Longitudinal Study Of Girls Research Articles

Associations between trajectories of adolescent conduct problems and psychological well-being in young women.

Despite the clinical relevance, little is known about variability in positive adult outcomes (i.e., flourishing, life satisfaction) of female adolescent conduct problems (CP), or interpersonal factors that promote these types of well-being. We hypothesized differential associations between adolescent CP trajectories and indicators of adult well-being due to level of positive relationships with caregivers during ages 12-17. Data were drawn from participants (N = 1965) of the Pittsburgh Girls Study, a longitudinal study of girls' development. Caregiver reported CP, adolescent reports of parental trust and positive parenting, and adolescent-reported peer delinquency were assessed annually between ages 12-17. Well-being in young adulthood was measured using self-reported flourishing and life satisfaction between ages 18-22. Latent class growth analysis of adolescent CP revealed four trajectories characterized as low stable (20.0%), moderate stable (63.9%), adolescent-onset (8.1%), and high quadratic (8.0%). Main effects of trust and positive relationships with caregivers during adolescence on well-being in early adulthood were found. Positive parenting was found to moderate the association between CP trajectory and flourishing. The magnitude of the negative association between the high quadratic trajectory group and life satisfaction decreased as positive parenting increased. These results support the importance of intervention in adolescence to focus on increasing trusting and positive relationships with caregivers for all females, as this may increase well-being in adulthood regardless of adolescent CP history.

Overlap Between Irritable Bowel Syndrome Diagnosis and Endometriosis in Adolescents

Gastroenterologic symptoms often are reported by adults with endometriosis, leading to unnecessary diagnostic tests or complicated treatment. We investigated associations between endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in adolescents and whether concurrent pain disorders affect these. We collected data from within The Women's Health Study: Adolescence to Adulthood, which is a US longitudinal study of premenopausal females with and without endometriosis. Our study cohort included participants younger than 21 years enrolled from 2012 to 2018. Participants completed an extensive health questionnaire. Those with IBS based on a self-reported diagnosis or meeting Rome IV diagnostic criteria were considered cases and those without IBS were controls. Subjects without concurrent gastrointestinal disorders or missing pain data (n= 323) were included in the analyses. We calculated adjusted odds ratios using unconditional logistic regression. More adolescents with endometriosis (54 of 224; 24%) had comorbid IBS compared with adolescents without endometriosis (7 of 99; 7.1%). The odds of IBS was 5.26-fold higher among participants with endometriosis than without (95% CI, 2.13-13.0). In girls with severe acyclic pelvic pain, the odds of IBS was 35.7-fold higher in girls without endometriosis (95% CI, 4.67-272.6) and 12-fold higher in girls with endometriosis (95% CI, 4.2-36.3), compared with no/mild pain. For participants with endometriosis, each 1-point increase in acyclic pain severity increased the odds of IBS by 31% (adjusted odds ratio, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.18-1.47). In an analysis of data from a longitudinal study of girls and women with and without endometriosis, we found significant associations between endometriosis and IBS, and a linear relationship between acyclic pelvic pain severity and the odds of IBS. Increased provider awareness and screening for IBS and endometriosis will improve patient outcomes and increase our understanding of these complex disorders.

Residential proximity to traffic and female pubertal development

BackgroundTraffic-related air pollution (TRAP) has been linked with several adverse health outcomes, including preterm birth and low birth weight, which are both related to onset of puberty. No studies to date have investigated the association between TRAP and altered pubertal timing. ObjectiveDetermine the association between residential proximity to traffic, as a marker of long-term TRAP exposure, and age at pubertal onset in a longitudinal study of girls. MethodsWe analyzed data for 437 girls at the CYGNET study site of the Breast Cancer and Environment Research Program. TRAP exposure was assessed using several measures of residential proximity to traffic based on address at study entry. Using accelerated failure time models, we calculated time ratios (TRs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for specified traffic metrics and pubertal onset, defined as stage 2 or higher for breast or pubic hair development (respectively, B2+ and PH2+). Models were adjusted for race/ethnicity, household income, and cotinine levels. ResultsAt baseline, 71% of girls lived within 150m of a major road. The median age of onset was 10.3years for B2+ and 10.9years for PH2+. Living within 150m downwind of a major road was associated with earlier onset of PH2+ (TR 0.96, 95% CI 0.93, 0.99). Girls in the highest quintile of either distance-weighted traffic density, annual average daily traffic, and/or traffic density also reached PH2+ earlier than girls in the lowest quintiles. ConclusionsIn this first study to assess the association between residential proximity to traffic and pubertal onset we found girls with higher exposure reached one pubertal milestone several months earlier than low exposed girls, even after consideration of likely confounders. Results should be expanded in larger epidemiological studies, and with measured levels of air pollutants.

