Multilevel Growth Curve Models Research Articles

More or less energy with age? A motivational life-span perspective on subjective energy, exhaustion, and opportunity costs.

Two studies investigated subjective conceptualizations of energy for goal pursuit across adulthood. Study 1 (N = 276, 20-92 years of age) explored age-related differences in the (a) endorsement of a limited versus nonlimited account of energy for goal pursuit, (b) amount of energy available for physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally demanding activities, and (c) extent to which spending energy on a demanding activity inhibits or facilitates energy expenditure for subsequent activities, both within and across functional domains. Study 2 (N = 147, 18-86 years of age) experimentally induced energy loss through a 20-min physical exercise and examined age-related differences in the increase of subjective exhaustion and opportunity costs as a motivational cue for goal disengagement. With increasing age, adults more strongly endorsed a nonlimited account of energy and perceived having more energy available for personally relevant social activities. However, older adults also reported higher negative cross-domain energy spillover after physical exertion. Multilevel growth curve models further revealed that, compared with younger adults, older adults reported a steeper initial increase in exhaustion and opportunity costs during physical exercise, but converged with the younger age groups again at the close of the exercise session. The discussion centers around the importance of selectivity in older adulthood and motivational accounts of effort and exhaustion. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Subjective poverty, deprivation, and the subjective well-being of children and young people: A multilevel growth curve analysis in Taiwan

Subjective well-being is of increasing interest to researchers. However, the trend in child subjective well-being and the association between poverty and child subjective well-being is not well understood. This study examined the growth trajectories of the subjective well-being of children and young people from low-income families. Using panel survey data from the Taiwan Database of Children and Youth in Poverty, a multilevel growth curve model was used to examine how children and young people rate their subjective well-being, including life satisfaction and school satisfaction, and the effect of poverty dimensions, including subjective poverty and deprivation, on subjective well-being. The findings indicated that two subjective well-being outcomes varied over time. Specifically, subjective well-being declined with age but had different growth trajectory patterns. Furthermore, poverty dimensions had negative effects on subjective well-being. The level of self-rated school satisfaction and satisfaction with life decreased with an increasing level of deprivation. However, only life satisfaction was found to be negatively associated with subjective poverty. This study contributes to the understanding of child subjective well-being from a child-centered perspective. Some implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms and Neighborhood Changes from Adolescence to Adulthood: Latent Class Growth Analysis and Multilevel Growth Curve Models.

The role of neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) and racial/ethnic composition on depression has received considerable attention in the United States. This study examines associations between trajectory patterns of neighborhood changes and depressive symptoms using data from Waves I-IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. We used latent class growth analysis to determine the number and distribution of person-centered trajectories for neighborhood characteristics, and multilevel growth curve models to examine how belonging to each class impacted depression trajectories from ages 13 to 32 among non-Hispanic Whites (NHW), non-Hispanic Blacks (NHB), Hispanics, and non-Hispanic Others (NHO). The distribution of neighborhood SES classes across racial/ethnic groups suggests significant levels of economic inequality, but had no effect on depressive symptoms. A more complex picture emerged on the number and distribution of racial/ethnic composition latent class trajectories. Compared to NHB peers who lived in predominantly NHW neighborhoods from adolescence to adulthood, NHBs in more diverse neighborhoods had lower risk for depressive symptoms. Conversely, Hispanics living in neighborhoods with fewer NHWs had higher risk for depressive symptoms. Among NHOs, living in neighborhoods with a critical mass of other NHOs had a protective effect against depressive symptoms.

How Do Time Use and Social Relationships Affect the Life Satisfaction Trajectory of Korean Adolescents?

This study investigated the life satisfaction trajectory of Korean adolescents, and factors associated with changes in life satisfaction. Specifically, we focused on how changes in time use and social relationships were associated with changes in life satisfaction. Using three waves of the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey, we conducted a series of multilevel growth curve modeling analyses. The results indicate that Korean adolescents’ life satisfaction decreased over a three-year period, and that time spent on leisure and sleeping were both significant predictors of changes in life satisfaction. Life satisfaction decreased at a slower rate for adolescents whose relationships with peers and teachers positively increased over time. Findings highlight the importance of ensuring adequate amount of sleep and providing various opportunities for leisure activities in improving Korean adolescents’ life satisfaction. Furthermore, social relationships, specifically with teachers and peers should be the focus of prevention and intervention for adolescents to maintain and improve their level of life satisfaction.

