Parental Household Research Articles

Determinants of individual income in EU countries: implications for social policy targeting.

The introduction of the Income Index constructed by authors as well as the identification of demographic, socio-economic and occupation-related factors influencing the income of individuals in EU countries is the main contribution of the paper. The Income Index makes it possible to analyze data of individuals from all EU countries. The multiple hierarchical regression of EU-SILC microdata provides the factors that influence individuals' income. Outcomes show through which factors can be intervened in social policy settings to reduce income inequality. Factors significantly affecting the Income Index are the household composition, occupation sector (typically agriculture and accommodation and services are related to low incomes) and the degree of urbanization (rural areas with the lowest incomes of individuals). Findings confirm ongoing discussions about the specific position of single parent households in the labour market and their need for social support.

Evaluating modified effects of family factors on intervention to protect primary school students from the impact of heatwave

Identifying the factors that may impact intervention effectiveness of primary students is crucial for developing targeted intervention strategies on heatwave adaption. The purpose of the study was to assess how the family factors could affect the intervention effects of primary school students to adapt heatwave, using the data from a previously conducted primary school-based intervention study. The study recruited 648 students (9–13 years old) and their parents from two primary schools in Dongtai of Jiangsu province, China. From May to September 2017, a 5-mon intervention for enhancing knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) was implemented at the intervention school. The students' KAP scores and the family-related information were measured by designed self-administered questionnaires at intervention school and control school separately before and after intervention. The effects of the intervention were explored through the propensity score matching and difference-in-difference method (PSM-DID), and stratified analysis were conducted by family factors. The overall KAP score increased by 2.391 (95% CI: 1.881, 2.902) after intervention, which shows that the intervention was effective. The students whose parents with higher school educational attainment, parents with employment, and household number ≤3 achieved significantly higher increment of KAP scores than their counterparts. Although students whose parents in marriage achieved higher score increasing than parents not in marriage, the difference was non-significant. Our findings indicated that parental education status, working status and the household size were the influence factors of heatwave adaption interventions for primary school students. Future interventions should take parental education status, working status and household size into account to improve the effectiveness of heatwave adaption intervention for primary school students.

From buildings to cities: How household demographics shape demand response and energy consumption

In the face of rapidly evolving energy landscapes, driven by increasing integration of renewable energy and the transition towards a more sustainable grid, the role of demand response (DR) programs in maintaining grid stability and efficiency has become increasingly critical. This study presents an in-depth methodology for assessing the nexus between household demographics and engagement in demand response (DR) programs, investigating their impact on energy consumption and financial outcomes at both building and urban scales. Six household archetypes are defined: single working individual, single retired individual, working couple, retired couple, nuclear family, and lone parent household. Additionally, three energy-use archetypes— austere, average, and wasteful—are considered. Employing a stochastic load profile generator, the study examined variables like annual occupancy hours, thermal energy needs, and appliance consumption. In a Canadian residential context, a shift from a single working adult to a nuclear family occupant archetype led to an increase in annual occupancy by 24%, causing a 21% fluctuation in Energy Use Intensity (EUI). Additionally, diverse consumption behaviors led to a 41% EUI variance. The study evaluated load curtailment capabilities across various household archetypes; notably, a ‘wasteful’ household could reduce their load by 32% through a 2 °C-thermostat adjustment during DR events, and this rose to 54% with pre-heating. At the urban scale, demographic shifts substantially influence load profiles and cause variable peak load times. Areas with more retirees have higher mid-day energy usage. The research quantified DR benefits in load reduction and fiscal gains. By raising DR participation from 10% to 50%, load curtailment grew by 69% in areas with younger families. Pre-heating further enhanced load curtailment by 12% and reduced energy rebound by 4%. Economically, ‘wasteful’ households could accumulate 11% more credits compared to average homes. This research introduced a flexible framework for incorporating household demographics and energy use behavior into DR studies, which can be adapted and re-applied to different case studies based on the availability of relevant data.