Brominated Flame Retardants and Other Persistent Organohalogenated Compounds in Relation to Timing of Puberty in a Longitudinal Study of Girls.

BackgroundExposure to hormonally active chemicals could plausibly affect pubertal timing, so we are investigating this in the Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Program.ObjectivesOur goal was to examine persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in relation to pubertal onset.MethodsEthnically diverse cohorts of 6- to 8-year-old girls (n = 645) provided serum for measure of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), and lipids. Tanner stages [breast (B) and pubic hair (PH)], and body mass index (BMI) were measured at up to seven annual clinic visits. Using accelerated failure time models, we calculated time ratios (TRs) for age at Tanner stages 2 or higher (2+) and POPs quartiles (Q1–4), adjusting for confounders (race/ethnicity, site, caregiver education, and income). We also calculated prevalence ratios (PRs) of Tanner stages 2+ at time of blood sampling.ResultsCross-sectionally, the prevalence of B2+ and PH2+ was inversely related to chemical serum concentrations; but after adjustment for confounders, only the associations with B2+, not PH2+, were statistically significant. Longitudinally, the age at pubertal transition was consistently older with greater chemical concentrations; for example: adjusted TR for B2+ and Q4 for ΣPBDE = 1.05; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.08, for ΣPCB = 1.05; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.08, and for ΣOCP = 1.10; 95% CI: 1.06, 1.14, indicating median ages of about 6 and 11 months older than least exposed, and with similar effect estimates for PH2+. Adjusting for BMI attenuated associations for PCBs and OCPs but not for PBDEs.ConclusionsThis first longitudinal study of puberty in girls with serum POPs measurements (to our knowledge) reveals a delay in onset with higher concentrations.CitationWindham GC, Pinney SM, Voss RW, SjÖdin A, Biro FM, Greenspan LC, Stewart S, Hiatt RA, Kushi LH. 2015. Brominated flame retardants and other persistent organohalogenated compounds in relation to timing of puberty in a longitudinal study of girls. Environ Health Perspect 123:1046–1052; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1408778

Bone Density and Timing of Puberty in a Longitudinal Study of Girls

Study ObjectivePrimary: To examine the relationship between relative timing of puberty with bone mineral density (BMD) in a group of adolescent girls; Secondary: To determine if family history of breast cancer was associated with bone mineral density. Design/Setting/ParticipantsLongitudinal study of girls recruited between 6 and 7 years of age seen every 6 months for 5 years, and subsequently seen annually. BMD of the lumbar spine was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at mean age of 12.5 years; age- and race-specific Z-scores (BMDz) were calculated. Age of pubertal onset was determined by the first occurrence of breast stage 2, and participants were categorized into race-specific early, on-time and late puberty onset groups. Main Outcome MeasuresBMDz by timing of pubertal onset, and by family history of breast cancer. ResultsDXA scans were performed on 227 study participants, and a second scan was performed on 114 participants 2 years later. Age of onset of puberty was inversely correlated with BMDz, r = −0.31 (P < .0001). There was no association between BMDz and family history of breast cancer. ConclusionsEarlier timing of puberty was associated with higher BMD. The high shared variance of BMD and timing of pubertal onset implies an underlying biologic basis.

Stability of Executive Function Deficits in Girls with ADHD: A Prospective Longitudinal Followup Study into Adolescence

Neuropsychological deficits in the executive system are major sources of morbidity in individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We conducted a 5-year longitudinal study of girls with (N = 140) and without (N = 122) ADHD, aged 6–18 years at baseline. Neuropsychological functioning was assessed using standard neuropsychological testing assessing executive functions (EFs). Girls with ADHD were significantly more impaired than controls in all neuropsychological domains except set shifting. Despite variability in the stability of individual domains of EFs, the majority (79%) of girls with ADHD that met the categorical definition of executive function deficits (EFDs, defined as two or more EF tasks impaired) at baseline continued to have EFDs at the five-year followup. These findings document the stability of EFDs in girls with ADHD from childhood into adolescence.

Girls’ workplace destinations in a changed social landscape: girls and their mothers talk

Changes in participation and achievement patterns mark a turning point for girls in schooling and place female empowerment squarely in the public domain. Using data from a longitudinal study of girls, this paper looks at female empowerment by exploring the relationship between the production of female subjectivity and the processes operating in social spaces. Findings relating to aspirations for girls’ future careers are placed within a context of decile school ratings, and from those findings insights are offered about how the rhetoric of ‘girl power’ is lived and spoken into existence in relation to categories of social class. By examining how schooling, family and classed processes weave through hopes and dreams, the intent is to contribute towards a line of discussion about the shaping of female subjectivities.

