Family Risk Factors Research Articles

Investigation of Beliefs and Practices of University Students Regarding Breast Self-Examination

Objective: Aim of this study was to investigate university students' knowledge, behaviour and awareness of breast self-examination and health beliefs about early detection of breast cancer. Method: A descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 610 university students. Data were collected between November 2022 and April 2023 using “Personal Information Form” and “Champion Breast Cancer Health Belief Model Scale”. Results: Students had knowledge about breast cancer (72.0%), knew how to perform breast self-examination (62.8%) and learnt it from internet (46.9%). Students performed breast self-examination once a month (36.8%) and whenever they remembered (74.2%). The familial risk factors significantly increased the sensitivity levels of students. The region where they came from increased the level of taking the disease seriously (p

Collaborative extended home-visits as a key to facilitating early support within the frame of a family centre in Sweden

BackgroundAll children should have the possibility to be healthy during childhood, according to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In Sweden, the Child Health Services (CHS) support all parents and children from birth until the age of six to promote children’s health and development. Some Swedish regions have introduced an extended home-visit programme, with CHS nurses and social workers visiting first-time parents together to provide parental support in collaboration. The programme aims to expand the task of promoting the child’s health and increase the possibilities of discovering risk factors in families earlier. The aim of the present study is to describe the professionals’ experiences of collaboration when introducing the extended home-visit programme to a broader population within the frame of a family centre.MethodsThe study used a reflexive thematic qualitative approach with focus group interviews. All staff at the family centre were invited to participate: CHS nurses, social workers, and managers who worked with the extended home-visit programme. Data were collected through focus group interviews with each profession separately and analysed through reflexive thematic analysis.ResultsOne overarching theme emerged: A key to facilitating early support. Three connected themes – Ease for everyone on the family’s terms, From working alone to becoming a team, and A matter of supporting structures – illuminated the participants’ experiences. Their driving force was early detection of risk factors or needs in the family, to be able to provide support. The collaboration was enhanced by the different professional competencies complementing each other. That all were located at the family centre together was also important to facilitate collaboration.ConclusionsThe extended home-visits were appreciated and experienced as useful by all participants. That a family centre organization already existed was one of the facilitators, functioning as a meeting point to expand the collaboration. The managers’ support was essential, and it was experienced as positive that the organization invested resources to allow employees to participate in the development of the extended home-visit programmes. This way of working has the potential to add value for the children and families, and the CHS would benefit from using the extended home-visit programme further.

Nicotine and cannabis vaping among early high school adolescents: Disparities of use across sociodemographic characteristics and associations with psychosocial factors

Objective. This study examines whether adolescent nicotine and cannabis vaping types (i.e., nicotine-only, cannabis-only, and dual use) differ across sociodemographic and school characteristics (e.g., age, gender, sexual identity, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, school setting/type), and associations of vaping types with psychosocial factors. Methods. From 2021 to 2022, 9th and 10th grade adolescents (N = 2,476) in Colorado and Ohio participated in a survey measuring vaping behaviors and psychosocial factors including substance use and attitudes, mental health, aggression, and family and school risk and protective factors. Results. Past month vaping prevalence was 89.7 % for non-use, 5.9 % for nicotine-only, 1.0 % for cannabis-only, and 3.4 % for dual use. Chi-square tests of independence showed several significant sociodemographic differences for past month vaping: higher nicotine-only vaping prevalence for females (vs. males) (p < 0.001), higher nicotine-only and dual vaping prevalence for LGB+ (vs. heterosexual) youth (ps < 0.01), higher dual vaping prevalence for Hispanic and multiethnic (vs. White) adolescents (p < 0.001), and higher nicotine-only, cannabis-only, and dual vaping prevalence for lower (vs. higher) mother education (ps < 0.001). Regression models examining associations between vaping types (vs. non-use) and psychosocial factors indicated a robust pattern of worse levels of substance use attitudes, mental health, aggression, and family and school factors for nicotine-only and dual users. Results followed a similar pattern but to a lesser degree for cannabis-only users. Conclusions. Findings identify characteristics of adolescents who may be particularly vulnerable to higher vaping risk (females, LGB+, Hispanic, multiethnic, low SES) and suggest needs for preventive interventions aimed to reduce all types of vaping for better adolescent behavioral health.

