Class Membership Research Articles

Who uses night trains and why? A mixed-method study profiling night train users in Switzerland

Addressing air travel demand is a key open challenge in transitioning to a low-carbon society. In Switzerland, where most flights are from/to nearby European countries, their substitution with night train services is a promising alternative. However, still little research investigates whether the demand for night trains is well-established and the motivations behind it. We aim to bridge this gap through a mixed-method study involving 389 Swiss residents who travelled by night train in 2022/23. A web survey was first conducted to identify latent classes of participants based on their daily and long-distance travel mode choices and evaluate relevant predictors of class membership. Participants of each class were then randomly selected to be involved in an in-depth interview on personal experiences and motivations underlying their choices. Results identify three classes of travellers distinguished by a predominant use of rail and public transport (greens), mixed long-distance travel mode choices and car-oriented daily mobility (pragmatists), preference for flying combined with public transport and active daily mobility (dissonants). Travel cost reduction is the only motivation significantly differentiating pragmatists and dissonants from the greens. This result suggests that fluctuations in ticket prices are the main driving force in shifting demand from flights to night trains.

Latent classification model for censored longitudinal binary outcome.

Latent classification model is a class of statistical methods for identifying unobserved class membership among the study samples using some observed data. In this study, we proposed a latent classification model that takes a censored longitudinal binary outcome variable and uses its changing pattern over time to predict individuals' latent class membership. Assuming the time-dependent outcome variables follow a continuous-time Markov chain, the proposed method has two primary goals: (1) estimate the distribution of the latent classes and predict individuals' class membership, and (2) estimate the class-specific transition rates and rate ratios. To assess the model's performance, we conducted a simulation study and verified that our algorithm produces accurate model estimates (ie, small bias) with reasonable confidence intervals (ie, achieving approximately 95% coverage probability). Furthermore, we compared our model to four other existing latent class models and demonstrated that our approach yields higher prediction accuracies for latent classes. We applied our proposed method to analyze the COVID-19 data in Houston, Texas, US collected between January first 2021 and December 31st 2021. Early reports on the COVID-19 pandemic showed that the severity of a SARS-CoV-2 infection tends to vary greatly by cases. We found that while demographic characteristics explain some of the differences in individuals' experience with COVID-19, some unaccounted-for latent variables were associated with the disease.

EFL students' syntactic complexity development in argumentative writing：A latent class growth analysis (LCGA) approach

The study explored EFL students' development of syntactic complexity by employing the Latent Class Growth Analysis (LCGA) approach. A total of 214 tertiary EFL students from Southwest China were invited to write four argumentative essays over an academic semester. The unconditional models of LCGA were utilized to explore the optimal latent classes of students' development trajectories of syntactic complexity. The conditional models of LCGA were employed to investigate the predictive effect of English proficiency on the optimal latent classes. Results of the unconditional models revealed different latent classes of development trajectories for six indices of syntactic complexity rather than the remaining ones, which offers tentative evidence for the heterogeneity of L2 development trajectories. Results of the conditional models showed that English proficiency did not predict the membership in these latent classes. These results are discussed and implications for L2 instruction are attempted.

Lower Income, Smoking, Cardiopulmonary Comorbidities, and Higher Symptom Burden Influence the Occurrence of Cough in Patients Receiving Chemotherapy.

To identify subgroups of patients with distinct cough occurrence profiles and evaluate for differences among these subgroups. Outpatients receiving chemotherapy (N = 1,338) completed questionnaires six times over two chemotherapy cycles. Occurrence of cough was assessed using the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale. Latent class analysis was used to identify subgroups with distinct cough occurrence profiles. Parametric and nonparametric tests were used to evaluate for differences. Four distinct cough profiles were identified (None, Decreasing, Increasing, and High). Risk factors associated with membership in the High class included lower annual household income; history of smoking; self-reported diagnoses of lung disease, heart disease, and back pain; and having lung cancer. Clinicians need to assess all patients with cancer for cough and provide targeted interventions.

Barriers to Participation in Organized Physical Activity Among LGBTQ+ Youth: Differences by Sexual, Gender, and Racial Identities.