Girls Elicit Support From Their Parents Which Predicts Their Physical Activity

2061 Adolescence is a risk period for declined physical activity, particularly among girls. According to the 1992 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, approximately 63% of girls met recommendations for vigorous physical activity at age 13; this figure dropped to 56% by age 15. Given that girls' involvement in physical activity declines with the onset of puberty, it is important to identify factors contributing to girls' physical activity participation prior to adolescence. PURPOSE: This study examines the temporal sequence of two important predictors of children's physical activity: parental support and children's perceived physical competence. Using a longitudinal study of girls, this study assessed two competing hypotheses: (a) higher parental support of girls' physical activity at age 9 leads to higher perceived physical competence at age 11 which predicts higher levels of physical activity at age 11 (parental support hypothesis); and (b) higher perceived physical competence at age 9 leads to higher parental support at age 11 which predicts higher physical activity at age 11 (child elicitation hypothesis). METHODS: Participants included 183 girls and their mothers and fathers; families were assessed when girls were 9 and 11 years old. Perceived physical competence (e.g., doing well at sports, learning new outdoor games readily), parents' support of girls' physical activity (e.g., enrolling girls in sports, being physically active with girls) and girls' physical activity (i.e., fitness, sport participation, choosing to engage in active rather than sedentary pursuits) were assessed using a variety of measures completed by girls and parents. RESULTS: The two hypotheses were assessed using Structural Equation Modeling with AMOS software. Results provided clear support for the child elicitation hypothesis. Specifically, the fit indices indicated that the data provided a good fit with the hypothesized model and the association between perceived competence at age 9 and physical activity at age 11 was significantly reduced when parental support at age 11 was included in the model, thereby illustrating mediation. No support was gained for the parental support hypothesis. CONCLUSION: Parental support is important in promoting physical activity among young girls and may be elicited by girls with higher perceived physical competence. Given the central role that parents play in promoting active lifestyles among their children, it is important that parents do not neglect to encourage and support physical activity among children with lower perceived physical competence. Supported by NIH grant RO1 HD32973

Project 4:21 Transitions to Womanhood: Developing a psychosocial perspective in one longitudinal study

In this short piece we discuss how we approached the messy and intractable issues of objectivity and reflexivity, fiction, fantasy and the production of knowledge in the qualitative, longitudinal study of girls growing up, ‘Project 4:21 Transitions to Womanhood’ (Walkerdine and Lucey 1989, Walkerdine 1996, Walkerdine et al. 2001). We try to give a sense of how we worked with conscious and unconscious psychological processes and theorized their place, not only in the research process but in the very constitution of contemporary gendered and classed subjectivities. This kind of approach, though it does require a willingness on the part of the researcher to look inward, is not a turning away from an engagement with the social world (May 1998), but rather an attempt to take account and make sense of that which tends to be denied or refused in researchers’ and participants’ rational accounts of the social world and linear accounts of history (especially the history of the working and middle classes). For instance, sociological accounts which assert the death of class because of the lack of evidence of ‘class consciousness’ amongst the working classes are silent on the overwhelming evidence of the ‘unconscious’ aspects of social class; of the kinds of identifications, ‘dis’identifications (Skeggs 1997), disavowals and desires that go towards the blurring and the breaching of contemporary class boundaries and the persistent reproduction of class difference. In order to engage with psychological processes in individual and social life, we had a number of interconnected starting points: that there are hidden aspects of human mental and emotional life which are active at the dynamic level of the unconscious; that the human subject is not an entirely rational subject (Cohen 1999, Hollway and Jefferson 2000); that anxiety and the psychic mechanisms developed to defend against it are central to the

‘And How Would You Describe Yourself?’ Researchers and Researched in the First Stages of a Qualitative, Longitudinal Research Project

This article discusses methodological issues and some initial substantive findings from the first two years of the 12 to 18 Educational Research Project. The 12 to 18 Project is a qualitative, longitudinal study of girls and boys from the end of Year 6 and as they proceed through each year of their secondary schooling. The article discusses epistemological and ethical issues related to how and with what implications the researchers ‘construct’ the researched in this long-term empirical study. It then discusses background literature and some initial findings in the three areas with which the project is concerned: the development of gendered subjectivity in the years of secondary school; schools, inequalities, and students' changing relationship to curriculum; and students' changing thinking about their futures.