Childhood emotional maltreatment and emotional intelligence in adolescents: The mediating role of mindfulness

BackgroundChildhood emotional maltreatment is detrimental to adolescents' emotional intelligence. However, most research has concentrated on the overall experience of childhood emotional maltreatment, leaving the outcomes of specific types of emotional maltreatment (i.e., emotional abuse and emotional neglect) and the mechanisms underlying these effects largely unexplored. ObjectiveGuided by the dimensional theory and the family risk factor model, this study used a two-wave longitudinal design to explore the association between two types of childhood emotional maltreatment and emotional intelligence. Furthermore, mindfulness's mediating role was also examined from the perspective of the schema theory. MethodsThis study included 580 Chinese teenagers (237 males; Mage = 15.94), who filled out questionnaires assessing childhood emotional maltreatment, mindfulness, and emotional intelligence. Path analyses and semi-longitudinal mediation analyses were conducted. ResultsAccording to the results of path analyses, only childhood emotional abuse predicted emotional intelligence, while neglect did not. Furthermore, the findings from the semi-longitudinal mediation indicated that mindfulness mediated the relationship between childhood emotional abuse and emotional intelligence. ConclusionsThe current study's findings highlighted the differential predictive effects of two types of childhood emotional maltreatment on emotional intelligence among teenagers, as well as the mediating role of mindfulness in this association. Thus, mindfulness may be a key area for intervention and may help to enhance the emotional intelligence of adolescents who have experienced childhood emotional abuse.

Perinatal Depression and Risk of Mortality: Nationwide, Register-Based Study in Sweden

(BMJ. 2024;384:e075462. doi: 10.1136/bmj-2023-075462) Perinatal depression (PD), which occurs either during pregnancy or after delivery, is diagnosed with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders (DSMMD). Although PD is associated with decreased maternal well-being and an increased risk of suicide, the impact on maternal mortality is not clearly understood. The risk of death following a diagnosis of PD is specifically explored in this matched cohort Swedish study. To understand whether there are familial risk factors, including genetics and shared childhood experiences, in PD, the study design includes sibling comparison. Data for the study was sourced from the Swedish health registers, including the medical birth register, the national patient register, the national drug register, the multigenerational register, and the causes of death register. Pregnancies from 2001 to 2017 were examined, with exclusions including: multiple pregnancies, pregnancies after PD, and missing age. After exclusions, 1,029,215 women were considered part of the study base, while 86,551 of these women had received their first diagnosis of PD and received treatment either with antidepressants or other care (before the first year postpartum). The women diagnosed with PD were followed based on whether they were diagnosed with antepartum or postpartum depression. Ten women from the study base without a PD diagnosis were included for each woman (index) diagnosed with PD. Specifically, these 865,510 women, which make up the reference group for the study, were chosen based on their similar age and similar delivery date with the index women. In total, the reference group and the index women make up the population cohort. In addition, the sibling cohort was selected, with all pregnant women who gave birth during the study years (2001 to 2017) and had at least 1 full sister included.

The link between social risks factors with insufficient metabolic control and onset of T1D in children and adolescents in Russia

