Middle Cohort Research Articles

Student Perceptions of Classroom Learning

Despite billions of invested dollars and numerous reform initiatives, American K–12 student achievement has stagnated. Researchers have identified factors ostensibly responsible for the problem but most, if not all, are beyond the control of teachers. We utilize a different approach to explore factors that students–-rather than educators, researchers, or policymakers–-indicate are most responsible for poor learning. Perception data from three middle school cohorts (1979, 2000, and 2013) are compared to determine how a small number of learning-related inhibitory factors have changed over time. Unfortunately, our findings suggest that, indeed, plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

Gender Differences in the Relationship between Social Jet Lag, Depression, and Obesity in Korean Children and Adolescents

Objectives: A majority of South Korean adolescents experience chronic sleep-deprivation due to social jet lag. In this study, we investigated gender differences in the relationship between social jet lag, depression, and obesity in Korean children and adolescents. Methods: Our sample consisted of 4,380 adolescents (elementary school cohort n=2,141, middle school cohort n=2,239) who participated in the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey. In order to analyze the gender differences in the relationship between sleep time difference, obesity and depression, t-test and chi-square test were utilized. Results: Both cohorts revealed that the difference in weekday/weekend sleep duration (2.19±1.42 vs. 1.68±1.36, p<0.001) and depression levels (20.77±6.29 vs. 18.87±6.06, p<0.001) was significantly higher in girls than boys. However, body mass index was higher in boys than girls (20.86±3.42 vs. 20.04±2.51, p<0.001). Chi-square test revealed there was a significant difference between gender and weekday/weekend sleep discrepancy group (cutoff >2 hours). Both elementary school [χ2 (1)=8.73, p<0.05] and middle school cohorts [χ2 (1)=61.29, p<0.001] showed significant gender differences. Conclusions: There were especially more girls who reported a discrepancy of 2 or more hours of weekday/weekend sleep duration. In summary, intervention for social jet lag may be important to consider in adolescents. Keywords: Social jet lag, Korean Children & Youth Panel Survey, Depression, Obesity

Survival Outcomes in Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasm (2001-2012)

Background: BPDCN is a rare subtype of aggressive acute leukemia that usually has an indolent clinical presentation such as isolated solitary or multiple cutaneous lesions. Despite initial clinical responses to systemic chemotherapy, BPDCN follows an aggressive course with a reported median OS of approximately 8-14 months based on single-center studies. We aimed to determine the OS of BPDCN and its predictors utilizing a US population-based database.Methods: Using International Classification of Disease for Oncology, 3rd edition (ICD-O-3) code 9727/3, SEER 18 database was analyzed to identify adult patients with BPDCN diagnosed from 2001-2012. We divided the entire cohort into 3 groups based on time periods of 4 years each (2001-2004, 2005-2008, 2008-2012) to represent early (E), middle (M) and late (L) cohorts. Age, sex, race, marital status, radiation use, and OS were compared across the three time periods. Multivariate analyses of OS were performed using Cox regression to adjust for significant covariates. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: Of 417 patients, the majority were males (67%), patients aged ≤ 60 years (75%) and whites (82%). A higher proportion of patients were diagnosed in the early time period (E=43% vs. M=29% vs. L = 29%). About a sixth of the cohort (17%) received radiation therapy. Median OS was not reached for the cohort. Five-year OS was higher for patients ≤ 60 years, as compared to patients >60 years (70% vs. 50%, p<0.01). On a multivariate analysis, age >60 years (hazard ratio, HR 2.05; 95% confidence interval, CI 1.28-3.27, p <0.008) and African American ethnicity (HR 1.79; 95% CI 1.10-2.89, p=0.018) were associated with a higher hazard for death whereas OS did not differ based on sex, marital status, time period, or the use of radiation therapy. Of the 106 patients >60 years, the majority were males (68%), whites (93%), married (74%), and did not receive radiation (92%). On a multivariate analysis after adjusting for age, sex, race, time of diagnosis, and radiation therapy, being single (marital status) was associated with a worse OS (HR2.24; 95% CI 1.05-4.77, p=0.034) among patients >60 years.Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the largest and most recent population-based study in BPDCN. Compared to prior single-center studies, our results demonstrate much better OS. Older age and African American ethnicity are determined to be negative prognostic factors for OS. Single older patients are at even a higher risk of mortality. The study findings may help in patient counseling and informed decision-making. Racial disparities in OS require further investigation. DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Assessment of Model Based (Input) Impedance, Pulse Wave Velocity, and Wave Reflection in the Asklepios Cohort.

