Sample Of Early Adolescents Research Articles

Assessing the utility of a novel cortical marker of delay discounting (C-DD) in two independent samples of early adolescents: Links with externalizing pathology.

Delay discounting is a well-established risk factor for risky behaviors and the development of externalizing spectrum disorders. Building upon recent work that developed a novel cortical marker of delay discounting (C-DD) in adult samples, the objective of this study was to test whether the C-DD relates to delay discounting and subsequently externalizing pathology in adolescent samples. The current study used two samples: 9992 early adolescents participating in the ABCD study (Mage = 9.93 years old, 48.7% female), and 56 early adolescents recruited from the community (Mage = 12.27 years old, 55.4% female). Cortical thickness was estimated using the FreeSurfer standard pipeline, and the cortical marker of delay discounting (C-DD) was calculated based on procedures outlined by the initial validation study. All data are cross-sectional in nature. As expected, C-DD was positively related to delay discounting in the ABCD sample, even after accounting for age, biological sex, collection site and data quality indicators. Moreover, results showed that C-DD was discriminately associated with externalizing, but not internalizing, symptoms in both samples of young adolescents. Findings replicate those found in adult samples, suggestive that C-DD may be a useful neuroanatomical marker of youth delay discounting. Replication of findings in other samples will be needed to determine whether C-DD has translational relevance to understanding externalizing psychopathology in adolescent samples.

Patterns of alcohol use among middle school students in rural communities: Associations with community violence exposure.

Stress-coping theory posits that exposure to stressors, such as community violence, increases risk for early alcohol initiation. The current study identified patterns of alcohol use in an ethnically diverse sample of early adolescents in rural communities, and examined relations between different forms of exposure to community violence and severity of adolescents' alcohol use patterns. Participants were 5011 middle school students (46.4% non-Hispanic White, 25.5% Latinx, and 13.4% Black; 50% female) living in rural communities in the southeastern United States. Latent class analysis identified subgroups that differed in their patterns of lifetime and past 30-day alcohol use, and subgroup differences in exposure to community violence. Five subgroups were identified: abstainers (56.5%), initiators of wine and beer (12.5%); moderately frequent wine and beer users (10.3%); moderately frequent wine, beer, and liquor users who got drunk (12.0%); and highly frequent wine, beer, and liquor users who got drunk (8.6%). Subgroups differed across sex, grade, and racial-ethnic background. Subgroups characterized by severe alcohol use reported more frequent exposure to community violence and physical victimization, while controlling for nonviolent stressors. Consistent with stress-coping theory, the results indicate that experiencing physical victimization and witnessing community violence robustly relate to adolescents' high-risk alcohol use.

Examining the factor structure and validity of the social motivational orientations in sport scale

ABSTRACT The Social Motivational Orientations in Sport Scale (SMOSS), developed by Allen [(2003). Social motivation in youth sport. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 25(4), 551–567; (2005). Measuring social motivational orientations in sport: An examination of the construct validity of the SMOSS. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 3(2), 147–161], to measure social goals in sport, has only been tested among late adolescent and adult samples and in either the physical education or sport setting. The purpose of this study was to extend the utility of the SMOSS scale by examining social goals in a sample of underrepresented early adolescents, and for physical activity more broadly. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) demonstrated the SMOSS was effective for measuring/identifying distinct social goal orientations for physical activity in this sample of youth and replicated Allen's [(2005). Measuring social motivational orientations in sport: An examination of the construct validity of the SMOSS. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 3(2), 147–161] three-factor model: affiliation, recognition, and status. The three-factor model demonstrated adequate concurrent and predictive validity. Findings suggest that affiliation goals for physical activity are inversely related to early adolescents’ peer and emotional problems, but recognition and status goals have mixed effects on youth appearance-related motivations to engage in physical activity, peer problems, emotional problems, and prosocial behaviour. This study provides evidence that the SMOSS adequately measures social goals among a sample of underrepresented early adolescents and across physical activity contexts. Findings demonstrate that social goals for physical activity during early adolescence are similar to those observed in late adolescence and adulthood. Future social goal research should involve translating results into tangible aspects of intervention development to help promote physical activity and other positive outcomes in youth.