Despite significant progress in the treatment of T1DM in children, achieving target levels of carbohydrate metabolism in children remains one of the most difficult tasks. The influence of the psychosocial state of the family on the ability to achieve metabolic compensation is becoming increasingly clear. However, the study of social risk factors in families with children with T1DM and their impact on metabolic control remains clearly insufficient.The purpose of the study is to determine social risk factors (SR) that are most typical for families of children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in our country and to analyze their relationship with compensation for T1DM based on a survey of parents.MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted in endocrinology departments of children’s hospitals and departments of medical and social care of children’s clinics in 4 regions - Vologda, Tyumen, Chelyabinsk regions and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug.A total of 325 respondents took part in the study. 1 group — experience of T1DM in children &gt;1 year and poor metabolic control (level of glycated hemoglobin ((HbA1c) &gt;7.5%) — 195 hours; 2 gr. — experience of T1DM in children &gt;1 year and good metabolic control (HbA1c &lt;7.5%) — 60 people. An additional group consisted of 73 patients with &lt;1 year of experience of T1DM in children, regardless of metabolic control, in order to analyze the prevalence of social risk factors already in the 1st year of diabetes.RESULTS: In the overall group, HbA1c was 9.1% (4.9–17%). The five most common SR factors were a low level of parental education (lack of higher or secondary education), lack of a permanent job, raising a child alone, lack of support from loved ones, and income below the subsistence level.1 group (192 people). Average HbA1c level 9.8% (7.5–17%). Among the HR factors that significantly influence HbA1c levels, the level of education of parents, single parenting of a child, low family income and the number of children in the family were identified. The number of influencing social risk factors also has a negative impact on metabolic control.2nd group. (60 people). HbA1с — 6.6% (5.3%–7.3%). The prevalence of SR factors was significantly lower than in the previous group. The differences were significant for lack of higher education, single parenting, and low family income.3 gr. (73 people). HbA1c — 9.3% (4.9–15.1%, which may be due to the duration of diabetes less than 3 months in some children. After 3 months, the HbA1c level was 7.9% (4.8–13.4%). The list of SR factors practically coincides in composition and frequency with those in families of group 1. Thus, social difficulties that are not resolved in a timely manner aggravate the situation of the family and negatively affect the compensation of carbohydrate metabolism.CONCLUSION. We have identified the most significant factors of SR in families with children with T1DM in the Russian Federation. The deterioration of social conditions in the family is a factor that negatively affects the level of control of T1DM and the development of complications in the future. As a result, families with children with T1DM, especially with chronic decompensation, need assessment of SD factors and support from social services.

Familial and Individual Risk Factors, Sexual Assault, and Mental Health: A Comparison of Black, Hispanic, Asian, and White College Students.

Though sexual assault is prevalent among college campuses, there is a paucity of research on whether risk factors vary for different racial/ethnic groups. As such, this article examines familial and individual risk factors and three sexual assault types (coercive, physically forced, and incapacitated) with depressive symptoms and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms to see whether such risks vary for Black/African American, White, Asian, and Hispanic groups of college students. Data were gathered in 2019 to 2020 from 783 undergraduate college women and men at a large public university in the Midwestern United States. Results revealed that in terms of family background, Black/African American, Asian, and Hispanic students reported more experiences of child physical abuse and lower levels of warmth and support compared to White students. White college students, however, reported more frequent heavy drinking compared to Asian and Hispanic students. For sexual assault, Asian students reporting experiencing incapacitated sexual assault more so than White students, whereas Black/African American students reported experiences of physically forced sexual assault more so than White students. For mental health, Hispanic students reported more PTSD symptoms compared to White students while Asian students reported more depressive symptoms compared to their White counterparts. It is noteworthy that early experiences of child physical abuse and lower warmth and support continued to significantly impact both PTSD symptoms and depressive symptoms. Our results demonstrate the importance of going beyond the typical dichotomy of White and non-White to gain a more nuanced understanding of how risk factors vary for different racial and ethnic groups, which has implications for intervention and prevention when understanding sexual assault and mental health outcomes.

Preadolescent individual, familial, and social risk factors associated with longitudinal patterns of adolescent alcohol, cannabis, and other illicit drug use in a population-representative cohort.

