Higher Socioeconomic Status Families Research Articles

Family socioeconomic status and adolescent substance use: The role of parent-adolescent brain similarity and parental monitoring.

Greater neural similarity between parents and adolescents may reduce adolescent substance use. Among 70 parent-adolescent dyads, we tested a longitudinal path model in which family economic environment is related to adolescent substance use, directly and indirectly through parent-adolescent neural similarity and parental monitoring. Neural similarity was measured as parent-adolescent pattern similarity in functional brain connectivity at Time 1. Parents reported socioeconomic status and parental monitoring at Time 1. Adolescents reported parental monitoring at Time 1 and substance use at Time 2. Higher family socioeconomic status was associated with greater neural similarity. Greater neural similarity was associated with lower adolescent substance use, mediated through greater adolescent-perceived parental monitoring. Parent-adolescent neural similarity may attenuate adolescent substance use by bolstering parental monitoring. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Are migrants a threat? Migrant children and human capital investments among local households in urban China

The educational spillovers of migrant children in receiving areas have drawn widespread attention in countries undergoing massive internal migration. Yet few studies have explored how migrant students affect the decision-making process of native households. This study examines the effects and underlying mechanisms of internal migrant children on human capital investments among local households in urban China. Leveraging the random student-classroom assignment within middle schools, we find that migrant peer composition has a significant positive impact on local households’ spending on their children’s education, especially out-of-school education expenditure. These positive effects are more pronounced among local students who are male, in the ninth grade, and come from high socioeconomic status families. The results of our mechanism analysis suggest that the presence of migrant children leads local parents to overestimate their children’s academic performance and raises concerns about potential adverse effects on their children’s educational outcomes. However, we have not found compelling evidence indicating that migrant classmates significantly affect local students’ learning environment, emotional well-being, and actual academic achievements. Our study contributes to the ongoing debate on the educational inclusion of internal migrant children in China and similar contexts, highlighting the importance of addressing the biased beliefs of local households over migrants.

Poor air quality at school and educational inequality by family socioeconomic status in Italy

This paper investigates social stratification in the context of poor air quality's impact on educational achievement in Italy, a country characterized by high levels of air pollution and significant geographical diversity. We address two primary questions: firstly, whether students from different socio-economic backgrounds vary in their exposure to high levels of particulate matter (PM2.5) at school, and secondly, if the effect of exposure to poor air quality on academic performance differs between children from high and low socio-economic status families. Utilizing a novel dataset comprising test scores in math and reading for 456,508 8th-grade students, collected nationally in Italy in 2019, we geocode the locations of 6882 schools based on their addresses and link the level of air pollution in the surrounding areas using PM2.5 data from the Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group. To address potential confounding factors, we estimate municipality and province fixed effects and control for indicators of school neighborhood characteristics and school quality. Our analysis yields three key findings. Firstly, students from higher socio-economic backgrounds tend to attend schools with higher PM2.5 levels. However, the positive association between SES and exposure to PM2.5 disappears when adding province and municipality fixed effects, suggesting that the positive association can be explained by selection into provinces and municipalities by SES. Secondly, we identify a small yet consistent negative effect of PM2.5 on math and reading test scores. Thirdly, this adverse impact is primarily observed among students from low socio-economic backgrounds. We conclude that the relationship between environmental risks and disparities in educational achievement based on social background in Italy is nuanced and critically influenced by the country's specific context.

Perceived Social Mobility and Smartphone Dependence in University Students: The Roles of Hope and Family Socioeconomic Status.

