Parallel Latent Growth Curve Modeling Research Articles

Parent-child relationship quality and older parents’ cognitive trajectories

This study assesses the bidirectional link between parent-child relationship quality and older parents’ cognitive trajectories over time, with particular attention to potential variations by parents’ gender. Methods: Using a longitudinal, nationally representative sample of parents aged 50 and older from the Health and Retirement Study 2006–2016, the analysis examines three dimensions of the relationship quality between parents and children—contact, support, and strain—in relation to parents’ cognitive function. Parallel latent growth curve models (LGCMs) estimate how baseline relationship quality relates to subsequent change in parents’ cognition and how parents’ baseline cognitive function relates to subsequent change in relationship quality over time. Results: Higher initial levels of relationship strain with children predicts a faster cognitive decline for older parents. Neither initial contact frequency nor initial relationship support is associated with subsequent change in a parent’s cognition, however, good cognitive function predicts a more rapid increase or a slower decline in contact frequency and relationship support over time. No gender difference was found. Conclusion: The results highlight the importance of the “linked lives” of aging parents and their children as well as the potential for bidirectional associations between cognition and family relationships.

The Impact of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Substance Use Disorders on Veterans’ Interpersonal Difficulties

Background: Substance use disorders (SUDs) negatively impact veterans and their relationships with others. Although there are several evidence-based treatments for SUD symptoms, there is less research on whether reduction in SUD symptoms coincides with reduction in interpersonal difficulties. Methods: In this study we examined the relationship between SUD and relationships in a national sample of 458 veterans who received approximately 12 sessions of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Substance Use Disorders (CBT-SUD) through the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Results: Parallel latent growth curve modeling (LGCM) indicated that self-reported alcohol use, drug use, and interpersonal difficulties decreased over the course of treatment. Alcohol and drug use were positively associated with each other and with interpersonal difficulties at each time point, and baseline alcohol and drug use were negatively associated with the reduction of use over time. However, there was little evidence that reductions in substance use led to a reduction in interpersonal difficulties (or vice-versa). Conclusions: Findings highlight promising strategies to further understand how CBT-SUD may enhance reductions in substance use as well as improve relationships with family and friends.

O.4.2-4 The influence of organized sport participation on health-related fitness development during adolescence

Abstract Purpose Organized sport participation plays particularly big role in promoting adolescents’ physical activity and health-related fitness. However, it remains to be understood how current, past, or complete non-participation in organized sports affect adolescents’ individual trajectories of cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness and whether adolescents benefit from their past participation in organized sports in terms of fitness. Thus, the aim of this research was to study the development of cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness during adolescence in those 1) who continued or started organized sport participation, 2) who dropped out, and 3) who never participated or dropped out before adolescence. Methods In this five-year longitudinal study, which was carried out between 2017-2021, self-reported sport participation data were collected annually, and cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness measurements were collected every other year from 963 participants (Mage = 11.25 ± 0.31). Multi-group parallel latent growth curve model was used to examine initial levels and slopes (rate of change) of cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness simultaneously in each of three sport participation group: 1) continuous, 2) dropout, and 3) non-part. Results Continuous group had significantly higher initial levels of cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness compared to other two groups. Moreover, both continuous and non-part groups had positive slopes of cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness. Although dropout group had significantly higher initial levels of cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness compared to non-part group, the slopes were smaller or not significant. Thus, at the last time point, there were no longer significant differences between these two groups in levels of cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness. Conclusions Continued participation in organized sports promotes adolescents’ health-related fitness. However, as adolescents dropout these health-related fitness improvements seem to be lost. Therefore, it is necessary to consider what could be done so that adolescents who dropout or never participated in organized sports would have equal opportunities to promote their health-related fitness. One reason for dropout is that organized sports tend to get more competitive, time-consuming, and expensive in adolescence. Thus, solution could be low-cost and low-threshold recreational or school-related physical activities that could improve or maintain health-related fitness during adolescence. Funding Source Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture

Internalizing and externalizing problems in adolescents following an earthquake: Codevelopment and temporal association.