The aim of this exploratory study was to identify developmental patterns of adolescent concurrent alcohol, cannabis, and other illicit drug use and their preadolescent individual, familial, and social risk factors in a population-representative cohort from the province of Quebec, Canada (N = 1,593; 48.4% male). Age 12-17 years self-reports of alcohol, cannabis, and other illicit drug use were collected. Latent growth modeling was used to analyze developmental patterns of single- or polysubstance use (SU/PSU), and multinomial regression examined their association with risk factors assessed at age 10-12 years. Five developmental patterns were revealed, including nonusers (12.8% sample) and four classes reflecting different levels of SU/PSU (5.8%-37.5%), varying in severity based on onset, frequency, and type of substances used. Boys and girls were similarly represented throughout SU/PSU patterns. In comparisons with nonusers, several preadolescent risk factors were associated with increasing severity of SU/PSU. Possibly indexing fearlessness/disinhibition, low internalizing symptoms were common to all adolescent users. An earlier onset of substance use and increasing use of substances throughout adolescence were linked with having deviant peers for all user classes but later-onset users. Preadolescents manifesting externalizing problems and exposed to family adversity in addition to the above risk factors showed the earliest onset and most frequent adolescent SU/PSU, especially those also exposed to less appropriate parenting. Consistent with the developmental model of substance use, the nature, number, and severity of preadolescent risk factors distinguished between the type and severity of SU/PSU patterns in adolescence and call for a consistent strategy of universal, selective, and indicated preventive interventions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Integrated health and social care for pregnant women and young families in a vulnerable situation in the Netherlands: Professionals’ views on cross-sectoral collaboration

PurposeThis qualitative study investigated the perspective of professionals from the medical, social, and public health care sectors with regard to: cross-sectoral collaboration in providing integrated health and social care during the first thousand days of life (preconception up to children aged two years) for pregnant women and young families in a vulnerable situation. This knowledge is needed for the enhancement of cross-sectoral collaboration and the implementation of integrated care. MethodsProfessionals (n = 35) were recruited from three deprived municipalities in South-Limburg, the Netherlands. Semi-structured interviews gained insight into professionals’ views, by using a theoretical framework based on the ‘National model for integrated care for childhood overweight and obesity’. ResultsProfessionals stressed the importance of addressing both medical and social risk factors in pregnant women and young families in a vulnerable situation. However, their interpretation of vulnerability differed, hindering collaborative working. Furthermore, cross-sectoral collaboration was restricted by lack of formal cooperation agreements between sectors, and unclear referral lines from the medical to the social sector. Professionals often did not know the expertise and role of other sectors. Digital information and referral systems are not connected between the sectors which acts as an inhibiting factor. Discussion/ConclusionThis study highlights the need and ways to facilitate collaborative working between the medical, social, and public health care sectors in delivering integrated care. Recommendations include: 1) Enforcing implementation strategies aimed at facilitating collaborative working: formal regulations, structured agreements, and use of consistent definitions and protocols to facilitate integration; 2) Strengthen informal connections between professionals by the Solid Start local coalitions; 3) Align all professionals, also those not directly involved in the Solid Start local coalition, with the goals and vision of the coalition; 4) Implement a joint digital file or IT referral system to improve cross-sectoral collaboration; 5) Enhance collaboration between sectors at case level through multidisciplinary consultation.

Supplemental Material for Preadolescent Individual, Familial, and Social Risk Factors Associated With Longitudinal Patterns of Adolescent Alcohol, Cannabis, and Other Illicit Drug Use in a Population-Representative Cohort

Supplemental Material for Preadolescent Individual, Familial, and Social Risk Factors Associated With Longitudinal Patterns of Adolescent Alcohol, Cannabis, and Other Illicit Drug Use in a Population-Representative Cohort

Factores de riesgo y protección para la ideación e intento de suicidio en adolescentes y jóvenes latinoamericanos: revisión sistemática

Suicidal behavior is constituted as a public health problem, and the literature is recognized extensively for enunciating risk and protection factors associated with the attempt of suicide. The evaluation of the methodological quality of the primary studies is required by systematic reviews, thus guiding decision-making regarding the design of interventions from the risk approach. The identification of the risk and protective factors associated with suicidal ideation and attempts in adolescents and young people in Latin America studies and the evaluation of the methodological quality of the included studies were the objectives of this systematic review. The databases CUIDEN, LILACS, Pubmed, Scielo, Science Direct, SCOPUS, EBSCO, and Medline were consulted, with the results being restricted to articles in the last 10 years.A total of 3,642 documents were obtained, from which 19 studies were included. Of the studies, 52.63% (n=10) were found to have a medium internal validity level, and 57.89% (n=11) were determined to have a medium global quality level. The most frequently reported family risk factors were family dysfunction and suicide background, with other factors including the presence of mental disorder, psychoactive substances consumption, physical violence, sexual violence, and the social factor.On the other hand, the study of protective factors was found to be limited, with family functionality and support being the most frequently reported evidence.