Child maltreatment and parental domestic violence and abuse, co-occurrence and the effect on lifetime outcomes in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC)

Exposure to child maltreatment (CM), and parental domestic violence and abuse (DVA), impose considerable adverse life outcomes in both the short and long term, yet, the extent and effects of their co-occurrence on outcomes have not been comprehensively quantified. This study describes the analysis of data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, quantifying the prevalence of CM, parental DVA, co-occurrence rates, and the impact of different combinations of childhood exposures on life outcomes (health, economic, and likelihood of perpetrating intimate partner violence as a young person).Childhood exposure prevalences were estimated at 41.7% for any form of CM, 19.3% for parental DVA, and 49.0% for exposure to at least one form of CM and/or parental DVA. Co-occurring parental DVA was reported in 21%–42% of CM-exposed households. Sexual abuse was reported in 2% of parental DVA-exposed households, whilst co-occurrence of other forms of CM ranged between 19% and 41%.Co-occurring CM and parental DVA exposures were associated with increased risks of drug use, anxiety, depression, smoking, unemployment, social welfare use, and perpetration of intimate partner violence as a young person – highlighting the intergenerational effects of exposure. Increased risks across a wider range of adverse outcomes were associated with child-reported awareness of parental DVA, compared to parent-reported DVA exposure.The high cumulative prevalence of childhood exposure to CM and/or parental DVA, and the scale of the resulting adverse impacts emphasise the need for policies and family interventions sensitive to the possibility of co-occurring forms of abuse.

Investigating The Correlation Between Socioeconomic Factors and The Prevalence of Childhood Dental Problems

Background: This study investigates the relationship between socioeconomic factors and the prevalence of childhood dental problems in the Indian context. Recognizing the importance of oral health in pediatric populations and the potential impact of socioeconomic disparities, the study aims to identify correlations between demographic and socioeconomic indicators and the occurrence of dental issues among children aged 5 to 12 years. Methods: A total of 150 children were recruited, representing various socioeconomic backgrounds. Demographic information, including age and gender, and socioeconomic indicators such as parental education, household income, and dental insurance access, were collected. Clinical examinations assessed the prevalence of childhood dental problems, including dental caries, gingivitis, malocclusions, and other conditions. Socioeconomic indicators were categorized for analysis, and statistical methods, including logistic regression, were employed to explore correlations. Results: In the Indian scenario, the study cohort exhibited diverse characteristics. Result outlines the prevalence of dental problems, with dental caries being the most prominent issue. Gingivitis and malocclusions also contribute to the overall burden of pediatric oral health issues in the Indian context. The study reveals significant correlations between specific socioeconomic factors and the prevalence of childhood dental problems. Notable associations include lower parental education levels correlating with higher rates of dental caries. Conclusion: In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the correlation between socioeconomic factors and the prevalence of childhood dental problems in India. The multifaceted nature of this relationship underscores the need for targeted interventions that consider the unique socio-economic dynamics of the Indian population, ultimately contributing to improved pediatric oral health outcomes.

1 Psychometric Characteristics of the Grenada Learning and Memory Scale: An Innovative Tool for Preschool Memory Assessment in Resource-Limited Regions

Objective:Neuropsychological assessment of preschool children is essential for early detection of delays and referral for intervention prior to school entry. This is especially relevant in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), which are disproportionately impacted by micronutrient deficiencies and teratogenic exposures. There are limited options for assessment of preschool learning and memory, developed and validated in resource-limited regions. The Grenada Learning and Memory Scale (GLAMS) was created for use in the Caribbean using an indigenous “ground-up” approach, with feedback from regional stakeholders at various stages of development. The GLAMS contains two subtests - a verbal list-learning task, which imagines a trip to the shop to buy culturally familiar items, and a face-name associative learning task using locally-drawn faces of Caribbean children. There are two versions: a 4-item version for 3-year-olds and a 6-item version for 4 and 5-year-olds. Here we present descriptive data and psychometric features for the GLAMS from an initial preschool sample.Participants and Methods:Participants were recruited from a social-emotional intervention study (SGU IRB#14099) in Grenada between 2019-2021. Children were between 36 and 72 months of age, primarily English-speaking, and had no known history of neurodevelopmental disorders. Trained Early Childhood Assessors administered the GLAMS and NEPSY-II in public preschools and homes across Grenada. Exploratory descriptive statistics characterized participant sociodemographics and test score distributions. Spearman correlations, MannWhitney U, and Kruskal-Wallis tests examined the impact of sociodemographics on test scores. Internal reliability was assessed with coefficient alpha. NEPSY-II subtests were used to assess convergent validity, with the prediction that the highest correlations would be observed for NEPSY-II Sentence Repetition. Test engagement (as reflected by “zero-learning”, “some learning”, and “positive learning curves”) was assessed across each age bracket (in 6-month increments). We assessed and summarized barriers to engagement qualitatively.Results:The sample consisted of 304 children (152 males,152 females). Participants were predominantly Afro-Caribbean and Indo-Caribbean. Parent education and household income (Mdn=$370-740 USD per month) were consistent with the general population. GLAMS internal consistency was reliable (a=0.713). There were age effects on list-learning (rs=0.51; p<0.001), list recall (rs=0.51; p<0.001), face-name learning (rs=0.30;p<0.001), and face-name recall (rs=0.25; p<0.001). There were gender effects on list-learning (p=0.02) and list recall (p=0.01) but not face-name learning or recall. All GLAMS subtests were correlated with NEPSY Sentence Repetition (rs=0.22-0.34; p<0.001). There was sufficient sampling of males and females across all 6 age brackets. As age increased, a higher proportion of children showed a positive learning curve (and fewer “zero-scores”) on verbal learning (X2 =30.88, p<0.001) and face-name learning (X2=22.19, p=0.014), demonstrating increased task engagement as children mature. There were various qualitative observations of why children showed “zero-scores”, ranging from environmental distractions to anxiety and inattention.Conclusions:As far as we know, the GLAMS is the first preschool measure of learning and memory developed indigenously from within the Caribbean. It shows reliable internal consistency, expected age and gender effects and convergent validity. These initial results are encouraging and support continued efforts to establish test-retest and inter-rater reliability. Plans include validation in clinical samples, scale-up to other Caribbean countries, and eventual adaptation across global LMICs.

