of parenting stress for mothers of young and preschool children

The article is devoted to the study of the characteristics of parenting stress of mothers of young and preschool children and their relation with the relationship with the spouse and social support. The study involved 91 mothers of young and preschool children. Methods include Parenting Stress Index by Richard R. Abidin, Marriage Satisfaction Questionnaire by Yuliya Alyoshina, Social support questionnaire (F-SOZU-22), Social support questionnaire (ISEL), socio-biographical questionnaire. The study found above average level of parenting stress, average level of social support and marriage satisfaction. A close relationship was found between the characteristics of parenting stress and the characteristics of relationships with a partner (with the emotional climate in the family, marriage satisfaction, help in raising a child, time spent by a spouse with a child). Relationship with a partner is most closely associated with indicators of health and depression. Parenting stress is also closely related to the level of general social support. The most significant predictor of the level of parenting stress in mothers is among the characteristics of social support, satisfaction with social support. The strongest links between spouse relationship and social support are found with parenting stress in parent domain.

Effects of spatial resolution on WRF v3.8.1 simulated meteorology over the central Himalaya

Abstract. The sensitive ecosystem of the central Himalayan (CH) region, which is experiencing enhanced stress from anthropogenic forcing, requires adequate atmospheric observations and an improved representation of the Himalaya in the models. However, the accuracy of atmospheric models remains limited in this region due to highly complex mountainous topography. This article delineates the effects of spatial resolution on the modeled meteorology and dynamics over the CH by utilizing the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model extensively evaluated against the Ganges Valley Aerosol Experiment (GVAX) observations during the summer monsoon. The WRF simulation is performed over a domain (d01) encompassing northern India at 15 km × 15 km resolution and two nests (d02 at 5 km × 5 km and d03 at 1 km × 1 km) centered over the CH, with boundary conditions from the respective parent domains. WRF simulations reveal higher variability in meteorology, e.g., relative humidity (RH = 70.3 %–96.1 %) and wind speed (WS = 1.1–4.2 m s−1), compared to the ERA-Interim reanalysis (RH = 80.0 %–85.0 %, WS = 1.2–2.3 m s−1) over northern India owing to the higher resolution. WRF-simulated temporal evolution of meteorological variables is found to agree with balloon-borne measurements, with stronger correlations aloft (r = 0.44–0.92) than those in the lower troposphere (r = 0.18–0.48). The model overestimates temperature (warm bias by 2.8 ∘C) and underestimates RH (dry bias by 6.4 %) at the surface in d01. Model results show a significant improvement in d03 (P = 827.6 hPa, T = 19.8 ∘C, RH = 92.3 %), closer to the GVAX observations (P = 801.4 hPa, T = 19.5 ∘C, RH = 94.7 %). Interpolating the output from the coarser domains (d01, d02) to the altitude of the station reduces the biases in pressure and temperature; however, it suppresses the diurnal variations, highlighting the importance of well-resolved terrain (d03). Temporal variations in near-surface P, T, and RH are also reproduced by WRF in d03 to an extent (r>0.5). A sensitivity simulation incorporating the feedback from the nested domain demonstrates the improvement in simulated P, T, and RH over the CH. Our study shows that the WRF model setup at finer spatial resolution can significantly reduce the biases in simulated meteorology, and such an improved representation of the CH can be adopted through domain feedback into regional-scale simulations. Interestingly, WRF simulates a dominant easterly wind component at 1 km × 1 km resolution (d03), which is missing in the coarse simulations; however, the frequency of southeasterlies remains underestimated. The model simulation implementing a high-resolution (3 s) topography input (SRTM) improved the prediction of wind directions; nevertheless, further improvements are required to better reproduce the observed local-scale dynamics over the CH.

Parental Burnout Around the Globe: a 42-Country Study

High levels of stress in the parenting domain can lead to parental burnout, a condition that has severe consequences for both parents and children. It is not yet clear, however, whether parental burnout varies by culture, and if so, why it might do so. In this study, we examined the prevalence of parental burnout in 42 countries (17,409 parents; 71% mothers; Mage = 39.20) and showed that the prevalence of parental burnout varies dramatically across countries. Analyses of cultural values revealed that individualistic cultures, in particular, displayed a noticeably higher prevalence and mean level of parental burnout. Indeed, individualism plays a larger role in parental burnout than either economic inequalities across countries, or any other individual and family characteristic examined so far, including the number and age of children and the number of hours spent with them. These results suggest that cultural values in Western countries may put parents under heightened levels of stress.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42761-020-00028-4.