LGBTQ+ youth engage in organized physical activity to a lesser degree than their cisgender and heterosexual counterparts. Existing literature on this organized physical activity disparity is limited, particularly with LGBTQ+ youth samples. The current analysis examined individual and systemic barriers to organized physical activity for LGBTQ+ youth across sexual, gender, and racial identities. A subsample of LGBTQ+ students (N = 4566) from the 2021 Dane County Youth Assessment completed items that measured barriers to organized physical activity and systemic factors (ie,family money problems and bias-based bullying) associated with access to organized physical activity. Latent class analysis discerned patterns of individual and systemic barriers to organized physical activity. Latent class regression modeling tested gender, sexual, and racial identities as correlates of latent class membership. More than half of the sample did not participate in organized physical activity. Four profiles of LGBTQ+ youth were discerned based on self-reported barriers: high barrier (8%), bullied (16%), low interest or perceived skills (28%), and low barrier (48%). The low-barrier class included a greater proportion of LGBTQ+ youth who identified as White, or cisgender, or heterosexual as well as youth self-reporting higher organized physical activity. The high-barrier and bullied classes comprised more marginalized gender and sexual identities. LGBTQ+ youth experience individual and systemic barriers to organized physical activity, including inequitable access and bullying, and barriers are uniquely experienced across sexual, gender, and racial identities. Physical activity promotion among LGBTQ+ youth would be strengthened by policies that address inequitable access to opportunities and bias-based bullying.

Latent Trajectories of Persistence of Cannabis Use Across Four Decades in 329 Men From the San Diego Prospective Study.

These analyses use data from a 40-year prospective study to extend information into the sixth and seventh decades of life regarding latent trajectory classes of cannabis use and predictors of those classes. Data from the San Diego Prospective Study were analyzed for 329 men of European and Hispanic ethnicity who had used cannabis at about age 23 at study entry (Time 1) and who were interviewed about every 5 years through about age 60 to 70. Latent classes of cannabis use trajectories were evaluated using latent class growth analyses, baseline predictors of class membership were determined, and significant predictors of each class were established using logistic regression analyses. Four latent classes were identified ranging from 12.5% with cannabis use at every follow-up to 25.8% with no use after Time 1. Eight of 14 Time 1 predictors differed significantly across the trajectory classes, including five (age, marital status, religious identity, intensity of cannabis use, and sensation seeking) that significantly contributed to regression analyses when all significant predictors were considered together. Forty-two percent of participants continued using cannabis long-term, including one in eight who used it at every follow-up. Predictors of continued use and identification of those most likely to stop required gathering information on a range of demographic, prior substance use, and personality characteristics. Considering the potential enhanced dangers of cannabis use in later life, the high rate of continued use over four decades implies that clinicians should ask all older patients about recent cannabis use, especially if they had used it in their 20s.

Assessing NIAAA’s Definition of Recovery from Alcohol Use Disorder: A Latent Class Analysis of a Heterogeneous Online Sample

ABSTRACT NIAAA’s 2022 definition of recovery from alcohol use disorder (AUD) includes two core components, remission of DSM-5 AUD criteria and cessation of heavy drinking. This study’s purpose was to assess patterns of AUD symptoms and heavy drinking in a heterogeneous national sample, in order to clarify the utility of the definition. Participants who self-reported having resolved an alcohol problem for at least 6 months were recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk (N = 386) and surveyed about their problem severity, current drinking, and AUD symptomology. We used latent class analysis to discern meaningful clusters of AUD symptoms and heavy drinking, as well as factors associated with class membership. A two-class model was the best fit for the data. The first class, which we termed Less Symptomatic, included 83.4% of the sample. Individuals in this class were unlikely to endorse any of the 10 AUD criteria (<2.5% of the time) and 24.3% reported heavy drinking. In the second class (16.6% of the sample), termed Symptomatic, 45% of respondents endorsed at least one AUD criterion and 88.2% reported heavy drinking. These findings suggest that some individuals in recovery may continue to drink heavily with minimal problems, while others continue to experience AUD symptoms.

Molecular Endotypes of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: A Latent Class Analysis of Two Multicenter Observational Cohorts.