Parental sensitivity predicts parent-adolescent agreement about peer victimization.

Effective parental responses to peer victimization may hinge on parental awareness of youths' peer victimization experiences, yet predictors of parental awareness are understudied. We investigated the extent of parent-adolescent agreement about early adolescents' peer victimization experiences as well as predictors of parent-adolescent agreement. Participants included a diverse community sample of early adolescents (N = 80; Mage = 12.36 years, SD = 1.33; 55% Black, 42.5% White, 2.5% other race/ethnicity) and their parents. Observer-rated parental sensitivity and adolescent-reported parental warmth were examined as predictors of parent-adolescent agreement about peer victimization. Following contemporary analytic procedures for examining informant agreement and discrepancies, polynomial regression analyses revealed that parental sensitivity moderated the association between parent and early adolescent reports of peer victimization, such that the association between parent and early adolescent reports of peer victimization was stronger at higher levels of parental sensitivity than lower levels of parental sensitivity. These results provide insight into how to enhance parental awareness of peer victimization. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Childhood maltreatment and homicidal ideation among Chinese early adolescents: The serial mediating role of borderline personality features and aggression.

A large body of evidence linked childhood maltreatment (CM) to juvenile violence and delinquent behavior. However, little is known about the association between CM and homicidal ideation in early adolescents. This study aimed to examine that relationship and to explore the serial mediating role of borderline personality features (BPF) and aggression in that relationship in a large sample of early adolescents. A total of 5724 early adolescents (mean age: 13.5 years) were recruited from three middle schools in Anhui Province, China. The participants were invited to complete self-report questionnaires regarding their history of CM, BPF, aggression, and homicidal ideation. Mediation analyses were evaluated using structural equation modeling. A total of 669 participants (11.7%) reported homicidal ideation in the past 6 months. CM victimization was positively associated with homicidal ideation after adjusting for covariates. Furthermore, the serial mediation analysis showed a significant indirect effect of CM on homicidal ideation through BPF and subsequent aggression. Exposure to maltreatment in childhood is likely to manifest BPF and subsequently higher levels of aggression, which in turn are related to increased homicidal ideation. These findings suggest the need for early intervention for BPF and aggression in early adolescents exposed to CM to prevent the development of homicidal ideation.

Higher blood pressure and weight observed among early adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic led to significant disruptions in the lifestyle behaviors of adolescents; however, there is a paucity of data on objective changes in health indicators of adolescents such as blood pressure, hypertension, and weight. The aim of this study is to quantify differences in blood pressure and weight before and during the COVID-19 pandemic among a demographically diverse national sample of early adolescents. We analyzed cross-sectional data from 2018 to 2020, corresponding to the second follow-up year (Year 2) of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. Among 4,065 early adolescents (mean age 12.00, 49.4% female, 55.5% white), 3.4% vs 6.4% of adolescents had hypertension pre-pandemic vs during the pandemic (p < 0.001). The pandemic was associated with a 4.65 percentile (95% CI 2.65, 6.66) higher diastolic blood pressure, and a 1.68 kg (95% CI 0.51, 2.85) higher weight when adjusting for covariates. The pandemic was associated with a 1.97 higher odds of hypertension (95% CI 1.33, 2.92) compared to pre-pandemic when adjusting for covariates. Future studies should explore mechanisms and longitudinal trends in blood pressure among adolescents as they return to pre-pandemic lifestyle behaviors.

“Three pills” (cognitive reappraisal × social support × cognitive flexibility) and their impact on ADHD symptoms in early adolescence: Synergistic or compensatory effect?