Chinese adolescents who experience potentially traumatic events may develop posttraumatic internalizing and externalizing problems. However, it remains controversial whether interventions should focus first on internalizing or externalizing problems (or simultaneously on both). Previous studies have attempted to elucidate the developmental trajectories of posttraumatic internalizing and externalizing problems, temporal associations between them, and the between-person effects on this association to identify appropriate primary interventions. However, these studies overlooked the potential codevelopment of internalizing and externalizing problems along with the within-person effects on this association. To address these gaps, this study examined the codevelopment of and within-person temporal association between internalizing and externalizing problems. Participants were 391 Chinese adolescents who completed self-report questionnaires at 1, 1.5, 2, and 2.5 years after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. Parallel latent growth curve modeling and random intercept cross-lagged panel modeling were used to test the hypotheses. The results showed that both internalizing and externalizing problems were stable over time following the earthquake. Moreover, internalizing problems positively predicted externalizing problems at the within-person level and showed a positive between-person relationship with externalizing problems. These findings suggest that internalizing and externalizing problems may codevelop, and internalizing problems are risk factors for externalizing problems in adolescents following trauma. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Childhood experiences of threat and deprivation predict distinct depressive symptoms: A parallel latent growth curve model

Background/aimThere is growing awareness that specific childhood trauma (CT) may confer to the unique risk of depression, but little is known about this. The present study seeks to provide insight into how CT subtypes may impact distinct depressive symptoms over time based on the dimensional model of adversity (DMA). MethodsA total of 3535 college freshmen participated in a 2-year, four waves longitudinal tracking study. A conditional parallel latent growth curve model (LGCM) was constructed to examine the impacts of different types of CT (threat and deprivation) on the development of depressed mood and anhedonia, and whether these relationships vary across gender. ResultsOur findings revealed that threat and deprivation could differentially relate to depressed mood and anhedonia. Both threat and deprivation predicted initial depressed mood levels (β = 0.309, p < 0.001; β = 0.175, p < 0.001, respectively) and its trajectory (β = −0.139, p = 0.068; β = −0.168, p < 0.05, respectively). Only deprivation predicted anhedonia levels (β = 0.318, p < 0.001) and trajectory (β = −0.218, p < 0.001). This pattern of relationships between CT and depressive symptoms varied across gender. ConclusionThese findings highlight specific pathways and symptomatic manifestations of the impacts of different CT subtypes on depression and are consistent with the hypothesis of DMA. Threat and deprivation predicted more severe depressed mood, whereas deprivation uniquely conferred to the risk of depression via elevated anhedonia. Meanwhile, the deleterious effects of CT would persist during early adulthood. Gender differences were also discussed.

Longitudinal Association Between Depressive Symptoms and Cognitive Function Among Older Adults: A Latent Growth Curve Modeling Approach.

Objectives: Although the evidence from numerous longitudinal studies has indicated a remarkable change in cognitive function (CF) and depressive symptoms (DS) over time, the parallel latent growth curve model (LGCM) has seldom been used to simultaneously investigate the relationship between their change trajectories. This study aimed to examine whether a change in DS was associated with CF over time using an LGCM. Methods: Data were collected from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey’s 2011, 2014, and 2018 waves. A parallel LGCM examined the association between CF and DS. Results: The multivariate conditioned model’s goodness of fit supported the validity of the longitudinal model (Tucker-Lewis index [TLI] = 0.90, comparative fit index [CFI] = 0.96, root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = 0.04). The results showed that the CF intercept was positively to the DS slope (β = 0.42, p = 0.004). The CF and DS slopes were significantly linked (β = −0.65, p = 0.002). Conclusion: The findings expand the knowledge about CF’s effect on DS in older adults.