Rationale: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) causes irreversible fibrosis of the lung parenchyma. Although antifibrotic therapy can slow IPF progression, treatment response is variable. There exists a critical need to develop a precision medicine approach to IPF. Objectives: To identify and validate biologically driven molecular endotypes of IPF. Methods: Latent class analysis (LCA) was independently performed in prospectively recruited discovery (n = 875) and validation (n = 347) cohorts. Twenty-five plasma biomarkers associated with fibrogenesis served as class-defining variables. The association between molecular endotype and 4-year transplant-free survival was tested using multivariable Cox regression adjusted for baseline confounders. Endotype-dependent differential treatment response to future antifibrotic exposure was then assessed in a pooled cohort of patients naive to antifibrotic therapy at the time of biomarker measurement (n = 555). Measurements and Main Results: LCA independently identified two latent classes in both cohorts (P < 0.0001). WFDC2 (WAP four-disulfide core domain protein 2) was the most important determinant of class membership across cohorts. Membership in class 2 was characterized by higher biomarker concentrations and a higher risk of death or transplant (discovery, hazard ratio [HR], 2.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.64-2.48; P < 0.001; validation, HR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.34-2.82; P < 0.001). In pooled analysis, significant heterogeneity in treatment effect was observed between endotypes (P = 0.030 for interaction), with a favorable antifibrotic response in class 2 (HR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.45-0.93; P = 0.018) but not in class 1 (HR, 1.19; 95% CI, 0.77-1.84; P = 0.422). Conclusions: In this multicohort study, we identified two novel molecular endotypes of IPF with divergent clinical outcomes and responses to antifibrotic therapy. Pending further validation, these endotypes could enable a precision medicine approach for future IPF clinical trials.

Changes in older drivers’ risky driving behavior over time: Insights from a naturalistic study

This study aimed to investigate changes in the risky driving behavior of older drivers with age using naturalistic driving data. The driving behaviors of 44 drivers aged 60 years or older at baseline were tracked for two to five years. Harsh events characterized by elevated g-forces were used as driving outcomes. A multilevel modeling approach was used to examine (1) the heterogeneity in individual trajectories of risky driving behaviors and (2) the factors associated with the average risky driving behavior over the study period and changes in risky driving behavior over time. The results indicated that there was heterogeneity in individual trajectories of risky driving behaviors. Older female drivers and a higher level of sensation seeking (i.e., the tendency to pursue new and different sensations, feelings, and experiences) were associated with higher rates of harsh events over the study period. A reduction in driving exposure was associated with an increase in harsh event rates, and driving exposure can partly explain the sex difference in risky driving behaviors. The cluster analysis indicated that the heterogeneity in individual trajectories of risky driving behaviors can be explained by the presence of three subgroups of drivers, with each group exhibiting specific trajectories. Initial levels of risky driving behaviors were much more important than time slopes in identifying subgroups of drivers, indicating that differences between drivers existed early and remained relatively consistent over the study period. A multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the predictors of class membership identified by the clustering algorithm, and the findings were similar to those from the multilevel regression analysis. The findings of this study enhance our understanding of how older drivers’ risky driving behaviors change with age and indicate the distinctive individual processes of change in driving behaviors with age.

Involuntary psychiatric hospitalisation – differences and similarities between patients detained under the mental health act and according to the legal guardianship legislation

BackgroundInvoluntary psychiatric hospitalisation occurs under different legal premises. According to German law, detention under the Mental Health Act (MHA) is possible in cases of imminent danger of self-harm or harm to others, while detention according to the legal guardianship legislation (LGL) serves to prevent self-harm if there is considerable but not necessarily imminent danger. This study aims to compare clinical, sociodemographic and environmental socioeconomic differences and similarities between patients hospitalised under either the MHA or LGL.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective health records analysis of all involuntarily hospitalised cases in the four psychiatric hospitals of the city of Cologne, Germany, in 2011. Of the 1,773 cases, 87.3% were detained under the MHA of the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia and 6.4% were hospitalised according to the federal LGL. Another 6.3% of the cases were originally admitted under the MHA, but the legal basis of detention was converted to LGL during the inpatient psychiatric stay (MHA→LGL cases). We compared sociodemographic, clinical, systemic and environmental socioeconomic (ESED) variables of the three groups by means of descriptive statistics. We also trained and tested a machine learning-based algorithm to predict class membership of the involuntary modes of psychiatric inpatient care.ResultsCases with an admission under the premises of LGL lived less often on their own, and they were more often retired compared to MHA cases. They more often had received previous outpatient or inpatient treatment than MHA cases, they were more often diagnosed with a psychotic disorder and they lived in neighbourhoods that were on average more socially advantaged. MHA→LGL cases were on average older and more often retired than MHA cases. More often, they had a main diagnosis of an organic mental disorder compared to both MHA and LGL cases. Also, they less often received previous psychiatric inpatient treatment compared to LGL cases. The reason for detention (self-harm or harm to others) did not differ between the three groups. The proportion of LGL and MHA cases differed between the four hospitals. Effect sizes were mostly small and the balanced accuracy of the Random Forest was low.ConclusionWe found some plausible differences in patient characteristics depending on the legal foundation of the involuntary psychiatric hospitalisation. The differences relate to clinical, sociodemographic and socioeconomical issues. However, the low effect sizes and the limited accuracy of the machine learning models indicate that the investigated variables do not sufficiently explain the respective choice of the legal framework. In addition, we found some indication for possibly different interpretation and handling of the premises of the law in practice. Our findings pose the need for further research in this field.