Does subsidized orthodontic treatment reduce inequalities inaccess? Evidence from Norway based on population registerdata.

An important part of Norwegian welfare policy is to provide subsidized orthodontic treatment for children and adolescents. The objective of this policy is that dental services should be allocated according to children's need for treatment, and not according to parents' ability to pay. The probability of receiving orthodontic treatment independent of parent's household income was examined. The study population encompassed children and adolescents aged 10-18 years in 2019 (n = 354 439). Information about whether they had started orthodontic treatment was obtained from the Norwegian Health Economics Administration. The key independent variable was net equalized household income. Inequalities were measured using concentration indices, which were estimated according to the severity of the malocclusion (very great need, great need, obvious need and no need). Two indices were used to measure relative inequality: the unstandardized concentration index and the partial concentration index. Absolute inequality was measured using the corrected concentration index. Relevant control variables were included in some of the analyses. The unstandardized indices were in the range 0.04 (very great need) to 0.05 (obvious need). For all three groups of severity, the 95% confidence intervals overlapped. The values of the partial indices were significantly lower than the values of the unstandardized indices. The partial indices were in the range 0.008 (very great need) to 0.03 (obvious need). The 95% confidence intervals for the partial indices did not overlap with the 95% confidence intervals of the unstandardized indices. For all three groups of severity, the indices that measured absolute inequality were close to zero. It is possible to achieve the egalitarian aim of equality in service provision by subsidizing orthodontic treatment. This is possible within a system where the cost of orthodontic treatment is reimbursed according to the criteria of need. These criteria function in such a way that patients with the greatest need for orthodontic treatment are given the highest priority.

Higher Levels of Income and Education are Associated with More Specialized Sport Participation Behaviors: Results from a Representative Sample of Youth Sport Parents from the United States.

While previous studies have examined the impact of family socioeconomic characteristics on a child's sport specialization behaviors, this research has been limited to affluent communities with limited sociodemographic diversity. The purpose of this study was to examine associations of parent income and education with child sport specialization behaviors among a nationally representative sample of youth sport parents in the United States. Cross-sectional. Parents of youth athletes in the United States (n=236, age: 39.2±8.1 years, 57.2% female) were recruited to complete an online questionnaire by Qualtrics Online Samples (Qualtrics, Provo, UT) using a combination of actively managed, double-opt-in market research panels. The questionnaire used for this study consisted of: 1) parent demographics (including parent age, race/ethnicity, biological sex, gender identity, household income, and educational status), and 2) child sport participation characteristics and sport specialization behaviors. Parents who reported an annual household income of $75,001 or more were more likely than parents making less than $75,000 to report that their child participated on an organized club team (OR [95%CI]: 1.94 [1.15-3.27]), participated on multiple organized teams at the same time (OR [95%CI]: 1.85 [1.10-3.11]), or specialized in a single sport (OR [95%CI]: 2.45 [1.45-4.14]). Parents who reported receiving a Bachelor's degree or higher were more likely than parents who did not to report that their child participated on an organized club team (OR [95%CI]: 3.04 [1.78-5.18]), participated on multiple organized teams at the same time (OR [95%CI]: 2.42 [1.43-4.10]), or specialized in a single sport (OR [95%CI]: 1.94 [1.15-3.26]). Thes results suggest that in the modern youth sport culture, family resources may serve as a major determining factor in the type of experiences available for a youth athlete. III.