ObjectivesArterial stiffness and wave reflection parameters assessed from both invasive and non-invasive pressure and flow readings are used as surrogates for ventricular and vascular load. They have been reported to predict adverse cardiovascular events, but clinical assessment is laborious and may limit widespread use. This study aims to investigate measures of arterial stiffness and central hemodynamics provided by arterial tonometry alone and in combination with aortic root flows derived by echocardiography against surrogates derived by a mathematical pressure and flow model in a healthy middle-aged cohort.MethodsMeasurements of carotid artery tonometry and echocardiography were performed on 2226 ASKLEPIOS study participants and parameters of systemic hemodynamics, arterial stiffness and wave reflection based on pressure and flow were measured. In a second step, the analysis was repeated but echocardiography derived flows were substituted by flows provided by a novel mathematical model. This was followed by a quantitative method comparison.ResultsAll investigated parameters showed a significant association between the methods. Overall agreement was acceptable for all parameters (mean differences: -0.0102 (0.033 SD) mmHg*s/ml for characteristic impedance, 0.36 (4.21 SD) mmHg for forward pressure amplitude, 2.26 (3.51 SD) mmHg for backward pressure amplitude and 0.717 (1.25 SD) m/s for pulse wave velocity).ConclusionThe results indicate that the use of model-based surrogates in a healthy middle aged cohort is feasible and deserves further attention.

Functional Activation during the Rapid Visual Information Processing Task in a Middle Aged Cohort: An fMRI Study.

The Rapid Visual Information Processing (RVIP) task, a serial discrimination task where task performance believed to reflect sustained attention capabilities, is widely used in behavioural research and increasingly in neuroimaging studies. To date, functional neuroimaging research into the RVIP has been undertaken using block analyses, reflecting the sustained processing involved in the task, but not necessarily the transient processes associated with individual trial performance. Furthermore, this research has been limited to young cohorts. This study assessed the behavioural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) outcomes of the RVIP task using both block and event-related analyses in a healthy middle aged cohort (mean age = 53.56 years, n = 16). The results show that the version of the RVIP used here is sensitive to changes in attentional demand processes with participants achieving a 43% accuracy hit rate in the experimental task compared with 96% accuracy in the control task. As shown by previous research, the block analysis revealed an increase in activation in a network of frontal, parietal, occipital and cerebellar regions. The event related analysis showed a similar network of activation, seemingly omitting regions involved in the processing of the task (as shown in the block analysis), such as occipital areas and the thalamus, providing an indication of a network of regions involved in correct trial performance. Frontal (superior and inferior frontal gryi), parietal (precuenus, inferior parietal lobe) and cerebellar regions were shown to be active in both the block and event-related analyses, suggesting their importance in sustained attention/vigilance. These networks and the differences between them are discussed in detail, as well as implications for future research in middle aged cohorts.

The acceptability to African-Americans of a structured conversation guide to improve advance care planning in the setting of cancer: A focus-group study.

11 Background: African-Americans are less likely than whites to participate in advance care planning (ACP), which may contribute to disparities in the receipt of goal-concordant care. Literature points to multiple factors: the impact of religion, mistrust, different preferences for life-sustaining measures, family-decision making styles and poor knowledge about ACP. Early ACP conversations are associated with improved outcomes at the end of life, including goal-concordant care. A systematically-developed, serious illness conversation guide (“guide”) for oncologists, embedded in a systems-based approach to improving illness care, has demonstrated more frequent, higher-quality, and earlier ACP conversations in a predominantly white and middle class cohort of cancer patients. This study aimed to explore the acceptability and need for modification of the guide in more diverse populations. Methods: We conducted a series of focus groups with panels of clinicians and researchers, African-American church members, and seriously ill patients and their caregivers to assess barriers to ACP and preferences concerning modifications to the guide. We used template analysis to code themes at the individual, interpersonal and systems levels. Results: At the individual level, participants confirmed the importance of religion and the impact of perceived discrimination (e.g., receipt of inferior care) and superstition (e.g., talking about death may make it happen). Interpersonal-level factors influencing ACP included family, trust, and concerns about provider abandonment. Participants confirmed systems-level barriers of access and mistrust in the healthcare system and highlighted community outreach as a key part of the process. Participants reported positive responses to the tone and content of the guide and found the guide to be acceptable when it included a question that elicited coping mechanisms, including religion. Conclusions: Participants in our study found the use of a serious illness conversation guide to identify patient goals and priorities acceptable, and emphasized the importance of adding a question focused on coping and religion.