Drawing upon the cognitive-behavioral model of pathological Internet use (PIU) and tunnel effect, this study aimed to construct a moderated mediation model from the perspective of social ecology. Specifically, the model investigated the relationship between perceived social mobility and smartphone dependence, with a focus on the mediating role of hope and the moderating effect of family socioeconomic status (SES) underlying this relationship. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 718 Chinese university students (Mage = 19.19, 70.2% female) from Beijing, Henan, and Tianjin, who anonymously filled out the Perceptions of Socioeconomic Mobility Scale, Mobile Phone Addiction Index Scale, Openness to the Future Scale, and family socioeconomic status questionnaire. Preliminary data analysis was executed using SPSS 22.0, and the moderated mediation effect was tested using the latent moderated structural equations approach in Mplus 8.3. The results showed that (a) less perceived social mobility was linked with greater smartphone dependence; (b) hope mediated the aforementioned relationship; and (c) family SES moderated the first-stage path of the indirect effect through hope. For university students with low (rather than high) family SES, their level of hope increased with the improvement of perceived social mobility, and in turn, that of smartphone dependence decreased. These findings suggest that positive perceptions of upward social class mobility and hopeful attitudes toward future opportunities and personal development among disadvantaged university students may alleviate their reliance on smartphones. Researchers and policymakers should pay attention to the role of individuals' perceptions of the macro environment in motivating specific risky behaviors among university students. Future interventions are essential to mitigate pessimistic environmental perceptions and foster a sense of hope among university students.

Age at peak height velocity in Polish adolescents: Effect of socioeconomic factors.

Age at peak height velocity (APHV) is an indicator of maturity timing which is applicable to both sexes, and which is influenced by environmental factors. The objective of this study was to assess variation in APHV associated with several indicators of socioeconomic status (SES) in a longitudinal sample of Polish adolescents. The sample included 739 boys born in 1983 and followed annually from 12 to 16 years, and 597 girls born in 1985 and followed annually from 9 to 13 years. The height records were fitted with the SITAR model to estimate APHV. SES was estimated using principal component analysis of indicators of familial status based on parental education, family size, living conditions and household possessions. Statistical analyses included analysis of variance (one-way for general SES and three-way for parental education and family size) and Tukey post-hoc tests for unequal samples. General SES (p <.001) and family size (p < .05) significantly influenced APHV among boys, while only maternal education (p < .05) significantly influenced APHV among girls. Among youth from families of higher SES, as defined by the respective indicators, APHV was attained significantly earlier, on average, than in peers from families of lower SES. Overall, the results showed a sex-dependent effect of SES on APHV, and highlighted the influence of favorable socioeconomic conditions for optimal growth and maturation during adolescence.

The influence of socio-economic status on child temperament and psychological symptom profiles.

The influence of socio-economic status (SES) on child temperament and psychological symptoms was examined using a nationally representative sample in Singapore. Data were available for 2169 children from 1987 families. Caregivers' reports were obtained on children aged 4-6. SES was operationalized as an aggregation of household income per capita, parental education level and housing type. Compared to their counterparts from higher SES families, children from low-SES families tended to exhibit (a) higher negative affectivity but lower effortful control, and (b) higher internalizing and externalizing symptoms. In addition, children with a 'resilient' temperamental profile (i.e. low negative affectivity and high effortful control) were more likely to come from families with much higher SES, relative to children with other profiles. Children with high internalizing symptoms tended to come from low-SES backgrounds, regardless of their externalizing symptoms. Among children with low internalizing symptoms, those with high externalizing symptoms came from lower SES backgrounds compared to those with low externalizing symptoms. Parental warmth and distress mediated the association between SES and child temperament and symptom profiles, with the exception of distress in the SES-temperament link. These findings supported the family stress model and highlighted the novel perspective of SES's influence on configurations of child temperament and symptom characteristics.

Age at autism spectrum disorder diagnosis and its association with child and family characteristics in a tertiary care hospital in Malaysia.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder. Despite the absence of a cure, early diagnosis and intensive early intervention can improve the outcomes. However, little is known about the median age at ASD diagnosis in Malaysia or the child/family characteristics associated with early diagnosis. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the median age at ASD diagnosis among Malaysian children presenting to the country's largest public tertiary neurodevelopmental center and to investigate the possible demographic, child, and family characteristics associated with an early age at diagnosis. Data were collected between February 2017 and February 2019 from a database maintained by the child development unit of the country's largest publicly funded tertiary hospital, containing data from an ethnically diverse population. Among Malaysian children attending the clinic, the median age at ASD diagnosis was 48 months. Early autism diagnosis (<36 months of age) was associated with increased severity of social communication and interaction impairments, coexisting intellectual impairment, children from high socioeconomic status families, and children who receive joint care from their families and a maid or babysitter. The study findings highlight the socioeconomic inequalities in the country, a lack of parental awareness of early ASD signs, and the presence of cultural influences on the age at diagnosis of ASD.