Relationship between Health Behavior and Metabolic Syndrome Progression: The Parallel Latent Growth Curve Model

OBJECTIVES: This research aims to develop a measurement model to assess an relationship between Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) progression and health behavior changes.&nbsp; MATERIAL AND METHODS: Medical records of selected patients attending checkup clinics of a private hospital from 2006 - 2017 was reviewed. Clinical and questionnaire data that assessed exercise (EXE), smoking (SMK), and failure to control weight (FCW) including waist circumference (WC) and BMI as well as laboratory results i.e. Blood pressure, high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides (TG), and fasting blood sugar (FBS) were retrieved.&nbsp; The NCEP ATP III was applied to diagnose Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) and a parallel latent growth curve model was used to assess relationships between MetS progression and health-related behaviors using R-code with lavaan (latent variable analysis) version 0.6-1 package.&nbsp; χ2/df, CFI, TLI, GFI, SRMR, RMSEA and Analysis of Covariate (ANCOVA) were used to determine goodness of fit and influence of sex and age as co-variates of the model. &nbsp; RESULT: Among 1,296 patients, 61 (4.7%), 64 (4.9%), 70 (5.4%), 73 (5.6%) and 87 (6.7%) patients had MetS each year.&nbsp; FCW had strong effects on prevalence (coefficient 0.69) and trend (0.57) of MetS progression while EXE had small negative (-0.05 and -0.07) and SMK had small and positive (0.01 and 0.03) effects.&nbsp; Age and gender contributed to MetS indirectly through FCW.&nbsp; Decomposition of effects revealed high relationship between FCW and prevalence (0.69) and trend (0.57) of MetS.&nbsp; SMK had indirect effect on TG (0.66) and HDL (-0.61) but these effects were diluted off after controlled for effects of other variables. &nbsp; &nbsp; CONCLUSION:&nbsp; We have brought to light the hidden (latent) aspect that age and sex result in MetS through FCW.&nbsp; With the significance of FCW, which subsequently increases risks for several NCDs, healthy eating should be the most important health promotion topic to avoid MetS progression. The LGC model can be used to supplement the diagnostic and prognostic scores for both physicians and health teams because it provides more detailed information of hidden (latent) relationships. Mobile phone applications using this model should be developed in order to promote self-regulation among MetS patients. Future research should be conducted for revision, calibration and validation of the ATP III criteria and the current research risk scores.

Changes in physical activity levels and mental health during COVID-19: Prospective findings among adult twin pairs.

BackgroundPhysical distancing and other COVID-19 pandemic mitigation strategies have negatively impacted physical activity (PA) levels and mental health in cross-sectional studies. The purpose of this study was to investigate associations between changes in PA and mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic, following implementation of mitigation strategies, in a sample of adult twins.MethodsThis was a prospective study of 3,057 adult twins from the Washington State Twin Registry. Study participants completed online surveys in 2020, at baseline (March 26 –April 5), and three follow-up waves (W1: April 20 –May 3; W2: Jul 16 –Aug 2; W3: Sept 16 –Oct 1). Physical activity was operationalized as self-reported moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and neighborhood walking (minutes/week), and mental health outcomes, operationalized as self-reported anxiety and perceived stress were assessed in the three waves of follow-up. Latent growth curve models (LGCMs) were used to assess changes in PA and mental health outcomes over time. Parallel LGCMs were used to estimate the cross-sectional, parallel, and prospective associations between PA and mental health over time. All models took into within-pair correlations and adjusted for age, sex, and race.ResultsIndividuals’ amount of MVPA and walking decreased over time, whereas levels of anxiety remained stable, and stress increased slightly. Cross-sectional associations observed between both PA predictors and mental health outcomes were weak. After taking into account cross-sectional associations between PA and mental health outcomes, changes in PA over time were not associated with changes in mental health outcomes over time.ConclusionsOver a time period aligned with COVID-19 mitigation strategies and social restrictions, changes in physical activity was not associated with changes in anxiety or stress levels in the current sample. Nonetheless, the average decline in PA over time is worrisome. Public health resources should continue to promote PA as a means to improve physical health during the pandemic.