Prehypertension Tsunami: A Decade Follow-Up of an Iranian Adult Population.

ObjectivePrehypertension is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). There is no study to examine the incidence and risk factors of prehypertension in a sex stratified setting. The aim of this study was to examine the effect modification of sex for different risk factors which predicts the progression from normotension to prehypertension in a Middle East population-based cohort, during a median follow-up of 9.2 years.MethodsA multivariate Cox analysis was performed among 1466 and 2131 Iranian men and women, respectively, who were free of prehypertension, hypertension, CVD and diabetes at baseline and free of incident hypertension without preceding prehypertension at follow-up. Incident prehypertension at follow-up was defined as systolic blood pressure (SBP) of 120–139 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of 80–89 mmHg.ResultsOverall, 1440 new cases of prehypertension were identified resulting in an incidence rate of 593/10000 person-years; the corresponding values for women and men were 489/10000 and 764/10000person-years, respectively. There were significant interactions between gender with age, DBP, waist-to-hip-ratio (WHpR) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (all P-values <0.05) in multivariate analysis. Strong associations were found between age, body mass index (BMI) and SBP with incident prehypertension in both genders. However, the effect of DBP and WHpR was significant among women and 2-hour post challenge plasma glucose (2h-PCPG)was an independent risk factor for men. In the sex-adjusted analysis, glomerular hyperfiltration [Hazard ratio (HR) and 95%CI: 1.01 (1.00–1.01), P-value = 0.02], age, BMI, WHpR, SBP and DBP had higher risks while being female [HR (95%CI): 0.81(0.69–0.94), P-value = 0.01] had a lower risk for incident prehypertension.ConclusionAccording to this study results, among Iranian population with high incidence of prehypertension, general adiposity and glomerular hyperfiltration in total, 2h-PCPG in men and central adiposity in women should be emphasized as risk factors for prehypertension.

Hearing threshold distribution and effect of screening in a population-based German sample

Objective: To establish the status of hearing in adults in Germany and the effects of screening for noise, tinnitus, ear diseases, and general health on the distribution of hearing threshold levels (HTL) Design: A cross-sectional epidemiological study conducted between 2010 and 2012 in two middle-sized cities. Study sample: A total of 1903 adults aged 18 to 97 years from a randomized sample drawn from the local registration offices and stratified for age and gender. Results: Dispersion and distribution of HTL data observed in the population-based sample are well in line with international results. However, median HTL tend to be better than in most recent international studies. Screening for “otological normality” improves the median HTL overall by 3 dB in males and 1 dB in females. This effect is strongly age-dependent in males and far less pronounced in females. While by and large HTL medians of females in the screened sample meet the values expected by ISO 7029:2000, HTL medians of males in middle and higher age cohorts are better than expected, especially in the frequencies above 2 kHz. Conclusions: This study supports international findings that in males, the age-related decrease in hearing sensitivity at high frequencies is smaller than described by ISO 7029:2000.

Comparing Advantages : US Trade with the Rest of the World, 1968~2008

Calibrating a stylized version of the Dornbusch-Fischer-Samuelson model, this paper finds that relative to a cohort of 97 trading partners, the US capital stock, labor force, and nominal GDP per capita decreased, while the level of technology embodied in its output increased. These observed dynamics suggest a shift in comparative advantage that, coupled with increased production at the extensive and intensive margins, yields an expectation of labor market churning. Grouping trading partners by World Bank income classifications reveals that observed changes for low and lower middle income cohorts resulted in more pronounced shifts in comparative advantage. Examining employment and earnings in US manufacturing industries, a dynamic regression model reveals that increased import penetration has significant negative effects on production worker employment and wages, while increases in exports has significant positive effects on production worker employment. Variation in labor market outcomes is found across income classifications, as well as industries categorized by trade orientation.