A latent class analysis of international change and continuity in adolescent health and wellbeing: A repeat cross-sectional study.

Since the early 2000s, there have been marked trends in adolescent health and wellbeing indicators across Europe, North America and Australia. In particular, there have been substantial declines in youth drinking. We know little about how these trends are underpinned by co-occurring indicators within individuals. This paper aims to analyse change over time in how indicators cluster within individuals and differences in these patterns between five countries with different trends in youth drinking. We analysed four waves of repeat cross-sectional survey data from 15-year-olds in England (n = 5942), Italy (n = 5234), the Netherlands (n = 5408), Hungary (n = 5274), and Finland (n = 7446), which were included in the Health Behaviours in School-aged Children (HBSC) study between 2001/02 and 2013/14. We defined clusters of individuals using multigroup latent class analyses which accounts for change over time. The class indicators included health behaviours, attitudes, wellbeing and relationships. We modelled associations between class membership, sex, and family affluence over time. We identified four classes in all countries: Overall unhealthy, Overall healthy, Moderately healthy and Substance abstainers with behaviour risk indicators. The proportion of adolescents in the Overall unhealthy class declined between 2001/02 and 2013/14 by between 22.8 percentage points (pp) in England and 3.2pp in Italy. The extent to which indicators of health and wellbeing changed as linked clusters differed across countries, but changes in alcohol consumption, smoking, drug use and sexual activity were typically concurrent. Adolescents with low family affluence were more likely to be in the Overall unhealthy class in all years. Improvements in indicators of adolescent health and well-being are due mainly to concurrent declines in drinking, smoking, sexual activity, and cannabis use, but these declines are not consistently associated with improvements in other domains. They have also not led to reductions in inequalities in indicators of health and well-being.

Subgroup differences in PTSD symptom presentations: A latent class analysis

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a highly heterogeneous disorder (Galatzer-Levy & Bryant, 2013). Mixture modeling has been used to identify homogeneous subgroups of individuals based on patterns of PTSD symptom expression. However, most of these studies are based on DSM-IV rather than DSM-5 PTSD criteria. In addition, these studies employ different indicators of latent class membership, which contributes to variability in the number and nature of latent classes identified. Additionally, there is relatively limited construct validity evidence of identified latent classes. To address these limitations, a latent class analysis (LCA) of DSM-5 PTSD symptoms was conducted in a sample of undergraduate students (N = 322) who met criteria for a subthreshold diagnosis of PTSD. The current study aimed to replicate and extend findings from the limited number of LCAs of DSM-5 PTSD criteria and examine how resulting classes meaningfully differ in external correlates. Findings revealed a three-class solution: Low Anhedonia/Externalizing Behaviors (EB), Moderate Symptoms, and High Symptoms of PTSD. Relative to the other classes, the High Symptoms class was characterized by elevated anxiety and somatic symptoms on the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI; Morey, 1991). Relative to the Low Anhedonia/EB, the Moderate Symptoms class was characterized by numerous psychopathology domains, including depression and borderline personality traits. Results from this study suggest that, beyond classes characterized by similar PTSD symptom severity across symptoms, some individuals with similar overall PTSD symptom severity differed based on depressive symptom characteristics. Implications and future directions are discussed.