Interpersonal Discrimination, Neighborhood Inequities, and Children's Body Mass Index: A Descriptive, Cross-Sectional Analysis.

Psychosocial stressors have been implicated in childhood obesity, but the role of racism-related stressors is less clear. This study explored associations between neighborhood inequities, discrimination/harassment, and child body mass index (BMI). Parents of children aged 5-9 years from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds (n = 1307), completed surveys of their child's exposure to discrimination/harassment. Census tract data derived from addresses were used to construct an index of concentration at the extremes, a measure of neighborhood social polarization. Child's height and weight were obtained from medical records. Multiple regression and hierarchical models examined child's BMI and racism at the individual and census tract levels. Children residing in the most Black-homogenous census tracts had 8.2 percentage units higher BMI percentile (95% confidence interval, 1.5-14.9) compared with white-homogenous tracts (P = .03). Household income and home values were lower, poverty rates higher, and single parent households more common among Black-homogeneous census tracts. Almost 30% of children experienced discrimination/harassment in the past year, which was associated with a 5.28-unit higher BMI percentile (95% confidence interval, 1.72-8.84; P = .004). Discrimination and racial/economic segregation were correlated with higher child BMI. Longitudinal studies are needed to understand whether these factors may be related to weight gain trajectories and future health.

Sources of Perceived Social Support and Associated Factors for Depression amongst Malay Primary School Adolescents in Kelantan, Malaysia

INTRODUCTION: Adolescent depression is a substantial health concern nowadays, and perceived social support determines the outcome. Lack of research on depression amongst Malaysian younger group of adolescents, puts them at risk of being under diagnosed and under treated. Furthermore, the function of various social supports for depression in early adolescents is less explored. The primary objective of this study was to determine the level of support for adolescent depression from five different sources: i) parents, ii) teachers, iii) close friends, iv) classmates, and v) others in school. The secondary objective is to study the prevalence of depression amongst primary school adolescents and establish their association and the other factors that influence depression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study involving 576 adolescents between the ages of 10-11 year olds were conducted from August 2020 till September 2020 using the Malay Children Depression Inventory (M-CDI) and Malay Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale (M-CASSS). RESULTS: The respondents reported that teachers were the most supportive. Approximately 131 (22.7%) of them had depressive symptoms. Only parental support significantly reduced their risk of developing depression. Having a single parent household, being bullied, emotional abuse, and performing poorly in school increased the likelihood of developing depression. CONCLUSION: Findings from this study, demonstrated the necessity for early depression screening amongst primary school adolescents and the need for stakeholders to continue supporting parents in their efforts to deal with adolescent concerns.

SOCIAL MINIMUM LEVELS IN POLAND IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2023

This article summarises the estimates of the social minimum in the first quarter of 2023. Following the reported increase in modelled expenditure in the last quarter of 2022, the first quarter of 2023 brought a further increase in its values. With the CPI for the first quarter of this year relative to the first quarter of 2022 (17.0%), the values of the social minimum increased by a higher degree: from 19.8% (pensioner households) to 20.8% (single people aged up to 60). When the reference point is the fourth quarter of last year, the values of the social minimum also increased faster. With a CPI value of 4.3%, the social minimum rose from 5.2% (employee households without children and in a family with a younger child) to 6.2% (single people aged up to 60), In the first quarter of 2023, the highest dynamics were observed in expenditure on housing and ener-gy carriers: it increased from 8.1% to 8.4%, with a similar scale of increase in the CPI in this ex-penditure group (8%). Expenditure on food increased from 5.6% (parent household with a younger child) to 6.1% (pensioner households), with a slightly lower CPI (5.4%). In other groups of needs, the increase in modelled expenditure tended to be higher than inflation rates. This is most evident in the case of clothing and footwear, where the difference between the CPI and the minimum subsistence valuation exceeds 3 p.p

Childhood Socioeconomic Characteristics and Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Scandinavian Birth Cohort Study.