Converging and compelling evidence has isolated how three malleable “pills” (cognitive reappraisal, social support, and cognitive flexibility) affect the manifestation of ADHD symptoms, but the complex combined effect over time has not been sufficiently addressed. The present research leveraged a strength-based “strategy × situation × person interaction” model to investigate how cognitive reappraisal (strategy), social support from friend (situation), and cognitive flexibility (person) uniquely and interactively impact teacher-rated ADHD symptoms in a typically developing early adolescent sample. In this three-wave multiple-method prospective study, 194 adolescents (Meanage = 11.39; 53.1 % girls) participated. At Time 1, adolescents self-rated cognitive reappraisals; at Time 2, adolescents completed the social support questionnaire and a computerized cognitive flexibility task. Meanwhile, teachers estimated their students' ADHD symptoms at both Time 1 and Time 3. The current study suggests that “more is not always better.” The seemingly beneficial socioemotional and cognitive characteristics in isolation are important to mitigate the manifestations of ADHD symptoms, but when these characteristics work together, they produce a compensatory (instead of synergistic) interaction effect. Specifically, cognitive reappraisal and social support from friend are compensatory and protect young adolescents from severe manifestations of ADHD symptoms. Such a compensatory pattern is especially pronounced for those exhibiting poor cognitive flexibility performance.

Prevalence and correlates of addictive eating behaviours in a large cohort of Australian adolescents.

Research shows highly palatable foods can elicit addictive eating behaviours or 'food addiction'. Early adolescence is theorised to be a vulnerable period for the onset of addictive eating behaviours, yet minimal research has examined this. This study explored the prevalence and correlates of addictive eating behaviours in a large early adolescent sample. 6640 Australian adolescents (Mage = 12.7 ± 0.5, 49%F) completed an online survey. Addictive eating was measured with the Child Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS-C). Negative-binomial generalised linear models examined associations between addictive eating symptoms and high psychological distress, energy drink consumption, sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption, alcohol use, and cigarette use. Mean YFAS-C symptom criteria count was 1.36 ± 1.47 (of 7). 18.3% of participants met 3+ symptoms, 7.5% endorsed impairment and 5.3% met the diagnostic threshold for food addiction. All examined behavioural and mental health variables were significantly associated with addictive eating symptoms. Effects were largest for high psychological distress and cigarette use; with those exhibiting high psychological distress meeting 0.65 more criteria (95%CI = 0.58-0.72, p < 0.001) and those who smoked a cigarette meeting 0.51 more criteria (95%CI = 0.26-0.76, p < 0.001). High psychological distress and consumption of SSB and energy drinks remained significant when modelling all predictors together. In this large adolescent study, addictive eating symptoms were common. Further research should establish directionality and causal mechanisms behind the association between mental ill-health, alcohol and tobacco use, and addictive eating behaviours. Cross-disciplinary prevention initiatives that address shared underlying risk factors for addictive eating and mental ill-health may offer efficient yet substantial public health benefits.

Exploring profiles of hormone exposure: Associations with cognition in a population‐based cohort of early adolescents

AbstractDuring adolescence, increases in pubertal hormones lead to reproductive maturity as well as changes in cognitive development. Yet, little is known about how to best characterize interindividual differences in hormone concentrations. The goal of the current study was to examine the antecedents and consequences of membership in empirically derived hormone profiles. Data were drawn from 10,816 youth (48.1% female, Mage = 9.91, SDage = 0.63) in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Latent profile analysis (LPA) stratified by sex was used to derive hormone profiles using basal testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone and estradiol (girls only). Eight profiles (four female profiles and four male profiles) were identified. They primarily represented differences in hormone levels (e.g., low hormonal milieus vs. high hormonal milieus), but also reflected discordance (e.g., high estradiol versus. high testosterone). There were limited sociodemographic differences, particularly after correcting for multiple comparisons, but youth with higher hormone milieus exhibited better inhibitory control, visuospatial processing and decision‐making skills even after adjusting for age, pubertal status and demographic data. Thus, youth‐centered approaches that focus on patterns of individual characteristics suggest that hormonal markers may provide unique information about associations between biological and cognitive development.Highlights Latent profile analysis was used to derive constellations of testosterone, DHEA and estradiol (girls only) in a population sample of early adolescents. Hormonal milieus were indexed by four female and four male profiles, varying primarily in hormone levels (i.e., low, average or high hormonal milieus), but also exhibiting some discordance (i.e., high DHEA, high testosterone, or high estradiol). Higher pubertal status was typically associated with higher hormone levels, but pubertal status did not always differentiate between profiles that exhibited discordance. In general, youth in profiles with higher hormone levels had better inhibitory control, visuospatial processing and decision‐making skills 2 years later compared to those in profiles with lower hormone levels.