Sensitivity of Simulations of Zambian Heavy Rainfall Events to the Atmospheric Boundary Layer Schemes

Weather forecasting relies on the use of numerical weather prediction (NWP) models, whose resolution is informed by the available computational resources. The models resolve large scale processes, while subgrid processes are parametrized. One of the processes that is parametrized is turbulence which is represented in planetary boundary layer (PBL) schemes. In this study, we evaluate the sensitivity of heavy rainfall events over Zambia to four different PBL schemes in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model using a parent domain with a 9 km grid length and a 3 km grid spacing child domain. The four PBL schemes are the Yonsei University (YSU), nonlocal first-order medium-range forecasting (MRF), University of Washington (UW) and Mellor–Yamada–Nakanishi–Niino (MYNN) schemes. Simulations were done for three case studies of extreme rainfall on 17 December 2016, 21 January 2017 and 17 April 2019. The use of YSU produced the highest rainfall peaks across all three cases; however, it produced performance statistics similar to UW that are higher than those of the two other schemes. These statistics are not maintained when adjusted for random hits, indicating that the extra events are mainly random rather than being skillfully placed. UW simulated the lowest PBL height, while MRF produced the highest PBL height, but this was not matched by the temperature simulation. The YSU and MYNN PBL heights were intermediate at the time of the peak; however, MYNN is associated with a slower decay and higher PBL heights at night. WRF underestimated the maximum temperature during all cases and for all PBL schemes, with a larger bias in the MYNN scheme. We support further use of the YSU scheme, which is the scheme selected for the tropical suite in WRF. The different simulations were in some respects more similar to one another than to the available observations. Satellite rainfall estimates and the ERA5 reanalysis showed different rainfall distributions, which indicates a need for more ground observations to assist with studies like this one.

Understanding the response of tropical cyclone structure to the assimilation of synthetic wind profiles

AbstractThis study examines how varying wind profile coverages in the tropical cyclone (TC) core, near-environment and broader synoptic environment affect the structure and evolution of a simulated Atlantic hurricane through data assimilation. Three sets of observing system simulation experiments (OSSEs) are examined in this paper. The first experiment establishes a benchmark for the case study specific to the forecast system used by assimilating idealized profiles throughout the parent domain. The second presents how TC analyses and forecasts respond to varying the coverage of swaths produced by polar-orbiting satellites of idealized wind profiles. The final experiment assesses the role of TC inner-core observations by systematically removing them radially from the center. All observations are simulated from a high-resolution regional “Nature Run” of a hurricane and the tropical atmosphere, assimilated an Ensemble Square-Root Kalman Filter and the Hurricane Weather and Research Forecast (HWRF) regional model. Results compare observation impact to the analyses, domain-wide and TC centric error statistics, and TC structural differences among the experiments. The study concludes that the most accurate TC representation is a result of the assimilation of collocated and uniform thermodynamic and kinematics observations. Intensity forecasts are improved with increased inner core wind observations, even if the observations are only available once daily. Domain-wide root-mean-square errors are significantly reduced when the TC is observed during a period of structural change, like rapid intensification. The experiments suggest the importance of wind observations and the role of inner-core surveillance when analyzing and forecasting realistic TC structure.

Effects of early intervention on parenting stress after preterm birth: A meta-analysis.

Preterm infants have a higher risk of development disorders. Prematurity can be considered a source of stress, in both children and their parents, due to the high number of interventions that they require. Early intervention (EI) programmes have shown to have a positive influence on the neurodevelopment of children with neurological risk. On the other hand, parenting stress has a negative influence on the development of any child. This systematic review aimed to identify the effect of EI programmes on decreasing parenting stress suffered by parents of preterm babies. Systematic review and meta-analysis of experimental studies in accordance with the PRISMA declaration guidelines were applied in this work. Fifteen randomized clinical trials were included whose methodological quality was assessed using the PEDro scale. Stress data extraction was meta-analysed using the inverse variance method in a random effects model. Statistical heterogeneity was assessed with the I2 heterogeneity statistic. The domains most commonly reported in the trials were the childcare-related stress (Child Domain), personal discomfort (Parent Domain) and computation of both (Total Stress). The results showed significant (P < 0,05) and clinically relevant differences in favour of the EI programme group at 18 months and 5 years. This review found moderate to strong evidence of the impact of EI programmes on the reduction of parenting stress in parents of preterm babies. These findings offer useful insights regarding the delivery of current support and the development of future family interventions. Finally, recommendations are provided for future intervention evaluation studies in this area.