A Longitudinal Study of Adolescents’ Sense of Community over Three Years

This study investigated whether and how middle school adolescents' level of sense of community changes over three years. The middle school cohort...

Hypertension phenotypes and incident cardiovascular disease and mortality events in a decade follow-up of a Middle East cohort.

To investigate the association of hypertension phenotypes, with the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality. We examined the risk of hypertension phenotypes, that is, isolated systolic hypertension (ISH), isolated diastolic hypertension (IDH), systolic-diastolic hypertension (SDH), controlled blood pressure (CBP), and uncontrolled blood pressure (UBP) among 6974 middle-aged and 882 elderly participants. Cox regression analysis was used to estimate the hazard ratio for hypertension phenotypes, considering those with normotension as the reference. During more than 10 years of follow-up, in the middle-aged group, 490 CVD events and 152 deaths occurred; corresponding rates for the elderly group were 194 and 183, respectively. In middle-aged patients, ISH, SDH, and UBP increased the risk of CVD, whereas UBP increased the risk of mortality due to CVD and any cause (hazard ratio 5.67 and 2.95, respectively) and IDH increased only the risk of total mortality in the middle-aged group (hazard ratio 2.01; all P values <0.05). In elderly patients, ISH, SDH, and UBP significantly increased the risks of CVD. IDH (hazard ratio 3.20 and 2.01), SDH (hazard ratio 3.80 and 3.23) and CBP (hazard ratio 2.86 and 1.87) increased the risks of CVD and all-cause mortality in this group, respectively (all P values <0.05). In both middle-aged and elderly population, ISH, SDH, and UBP increase the risk of CVD. Controlling of BP to less than 140/90 mmHg decreases the risk of mortality events among the middle-aged population; however, it is not suitable for the elderly as it was associated with higher risk of mortality.

Dietary Inflammatory Index Scores and C‐Reactive Protein Concentrations among Older Adults

BackgroundThe dietary inflammatory index (DII) is a literature‐derived population based index that has been devised to assess the inflammatory potential of one's diet. It has been previously validated in young and middle aged cohorts in the United States, Australia, and Netherlands.ObjectiveTo assess whether the DII is associated with serum concentrations of high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hsCRP) among older adults.Design/MethodsA cross‐sectional examination within the Memory and Aging Project of adults aged 蠅65 years. Further testing of the DII was performed among 376 older adults using dietary data from a 144‐item food frequency questionnaire. Serum concentrations of hsCRP were measured using Multiplex ELISA arrays. Logistic regression analyses were performed for hsCRP (&gt;3 mg/L) and DII scores while controlling for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and smoking history.ResultsCalculated DII scores ranged from ‐5.09, reflective of a strongly anti‐inflammatory diet, to +4.72, indicating a pro‐inflammatory diet, with mean±SD of ‐1.06±2.28. Participants were 80±6 years of age, and mostly non‐Hispanic white (96.8%) and female (71.8%); the average BMI was 27.1±5.2 kg/m2. DII scores were positively associated with serum hsCRP (OR=1.13 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02, 1.25) and BMI (OR=1.08 (95% CI 1.03, 1.12).ConclusionDII scores were associated with hsCRP concentrations among overweight, older adults enhancing the generalizability of this tool.Support: R01AG031553, R01AG17917, and the Rush Translational Sciences Consortium.

Midlife Metamorphosis

The study was conducted in response to the need for an increased understanding of the aging experiences of women transitioning midlife. The purpose of the research was to explore the personal understanding of the changes that occur during the midlife period. A qualitative case study was implemented to ascertain how women of the Latter-day Saint (LDS) faith experience the midlife transition. The narratives of 10 LDS women ages 35 to 65 were obtained through personal interviews. The data were analyzed from a feminist, social constructionist, and narrative perspective using Chenail’s Qualitative Matrix as a formal coding system to guide the process of analysis and reporting (Col e, 1994). The findings indicate that the younger cohort had inner conflict s; those in the middle age cohort experienced role confusion; and the oldest cohort experienced generativity. These findings may suggest that a positive metamorphosis takes place in women during the midlife transition.

Cognitive function in a middle aged cohort is related to higher quality dietary pattern 5 and 25 years earlier: the CARDIA study.