Adolescents’ Multi-Layered Media Processing: A Panel Study on Positive and Negative Perceptions Toward Ideals and Adolescents’ Appearance Anxiety

Selective exposure literature indicates that not all users take away the same messages from their media exposure; it is suggested that viewers are not merely exposed but rather reactive to multiple—and possibly opposing—messages. The current study aims to introduce an active media-processing perspective, focusing specifically on the media-body image association among an early adolescent sample. Results of a three-wave longitudinal survey among 971 early adolescents ( Mage = 11.14; SD = 1.13) show that media-focused peer interactions (W1), but not media exposure (W1), were associated with contradictory perceptions of attractiveness (i.e., perceived benefits and perceived costs for investing in appearance) (W2). Polynomial regression analyses pointed out that the association between these contradictory perceptions (i.e., interaction between benefits and costs; W2) was curvilinearily related to body image investment (W3). The findings emphasize the variable vulnerability of adolescents to the media effect and the importance of acknowledging multi-layered media messages.

HPA–SAM co-activation among racially diverse, economically disadvantaged early adolescents: Secondary analysis with a preliminary test of a multisystem, person-centered approach

Investigating the co-activation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and sympathetic-adrenomedullary (SAM) responses to acute stress can provide insight into how risk might become biologically embedded during early adolescence and improve understanding of what distinguishes physiological dysregulation from normative/expected physiological responses to stress. Evidence has thus far been mixed as to whether symmetric or asymmetric co-activation patterns are associated with higher exposure to chronic stress and poorer mental health outcomes during adolescence. This study expands on a prior multisystem, person-centered analysis of lower-risk, racially homogenous youth by focusing on HPA–SAM co-activation patterns in a higher-risk, racially diverse sample of early adolescents from low-income families (N = 119, Mage=11.79 years, 55.5% female, 52.7% mono-racial Black). The present study was conducted by performing secondary analysis of data from the baseline assessment of an intervention efficacy trial. Participants and caregivers completed questionnaires; youth also completed the Trier Social Stress Test-Modified (TSST–M) and provided six saliva samples. Multitrajectory modeling (MTM) of salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase levels identified four HPA–SAM co-activation profiles. In accordance with the asymmetric-risk model, youth exhibiting Low HPA–High SAM (n = 46) and High HPA–Low SAM (n = 28) profiles experienced more stressful life events, posttraumatic stress, and emotional and behavioral problems relative to Low HPA–Low SAM (n = 30) and High HPA–High SAM (n = 15) youth. Findings highlight potential differences in biological embedding of risk during early adolescence based on individuals’ exposure to chronic stress and illustrate the utility of multisystem and person-centered approaches in understanding how risk might get “underneath the skin” across systems.