Ecological observations suggest a negative relationship between childhood socioeconomic status (SES) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) risk. Individual-level analyses have been inconsistent and mostly lacked refined assessments of SES. We aimed to comprehensively study the association between early-life SES and later IBD. This study included 117 493 participants from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child cohort and Swedish All Babies in Southeast Sweden cohorts. Participants were followed from birth (1997-2009) through 2021. IBD was identified through national patient registers. Questionnaire and register data were used to define parental educational level, employment, and household income level. Cox regression estimated adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs), accounting for other SES exposures and covariates (eg, parental IBD). Cohort-specific estimates were pooled using a random-effects model. During 2 024 299 person-years of follow-up, 451 participants were diagnosed with IBD (All Babies in Southeast Sweden cohort, n = 113 and Norwegian Mother, Father and Child cohort, n = 338). Early-life maternal, but not paternal, educational level was associated with later IBD (low vs high educational level; pooled aHR, 1.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16-2.82; and pooled aHR, 1.20; 95% CI, 0.80-1.80; respectively). Having a nonworking mother or father was not significantly associated with IBD (pooled aHR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.47-1.02; pooled aHR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.45-1.37). High vs low household income level yielded a pooled aHR of 1.33 (95% CI, 0.94-1.89). Overall, results were largely consistent across cohorts. In this prospective Scandinavian cohort study, low maternal educational level was, independent of other SES and covariates, significantly associated with later IBD in her child. Further research is needed to elucidate factors that may mediate this relationship.

Social Spillovers of Parental Absence: The Classroom Peer Effects of ‘Left-behind’ Children on Household Human Capital Investments in Rural China

While the human capital consequences of rural-to-urban migration on left-behind children have been well-documented in developing countries, there is limited evidence regarding the social spillovers of parental migration on households without parent-child separation. This study investigates the effects of migration-induced left-behind children on household human capital investments in their non-left-behind peers. Leveraging the random student-class assignment within middle schools in rural China, we find that the share of left-behind children in class has significant negative impacts on household financial and time investments in non-left-behind classmates, especially out-of-school education expenditure. We also find heterogeneous effects demonstrating that the adverse spillovers are relatively larger among students who are boys, in grade nine, and from low socioeconomic status families. Further, our results suggest that exposure to left-behind classmates adversely affects non-left-behind students’ perceived quality of school life, cognitive and noncognitive skills, and their parents’ beliefs about returns of human capital investments. We interpret these findings as candidate mechanisms underlying the associations between parental absence and household investments in non-left-behind children. Our study sheds new light on the ‘costs’ of rural-to-urban migration in sending areas, which include not only welfare loss to families being left behind but negative spillover effects on non-left-behind households.

A systematic analysis and future projections of the nutritional status and interpretation of its drivers among school-aged children in South-East Asian countries.

Nutrition inadequacy during childhood and adolescence can cause suboptimal growth, intergenerational effects on offspring and an increased risk of chronic diseases in adulthood. There is little information on the prevalence and drivers of malnutrition in children aged 5-19 years, in the South-East Asian setting, since most existing interventions have to date targeted undernutrition. We assessed the national prevalence of nutritional indicators, their trends, and associated risk factors among children aged 5-19 years from 11 countries of WHO South-East Asia Region (SEA Region) in order to provide evidence to guide future policy direction. We included 5,210,646 children for analysis from 345 studies and 25 survey datasets. A Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess the quality of the study. Bayesian regression models were used to estimate the prevalence of malnutrition between 2000 and 2030, and a series of subgroup analyses were performed to assess variation in pooled estimates by different socio-demographic and lifestyle factors. The protocol was registered with PROSPERO database (CRD42023400104). Overall, pooled analysis demonstrated that indicators of undernutrition in SEA is predicted to decrease between 2000 and 2030 including stunting (36.6%-27.2%), thinness (29.5%-6.2%), and underweight (29.2%-15.9%). However, a substantial increase in prevalence of overweight (6.0% in 2000-16.9% in 2030), and obesity (2.6%-9.5%) are predicted. The prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies between 2000 and 2030 is predicted to decrease-vitamin A by 84% and vitamin D by 53%. Parents' education levels and household wealth were inversely associated with malnutrition. Children's health-related behaviours, such as unhealthy dietary habits and spending more time watching TV, playing games, or using the computer, were associated with increased chance of overweight and obesity. There were no clear signs of publication bias in our study. Our analysis highlights the pattern of a double burden of malnutrition, with clear differences between different socio-demographic groups. Despite a substantial reduction in the prevalence of stunting, underweight, and anaemia since 2000, an emerging increase in overweight/obesity and micronutrient deficiencies warrants urgent attention. World Health Organization Regional Office for South-East Asia New Delhi, India.