Positive math attitudes are associated with greater frontal activation among children from higher socio-economic status families

Math learning is explained by the interaction between cognitive, affective, and social factors. However, studies rarely investigate how these factors interact with one another to explain math performance. This study aims to fill this gap in the literature by using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to understand the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying the interaction between parental socioeconomic status (SES) and children's math attitudes. To this aim, 57 children solved multiplication problems inside the scanner. We measured parental SES by creating two groups based on parents' occupations and measured children's math attitudes using a questionnaire. We ran a cluster-wise regression analysis examining the interaction between these two variables while controlling for the main effects of SES, math attitudes, and full IQ. The analysis revealed a cluster in the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), which was due to children with positive math attitudes from high socio-economic status families showing greater IFG activation when solving large multiplication problems as compared to their negative attitudes high SES peers, suggesting that they exhibited more retrieval effort to solve large multiplication problems. We discuss how this may be because they were the only ones who fully engaged in math opportunities provided by their environment.

Income inequality and socioeconomic differences in bullying perpetration among adolescents in post-communist countries of Europe: Findings from the HBSC study

BackgroundAdolescent bullying is a major public health concern in post-Communist countries of Europe (PCCE). We studied the impact of income inequality on the prevalence of and socioeconomic differences in bullying perpetration. MethodsNationally representative samples of adolescents aged 11–15 years from 14 PCCE participating in the Health Behavior in School-aged Children survey during 2017–18 years were included. Multilevel logistic regression models were fitted. ResultsOverall, 71,119 adolescents participated in the survey. About 27.7 % of country differences in bullying perpetration were attributable to high income inequality. Adolescents with low and high family socioeconomic status (SES) had a 10–15 % greater risk (P < 0.05) of bullying perpetration compared to middle-SES adolescents. In cross-level interaction, the risk of bullying perpetration was the highest among high-SES adolescents from countries with wider income inequality (P-interaction = 0.003). The odds ratios of bullying perpetration comparing high- vs. low-SES adolescents ranged from 0.67 in the least unequal to 1.59 in the most unequal countries. ConclusionsOur findings suggest that high income inequality might contribute to school bullying among adolescents in PCCE, particularly those from high-SES families. The necessary political and economic interventions should focus on improving the country socioeconomic environment in PCCE. Moving towards less neoliberal policies and creating a strong welfare state that promotes the population's economic and social well-being and reduces income inequality might be a necessary component of macro-level strategies aimed at preventing bullying among adolescents. Targeted public health interventions might be required for high-SES adolescents in countries with wide income inequality.

Assessment of Health-Related Quality of Life in Children with Totally Corrected Tetralogy of Fallot in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq

ABSTRACT Purpose This study examined the health-related quality of life among children who have undergone surgery for tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) compared to healthy children. Design Cross-sectional study Methods The study was carried out at Children’s Heart Hospital and Primary Healthcare Centers in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, between July 1, 2022, and November 1, 2022. The study involved 400 participants, comprised of 200 parents of healthy children and 200 parents with children with repaired TOF. Data collection involved utilizing a 5-point Likert Scale questionnaire administered through direct face-to-face interviews with the parents of the children. Findings Children with surgically repaired TOF had markedly lower mean scores (P ≤ 0.001) in the overall dimension of QoL (Mean rank = 137) when compared to healthy children (Mean rank = 263). Furthermore, it was observed that children with repaired TOF had significantly lower mean scores (P < 0.001) across all subdimensions of QoL compared to their healthy counterparts. In the subject of children with repaired TOF, the impact of maternal education (illiterate and lower education) on overall QoL was found to be highly significant (P < 0.001). In addition, children with repaired TOF from lower socioeconomic status (SES) families had worse quality of life than those from medium and high SES families, with a p-value <0.001. Conclusions Repaired TOF children exhibited notable deficiencies across all dimensions of QoL compared to healthy children. Moreover, SES emerged as a significant determinant influencing the QoL outcomes of repaired TOF children. Clinical evidence Despite undergoing corrective surgery for TOF, the QoL in children with repaired TOF continues to be lower than that of their healthy counterparts. Notably, the economic and educational status of the family significantly impacts the way these children perceive and experience their QoL. This finding underscores the critical significance of factoring in socioeconomic elements when addressing the well-being of this particular group of children.