The Co-Development of Science, Math, and Language Interest Among Spanish and Finnish Secondary School Students

The present two studies with a 3-year longitudinal design examined the co-development of science, math, and language (e.g., Spanish/Finnish) interest among 1,317 Spanish and 804 Finnish secondary school students across their transition to post-compulsory secondary education, taking into account the role of gender, performance, and socioeconomic status (SES). The research questions were analyzed with parallel process latent growth curve (LGC) modeling. The results showed that Spanish students’ interest in each domain slightly decreased over time, whereas Finnish students experienced an overall high and relatively stable level of interest in all domains. Further, boys showed greater interest in math and science in both countries, whereas girls reported having a greater interest in languages. Moreover, Spanish and Finnish students with high academic achievement typically experienced high interest in different domains, however, some declines in their interest occurred later on.

Is perceived control of depression related to therapy outcome for depression? A longitudinal study

BackgroundThe present study followed a group of patients over a two-year period after they had received a cognitive behavioral psychoeducational intervention targeting patients’ ability to cope with depression. The main aims were to examine whether a change in both depressive symptoms and in the perceived control of depression occurred and the relationship between depressive symptoms and perceived control. MethodsUsing a prospective longitudinal design, a sample of 183 patients was assessed at four time points during a two-year period. ResultsThe patients showed a large reduction in depressive symptoms over the two-year period after the course ended. During the same time period, perceived controllability of depression increased. A parallel latent growth curve model showed that increased control beliefs were related to reduced depressive symptoms. The decrease in depressive symptoms over time was not dependent on the patients’ initial level of depression or initial control of depression, use of medication, duration of previous depressive episodes, alcohol use or sociodemographic variables. ConclusionGroup interventions aimed at increasing coping skills for preventing and mastering of depression may lead to a large and stable reduction in depressive symptoms. A key factor in prevention may be to strengthen patients’ perceived ability to cope with the different symptoms of depression.

Social Contact with Family and Non-Family Members Differentially Affects Physical Activity: A Parallel Latent Growth Curve Modeling Approach

Background: Social contact leads to an increased likelihood of engaging in physical activity (PA). However, the influence of social contact on PA would be different depending on the social contact source. This study aimed to identify the association of changes in social contact with family and non-family members with the change in PA using a parallel latent growth curve modeling. Methods: Participants were randomly selected from among residents in the study area age ≥ 20 years (n = 7000). We conducted mail surveys in 2014, 2016, and 2019. The 1365 participants completed all surveys. PA was assessed with validated single-item physical activity measure. Social contact was assessed by summing frequencies of face-to-face and non-face-to-face contacts with family/relatives not living with the participant and friends/neighbors. Parallel latent growth curve modeling was used to assess the cross-sectional, prospective, and parallel associations of social contact with PA change. Results: There was a positive cross-sectional association between contact with friends/neighbors and PA, whereas prospective and parallel associations between contact with family/relatives and PA. Conclusion: Contacting friends/neighbors did not predict the change in PA, and a high frequency of contact with family/relatives at baseline and increasing contact with family/relatives was associated with increased PA over 5-year.

Intensity of Leisure-Time Physical Activity and Dimensions of Mental Well-Being: A Reciprocal Approach Using Parallel Latent Growth Curve Modeling.

The examination of the longitudinal effect of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) on mental well-being is important, but previous studies have typically been limited by their use of a cross-sectional approach. This study empirically examined how LTPA intensity was associated with changes in distinct functions of mental well-being (eg,emotional, psychological, social) over time, and vice versa. Parallel latent growth curve modeling in combination with propensity score matching analysis was conducted. Data were derived from a sample of adults from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study. The results showed that the initial level of moderate LTPA at the baseline was associated with growth in psychological and social functioning over time, and vice versa. However, vigorous LTPA at the baseline was related only to growth in emotional functioning over time. The longitudinal association between LTPA and mental well-being had different matching mechanisms for LTPA intensities and their relation to distinct functioning for mental well-being. The findings contribute to an enhanced understanding of LTPA's longitudinal effect on mental well-being.

Day-to-day and longer-term longitudinal associations between physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep in children.