Associations between sexual orientation and early adolescent screen use: findings from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study

PurposeTo assess the association between sexual orientation and screen use (screen time and problematic screen use) in a demographically diverse national sample of early adolescents in the United States. MethodsWe analyzed cross-sectional data from year 2 of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (N = 10,339, 2018–2020, ages 10–14 years). Multiple linear regression analyses estimated the association between sexual orientation and recreational screen time, as well as problematic use of video games, social media, and mobile phones. ResultsIn a sample of 10,339 adolescents (48.7% female, 46.0% racial/ethnic minority), sexual minority (compared to heterosexual) identification was associated with 3.72 (95% CI 2.96–4.47) more hours of daily recreational screen time, specifically more time on television, YouTube videos, video games, texting, social media, video chat, and browsing the internet. Possible sexual minority identification (responding “maybe” to the sexual minority question) was associated with 1.58 (95% CI 0.92–2.24) more hours of screen time compared to heterosexual identification. Sexual minority and possible sexual minority identification were associated with higher problematic social media, video games, and mobile phone use. ConclusionsSexual minority adolescents spend a disproportionate amount of time engaging in screen-based activities, which can lead to problematic screen use.

The role of brain structure in the association between pubertal timing and depression risk in an early adolescent sample (the ABCD Study®): A registered report

BackgroundEarlier pubertal timing is associated with higher rates of depressive disorders in adolescence. Neuroimaging studies report brain structural associations with both pubertal timing and depression. However, whether brain structure mediates the relationship between pubertal timing and depression remains unclear. MethodsThe current registered report examined associations between pubertal timing (indexed via perceived pubertal development), brain structure (cortical and subcortical metrics, and white matter microstructure) and depressive symptoms in a large sample (N = ∼5000) of adolescents (aged 9–13 years) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. We used three waves of follow-up data when the youth were aged 10–11 years, 11–12 years, and 12–13 years, respectively. We used generalised linear-mixed models (H1) and structural equation modelling (H2 & H3) to test our hypotheses. HypothesesWe hypothesised that earlier pubertal timing at Year 1 would be associated with increased depressive symptoms at Year 3 (H1), and that this relationship would be mediated by global (H2a-b) and regional (H3a-g) brain structural measures at Year 2. Global measures included reduced cortical volume, thickness, surface area and sulcal depth. Regional measures included reduced cortical thickness and volume in temporal and fronto-parietal areas, increased cortical volume in the ventral diencephalon, increased sulcal depth in the pars orbitalis, and reduced fractional anisotropy in the cortico-striatal tract and corpus callosum. These regions of interest were informed by our pilot analyses using baseline ABCD data when the youth were aged 9–10 years. ResultsEarlier pubertal timing was associated with increased depressive symptoms two years later. The magnitude of effect was stronger in female youth and the association remained significant when controlling for parental depression, family income, and BMI in females but not in male youth. Our hypothesised brain structural measures did not however mediate the association between earlier pubertal timing and later depressive symptoms. ConclusionThe present results demonstrate that youth, particularly females, who begin puberty ahead of their peers are at an increased risk for adolescent-onset depression. Future work should explore additional biological and socio-environmental factors that may affect this association so that we can identify targets for intervention to help these at-risk youth.

High Cognitive Ability and Mental Health: Findings from a Large Community Sample of Adolescents.

Whereas it has sometimes been asserted that the intellectually gifted would be more prone to develop mental health problems, empirical studies generally do not seem to support such claims. However, much of the available research has relied on preselected samples, introducing risks for sample selection bias. This study scrutinized the relationship between intellectual giftedness (defined as high cognitive ability) and mental health in a large, non-selective sample of early adolescents (n = 3409; 49.6% boys; Mage = 12.5 years). Using a standardized intelligence test (CoVaT-CHC) to identify participants with a high cognitive ability (IQ ≥ 120; n = 403), we compared self- and parent-reported levels of emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, and self-reported worry and global self-esteem between high and average ability adolescents. Findings indicated that adolescents with a high cognitive ability were not at increased risk of psychological maladjustment; if any, differences were in favor of the high ability group. However, adolescents who had been formally identified as gifted (i.e., who had received a gifted label) did report worse adjustment for a number of outcomes.

Development, Validation, and Measurement Invariance of the Body Image Bidimensional Assessment (BIBA) in Italian and Spanish Children and Early Adolescent Samples.