A latent class analysis of factors influencing preferences for infant respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) preventives among pregnant people in the United States

ABSTRACT A maternal vaccine and long-acting monoclonal antibody (mAb) were recently approved to protect infants against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). We identified subgroups of pregnant people with different preferences for RSV preventives and respondent characteristics associated with subgroup membership. An online survey, including a discrete choice experiment (DCE), was conducted among US pregnant people. RSV preventive attributes included effectiveness, duration of protection during RSV season, injection recipient/timing, preventive type (vaccine or mAb), and type of visit required to receive injection. In DCE choice tasks, pregnant people selected between two hypothetical preventive profiles with varying attribute-levels and a no-preventive option. Logistic regression, including latent class analysis (LCA), was used to analyze the data. Of 992 pregnant people (mean age: 30.0 years), 60.3% were expecting their second/later birth. LCA identified three preference subgroups: ‘Effectiveness’ (preventive choice mostly driven by increases in effectiveness; 51.4% class membership probability), ‘Season’ (preventive choice mostly driven by improvement in duration of protection during the RSV season; 39.2% class membership probability), and ‘No Preventive’ (frequently chose no-preventive option; 9.4% class membership probability). ‘Effectiveness’ and ‘Season’ preferred maternal vaccine over mAb; mAb was preferred by ‘No Preventive.’ Perceiving RSV as serious for infants, higher health literacy, and lower household income were associated with ‘Effectiveness.’ Perceiving RSV as serious for pregnant people was associated with ‘Season.’ Perceiving RSV to not be serious for pregnant people and not being employed were associated with ‘No Preventive.’ Subgroups of pregnant people vary in preferences for RSV preventives. Most pregnant people preferred a maternal vaccine, although some may be more willing to accept alternative preventive options.

Chronic Decrements in Energy in Women with Breast Cancer are Associated with Cytokine Gene Polymorphisms

ObjectivesDecrements in energy were found in 67% of women who underwent breast cancer surgery. However, no information is available on chronic decrements in energy and associations with inflammation. Purposes were to identify latent classes of patients with distinct average energy profiles from prior to through 12 months after breast cancer surgery; evaluate for differences in demographic and clinical characteristics between the two extreme average energy classes; and evaluate for polymorphisms for cytokine genes associated with membership in the Low energy class. MethodsWomen (n = 397) completed assessments of energy prior to and for 12 months following breast cancer surgery. Growth mixture modeling was used to identify classes of patients with distinct average energy profiles. Eighty-two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) among 15 cytokine genes were evaluated. ResultsThree distinct energy profiles were identified (ie, Low [27.0%], Moderate [54.4%], Changing [18.6%]). Data from patients in the Low and Moderate energy classes were used in the candidate gene analyses. Five SNPs and one haplotype in six different genes remained significant in logistic regression analyses (ie, interleukin [IL]-1β rs1143623, IL1 receptor 1 rs3917332 IL4 rs2243263, IL6 HapA1 [that consisted of rs1800795, rs2069830, rs2069840, rs1554606, rs2069845, rs2069849, and rs2069861], nuclear factor kappa beta subunit 1 rs170731, tumor necrosis factor rs1799964). For several SNPs for IL6, expression quantitative trait locis were identified in subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue and thyroid tissue. In addition, skeletal muscle was identified as an expression quantitative trait loci for nuclear factor kappa beta subunit 1. ConclusionsFindings suggest that cytokine genes are involved in the mechanisms that underlie chronic decrements in energy in women following breast cancer surgery. Given the roles of subcutaneous and visceral adipose and thyroid tissues in metabolism and energy balance, the findings related to IL6 suggest that these polymorphisms may have a functional role in the development and maintenance of chronic decrements in energy.