Lifetime employment histories and their relationship with 10-year health trajectories in later life: evidence from England.

BackgroundEmployment histories influence health. However, most studies have so far investigated cross-sectional associations between employment histories and health, failing to recognize health as a dynamic process in later life.MethodsWe use Waves 3–8 of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, including retrospective information on respondents’ employment activities. We used dynamic hamming distances to summarize lifetime employment histories up to state pension age (64 for men and 59 for women). Multilevel growth curve models were then used to estimate the influence of lifetime employment histories on later life health trajectories over a 10-year period using quality of life (QoL), somatic health, and depression.ResultsNet of selection effect and a host of contemporaneous material and social resources, men who exited early started off with poorer health than those with continuous attachment to the labour market but had a very similar health profile by the end of the 10-year period considered. Among women, better somatic health and higher QoL were observed among those who had employment breaks for family care, and this health advantage was maintained over time. Lifetime employment histories are not related to depression for either men or women.ConclusionOverall, differences in health by employment histories level off only among men who left earlier and those continuously employed. Flexible arrangements for men in poor health who benefit from leaving the labour market early and supporting women who wish to take breaks for family care may help reduce health inequalities in later life.

Predicting the Natural Development of Peanut Tolerance using Longitudinal Trajectories of Peanut-specific Serum Immunoglobulin E

An estimated 20% of peanut-allergic children will outgrow their allergy, but little is known about clinical factors that may predict tolerance. We hypothesized that a more rapid annual decline in peanut-specific serum IgE (psIgE) leading up to oral food challenge (OFC) increases the likelihood of passing a peanut OFC. A retrospective chart review of patients with an ICD-9/ICD-10 diagnostic code for peanut allergy, seen between January 2010 to July 2019 at a private Chicago allergy clinic, was performed. Patients ages 0-20 years old with ≥2 psIgE values with at least one between 0.10-100 kU/L were included. Multilevel linear growth curve models were fit to compare psIgE trajectories among patients who passed/failed OFC. The analytic sample (N=108) was 62% male, mean age of 7.9 years (SD=3.9), and averaged 3.2 years of annual psIgE lab values. 68% of participants passed peanut OFC [MpsIgE=0.9(SD=1.0)], while 32% failed [MpsIgE=3.5(SD=5.8)]. When all years of data were modeled (range 2-7 years), the mean annual rate of change in psIgE for children who passed OFC was -0.6 kU/L(SE=0.2) compared to -0.1 kU/L(SE=0.2) in those who failed (p=0.04). Modeling only the last 4 years of annual psIgE values, the mean annual rate of change in psIgE among children who passed OFC was -0.6 kU/L(SE=0.2) compared to -0.3 kU/L(SE=0.3) among those who failed (p=0.24). Steeper annual decreases in psIgE values are associated with increased probability of passing a peanut OFC. Further studies with larger samples are needed to better understand the utility of longitudinal sIgE trajectories for predicting tolerance.

The Role of Social Support and Psychological Well-Being in STEM Performance Trends across Gender and Locality: Evidence from Ghana

This study focuses on trends in STEM performance and inclusiveness. We examine performance trajectories in STEM subjects, the predictive role of social support and psychological well-being of students, and variations across student gender and school locality (rural vs urban). We used three waves of data from 135 junior high school students in Ghana. Multilevel growth curve modeling was used to assess the trajectories and the socio-environmental predictors of STEM performance, and posthoc power calculation was used to confirm the adequacy of the sample size. Results show that overall, students’ STEM performance improves over time. Minimal gender differences exist but depend on the subject area and evolve with time. We observed a nuanced “urban advantage,” with rural students starting well but declining over time. Among various indicators of social support and psychological well-being, teacher support was the strongest positive predictor of STEM performance. The study highlights the need to focus on the structural and cultural impediments to STEM education at the lower levels of education in order not to risk excluding marginalized groups early in the education system. Further, STEM interventions may do well to incorporate long-term measures to sustain girls’ interest, motivation, and efforts in STEM.