Body dissatisfaction (BD) is an important public health issue as it negatively influences the physical and psychosocial wellbeing of children/early adolescents. Available measures of BD for this population are scarce, have a significant bias, or only evaluate weight-related dissatisfaction. This study, through the exploratory factor analysis (EFA), aims to develop and validate the Italian (Study 1) and Spanish (Study 2) versions of a new tool, the Body Image Bidimensional Assessment (BIBA), which is not subject to sex-age-race biases and is able to identify BD related to weight and height among children/early adolescents. Study 3 regards the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), testing the measurement of invariance across sex and country. The BIBA has a two-factor structure (i.e., weight and height dissatisfaction) according to studies 1 and 2. McDonald's ω ranged from 0.73 (weight) and 0.72 (height) with good reliability. CFA confirmed the two-factor model as a good fit for the Italian and Spanish samples. Finally, partial metric and scalar invariance of the BIBA dimensions across sexes and nations emerged. The BIBA has proven to be an easy-to-use tool that identifies two BD dimensions among children/early adolescents who could benefit from prompt educational interventions.

Growth mindset, persistence, and self-efficacy in early adolescents: Associations with depression, anxiety, and externalising behaviours

ABSTRACT Growth mindset, persistence, and self-efficacy are important protective factors in understanding adolescent psychopathology, including depression, anxiety, and externalising behaviours. Previous studies have shown that dimensions of self-efficacy (academic, social, and emotional) have differential protective effects with mental health outcomes and these differences vary by sex. This study examines the dimensional mediation of self-efficacy from motivational mindsets on anxiety, depression, and externalising behaviours in a sample of early adolescents ages 10-11. Surveys were administered to participants to measure growth mindset and persistence on internalising and externalising symptoms. The Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children (SEQ-C) was used to measure domains of self-efficacy for mediation analysis. Multi-group structural equation modelling by sex indicated that structural paths were not invariant by sex. Significant direct effects were identified from persistence to externalising behaviours in boys, and significant direct effects were identified from growth mindset to depression in girls. In a sample of Tanzanian early adolescents, self-efficacy mediates the protective association between motivational mindsets on psychopathology. Higher academic self-efficacy was associated with reduced externalising problems in both boys and girls. Implications for adolescent programmes and future research are discussed.

Loneliness and friendship quality in early adolescence: Analyzing bidirectional associations

The aim of the present study was to examine whether loneliness and friendship quality are bidirectionally associated with one another over time. Based on the Evolutionary Theory of Loneliness (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018) and the classical definition of loneliness (Peplau & Perlman, 1982), such a bidirectional association would be expected, but empirical research in this regard is limited. We used data from 615 adolescents (Mage = 10.77 years at Wave 1; 53.5% girls) in a three-wave longitudinal study with one-year intervals between successive measurement waves. Loneliness was measured using the peer-related loneliness subscale of the Loneliness and Aloneness Scale for Children and Adolescents. Friendship quality was measured using the help and closeness subscales of the Friendship Qualities Scale. To test our hypothesis we estimated a cross-lagged panel model. Higher friendship quality was associated with lower levels of concurrent loneliness, which is in line with findings of previous research. However, no significant across-time predictions were found between the two constructs. Hence, using a sample of early adolescents, we could not provide evidence supporting important aspects of the aforementioned loneliness theories.

Analysis of Relationships between the Personality Traits and Value Preferences in a Polish Early Adolescent Sample. Do Gender and Age Play a Role?

This paper presents an analysis of the personality traits and value preferences of Polish early adolescent students. Participants were 775 adolescents between 12-14 years (53% girls; Mage= 13.01; SD= 0.81), who completed two surveys: Picture-Based Personality Survey for Children and PictureBased Value Survey for Children. Fourteen-year-old adolescents preferred more Power values and less Tradition and Conformity values than 12- and 13-year-olds. They were also less open to experience and conscientious than their younger counterparts. 14-year-old girls had a stronger preference for Power and Achievement values and a weaker preference for Conformity values than 12-year-old girls. 14-year-old boys preferred more Traditional values than 12-year-old boys. Both 14-year-old girls and boys were less conscientious than the younger adolescents. A regression analysis with an interaction effect indicated that each age group had different relationships between gender and personality traits and their interactions with the particular value categories. The results are discussed in the context of possible practical rearing influence aimed at supporting young] preferred values and personality development in the context of education.