Attachment and attitudes toward children: effects of security priming in parents and non-parents

ABSTRACT The present two-study investigation is the first to examine whether experimentally boosting attachment security (security priming) affects attitudes in the parenting domain for both parents and non-parents. Mothers (n = 72) and childless undergraduates (n = 82) were randomly assigned to a neutral or a secure prime condition and then completed measures of implicit attitudes (a child-focused version of the Go/No-Go Association Task) and explicit attitudes (self-reported) toward children. Following the priming manipulation, mothers in the secure prime condition had more positive implicit attitudes toward their child compared to mothers in the neutral prime condition. Security priming also increased mothers’ positive explicit attitudes toward their children, but only among mothers who scored high on self-reported attachment-related avoidance. No priming effects emerged among non-parents. These results provide the first evidence for a causal link between parental attachment security and parental attitudes toward children.

Longitudinal Trajectories of Four Domains of Parenting in Relation to Adolescent Age and Puberty in Nine Countries.

Children, mothers, and fathers in 12 ethnic and regional groups in nine countries (N=1,338 families) were interviewed annually for 8years (Mage child=8-16years) to model four domains of parenting as a function of child age, puberty, or both. Latent growth curve models revealed that for boys and girls, parents decrease their warmth, behavioral control, rules/limit-setting, and knowledge solicitation in conjunction with children's age and pubertal status as children develop from ages 8 to 16 across a range of diverse contexts, with steeper declines after age 11 or 12 in three of the four parenting domains. National, ethnic, and regional differences and similarities in the trajectories as a function of age and puberty are discussed.

Engineered EGF-A Peptides with Improved Affinity for Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9 (PCSK9).

The epidermal growth-factor-like domain A (EGF-A) of the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor is a promising lead for therapeutic inhibition of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9). However, the clinical potential of EGF-A is limited by its suboptimal affinity for PCSK9. Here, we use phage display to identify EGF-A analogues with extended bioactive segments that have improved affinity for PCSK9. The most potent analogue, TEX-S2_03, demonstrated ∼130-fold improved affinity over the parent domain and had a reduced calcium dependency for efficient PCSK9 binding. Thermodynamic binding analysis suggests the improved affinity of TEX-S2_03 is enthalpically driven, indicating favorable interactions are formed between the extended segment of TEX-S2_03 and the PCSK9 surface. The improved affinity of TEX-S2_03 resulted in increased activity in competition binding assays and more efficient restoration of LDL receptor levels with clearance of extracellular LDL cholesterol in functional cell assays. These results confirm that TEX-S2_03 is a promising therapeutic lead for treating hypercholesterolemia. Many EGF-like domains are involved in disease-related protein-protein interactions; therefore, our strategy for engineering EGF-like domains has the potential to be broadly implemented in EGF-based drug design.

Behavioral Parent Training for Preschool ADHD: Family-Centered Profiles Predict Changes in Parenting and Child Outcomes

ABSTRACT Objective: Behavioral parent training (BPT) is the first line of treatment for preschool-aged children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); however, clinically significant improvements are not universal. In the current study, we employ a person-centered approach to create subgroups of families based on the intersection of multiple parent, child, and family pre-treatment factors. Further, we explore the utility of pre-treatment family profiles in predicting post-treatment differences in observed parenting behavior (i.e., behavioral control, parental warmth) and clinically significant change in child ADHD and oppositional symptoms. Method: Longitudinal data were collected using observational and parent-, teacher- and clinician-reported assessments from 130 parent-child dyads (M age= 3.57, range = 3.0– 4.11, 73.8% male, 69.2% White, 25.6% Hispanic) participating in BPT. Results: Findings from the current study suggest three distinct family profiles, which consisted of one profile with high family stress (HFS) as evidenced by elevated symptomatology across parent, child, and family-level domains, a second profile with elevated parental anxiety (PA), and a final profile with elevated parental depression (PD). These family-centered profiles were differentially associated with changes in observed parenting practices. Specifically, the PD profile (39%) demonstrated minimal improvements in behavioral control and warmth following treatment. In contrast, the HFS profile (30%) only improved in behavioral control and the PA profile (31%) improved in both parenting domains following treatment. In addition, marginally significant differences in child oppositional and ADHD symptoms were observed across profiles. Conclusions: Family-centered approaches may be useful for selecting and implementing interventions.