Preserving cognitive function is an important public health issue. We investigated whether dietary pattern associates with cognitive function in middle-age. We studied 2435 participants in the community-based Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study of black and white men and women aged 18-30 in 1985-86 (year 0, Y0). We hypothesized that a higher A Priori Diet Quality Score, measured at Y0 and Y20, is associated with better cognitive function measured at Y25. The diet score incorporated 46 food groups (each in servings/day) as the sum of quintile ranks of food groups rated beneficial, 0 for food groups rated neutral, and reversed quintile ranks for food groups rated adverse; higher score indicated better diet quality. Y25 cognitive testing included verbal memory (Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT)), psychomotor speed (Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST)) and executive function (Stroop). Per 10-unit higher diet score at Y20, the RAVLT was 0.32 words recalled higher, the DSST was 1.76 digits higher, and the Stroop was 1.00 seconds+errors lower (better performance) after adjusting for race, sex, age, clinic, and energy intake. Further adjustment for physical activity, smoking, education, and body mass index attenuated the association slightly. Diet score at Y0 and increase in diet score over 20 years were also positively associated with each cognitive test. A higher quality dietary pattern was associated with better cognitive function 5 years and even 25 years later in apparently healthy middle-aged adults.

Ability to Recall Specific Detail and General Detail (Gist) in Young Old, Middle Old, and Older Adults

Declining cognition has been associated with detrimental consequences such as decline in independence and reduced quality of life. If we can understand the nature of the decline, we may be able to reduce the detrimental consequences. It seems that with increasing age we remember the general detail of the stimuli, rather than the specific details. Recall of general information but failure to identify the specific instances previously known or studied is termed gist error, and this is seen to be indicative of age related change in memory. Previous studies have compared younger vs older age groups; meaning that the time course of these changes has not been established. We used three age groups in a trial move to examine whether age related change might start earlier than recognized from previous studies. Sixty-six participants aged 18 to 86 years completed computerised tasks assessing non-verbal and verbal gist recognition. Older adults recognised correctly fewer target stimuli than the young old and middle old cohorts on the non-verbal gist task. They also were significantly more likely to identify critical semantic lures related to the target (“general”) than the other two age groups. In addition, on the verbal gist task, both middle and older adults recognised (incorrectly) more semantically related items than did the younger cohorts. These results are consistent and suggest that older adults are more likely to remember the general idea of stimuli (gist). However, older adults were able to recognize (recognized) more target stimuli than the young adults on the verbal task. This indicates probable dissociation between verbal and non-verbal representations and suggests cognitive decline is modular and related to specific functional decline, and is not generalized over all functions. The results also suggest that cognitive decline begins in early adulthood, rather than at the later spectrum of aging. These findings have implications for potential behavioural and pharmacological intervention.

Cognitive function in a middle aged cohort is related to higher quality dietary pattern 5 and 25 years earlier: The cardia study

Cognitive function in a middle aged cohort is related to higher quality dietary pattern 5 and 25 years earlier: The cardia study

Educational Attainment and Timing to First Union across Three Generations of Mexican Women.

We use data from Wave 3 of the Mexican Family Life Survey (N = 7276) and discrete-time regression analyses to evaluate changes in the association between educational attainment and timing to first union across three generations of women in Mexico, including a mature cohort (born between 1930 and 1949), a middle cohort (born between 1950 and 1969), and a young cohort (born between 1970 and 1979). Mirroring prior research, we find a curvilinear pattern between educational attainment and timing to first union for women born between 1930 and 1969, such that once we account for the delaying effect of school enrollment, those with the lowest (0-5 years) and highest levels of education (13+ years) are characterized by the earliest transition to a first union. For women born between 1970 and 1979, however, we find that the pattern between education and first union formation has changed. In contrast to their peers born in earlier cohorts, highly educated women in Mexico are now postponing first union formation relative to the least educated. We draw on competing theories of educational attainment and timing to first union to help clarify these patterns in the context of Mexico.

The lymphocyte to monocyte ratio in peripheral blood represents a novel prognostic marker in patients with pancreatic cancer.