Risk Factors Affecting the Psychological Resilience of Adolescents in Institutional Care: A Systematic Review.

Psychological resilience is defined as the resilience capacity and the power to recover in the face of stressful life events. Adolescents in institutional care have different individual, familial, and environmental risk factors that negatively affect their psychological resilience. This study aimed to comparatively examine studies that detect the risk factors affecting the resilience of adolescents living in institutional care and make recommendations regarding initiatives or specific outcomes related to this. This study systematically reviewed national and international literature databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, Medline, CINAHL, EBSCO host, Psychinfo, Cochrane Library, Turkish Ulakbim, Turkish Medical Directory, and Turkish Psychiatry Directory up to December 2021. Fourteen studies were included in this study. Many significant risk factors, such as adolescents' interpersonal relationships, self-confidence, self-esteem, self-efficacy levels, problem-solving skills, empathy skills, as well as parental abandonment, domestic violence, socioeconomic poverty, a history of abuse, peer rejection, lack of social support resources, and low academic performance, have been identified and discussed at individual, familial, and environmental levels. Adolescents in institutional care were more vulnerable and had more mental and behavioral problems than their peers. This systematic review found no studies evaluating preventive programs, interventions, or interventions designed to reduce the frequency and prevalence of future adverse events for children growing up in institutional care settings. Recommends the comprehensive inclusion and evaluation of preventive programs, practices, and assessments aimed at reducing the frequency and prevalence of risk factors affecting resilience.

Differential Association of Preadolescent Risk Factors Across Developmental Patterns of Adolescent Concurrent Gambling Participation and Substance Use.

Early risk factors for gambling participation (GP) and substance use (SU) in adolescents have usually been studied separately, although these disorders were integrated into the same clinical category over a decade ago. This exploratory study aimed to investigate the early individual, parental, familial and social risk factors associated with developmental patterns of adolescent GP and SU in a population-representative cohort (N = 1594, 51.2% boys). Using a person-centered strategy and multiple assessments from age 12 to 17, six developmental patterns describing joint GP and SU courses were revealed. Non-substance users/non-gamblers served as the reference class in an integrated longitudinal-multivariate analysis framework examining 15 distinct risk factors. Results showed that a core of risk factors were common to all trajectory-classes of substance users with or without GP. For a similar level of SU, most of the risk factors associated with non-gambling users also affected their gambling peers. However, additional risk factors were specifically related to GP. Thus, substance users who also gamble were affected by a greater number of risk factors than non-gambling substance users. Findings are consistent with a developmental syndrome of addiction, which posits a shared etiology between different expressions of addiction as well as differences in risk factors that lead to distinct trajectories of addictive behaviors. They highlight the importance of considering both GP and SU for a comprehensive assessment of adolescents' level of risk with regard to addictive behaviors.

The effect of family history of atherosclerosıs and other risk factors on changes in serum lipid levels in acne patients treated with isotretinoin.

Oral isotretinoin causes changes in serum lipid values. These changes are not seen in every patient, regardless of dose. It is unclear what causes these changes and how often serum lipid values should be followed up. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between the change in serum lipid values and personal and familial risk factors. Serum lipid values at baseline (0th), 1st, 3rd, and 6th months of isotretinoin treatment of acne patients aged 16 years and over using oral isotretinoin at a dose of 0.5-1mg/kg/day between January 2017 and December 2019 were recorded retrospectively. The relationship between personal and familial risk factors and changes in serum lipid values were evaluated statistically. In pairwise comparison, a significant difference was detected between the 0th and 1st month, 0th and 3rd month, 0th and 6th month, and 1st and 6th month in the average serum lipid (Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), total cholesterol, triglyceride) levels. However, no significant difference was detected between 3rd and 6th month. The change in LDL levels between the 0th and the 3rd month was significantly higher in those with a family history of atherosclerosis than those without a family history of atherosclerosis (p = 0.034). The change in VLDL levels between the 0th and 6th month was significantly higher in those with a family history of atherosclerosis than those without a family history of atherosclerosis (p = 0.022). It was observed that the changes in total cholesterol and VLDL levels between the 0th and 3rd month increased as body mass index (BMI) increased (p = 0.03, p = 0.014, respectively). Similarly, the changes in triglyceride and VLDL levels between 0th and 6th month and between 1st and 6th month increased by an increase in BMI (respectively; p = 0.006, p = 0.019; p = 0.016, p = 0.022). The increase in the levels of VLDL between the 1st and the 6th month was found to be significantly higher in smokers than in non-smokers (p = 0,032). We recommend evaluation of serum lipids values in the 0th,1st, and 3rd month in all acne patients using oral isotretinoin and that these values have to be checked monthly in the following months for smokers, those with a history of atherosclerosis, and those with a BMI above normal.

Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms and Stressful Life Events: An Evaluation of Gene-Environment Interplay

BackgroundBorderline personality disorder (BPD) is associated with high rates of stressful life events (SLEs). It is unclear whether people who experience SLEs have more BPD symptoms after accounting for the effects of familial risk factors. Our aims in the current study were to 1) create a predictive model of BPD using stressors across age and contexts and 2) examine whether SLEs resulted in higher levels of BPD symptoms beyond the effects of genetic and environmental risk factors. MethodsThe sample comprised 2801 twins from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health Twin Panel. Poisson regression was used to explore which SLEs predicted BPD symptoms. Elastic net penalized regression was conducted to develop a predictive model for SLEs and BPD symptoms. Co-twin control analyses were performed to differentiate between environmental and genetic factors. ResultsSLEs experienced during childhood and adulthood were associated with BPD symptoms. A weighted polyevent risk score explained 22% of the total variation in symptoms. Shared environmental and heritable factors explained 31% and 47% of individual differences in BPD symptomatology, respectively. Measured SLEs explained 42% of the shared environmental risk for BPD. The predictive risk of SLEs for BPD was reduced when shared environmental and genetic factors were accounted for. However, SLEs increased risk of BPD symptoms beyond the effects of shared genetic and environmental factors. ConclusionsBPD symptomatology following SLEs cannot fully be explained by genetic and shared environmental factors. The SLE-BPD symptoms associations were primarily due to selection by family environments. It is important to identify familial factors that lead to both SLEs and BPD symptoms. SLEs remained associated with BPD symptoms beyond genetic and environmental confounding.

Exploring the Impact of Family History, Demographics and Ecological Factors on Urolithiasis Prevalence: Insights from a Nationwide Study.

This study aimed to evaluate the potential risk factors of lifetime urolithiasis occurrence on a nationwide scale in Iran. All data regarding urinary stone events were extracted from the cross-sectional Iran National Stone Survey (INSS) study, and the possible determinants of urolithiasis incidence were evaluated. Our multivariable logistic regression suggested that while older age at presentation, male sex, and a positive family history of urolithiasis in either of the patient's parents or siblings were all significantly associated with an increased odds of lifetime urolithiasis occurrence (all P < .001), a positive family history in one's sister (odds ratio; OR=5.56) or brother (OR=4.70) were the most significant predictors. Moreover, belonging to Baluch ethnicity (i.e., an ethnical group indigenous to the south eastern regions of Iran) and residing in regions with higher water hardness (i.e., total concentration of dissolved minerals) were also associated with an increased odds of urolithiasis occurrence (P < .001 and P=.023, respectively). Conversely, living in regions with higher mean humidity decreased the chances of developing a urinary stone event during one's lifetime (OR=0.62, P <.001). Our results indicated that a constellation of demographic, ecological, and familial risk factors are associated with an elevated risk of developing urinary stones during one's lifetime. These findings can assist in implementing novel regional healthcare policies, considering the specific demographic and ecological characteristics. They also support tailoring personalized preventive strategies, particularly for individuals with multiple nonmodifiable risk factors.

Longitudinal Impacts of Housing Cost Burden on Physical and Psychological Aggression of Children From Age 3 to 15.