Attachment-based intervention improves Japanese parent-child relationship quality: A pilot study

As attachment-based interventions are widely practiced in the community, more evidence of intervention effect is necessary and there are few studies in non-Western contexts. This pilot study aimed to test the effectiveness of the attachment-based intervention, the Circle of Security Parenting (COSP) program, in an urban community in Japan. A one-group pretest, post-test, follow-up design was used. Twenty-six mothers with 1- to 6-years-old children attended group intervention sessions that consisted of COSP and additional individual video review sessions. The assessments were conducted four times for each participant: before COSP, after COSP, after the first phase of video review sessions, and 6-months after the intervention. COSP was effective in reducing parenting stress in the child domain, and the additional video reviews improved the quality of child attachment over time, as the number of children classified as secure increased at 6 months after the intervention. Mothers’ attachment representations and mothers’ stress in the parent domain did not change over time. The current pilot study provides the groundwork for further tests of the effectiveness of attachment-based interventions in Japan and other non-Western countries. Future studies with larger samples, control group, and randomization are needed including the addition of follow-up assessments to capture sleeper effects in the improvement of child attachment security, as well as the use of dimensions to capture subtle changes in attachment quality in the shorter term.

Association between emotional and behavioral problems and perceived parenting in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: An exploratory study.

Background:Parent–child relationship difficulties are seen in families of children and adolescents diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and they may contribute to long-term negative outcomes.Aim:Our aim was to examine perceived parenting and its correlation with emotional and behavioral problems in children and adolescents with a diagnosis of ADHD.Materials and Methods:This was a cross-sectional study involving 38 children and adolescents, between 8 and 16 years of age, diagnosed to have ADHD. Parents rated the children and adolescents on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), whereas children/adolescents rated parents on the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ).Results:The study population primarily consisted of males (86.8%), between 8 and 12 years (68%), and belonged to urban families (82%). Warm, attentive, and engaged parenting behaviors which were subsumed under the domain of parental involvement in the APQ were associated with fewer total problem behaviors as well as specifically lower conduct and peer problems on the SDQ. Similarly, parents who used positive disciplining strategies as per the APQ had fewer total behavioral problems as well as specifically lower emotional problems on the SDQ. Children with comorbid oppositional defiant disorder reported lesser mean scores in all domains of parenting and significantly in the domains of parental involvement and positive parenting as per the APQ.Conclusions:Parental involvement and positive parenting were significantly associated with fewer emotional and behavioral problems in children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD. This has direct implications for clinical practice. Further studies are needed to adapt parenting strategies to the Indian context.

The comprehensive framework for integrated healthcare implementation: a realist evaluation of positive parenting in rural primary care in the US

PurposeThis study aimed to develop a comprehensive framework that encompasses contextual determinants of integrated care implementation. The initial framework was developed based on literature and was refined based on contexts and mechanisms that facilitated or interfered with integrating a pilot parenting intervention, Behavior Checker (BC), into the routine service delivery in a rural primary care clinic in the USA.Design/methodology/approachThis study was a single organizational case study informed by the realist evaluation methodology. Data collection methods included key informant interviews, healthcare staff surveys, a focus group and direct observation of meetings. Data analysis focused on identifying the context-mechanism-outcome (CMO) frameworks, a heuristic used in a realist evaluation to map pathways of the interactions between program inputs and contextual conditions leading to intended and/or unintended outcomes.FindingsThe identified CMOs and antecedent contexts identified informed the process of revising the initial Comprehensive Framework for Integrated Healthcare Development and Implementation (CF-IHDI). The revised CF-IHDI contained six parent domains of outer setting, basic structures, people and value, intervention characteristics, organizational capabilities for change and key processes.Research limitations/implicationsThe CMOs and core characteristics of contextual conditions that activated facilitating mechanisms can inform future studies examining healthcare integration efforts.Practical implicationsThe CF-IHDI can guide primary care clinics in identifying factors and strategies to consider when integrating parenting or other psychosocial interventions into primary care routine service delivery.Originality/valueThe CF-IHDI developed in this study contributes to the knowledge of contexts and mechanisms that facilitate and interfere with integrated care implementation.