Neighborhood and Household Environment as Contributors to Racial Disparities in Sleep Duration among U.S. Adolescents

ObjectiveRacial disparities in adolescent sleep duration have been documented, but pathways driving these disparities are not well understood. This study examined whether neighborhood and household environments explained racial disparities in adolescent sleep duration. MethodsParticipants came from Waves I and II of Add Health (n=13,019). Self-reported short sleep duration was defined as less than the recommended amount for age (<9 hours for 6-12 years, <8 hours for 13-18 years, and <7 hours for 18-64 years). Neighborhood factors included neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage, perceived safety and social cohesion. Household factors included living in a single parent household and household socioeconomic status (HSES). Structural equation modeling was used to assess mediation of the neighborhood and household environment in the association between race/ethnicity and short sleep duration. ResultsOnly HSES mediated racial disparities, explaining non-Hispanic (NH) African American-NH White (11.6%), NH American Indian-NH White (9.9%), and Latinx-NH White (42.4%) differences. Unexpectedly, higher HSES was positively associated with short sleep duration. ConclusionHousehold SES may be an important pathway explaining racial disparities in adolescent sleep duration. Future studies should examine mechanisms linking household SES to sleep and identify buffers for racial/ethnic minority adolescents against the detrimental impacts that living in a higher household SES may have on sleep.

The Impact of School Infrastructure and Teachers' Human Capital on Academic Performance in Brazil.

To improve one of the lowest rates of literacy and numeracy in the world, the government of Brazil has targeted public education reform, given the strong link between an educated population and economic growth. This study examines the academic performance of the Brazilian public primary school system. It addresses the empirical shortcomings of prior research to examine the dynamics of the relationship between academic performance scores and several demographic and institutional variables, such as socioeconomic characteristics, variations in school infrastructure and school complexity, and teachers' human capital. We employed quantile regression to explore the determinants of academic performance across 35,490 schools in rural and urban environments in Brazil. The dependent variable in our analysis captures the academic performance score, as measured by Brazil's education authorities, of each school in our dataset. The model includes several education-related indices used in prior research and, as explanatory factors, measures of teachers' human capital and the students' socioeconomic level, which synthesizes information on parents' education and household income. The results suggest that several institutional variables, including access to school libraries, computer facilities, projectors, and televisions, are positively and significantly related to the academic performance of primary students in Brazil's system of public education. Furthermore, students' socioeconomic level is positively associated with their academic performance.

Medically assisted reproduction and mental health in adolescence: evidence from the UK Millennium Cohort Study.

The number and proportion of children conceived through medically assisted reproduction (MAR) is steadily increasing yet the evidence on their mental health in adolescence is inconclusive. Two main mechanisms with opposite effects can explain differences in mental health outcomes by conception mode: while more advantaged parental characteristics could positively influence it, higher parental stress could have a negative influence. Linear and logistic estimations on a longitudinal population-based birth cohort study of 9,897 individuals to investigate whether adolescents conceived through MAR are more likely than naturally conceived (NC) children to experience mental health problems at age 17, as reported by adolescents themselves and their parents. We test whether this association is confounded and/or mediated by parental background characteristics collected when the cohort member was around 9 months old (maternal age, maternal education level, ethnicity, income quintile), family structure variables measured in adolescence (number of siblings in the household at age 15, parental household structure at age 14) or maternal distress at age 14. Children conceived naturally and through MAR self-reported similar mental health outcomes. The only differences between MAR and NC adolescents are in the parental reports, with parents who conceived through MAR reporting their children had 3.82 (95% CI: 1.140 to 11.54) and 2.35 (95% CI: 1.145 to 4.838) higher odds of falling within the high category of SDQ total difficulties and emotional symptoms scales, respectively. The results did not change on adjustment for mediators, such as maternal distress, number of siblings in the household and parental household structure. The results reveal a lack of or small differences in MAR adolescents' mental health outcomes compared to children who were conceived naturally. While the results based on the parental reports could suggest that MAR adolescents are at higher risk of suffering from mental health problems, the differences are small and not supported by adolescents' own reports. The difference between MAR and NC adolescent's parental report might reflect differences in parental concern, their relationship or closeness and can help to reconcile the mixed findings of previous studies.