Housing cost burden is stressful for families, interfering with healthy, positive parenting. The present study uses data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study to examine the relationship between housing cost burden and aggressive parenting with children age 3 to age 15. Latent growth curve modeling finds that both types of aggressive parenting behaviors decline on average, but that housing cost burden contributes to significant ongoing risk. Results indicate within-time associations between housing cost burden and psychological aggression and associations both within- and across-time between housing cost burden and physical aggression. Housing cost burden poses a significant risk factor for families, and child maltreatment prevention approaches must incorporate strategies for addressing housing cost burden.

Parental SES and family support as predictors of educational level: Testing the buffering effect of effortful control and peer support.

Exposure to family risk factors increases adolescents' chances of attaining a lower educational level. However, some adolescents attain a high educational level despite being exposed to family risk factors such as a lower parental socioeconomic status (SES) or receiving less family support. Using data from the Dutch TRAILS cohort study (NT1 = 2175; Mage = 11.1, SD = 0.55, 50.8% female), we investigated if higher levels of effortful control and peer support can buffer against the negative effects of a lower parental SES and less family support on educational level. Two multinomial logistic regressions were performed (from early to mid-adolescence and from mid-adolescence to young adulthood) with post hoc tests to contrast four ordinal educational levels: practical vocational, theoretical vocational, higher general, and (pre-)university. Adolescents with a higher parental SES were consistently more likely to end up at a higher educational level, but family support was hardly associated with educational level. Neither effortful control nor peer support buffered the associations of parental SES and family support with educational level. Effortful control did have a positive direct (compensatory) effect on the educational level. We conclude that other individual competencies or more structural changes may be more helpful buffers for reducing socioeconomic inequalities in educational attainment.

Using polygenic risk modification to improve breast cancer prevention: study protocol for the PRiMo multicentre randomised controlled trial

IntroductionEstablished personal and familial risk factors contribute collectively to a woman’s risk of breast or ovarian cancer. Existing clinical services offer genetic testing for pathogenic variants in high-risk genes to...

Effects of cultural stressors and family etiologic factors on behavioral and mental health among Mexican and other Latino/a immigrant parents in the United States

As the Latino/a population in the United States continues to grow, disparities among subgroups within this population are becoming more evident. Understanding how cultural stressors and family dynamics relate to behavioral and mental health outcomes among Latino/a immigrants offers valuable insights for addressing inequities among specific Latino/a subgroups. As a result, we conducted a moderated-mediation analysis, using a multi-group path analysis approach, to examine the extent to which cultural stressors and family etiologic factors relate to hazardous alcohol use and mental health symptoms among Mexican and other Latino/a immigrant (i.e., Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and El Salvador) parents in the United States. Additionally, we explored the extent to which cultural stressors would indirectly relate to hazardous alcohol use and mental health symptoms through elevated family risk factors and compromised family functioning among both subgroups. The sample consisted of 827 Latino/a immigrant parents with children aged 8 to 16 years, including 287 (35 %) Mexican (M=38.9 years, 61 % female) and 540 (65 %) other Latino/a (M=40.8 years, 72 % female). Variables assessed in this study, and self-reported by participants, included cultural stress, family conflict, poor family management, positive attitudes toward drug use, family functioning, hazardous alcohol use, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. We conducted a series of multiple linear regressions, as well as a multigroup path analysis adjusting for covariates. Scores on all study variables (except family functioning, which evidenced the opposite pattern) were significantly greater in Mexicans than in other Latino/a individuals. We found that hazardous alcohol use was more closely related to family and cultural level predictors among Mexicans, but that links of family and cultural level predictors with mental health indicators were similar between the two subgroups. Grouping Mexicans into a homogenous ethnic group along with other Latino/a subgroups might undermine our understanding of the associations of cultural stress and family-level etiologic factors vis-à-vis the incidence and prevention of hazardous alcohol use and mental health among different subgroups of Latino/a immigrant families, especially those of Mexican origin. Our findings highlight the critical need for tailored interventions aimed at Latino/a immigrant subgroups to ensure equitable substance use and mental health outcomes in the United States.