In Silico studies of 4-Anilino Quinazoline derivatives as Anti-tubercular Agents

Inh A, the Enoyl Acyl Carrier protein Reductase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis is one of the pivotal enzyme involved in the mycobacterial fatty acid elongation cycle and has been considered as an important target for anti-tubercular screening. Inhibition of Inh A affects the biosynthesis of the mycolic acids, which are the central constituents of the mycobacterial cell wall. In the present research work, 4-anilino quinazoline derivatives were designed based on the quinazoline based drugs by means of lipophilic insertion and Fragment replacement. The designed compounds were synthesized, and molecular docking studies were performed on the human pathogenic bacterial enzyme InhA from its parent domain Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. Molecular docking study revealed that compounds SMOQ2, SNAQ3, 4AAQ7, 2AP9, PABAQ10 were found to possess good binding affinity towards the target InhA. With reference to the binding energy obtained from molecular docking study, five compounds were subjected to in vitro anti-tubercular activity against M. tuberculosis H37Rv and I2487 (Resistant strain) using BACTEC MGIT method. Compound SMOQ2 and 4AAQ7 showed sensitivity in both H37Rv (Sensitive strain) and I2487 (Resistant strain) at the concentration of 250, 500, 1000 and 1500 mcg/mL. In silico Pharmacokinetic predictions of the synthesized compounds were determined using SwissADME online web tool. All the synthesized compounds obeyed the Lipinski's rule of five properties.

Development and validation of dust exposure prevention questionnaire for cardiovascular patients based on the health belief model

BackgroundMany cardiovascular patients suffer from respiratory failure. Environmental conditions can exacerbate symptomatology. It is necessary to prevent exposure to dust by taking educational steps to identify and modify patient behavior. This study aimed to develop and validate a dust exposure behavior questionnaire based on the Health Belief Model.MethodsA mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods was employed to design and develop the desired tool. Qualitative methods were used to identify the preventive behaviors needed by cardiovascular patients at risk of dust exposure using the opinions of two expert panels and a literature review. The quantitative phase of the research was performed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the research tool. The research population comprised 417 people with cardiovascular disease referred to a heart hospital in Bushehr, Iran in 2018. Consenting participants entered the study through consecutive sampling.ResultsThe final version of the questionnaire included 27 items across six domains, namely perceived susceptibility, perceived barriers, perceived severity, perceived benefits, cues to action, and self-efficacy. The mean values of the content validity ratio and content validity index were 0.93 and 0.9, respectively. In addition, all items had a good correlation with the total score of their parent domain (P < 0.01). The model fit was initially unsuitable, according to the related indices. Hence, to achieve a better model fit, the model was improved by releasing some parameters based on the modifications suggested by the AMOS software. The modified model featured an acceptable fit (χ2/df = 2.2, P < 0.001). Cronbach’s alpha coefficients also confirmed appropriate reliability for all six domains.ConclusionThe Dust Exposure Prevention questionnaire has desirable psychometric properties and appropriate validity to determine the behavioral factors involved in harm from dust exposure among cardiovascular disease patients. This marks an effective step toward evaluating the factors effective in preventing complications related to dust exposure among such patients.

Improving 3D-MOHID water model with an upscaling algorithm

Upscaling methodologies, enforced on nested ocean modelling grids, have become a subject of more intense research due to their benefits in modelling highly dynamic coastal areas. In this paper, an upscaling algorithm is developed for the 3D-MOHID Water model, enabling TwoWay implementations, which considers the nudging of a child domain's velocities, temperature and salinity fields by a parent domain. The algorithm is validated for a schematic case, and then applied to Tagus Region of Freshwater Influence (TagusROFI, Portugal). Results for the schematic case show an improvement of the parent domain while generating minimal mass conservation loss. TagusROFI model domains under TwoWay nesting improved the salinity transition between domain boundaries when reached by the estuarine plume. This new 3D-MOHID Water model feature improves the study of extreme scenarios where OneWay downscaling produces discontinuities on the nested domain's open boundaries, and enables the implementation of higher resolution domains with smaller size grids.