Intra-tumoral macrophages have been involved as important players in the pathogenesis and progression of cancer. Recently, inflammatory parameters of the systemic inflammatory response have also been proposed as usefully prognostic biomarkers. One of these, the lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR) in peripheral blood has been shown as a prognostic factor in hematologic and some solid tumors. In this study we analyzed for the first time the prognostic value of LMR in a large middle European cohort of pancreatic cancer (PC) patients. Data from 474 consecutive patients with ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas were evaluated retrospectively. Cancer-specific survival (CSS) was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. To further evaluate the prognostic significance of the LMR, univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were calculated. Increased LMR at diagnosis was significantly associated with well-established prognostic factors, including high tumor stage and tumor grade (p<0.05). In univariate analysis, we observed that an increased LMR was a significant factor for better CSS in PC patients (HR 0.70; 95% CI 0.57-0.85; p<0.001). In multivariate analysis including age, Karnofsky Index, tumor grade, tumor stage, administration of chemotherapy, LMR and surgical resection, we confirmed increased LMR as an independent prognostic factor for CSS (HR 0.81; 95% CI 0.66-0.99; p=0.04). In conclusion, we identified LMR as an independent prognostic factor in PC patients. Our results indicate that the LMR might represent a novel and useful marker for patient stratification in PC management.

Malignant Hyperthermia in Children

Clinical characteristics of malignant hyperthermia (MH) in pediatric patients have not been elucidated. In this study, we used the North American Malignant Hyperthermia Registry to determine differences in clinical characteristics of acute MH across pediatric age groups. We hypothesized that there are differences in clinical presentation, clinical course, and outcomes, which correlate with age. A secondary aim was to determine the types of preexisting medical conditions associated with pediatric MH. We performed a retrospective review of the North American Malignant Hyperthermia Registry to identify pediatric subjects (up to and including 18 years) with an MH clinical grading score at or above 35 indicating "very likely" or "almost certain" MH. Preoperative patient characteristics, perianesthetic factors, and outcome data were compared for 3 cohorts based on age: 0 to 24 months, 25 months to 12 years, and 13 to 18 years. We used statistical analysis to determine differences among the groups. We analyzed 264 records: 35 in the youngest age group, 163 in the middle age group, and 66 in the oldest group. There was no indication of any predisposing risk factors for MH based on family history or physical examination. Sinus tachycardia, hypercarbia, and rapid temperature increase were the most common signs of acute MH (observed in 73.1%, 68.6%, and 48.5%, respectively) and were more common in the oldest age cohort. Higher maximum temperatures and higher peak potassium values were seen in the oldest age cohort. Masseter spasm was more common in the middle age cohort. The youngest age cohort was more likely to develop skin mottling and was approximately half as likely to develop muscle rigidity. The youngest age group also demonstrated significantly higher peak lactic acid levels and lower peak creatine kinase values. Treatments were similar across age cohorts. There were 10 MH-associated deaths, 6 in the middle age group and 4 in the oldest age group. Recrudescence of symptoms after initial treatment occurred in 14.4% of subjects, with no difference across age cohorts. Two of these subjects, 1 in the middle age group and 1 in the oldest age group, died after the recrudescence event. There are differences in clinical characteristics of acute MH among different age cohorts in childhood. Older subjects demonstrated higher body temperatures and higher potassium levels, and the youngest subjects had greater levels of metabolic acidosis. Most children in each age group were phenotypically normal before developing MH.

Prosoziales Verhalten in mittlerer Kindheit und Adoleszenz: die Rolle von inner- und ausserfamilialen Beziehungen

We investigated the role of intra-familial and extra-familial relationships in children’s and adolescents’ prosocial behavior. Due to the changing quality of family relationships in the process of growing up, we compared two developmental stages: middle childhood and middle adolescence. For intra-familial relationships, we assessed the affective relationship quality and the communicative quality between parents and within the parent-child dyad. For extra-familial relationships, we measured parental work experiences and the presence of social networks. Analyses are based on the data from two collection waves (2006, 2007) of the youngest cohort (6-year olds) and the middle cohort (15-year olds) of the Swiss Survey of Children andYouth (COCON). The results reveal that the relationship quality between parents predicts children’s prosocial behavior, whereas the communicative quality of the parent-child dyad is more important in adolescence. Parental work experiences and social networks predict prosocial behavior indirectly through the quality of affective relationships and the quality of communication within the family.