To determine the day-to-day and longer-term longitudinal associations between daytime physical activity and night-time sleep. We used data from a 2-year longitudinal study which included three time points (i.e. baseline, year 1, and year 2). Participants were recruited from primary schools and included 1059 children (50% girls) with a mean age of 8.81-years-old (SD = 0.72) at baseline. Sleep variables included sleep duration, sleep efficiency, time in bed, sleep onset, and wake time. Physical activity variables included light, moderate, moderate-to-vigorous, and vigorous physical activity as well as sedentary time. We objectively assessed physical activity and sleep behaviors using the GENEActiv wrist-worn accelerometer over an 8-day period at each timepoint for a potential 21 190 observed days. We used fixed-effects multilevel models and parallel latent growth curve modeling to examine day-to-day and longer-term associations, respectively. Day-to-day, physical activity, and sleep variables were significantly, positively, and bidirectionally associated, except for sleep efficiency, which showed little association with physical activity. Longer-term, we found little association between physical activity and sleep variables. Overall, our findings indicate that there is a day-to-day association between the amount of time spent being physically active and improved sleep. The lack of a longer-term association indicates that a focus on children's daily behavior may be most appropriate to help children improve sleep and increase physical activity.

Longitudinal association between body mass index and physical activity among adolescents with different parental risk: a parallel latent growth curve modeling approach

BackgroundData available on the association between physical activity (PA) and body mass index (BMI) in different periods of life is controversial. Using a parallel latent growth curve modeling (LGCM) approach, the current study aimed to investigate the influence of daily PA on adolescents’ BMI over a 12 year follow-up, taking into account their parental risk.MethodParticipants comprised 1323 adolescents (53.5% girls), aged 12–18 years who had participated in the baseline phase of Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS) (2001–2003), and were followed for an average period of 12 years. Physical activity, including leisure time and occupational activities, was assessed using the reliable and validated Iranian version of the Modifiable Activity Questionnaire (MAQ). Weight and height were objectively measured in order to calculateBMI.Atwo-step cluster analysis was conducted to classify parents into two high- and low-risk clusters. Parallel LGCM was fitted to estimate cross-sectional, prospective and parallel associations, which assessed the longitudinal association between simultaneous changes in PA and BMI during the study period. Analyses were stratified by gender and parental clusters.ResultsA rising trend of BMI per 3 years was observed in boys 1.39 kg.m2(95% CI; 1.32, 1.48) and girls 0.9 kg.m2(95% CI; 0.82, 0.98), as well as in the low risk 1.11 kg.m2(95% CI; 1.03, 1.18) and high-risk 1.12 kg.m2(95% CI; 1.03, 1.22) clusters. Moreover, a positive prospective association between PA at baseline and BMI change over the 12 year follow-up, was observed in adolescents in the low-risk parental cluster 0.27(95% CI; 0.14, 0.41) indicating that higher levels of PA at baseline may lead to greater BMI in adolescents over time. However, examining longitudinal parallel association between simultaneous changes of PA and BMI per 3 years revealed adverse associations for adolescents in the low-risk parental cluster − 0.07 (95% CI; − 0.13, − 0.01) and in boys − 0.06 (95% CI; − 0.11, − 0.01).ConclusionDespite a positive prospective association between BMI and PA at baseline, there was a weak inverse parallel association between these variables over time, particularly in boys and adolescents with low parental risk. These findings imply the potential role of other influential factors indetermining adolescents’ weight status which need to be considered in the future plannings.

School Climate as a Universal Intervention to Prevent Substance Use Initiation in Early Adolescence: A Longitudinal Study.