Changes in the prevalence of obesity in Czech adolescents between 2018 and 2022 and its current non-genetic correlates – HBSC study

BackgroundThe main aim of the study is to examine changes in the prevalence of obesity in Czech adolescents between 2018 and 2022 and its current non-genetic correlates with respect to the adolescents’ families’socioeconomic status (SES) in 2022.MethodsThe sample of 24,535 adolescents (n = 11,629/12,9062018/2022; boys: 50.4/50.6%2018/2022) aged 10.5–16.5 years that was analysed was drawn from two nationally representative cohorts of Czech youngsters from the last two cycles of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) online questionnaire survey from 2018 to 2022. Obesity is represented by the > 97th percentile interval on the World Health Organization Body Mass Index percentile chart, with distinctions by sex and the age of adolescents. The differences in the prevalence of obesity between boys and girls from all SES family categories in 2018 and 2022 were tested using a chi-square test (χ2). Multiple logistic regression analysis with repeated measures was used to analyse correlates of obesity in 2022.ResultsBetween 2018 and 2022, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of obesity in girls or boys in any of the SES categories of families. Adolescents from low-SES families have the highest prevalence of obesity, 11% for boys and 5.8% for girls, significantly higher (p < .001) than its prevalence among adolescents from high-SES families, by + 4.8% points for boys and + 3.9% points for girls. Among adolescents from low-SES families, individuals who engaged in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (PA) daily (p < .005) or vigorous PA three times per week (p < .05) were significantly less likely to be obese than their less active peers. Skipping breakfast significantly (p < .05) increased the odds of obesity, but only among adolescents from low-SES families. Shorter screen time (ST) significantly (p < .05) reduced the odds of obesity for all categories of adolescent SES.ConclusionsObesity is most pronounced in adolescents from low-SES families as a result of a long-term positive energy balance mediated by unbalanced behaviour. Significantly lower odds of obesity in adolescents from low-SES families were confirmed to be associated with regular practice of the recommended PA, shorter ST, and not skipping breakfast.

Middle school cycling program is associated with improved mental health and wellbeing in adolescents during COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated mental health issues among adolescents. Exercise is well-regarded for boosting mental health. Riding for Focus (R4F) is a 6-8 week cycling education program designed to equip middle school adolescents with basic cycling skills and introduce students to lifetime physical activity. A secondary goal of the R4F program is to improve adolescent mental health and psychosocial well-being. This study aimed to quantify the change in adolescent psychosocial well-being associated with the R4F program during the COVID-19 pandemic. Program evaluation also examined associations between participating in the R4F and mental health outcomes in the context of established risk factors, including gender, race, socioeconomic status, involvement in IEP programs, participation in after-school clubs, screen time, hours of sleep, and physical activity levels. Anonymous surveys were collected before and after the program in 20 schools in North America, with psychosocial well-being quantified using WHO-5 and PSC-17-Y. 1,148 middle school students, aged 11-14, completed pre intervention surveys. 815 students also completed post intervention surveys. There was a general increase in psychosocial well-being after the R4F program and positive psychosocial well-being changes in students that identified as female, non-white, physically active, part of an IEP program, meeting screentime recommendations, and engaged in school programs, though effect sizes were small. Despite mental health improvements among underrepresented groups, relative risk assessments still indicated that males, white students, those from high socioeconomic status families still had reduced relative risk of developing psychosocial disorders post intervention. These analyses illustrate the feasibility of cycling as a viable PE elective and the need for further, more robust studies to better assess the positive impacts of the R4F scholastic cycling program on the psychological health and well-being of middle school age children.