Proteinopathy and longitudinal changes in functional connectivity networks in Parkinson disease.

To evaluate resting-state functional connectivity as a potential prognostic biomarker of Parkinson disease (PD) progression. The study examined longitudinal changes in cortical resting-state functional connectivity networks in participants with PD compared to controls as well as in relation to baseline protein measures and longitudinal clinical progression. Individuals with PD without dementia (n = 64) and control participants (n = 27) completed longitudinal resting-state MRI scans and clinical assessments including full neuropsychological testing after overnight withdrawal of PD medications ("off"). A total of 55 participants with PD and 20 control participants also completed baseline β-amyloid PET scans and lumbar punctures for CSF protein levels of α-synuclein, β-amyloid, and tau. Longitudinal analyses were conducted with multilevel growth curve modeling, a type of mixed-effects model. Functional connectivity within the sensorimotor network and the interaction between the dorsal attention network with the frontoparietal control network decreased significantly over time in participants with PD compared to controls. Baseline CSF α-synuclein protein levels predicted decline in the sensorimotor network. The longitudinal decline in the dorsal attention-frontoparietal internetwork strength correlated with the decline in cognitive function. These results indicate that α-synuclein levels may influence longitudinal declines in motor-related functional connectivity networks. Further, the interaction between cortical association networks declines over time in PD prior to dementia onset and may serve as a prognostic marker for the development of dementia.

Area effects on the level and development of social exclusion in later life

Social exclusion in later life is associated with decreased quality of life and poorer health outcomes. Reducing the number of people at risk of exclusion is a key theme in European social policy, but there is limited understanding of the relationship between neighbourhood characteristics, personal attributes and the level and development of social exclusion in later life. In this paper, cross-classified multilevel growth curve models for predicting exclusion are fitted to seven waves of data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, collected between 2002 and 2015, allowing for the investigation of causal mechanisms linking area characteristics and exclusion in later life, including access to services and amenities, participation in civic, cultural and leisure activities and relationships with friends and family. Results show that living in a deprived area is associated with increased levels of exclusion, and this explained the higher levels of exclusion found for urban compared with rural areas. Population turnover among local residents did not impact on exclusion levels, but length of residence and the degree to which a person feels attached to their neighbourhood did, with ageing in place and stronger attachments predicting lower levels of social exclusion. In terms of individual characteristics, men, those in poor health, people with low levels of wealth or education, and those aged 80 or older, were more likely to experience increased levels of exclusion, while retirement and marriage provided a protective effect. The paper contributes new insights into the pathways through which characteristics of both individuals and neighbourhoods predict social exclusion in later life, and concludes by discussing the policy implications raised by the research.

Emotional Responses to Stressors in Everyday Life Predict Long-Term Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms.

Individuals' emotional responses to stressors in everyday life are associated with long-term physical and mental health. Among many possible risk factors, the stressor-related emotional responses may play an important role in future development of depressive symptoms. The current study examined how individuals' positive and negative emotional responses to everyday stressors predicted their subsequent changes in depressive symptoms over 18 months. Using an ecological momentary assessment approach, participants (n = 176) reported stressor exposure, positive affect (PA), and negative affect (NA) five times a day for 1 week (n = 5,483 observations) and provided longitudinal reports of depressive symptoms over the subsequent 18 months. A multivariate multilevel latent growth curve model was used to directly link the fluctuations in emotions in response to momentary stressors in everyday life with the long-term trajectory of depressive symptoms. Adults who demonstrated a greater difference in stressor-related PA (i.e., relatively lower PA on stressor vs. nonstressor moments) reported larger increases in depressive symptoms over 18 months. Those with greater NA responses to everyday stressors (i.e., relatively higher NA on stressor vs. nonstressor moments), however, did not exhibit differential long-term changes in depressive symptoms. Adults showed a pattern consistent with both PA and NA responses to stressors in everyday life, but only the stressor-related changes in PA (but not in NA) predicted the growth of depressive symptoms over time. These findings highlight the important-but often overlooked-role of positive emotional responses to everyday stressors in long-term mental health.