Initiation of substance use often starts during adolescence, with tobacco and alcohol use frequently preceding the use of marijuana and other illicit drugs. Studies suggest that a positive school climate may prevent substance use while promoting healthy student behaviors. The purpose of this study was to determine the longitudinal associations between school climate and substance use initiation in a group of middle school students. Parallel latent growth curve modeling was used to examine changes among study variables longitudinally using a sample of 2,097 sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students across 16 regional schools located in three counties in West Virginia. Results suggest that a positive school climate may prevent substance use initiation (β = -0.07 to -0.25, p < .01). However, perceptions of school climate decreased on their own over time (β = -0.28 to -0.66, p < .01). Furthermore, substance use initiation also increased as students grew older (β = 0.96 to 0.99, p < .01) and reduced the effects of school climate longitudinally (β = -0.07 to -0.24, p < .01). Early substance use initiation may be a warning sign of other underlying student issues and requires additional school support to foster student success. Findings suggest that a positive school climate may delay substance use initiation and promote school success. School climate may, therefore, be useful as an intervention to support school-based health promotion.

School Climate as an Intervention to Reduce Academic Failure and Educate the Whole Child: A Longitudinal Study.

Preventing student academic failure is crucial to student health and life success. Previous studies suggest a positive school climate may reduce students' risk for academic failure and contribute to academic success. The purpose of this study was to determine the longitudinal associations between school climate and academic grades in a group of middle school students who transition into high school. Parallel latent growth curve modeling was used to examine changes among study variables longitudinally using a sample of 2604 in 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students across 16 regional schools located in 3 counties in West Virginia. Students with higher perceptions of a positive school climate exhibited sustained or improved academic achievement over time (β=0.22 to 0.30, p < .01). Higher positive perceptions of school climate appear to sustain students who earn As/Bs (β=0.20 to 0.27, p < .01) and strengthen students who earn Cs/Ds/Fs (β=-0.16 to -0.46, p < .05). Positive student perceptions of school climate may sustain high academic performance while strengthening students who earn Cs/Ds/Fs. School climate may be useful as an intervention to support school-based health promotion to reduce the achievement gap in the United States.

DYNAMIC, BIDIRECTIONAL LONGITUDINAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LEISURE ACTIVITY ENGAGEMENT AND COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE

Engagement in leisure activities, i.e., intellectual, social, and physical activities, may reduce the risk of incident dementia, yet little is known about the longitudinal, dynamic relationship between overall leisure activity engagement and cognition in older adulthood. Using data from a survey measure of 13 leisure activities, e.g., doing unpaid volunteer work and playing cards, games, or bingo, and a neuropsychological battery collected concurrently over 14 years from 2,259 multi-ethnic participants (mean age of 76.0 years) in the Washington Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project, we used a parallel process latent growth curve model of trajectories of both leisure activity engagement and cognitive z-scores (global cognitive performance, language, memory, and visuospatial ability). Estimates were adjusted for baseline age, years of education, sex, race/ethnicity, recruitment year, occupation (unskilled, skilled, and housewife), and baseline income. More baseline activity engagement (range, 0-13, higher indicating more engagement) was associated with higher baseline cognitive performance, i.e., global cognitive performance (estimate=0.129, standard error, SE=0.017, p<0.001), language (estimate=0.146, SE=0.020, p<0.001), memory (estimate=0.141, SE=0.025, p<0.001), and visuospatial ability (estimate=0.111, SE=0.020, p<0.001). Decline in leisure activity engagement were associated with decline in global cognitive performance (estimate=0.002, SE=0.000, p<0.001), language (estimate=0.002, SE=0.000, p<0.001), memory (estimate=0.002, SE=0.001, p<0.001), and visuospatial ability (estimate=0.001, SE=0.000, p=0.001). While both level and change in overall leisure activity engagement and cognitive performance were correlated, level of one did not predict change in the other. Similar relationships were found when examining leisure activity categories. This suggests a dynamic, bidirectional relationship between leisure activity engagement and cognitive performance among older adults.