Adolescence Mental Health Disorders and Precarious School-to- Work Trajectories: The Role of Family Background and Gender

This article investigates the role of family socio-economic status (SES) as a buffer for adolescents with mental health disorders (MHDs) against entering precarious school-to-work trajectories. We follow a cohort born in Norway in 1992 from the age of 16–25 using data from administrative registers. We find that externalizing disorders, to a higher degree than internalizing disorders (registered in the 16–18 age range), are associated with subsequent precarious school-to-work trajectories (measured from January 2011 to December 2017) for both genders. In boys, high family SES seems to buffer the negative impact of externalizing disorders on entering precarious school-to-work trajectories, but not for internalizing disorders. In contrast, in girls, high-SES families partly buffer the negative impact of internalizing disorders, but not for externalizing disorders. Thus, this paper broadens the current perspective on how the impact of MHDs on entering school-to-work trajectories is interrelated with social class and gender.

Acquisition and processing of word formation in German

AbstractCognitive processing strategies can explain general word-formation preferences that influence the structures and their developments. They are based on simplicity, transparency, iconicity, salience, and frequency. We present and discuss evidence from our data on first language acquisition for how these cognitively based general preferences can explain the course of development of word formation and how they interact or compete. The analysis is based on the development of distributions of word formations in longitudinal data and panel data of child speech and their input from high and low socio-economic status families. In order to evaluate the productivity of a word-formation pattern in child speech, we applied the mini-paradigm criterion. Age-of-acquisition effects will be presented according to our own processing studies and to literature.

Children and Adolescents with Severe Tyrannical Behaviour: Profile of Youth and Their Parents.

This study focused on a subtype of child-to-parent violence, severe tyrannical behaviour (STB). The aim was to examine the clinical characteristics of children and adolescents who physically and/or verbally abuse their parents and the sociodemographic characteristics and generalities of those families. Clinical and sociodemographic data from 73 children and adolescents with STB and their parents have been collected from a randomized control trial. Results showed a specific profile of youth with tyrannical behaviour (aggressive behaviour only in-home settings, only-child, previously mental health care), as well as differential characteristics of these families (late parenthood, high socio-economic status and conjugal family). Children with tyrannical behaviour frequently had psychiatric conditions, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, separation anxiety, sleeping disorders and severe irritability was frequently described. These clinical patterns of combined neurodevelopmental, externalized and internalized symptoms suggest that the combination of individual characteristics, parenting style and parent-child relationship play essential roles in children's STB development.

Type of School as a Socioeconomic Indicator and its Impact on the Nutritional Status, School Performance, Self-Esteem of Basic School Students (10-12 Years Old) in Khartoum Locality, 2014

Adolescence, a critical phase of rapid physical, social, and psychological growth, encompasses individuals aged 10 to 19 years, Evaluating nutritional status for decades has involved standard methods like dietary, anthropometric, biochemical tests, and clinical signs, often incorporating socioeconomic status (SES) as a key determinant. The study aimed to assess the nutritional status of students (10-12 years old) attending three types of basic schools whose families’ SES was categorized according to school fees paid as high, medium and low. Methodology: This cross-sectional community-based study investigated the influence of family socioeconomic status (SES) on the nutritional status, school performance, and self-esteem of children aged 10-12 years attending basic schools 2014. 210 participants were chosen. Data were collected through anthropometric measurements and a questionnaire covering demography, dietary patterns, self-esteem assessments, and school performance obtained from schools. Statistical package for social sciences version 26 used for analysis. Result: Data from 210 students (45.2% boys, 54.8% girls) The findings revealed a significant impact of family SES (P=000) on nutritional status, energy and protein intake, school performance, and self-esteem. Low SES families had a higher prevalence of underweight children (66.7%), while high SES families had more overweight and obese children. Those from high SES consumed more animal foods, fast foods, fresh fruits, and vegetables compared to medium and low SES groups. High school grades were predominantly achieved by high and medium SES students, with low SES students obtaining lower grades. Normal-weight students exhibited better school performance and self-esteem than overweight, obese, and underweight students. In conclusion, family SES significantly influenced the nutritional status, school performance, and self-esteem of children attending basic schools. Recommendations, to ensure students' well-being, ..

Mindset × Context: Schools, Classrooms, and the Unequal Translation of Expectations into Math Achievement.