Computer-mediated Communication and Healthcare Satisfaction among Middle-aged Men Living with or without HIV

Introduction Computer-mediated communication has a multifaceted effect on health care satisfaction. This relationship has not been studied among middle-aged men living with HIV. The current study extracted data from the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) to examine the association between computer-mediated communication and health care satisfaction. Methods The MACS is a prospective study of more than 7000 sexual minority men living with and without HIV. The Understanding Patterns of Healthy Aging Among Men Who Have Sex With Men was a substudy of the MACS. Current analyses use cross-sectional data on 1063 participants from this substudy with survey data between October 2017 and March 2018. Patients ranked their top 3 methods for communicating with someone they trust. Latent class analysis was used to create classes of health care satisfaction. Multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate the effect of primary communication method on health care satisfaction class membership. Covariates included age, HIV status, race and ethnicity, education, and comorbidities. Interaction was tested between HIV serostatus and primary communication method. Results Regardless of HIV status, participants preferred in-person communication over computer-mediated communication and were satisfied with the health care they received. Participants who preferred computer-mediated communication were more likely to have low health care satisfaction. There was a statistically nonsignificant association of HIV status with preferred communication method and health care satisfaction. Conclusions We postulated that in-person communication promoted high health care satisfaction due to the process of rewarding face-to-face communication through the exchange of both verbal and nonverbal cues. However, patients’ preference of communication mode may be moderated by the context of consultation.

Mapping aging phenotypes in childhood cancer survivors: A report from the St. Jude Lifetime Cohort.

10069 Background: Childhood cancer survivors experience accelerated aging manifest as physical, cognitive and/or emotional impairments. Aging populations respond to behavioral interventions that address impairment combinations. We aimed to identify and characterize phenotypes (classes) of physical, cognitive and emotional impairments in childhood cancer survivors to inform targets for future intervention. Methods: Factor analysis using St. Jude Lifetime Cohort data (N=4051, 52.2% male, mean [SD] age at diagnosis 8.7 [5.7], assessment 33.9 [10.1] years) generated 9 impairment domains (Table) using 40 items from the Neurocognitive Questionnaire, Brief Symptom Inventory 18 and NHIS Health Status/Limitation of Activities. Latent class analysis estimated impairment patterns and class membership probabilities. Descriptive statistics characterized survivors by class for deficit accumulation index (DAI) score (range 0-1, &gt;0.25 frail), Fried Frailty (FF) score (range 0-5, ≥3 frail), diagnosis and treatment exposures. Logistic regression comparing emotional or cognitive impairment class to the physical impairment class examined associations between survivor characteristics and class membership, adjusting for diagnosis and assessment ages, sex and race/ethnicity. Results: Three classes (phenotypes) differentiated survivors reporting only physical from those reporting both physical and cognitive or emotional impairments. Mean [SD] DAI (cognitive 0.40 [0.10], emotional 0.56 [0.16], physical 0.16 [0.11]) and FF scores (cognitive 1.5 [1.0], emotional 1.8 [1.0], physical 0.9 [0.9]) were highest in the emotional impairment class. Compared to solid tumor survivors (17.1%), brain tumor (33.7%, OR 3.5; 95% CI 2.7-4.4) and leukemia (21.7%, OR 1.5; 95% CI 1.2-1.8) survivors were more likely to be in the cognitive impairment class. Leukemia (OR 1.4; 95% CI 1.1-1.7) and lymphoma (OR 1.4; 95% CI 1.1-1.9) diagnoses increased risk for emotional impairment class membership. Cranial radiation was associated with cognitive (OR 1.8; 95% CI 1.5-2.2) or emotional (OR 1.3; 95% CI 1.1-1.6) impairment class membership. Chest radiation (1.4; 95% CI 1.2-1.7) was associated with emotional impairment class membership. Conclusions: These data provide foundational information for development and testing of targeted behavioral interventions to remediate accelerated aging in survivors. [Table: see text]

COVID-19 parent stress in Middle Eastern and North African countries: Relations to family adjustment.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been stressful for individuals worldwide, including parents. Most research investigating stress during the pandemic has focused on single stressors in relation to outcomes and has been conducted in Western countries. Among parents from Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) countries, the present study used latent class analysis to identify specific subgroups of individuals based on combinations of stressful events experienced during the first two waves of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Whether individuals in these classes differed on levels of both adaptive (individual resilience, family cohesion) and maladaptive outcomes (depressive symptoms) was tested. Finally, perceived marital satisfaction was tested as a moderator of relations between class membership and adjustment outcomes. Participants were 545 parents (66.8% women, Mage = 35.79 years) recruited online who indicated presence or absence of experiencing 21 stressors across domains such as a family member contracting COVID, increased caregiving burden, work-related stress, and child adjustment problems. Three latent classes were identified, with one group characterized by work and child adjustment stress, one by child adjustment stress only, and one by low levels of stress across domains. The two higher stress groups reported increased depression. No associations with positive outcomes were found. Martial quality was most important for impacting greater resilience for those individuals experiencing child adjustment stress. This study provides evidence that COVID-related stress had disproportionate impact across parents in MENA countries. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Predicting Flood Event Class Using a Novel Class Membership Function and Hydrological Modeling