Community Engagement and Cognition in a Sample of Older Adults Residing in Costa Rica

Abstract Objective Costa Rica has the highest percentage of older adults (65+) of the Central American and Latin American region. In fact, Costa Rica has the highest life expectancy within an advanced healthcare system and socioeconomic infrastructure that differentiates it from neighboring countries in Central America. Previous research has shown that older adults who engage in higher social engagement show overall better cognitive functioning (Chen et al., 2018); however, limited research has examined the impact of socialization on cognition across rural and urban regions and furthermore no research to date has examined these factors in Costa Rican older adults. This study examined the effects of community engagement on cognition in urban and rural older adults residing in Costa Rica. Participants and Method Participants were neurotypical older adults residing in San Jose (urban region, n = 156) and Guanacaste (rural region, n = 69). Those with a history of neurological conditions and major psychiatric disorders were excluded. Results Older adults residing in an urban area (M = 55.43, SD = 23.26) participate more in social engagement within the community compared to those residing in the rural region (M = 46.30, SD = 28.50), p = 0.019. Furthermore, in the urban sample, those with higher social engagement showed better performance on learning and encoding (r = 30), verbal memory (r = 0.26), and executive functioning (r = .20). In older adults residing in the rural region, higher social engagement was only associated with better visuospatial abilities (r = 0.27). Conclusions Findings suggest that social engagement in the community for older adults in Costa Rica may serve as a protective factor for their cognitive health. However, there are significant differences on what cognitive processes serve as a protective factor as a function of location (rural versus urban). This study highlights the importance of examining the quality of social engagement when evaluating the cognition of Costa Rican older adults. References Chen, Ya-Mei, Tu, Yu-Kang, Yu, Hsiao-Wei, Chiu, Tzu-Ying, Chiang, Tung-Liang, Chen, Duan-Rung, &amp; Chang, Ray-E. (2018). Leisure time activities as mediating variables in functional disability progression: An application of parallel latent growth curve modeling. PLoS ONE, 13(10).

Uloga komunikacije s roditeljima o seksualnosti u dinamici adolescentskog zadovoljstva tjelesnim izgledom

Body image dissatisfaction among adolescents is a risk factor in developing eating disorders, low self-esteem, and depression. Previous research pointed to a protective role of family communication and support when it comes to body image dissatisfaction. However, little is known about possible links between body image satisfaction and communication with parents about sexuality. The association between parent-adolescent communication about sex and adolescents’ sexual health has been predominantly explored cross-sectionally. The aim of this longitudinal study was to assess the temporal dynamics of the association between body image satisfaction and communication with parents about sexuality among adolescents. Data were collected using a panel-sample of 1,325 high-school sophomores recruited from 14 schools in the Croatian cities of Rijeka and Opatija. The study covered a period of 18 months using four data collection points. The associations were analysed by parallel latent growth curve modelling, an analytical method that enables the assessment of between-person differences over time by estimating within-person latent trajectories of change. The analyses revealed a positive association between communication with parents about sexuality and body image satisfaction at the initial point of analysis and over time, but only among female adolescents. The findings may be beneficial to educational and public health specialists, as well as to parents in improving the psychosocial well-being of adolescents.

Leisure time activities as mediating variables in functional disability progression: An application of parallel latent growth curve modeling.

ObjectivesThe aims of this study were to investigate (1) whether and (2) the extent to which Taiwanese older adults’ leisure time activity (LTA) trajectories mediated the potential association between their sociodemographic factors and their functional disability trajectories.MethodsLongitudinal data from four waves of the Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging (TLSA), collected between 1996 and 2007, were used for analysis (N = 3,429). Parallel-process latent growth curve modeling was adopted to evaluate the process by which LTA mediated between sociodemographic factors (age, gender, education, self-rated health, comorbidities, and depression) and the outcome process of functional disabilities.ResultsWhen mediated by baseline level of LTA, five sociodemographic factors—age, gender, education level, self-rated health, and number of comorbidities—had significant and negative mediating effects on baseline or change in functional disability, thus improving disability outcomes. However, four of the sociodemographic factors (age, education level, and number of comorbidities), when mediated through the rate of change in LTA, were found to have significant and positive mediating effects, which increased disability levels. The proportion of effects mediated by the LTA trajectory ranged from 0% to 194%.DiscussionThe large proportion of effects mediated through the LTA process underlines the importance of LTA to public health policy and health programs for older adults. The study’s findings shed light on how to better target populations of older adults to promote an active lifestyle and achieve more successful aging in late life in Asian countries.