The CogBIAS longitudinal study of adolescence: cohort profile and stability and change in measures across three waves

BackgroundAdolescence is a time of considerable social, cognitive, and physiological development. It reflects a period of heightened risk for the onset of mental health problems, as well as heightened opportunity for flourishing and resilience. The CogBIAS Longitudinal Study (CogBIAS-L-S) aims to investigate psychological development during adolescence.MethodsWe present the cohort profile of the sample (N = 504) across three waves of data collection, when participants were approximately 13, 14.5, and 16 years of age. Further, we present descriptive statistics for all of the psychological variables assessed including (a) the self-report mood measures, (b) the other self-report measures, and (c) the behavioural measures. Differential and normative stability were investigated for each variable, in order to assess (i) measurement reliability (internal consistency), (ii) the stability of individual differences (intra-class correlations), and (iii) whether any adolescent-typical developmental changes occurred (multilevel growth curve models).ResultsMeasurement reliability was good for the self-report measures (> .70), but lower for the behavioural measures (between .00 and .78). Differential stability was substantial, as individual differences were largely maintained across waves. Although, stability was lower for the behavioural measures. Some adolescent-typical normative changes were observed, reflected by (i) worsening mood, (ii) increasing impulsivity, and (iii) improvements in executive functions.ConclusionsThe stability of individual differences was substantial across most variables, supporting classical test theory. Some normative changes were observed that reflected adolescent-typical development. Although, normative changes were relatively small compared to the stability of individual differences. The development of stable psychological characteristics during this period highlights a potential intervention window in early adolescence.

Associations of Less Healthy Snack Food Consumption with Infant Weight-for-Length Z-Score Trajectories: Findings from the Nurture Cohort Study.

Little is known about the impact of less healthy snack foods on weight trajectories during infancy. This secondary analysis of data from the Nurture cohort explored prospective associations of less healthy snack foods with infant weight trajectories. Pregnant women were recruited and, upon delivery of a single live infant, 666 mothers agreed to participate. Mothers completed sociodemographic and infant feeding questionnaires, and infant anthropometrics were collected during home visits at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Less healthy snack food consumption was assessed by asking how frequently baby snacks and sweets were consumed each day during the previous three months. Multilevel growth curve models explored associations of baby snacks and sweets with infant weight-for-length (WFL) z-scores. On average, mothers were 27 years old, 71.5% were non-Hispanic Black, and 55.4% had household incomes of ≤$20,000/year. Consumption of less healthy snack foods increased during infancy with a median intake of 3.0 baby snacks/day and 0.7 sweets/day between 10 and 12 months. Growth curve models showed that infants who consumed sweets >2 times/day had significantly higher WFL z-scores during the second half of infancy compared to infants who never consumed sweets. Less healthy snacks may contribute to the risk of obesity during infancy and promoting healthy snack food choices during this critical time is important.

Ready for take-off? The relation between teaching behavior and teaching experience of Dutch beginning primary school teachers with different educational backgrounds

In this study we explored the relation between the teaching behavior and teaching experience of beginning Dutch primary school teachers with different educational backgrounds. Two groups of teachers were compared: 1) primary teachers who followed a higher professional teacher education program (N = 46) and 2) primary teachers who followed an academic teacher education program (N = 55). Multilevel growth curve modeling showed that academic teachers, on average, show faster development in their teaching behavior than higher professional teachers. Prior differences in the diplomas held by teachers in secondary education were explored as a possible explanation for this difference.