Access to quality health resources and environmental toxins affect the relationship between brain structure and BMI in a sample of pre and early adolescents.

Environmental resources are related to childhood obesity risk and altered brain development, but whether these relationships are stable or if they have sustained impact is unknown. Here, we utilized a multidimensional index of childhood neighborhood conditions to compare the influence of various social and environmental disparities (SED) on body mass index (BMI)-brain relationships over a 2-year period in early adolescence. Data were gathered the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study® (n = 2,970, 49.8% female, 69.1% White, no siblings). Structure magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI), anthropometrics, and demographic information were collected at baseline (9/10-years-old) and the 2-year-follow-up (11/12-years-old). Region of interest (ROIs; 68 cortical, 18 subcortical) estimates of cortical thickness and subcortical volume were extracted from sMRI T1w images using the Desikan atlas. Residential addresses at baseline were used to obtain geocoded estimates of SEDs from 3 domains of childhood opportunity index (COI): healthy environment (COIHE), social/economic (COISE), and education (COIED). Nested, random-effects mixed models were conducted to evaluate relationships of BMI with (1) ROI * COI[domain] and (2) ROI * COI[domain] * Time. Models controlled for sex, race, ethnicity, puberty, and the other two COI domains of non-interest, allowing us to estimate the unique variance explained by each domain and its interaction with ROI and time. Youth living in areas with lower COISE and COIED scores were heavier at the 2-year follow-up than baseline and exhibited greater thinning in the bilateral occipital cortex between visits. Lower COISE scores corresponded with larger volume of the bilateral caudate and greater BMI at the 2-year follow-up. COIHE scores showed the greatest associations (n = 20 ROIs) with brain-BMI relationships: youth living in areas with lower COIHE had thinner cortices in prefrontal regions and larger volumes of the left pallidum and Ventral DC. Time did not moderate the COIHE x ROI interaction for any brain region during the examined 2-year period. Findings were independent of family income (i.e., income-to-needs). Collectively our findings demonstrate that neighborhood SEDs for health-promoting resources play a particularly important role in moderating relationships between brain and BMI in early adolescence regardless of family-level financial resources.

Psychometric properties of the Sindhi version of the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ) in a sample of early adolescents living in rural Pakistan.

There is a need for reliable and valid screening tools that assess depressive symptoms in adolescents in Pakistan. To address this need, the present study examined the psychometric properties and factor structure of a Sindhi-translated and adapted version of the child-report Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ-C) and the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ-C) in a community sample of adolescents living in Matiari, Pakistan. Questionnaires were translated into Sindhi and administered by study psychologists to 1350 participants (52.3% female) 9.0 to 15.9 years old. Measurement structure was examined using confirmatory factor analysis. Internal consistency was estimated, and convergent and divergent validity were explored using subscales from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders. The unidimensional structure of the MFQ-C was found to be adequate, but a four-factor structure comprising core mood, vegetative, cognitive and agitated distress symptoms best fit the data (CFI = 0.97, TLI = 0.97, RMSEA = 0.05). The original unidimensional structure of the SMFQ-C was supported (CFI = 0.97, TLI = 0.96, RMSEA = 0.07). The MFQ-C and the SMFQ-C respectively showed excellent (α = 0.92) and good internal consistency (α = 0.87) as well as satisfactory construct validity with some differences observed across the MFQ-C subscales. The SMFQ-C and the adapted MFQ-C appear to be reliable and valid measures of depressive symptoms among early adolescents living in rural Pakistan. Both total and subscale scores can be derived from the MFQ-C to assess general and specific dimensions of depressive symptoms in this population.