Predictors of Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD: Results from the National Survey of Children's Health

BackgroundAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are two of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders with comorbidity rates of up to 70%. Population-based studies show differential rates of ADHD and ASD diagnosis based on sociodemographic variables. However, no studies to date have examined the role of sociodemographic factors on the likelihood of receiving an ADHD, ASD, or comorbid ASD + ADHD diagnosis in a large, nationally representative sample. ObjectiveThis study aims to examine the impact of sociodemographic factors on the odds of experiencing ASD-only, ADHD-only, or both diagnoses for children in the United States. MethodsUsing a mixed effects multinomial logistic modeling approach and data from the 2016–2018 National Survey of Children's Health, we estimated the association between sociodemographic variables and the log odds of being in each diagnostic group. ResultsSociodemographic variables were differentially related to the three diagnostic groups: ASD-only, ADHD-only, and ASD + ADHD. Compared to girls, boys experienced higher odds of all three diagnosis categories. White children had higher odds of having an ADHD-only or ASD + ADHD diagnosis compared to non-Hispanic (NH) Black, NH multiple/other race, and Hispanic children. Odds ratios for levels of parent education, household income, and birth characteristics showed varying trends across diagnostic groups. ConclusionsOverall, our findings point to unique sets of risk factors differentially associated ASD and ADHD, with lower income standing out as an important factor associated with receiving a diagnosis of ASD + ADHD.

Overcrowded housing during adolescence and future risk of premature mortality: a 28-year follow-up of 556,191 adolescents from Switzerland.

Few large-scale studies have examined the health impacts of overcrowded housing in European countries. The aim of this study was to assess whether household crowding during adolescence increases the risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality in Switzerland. Study participants were 556,191 adolescents aged 10-19 years at the 1990 census from the Swiss National Cohort. Household crowding at baseline was measured as the ratio between the number of persons living in the household and the number of available rooms, categorized as none (ratio ≤ 1), moderate (1 < ratio ≤ 1.5), and severe (ratio > 1.5). Participants were linked to administrative mortality records through 2018 and followed for premature mortality from all causes, cardiometabolic disease and self-harm or substance use. Cumulative risk differences between ages 10 and 45 were standardized by parental occupation, residential area, permit status and household type. Of the sample, 19% lived in moderately and 5% lived in severely crowded households. During an average follow-up of 23 years, 9766 participants died. Cumulative risk of death from all causes was 2359 (95% compatibility intervals: 2296-2415) per 100,000 persons when living in non-crowded households. Living in moderately crowded households led to 99 additional deaths (-63 to 256) per 100,000 persons and living in severely crowded households 258 additional deaths (-37 to 607) per 100,000 persons. The effect of crowding on mortality from cardiometabolic diseases, self-harm or substance use was negligible. Excess risk of premature mortality in adolescents living in overcrowded households appears to be small or negligible in Switzerland. University of Fribourg Scholarship Programme for foreign post-doctoral researchers.

Does social origin modify the heritability of cognitive ability? A close look at the relevance of different parental resources

Cognitive ability plays a prominent role among individual characteristics favorable for success in life. The extent to which endowments for cognitive ability can be realized is an important aspect of unequal life chances in a society. Social origin is considered particularly relevant for realizing cognitive genetic potentials, but related empirical findings are mixed. This paper examines whether there are differences in the interactions between genetic variation and social origin across distinct parental resources and whether the patterns of interactions are (non)linear for three different cohorts of twins (late childhood, adolescents, young adults). Our results showed inconsistent interaction patterns across cohorts and parental resources. A pattern following the Scarr-Rowe Interaction (SRI) was observed only for the younger twins (late childhood) and only for parental occupational status. There were (for the most) no interaction patterns for the adolescent twins. For the young adult twins, patterns partly followed a “reverse” SRI. Taken together, the results suggested that, first of all, parental occupational status and household income moderate either genetic or environmental contributions to cognitive ability in Germany, however, not consistently as a Scarr-Rowe interaction. Using composite measures would have obscured these differential effects of social origin. The interaction patterns are mostly not in line with an SRI but can be approximated using a linear approach in many cases.