Association of Visual Acuity with Eye-Related Quality of Life and Functional Vision Across Childhood Eye Conditions

We evaluated relationships between visual acuity (VA) and eye-related quality of life and functional vision in children, across a spectrum of pediatric eye conditions, using the Pediatric Eye Questionnaire (PedEyeQ). Cross-sectional study. Three hundred ninety-seven children (5-11 years of age) with an eye condition and 104 visually normal control subjects completed the Child PedEyeQ (functional vision, bothered by eyes/vision, social, and frustration/worry domains). One parent for each child completed the Proxy PedEyeQ (same domains as child plus eye care) and parent PedEyeQ (impact on parent and family, worry about child's eye condition, worry about child's self-perception and interactions, and worry about functional vision domains). Each domain was Rasch-scored and Spearman rank correlations were calculated to evaluate relationships between better-seeing-eye and worse-seeing-eye VA and PedEyeQ domain score. There was a significant relationship between poorer better-seeing-eye VA and lower (worse) PedEyeQ score on 2 of 4 child domains (e.g., functional vision, r=-0.1474; P= .005), on 2 of 5 proxy PedEyeQ domains (e.g., functional vision, r=-0.2183; P < .001), and on 2 of 4 parent PedEyeQ domains (e.g., impact on parent and family, r=-0.1607; P= .001). Worse-seeing-eye VA was associated with lower PedEyeQ scores across all child, proxy and parent domains (P < .01 for each) with the exception of the child social domain (P= .15). Both better-seeing-eye and worse-seeing-eye VA were associated with functional vision and eye-related quality of life in children, assessed using the PedEyeQ, although other factors may also influence relationships. These data further validate using the PedEyeQ across pediatric eye conditions.

A Longitudinal Assessment of Parenting Stress in Parents of Children with New-Onset Epilepsy.

Parents of children with newly diagnosed epilepsy may experience elevated parenting stress. The present study examined trajectories of parenting stress over time and identified modifiable predictors of these trajectories. Parents of youth with epilepsy (N = 102; 2-12 years old) completed questionnaires 1, 4, 13, 19, and 25-months post-diagnosis, including measures of parenting stress, family functioning, child psychosocial functioning, sociodemographics, and perceived stigma. Latent growth curve models (LGCM) were used to examine domains of parenting stress over time. At baseline, 25-48% of parents reported elevated parenting stress. LGCMs revealed that the parent and child domains of parenting stress were generally stable across time. However, life stress was more variable across time, and parents with higher initial life stress had a greater reduction in life stress over time. Socioeconomic status was identified as a non-modifiable predictor of life stress. Family functioning was associated with greater parenting stress in the parent domain. Child psychosocial functioning was associated with greater parenting stress in the parent and child domains. Parenting stress was elevated for a subset of families and appeared to be relatively stable over time, with the exception of life stress, which was more variable. With early screening, child factors and parent appraisals of epilepsy may be valuable targets for clinical intervention with families of children with epilepsy.

Convection Parametrization and Multi-Nesting Dependence of a Heavy Rainfall Event over Namibia with Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model

Namibia is considered to be one of the countries that are most vulnerable to climate change due to its generally dry climate and the percentage of its population that rely on subsistence agriculture for their livelihoods. Early-warning systems are an important aspect of adapting to climate change. Weather forecasting relies on the use of numerical weather prediction models and these need to be configured properly. In this study, we investigate the effects of using multi-nests and a convection scheme on the simulation of a heavy rainfall event over the north-western region of Kunene, Namibia. The event, which was associated with a cut-off low system, was short-lived and resulted in over 45 mm of rainfall in one hour. For the multi-nest, a 9 km grid-length parent domain is nested within the Global Forecast System (GFS) simulations, which in turn forces a 3 km grid spacing child domain. A different set of simulations are produced using a single nest of 3 km grid spacing, nested directly inside the GFS data. The simulations are produced with the convection scheme switched on and off. The impact of a single versus multi-nest is found to be small in general, with slight differences in the location of high rainfall intensity. Switching off the convection schemes results in high rainfall intensity and increased detail in the simulations, including when a grid spacing of 9 km is used. Using a grid spacing of 3 km with the convection scheme on, results in a loss of detail in the simulations as well as lower rainfall amounts. The study shows a need for different configurations to be tested before an optimum configuration can be selected for operational forecasting. We recommend further tests with different synoptic forcing and convection schemes to be conducted to identify a suitable configuration for Namibia.