Degrees of inequality: The Great Recession and the college earnings premium in U.S. metropolitan areas

The Great Recession had devastating effects on the U.S. labor market as millions of workers lost their jobs while others faced declining earnings, erosion of job security, and loss of dignity at work. While workers of all education levels experienced rising unemployment and declining earnings, it is unclear if workers of all educational levels were equally affected. In this paper, we examine the impact of the Great Recession on variations in the college earnings premium—the ratio of earnings for workers with just four-year college degrees to those with just high school degrees—for 210 metropolitan statistical areas from 2007 to 2016. Using multilevel growth curve models, we find that the college earnings premium increased during the Great Recession and its aftermath and that metropolitan areas that experienced more severe disruptions from the Great Recession evidenced greater increases in the college earnings premium. This is mainly explained by much sharper declines in earnings of workers with high school degrees than those with college degrees.

Social origin, field of study and graduates' career progression: does social inequality vary across fields?

Research on stratification and mobility has consistently shown that in the UK there is a direct impact of social origin on occupational destination net of educational attainment even for degree‐holders. However, only a few studies applied a longitudinal and dynamic perspective on how intergenerational mobility shapes graduates’ working careers. Using multilevel growth curve modelling and data from the 1970 British cohort study (BCS70), we contribute to this research by looking at the emergence of social inequalities during the first ten years since labour market entry. We further distinguish between graduates of different fields of study as we expect social disparities to develop differently due to differences in initial occupational placement and upward mobility processes. We find that parental class does not affect occupational prestige over and above prior achievement. Separate analyses by the field of study show that initial differences in occupational prestige and career progression do not differ between graduates from different classes of origin in STEM fields, and arts and humanities. It is only in the social sciences that working‐class graduates start with lower occupational prestige but soon catch up with their peers from higher classes. Overall, our results indicate no direct effect of social origin on occupational attainment for degree‐holders once we broaden our focus to a dynamic life course perspective.

Therapeutic alliance trajectories and associations with outcome in psychodynamic child psychotherapy.

This study investigated therapeutic alliance (TA) trajectories, their demographic and symptomatic predictors, and associations with outcome in psychodynamic child psychotherapy. The sample included 89 Turkish children (Mage = 6.87, SD = 2.11, 46% girls) with internalizing (37.11%), externalizing (21.14%), and comorbid (38.20%) problems; 12% of the children were in the nonclinical range. Independent raters coded 328 sessions from different phases of treatment using the Therapy Process Observational Coding System-Alliance Scale. Outcome measures were collected at intake and termination (Children's Behavior Checklist and Teacher Rating Form). Multilevel growth curve modeling indicated that TA showed a quadratic trend (high-low-high) over the course of treatment. The shape-of-change methodology indicated three subgroups following a stable pattern, a slow and an accelerated quadratic TA trajectory. Externalizing problems (teacher report) negatively predicted average TA strength. Boys and children with internalizing problems showed a declining TA trajectory, whereas children with externalizing problems (teacher report) showed an upward TA trajectory. Multivariate multiple regression analyses showed that the average TA (i.e., intercept) and the positive quadratic slope (the high-low-high pattern) positively predicted changes in internalizing and externalizing problems (teacher report). This study was the first to show the course of TA development in psychodynamic child psychotherapy, identify a number of child characteristics that facilitate and impede TA. Investigating both the strength and patterns of TA development when examining associations with outcome is important. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Links Between Teachers' Liking of Students, Peer Inclusion, and Students' Academic Achievement: A Two-Wave Longitudinal Study.

Students who are more liked by their teachers tend to be included by their peers and to perform successfully at school. Yet, very little is known whether peer inclusion can mediate the effect of teachers' liking of students on students' academic achievement. Teachers from Grades 5 and 6 reported their liking of each student and academic achievement (N = 1209; 49% females), whereas peers rated the inclusion of classmates. Results from a multilevel growth curve model revealed that, only at the individual level, higher values of peer inclusion mediated the association between teachers' liking of students and academic achievement over time. This study provides new insights into the complex associations between teachers' liking of students and academic achievement during early adolescence.

Military Service: A Pathway to Conformity or a School for Deviance?

Military service has been shown to affect individuals’ criminal and deviant tendencies. Studies on military service and deviance, however, has generally focused on combat veterans, utilized cross-sectional data, and ignored the potentially differential impact of military service based on sociodemographic variations. Utilizing the Add Health data and multilevel growth curve modeling, this study intends to reveal (a) trajectories of deviance from adolescence through adulthood, (b) whether military service in young adulthood moderates these trajectories, and (c) whether any of these relationships change by race, gender, and parental education. Findings revealed that military service was associated with a reduction in rates of delinquency, aggressive behavior, and drug use over time, and these patterns did not change by sociodemographic differences.