Mindset × Context: Schools, Classrooms, and the Unequal Translation of Expectations into Math Achievement.

Clustering of lifestyle behaviors and adiposity in early adolescents in Spain: findings from the SI! Program for Secondary Schools

BackgroundSeveral unhealthy lifestyle behaviors in adolescence are often linked to overweight/obesity. Some of them may be present simultaneously, leading to combined effects on health. Therefore, the clustering of several unhealthy behaviors in adolescents might be associated with adiposity excess.PurposeTo identify lifestyle patterns and analyze their association with adiposity in early adolescents.MethodsA cross-sectional cluster analysis was performed in 1183 adolescents (50.5% girls) with a mean age of 12.5 (0.4) years included in the SI! Program for Secondary Schools in Spain to identify lifestyle patterns based on healthy diet, step counts, sleep time, and leisure screen time. Generalized mixed models were applied to estimate the association between lifestyle patterns and adiposity indices.ResultsFour lifestyle patterns were derived: Cluster 1-higher screen time and poorer diet (n = 213), Cluster 2-lower activity and longer sleepers (n = 388), Cluster 3-active and shorter sleepers (n = 280), and Cluster 4-healthiest (n = 302). Except for the number of steps (12,008 (2357) day), the lifestyle behaviors in our sample presented levels far below the recommendations, especially for sleep duration. Cluster 4 included the largest proportion of adolescents from high socioeconomic status families (47.7%) and the lowest prevalence of overweight/obesity (23.1%). Compared to Cluster 4-healthiest, adolescents in the remaining clusters presented a higher prevalence of overweight/obesity and central obesity, showing Cluster 3 the highest prevalences (PR:1.31 [95%CI: 1.31, 1.31] and PR:1.40 [95%CI: 1.33, 1.47]).ConclusionsClustering of lifestyle patterns in early adolescence allows the identification of individuals with excess adiposity, in whom health promotion strategies should be stressed, especially in socioeconomically disadvantaged groups.Trial registrationClinical Trial Registry, NCT03504059. Registered 20/04/2018—Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03504059.

The rise and fall of SES gradients in heights around the world

We use data from a large sample of low- and middle-income countries to study the association (or “gradient”) between child height and maternal education. We show that the gap in height between high- and low-SES children is small at birth, rises throughout childhood, and declines in adolescence as girls and boys go through puberty. This inverted U-shaped pattern is consistent with a degree of catch-up in linear height among children of low- relative to high-SES families, in partial contrast to the argument that height deficits cannot be overcome after the early years of life. This finding appears to be explained by the association between SES and the timing of puberty and therefore of the adolescent growth spurt: low-SES children start their adolescent growth spurt later and stop growing at later ages as well.

Association and potential mediators between socioeconomic status and childhood obesity in China: findings from a national cohort study

ObjectiveSocioeconomic status (SES) is associated with childhood obesity, but the underlying factors remain unknown. This study aimed to identify mediators that may explain SES disparities in childhood obesity in China. MethodsNationally representative longitudinal data from the China Education Panel Survey of 11 019 children (13.03 ± 0.79) collected from 2013‒2014 to 2016‒2017 academic years. Overweight/obesity was defined using Chinese national body mass index cut-points. Principal component analysis was used to convert the four SES indicators (maternal and paternal education, and occupation) into one comprehensive variable. Mediation analysis for SES disparities in childhood obesity was conducted using structure equation models. ResultsThe prevalence of overweight/obesity was 12.8%, and was higher in boys than in girls (17.8% vs. 7.6%, P < 0.001) at baseline. Among boys, relative risk (RR) of obesity was 1.23 (95% CI: 1.09 to 1.40, P < 0.001) for per unit change in SES. There was no significant association between obesity and SES among girls. Mediation analyses showed that among boys, birth weight, being the only child in the family and children's self-perceived weight status mediated 70.0% of the effects of SES on obesity. No mediation effect was detected in girls. ConclusionsChinese boys are more likely to be overweight or obese than girls. SES may impact childhood obesity through birth weight, being the only child in the family and children's self-perceived body weight status in boys, but not in girls. More attention should be made to address childhood obesity in high SES families among boys. Interventions targeting at these mediators are needed.