AbstractPredicting flood event classes aids in the comprehensive investigation of flood behavior dynamics and supports flood early warning and emergency plan development. Existing studies have mainly focused on historical flood event classification and the prediction of flood hydrographs or certain metrics (e.g., magnitude and timing) but have not focused on predicting flood event classes. Our study proposes a new approach for predicting flood event classes based on the class membership functions of flood regime metrics and hydrological modeling. The approach is validated using 1446 unimpacted flood events in 68 headstream catchments widely distributed across China. The new approach performs well, with class hit rates of 68.3% ± 0.4% for all events; 65.8% ± 0.6%, 56.8% ± 0.9%, and 69.5% ± 0.9% for the small, moderate and high spike flood event classes, respectively; and 82.5% ± 1.2% and 75.4% ± 1.1% for the moderate and high dumpy flood event classes, respectively. Furthermore, it performs better in the basins of northern China than in those of southern China, particularly for the small spike flood event class in the Songliao and Yellow River Basins, with hit rates of 80.0% ± 3.2% and 78.8% ± 3.2%, respectively. Our results indicate that the new approach will help improve the prediction performance of flood events and their corresponding classes, and provide deep insights into the comprehensive dynamic patterns of flood events for early warning and control management.

Patterns of cognitive and social-emotional parental stimulation practices among Ghanaian kindergarteners

Across geographically diverse samples, engagement in stimulating activities with young children is considered an important element of parenting that promotes cognitive, behavioral, and social-emotional development. Indicators of stimulation activities are often summed, based on the assumption that more stimulation is better and that different stimulating activities are equivalent. Instead, this study takes a household-centered analytic approach, applying latent class analysis to detect patterns of parental stimulation practices across six activities. We then examine predictors of the resultant latent classes and their implications for children's school readiness among a sample of Ghanaian kindergarteners (N = 2,117; Mage = 5.2 years; 51% male). Results support a 4-class solution that represents (i) Highly Stimulating; (ii) Social-emotionally Stimulating; (iii) Playful; and (iv) Playful and Academically Stimulating households. Multiple child and family characteristics differentially predict latent class membership, although class membership did not differentially predict children's literacy, numeracy, executive function, or social-emotional skills. Findings suggest that all combinations of parental stimulation are equivalently promotive of children's school-related skills and help reify a strengths-based perspective. The results deepen our understanding of the different configurations of parental stimulation and suggest that a tailored approach to parenting programs may be beneficial. Programs can build on activities that parents already do (e.g., social-emotional) to encourage increased stimulation in other areas (e.g., academic).

Characteristics of Adolescents with and without a Family History of Substance Use Disorder from a Minority Cohort.

Family history (FH+) of substance use disorder (SUD) is an established risk factor for offspring SUD. The extent to which offspring psychological traits or the family environment, each of which may be relevant to familial transmission of SUD risk, vary by FH+ in socioeconomically disadvantaged populations is less clear. We compared the family/social environmental and psychological characteristics of 73 FH+ and 69 FH- youth ages 12-16, from a study of parental criminal justice system involvement in a primarily low-income, minority urban population. A latent profile analysis (LPA) empirically identified groups of subjects with similar psychological characteristics, which were then compared by FH+. FH+ youths were found to have greater mean household size, greater parental psychological aggression, and a higher mean number of adverse childhood experiences, even without considering parental SUD. FH+ individuals had lower report card grades according to parental report and were more likely to have a history of externalizing disorders than FH- individuals. However, FH+ was not significantly associated with many psychological characteristics or with the class membership from the LPA. In conclusion, among a population of low-income, minority urban youth, FH+ was associated with differences in the family environment and only subtle differences in individual psychological characteristics.