Effectiveness of psychological distress reduction with cognitive behavioral therapy for oncological patients: A one-year follow-up study.

11624 Background: Distress has a negative impact on medical treatment (Di Matteo, Lepper & Croghan, 2006) and it is considered one of the most important indexes of psychological suffering in oncological patients (NCCN, 2015). Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the long term effectiveness of brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for patients with cancer (CBT-C) compared with a control group (CG) of oncological patients without any psychotherapy intervention - at one year after a chemotherapy treatment. Methods: Participants ( n = 80; mean age = 63.3, SD = 13.4; 54 female) enrolled at the Oncology Day Hospital at the “Presidio Ospedaliero” of Saronno, ASST Valle Olona, Italy who undertook (CBT-C: n = 40) or non-undertook (CG: n = 40) a psychotherapy intervention. Individual psychotherapy sessions strictly followed the IPOS guidelines (Watson & Kissane, 2017). Participants were tested with the Psychological distress Inventory (PDI) at the baseline (T1; Cronbach α = .88) at the end of the chemotherapy treatment (T2; Cronbach α = .87), at the end of the psychotherapy intervention (T3; Cronbach α = .88), 6-month follow-up (T4; Cronbach α = .85), and 1-year follow-up (T5; Cronbach α = .84). Results: Multilevel growth curve modeling – controlling for age, number of sessions, type and localization of tumor – showed a sharper reduction of distress for CBT-C participants that continue after posttreatment until 1-year follow-up ( p < .001); whereas for CG participants it reduced more gradually from pretreatment to 1-year follow-up ( p < .001). The results revealed a significant difference between the linear slopes for each treatment condition ( p < .001). The overall Hedges’ g comparing the two groups for distress reduction between pretreatment and 1-year follow-up was 2.14 (p < .001) in favor of CBT-C. Conclusions: Given that psychological distress occurs frequently among oncological patients this study is into an important area of study. Results suggest that CBT-C is statistically and clinically effective in treating psychological distress 1 year after the chemotherapy treatment. These findings revealed a kind of long-term effectiveness psychological intervention able both to reduce psychological suffering and improve a better quality of life in oncological settings.

Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping of Time-Dependent Susceptibility Changes in Multiple Sclerosis Lesions.

MR imaging studies have demonstrated that magnetic susceptibility in multiple sclerosis lesions is dependent on lesion age. The objective of this study was to use quantitative susceptibility mapping to determine whether lesions with a hyperintense rim, indicative of iron-laden inflammatory cells (rim+), follow a unique time-dependent trajectory of susceptibility change compared with those without (rim-). We studied patients with MS with at least 1 new gadolinium-enhancing lesion and at least 3 longitudinal quantitative susceptibility mapping scans obtained between 1.1 and 6.1 years. Lesions were classified as rim+ if a hyperintense rim appeared on quantitative susceptibility mapping at any time. A multilevel growth curve model compared longitudinal susceptibility among rim+ and rim- lesions. Thirty-two new gadolinium-enhancing lesions from 19 patients with MS were included, and 16 lesions (50%) were identified as rim+. Quantitative susceptibility mapping rim+ lesions were larger than rim- lesions with gadolinium enhancement (P < .001). Among all lesions, susceptibility increased sharply after enhancement to a peak between 1 and 2 years followed by a decrease. The overall susceptibility curve height for rim- lesions was 4.27 parts per billion lower than that for rim+ lesions (P = .01). Rim- lesions demonstrated a higher linear slope relative to rim+ lesions (P = .023) but faster cubic decay relative to rim+ lesions (P = .005). Rim- lesions started decaying approximately 2 years earlier compared with rim+ lesions. There was a marked difference in the susceptibility temporal trajectory between rim+ and rim- lesions during the first 6 years of lesion formation. Most rim+ lesions retain iron for years after the initial lesion appearance.