Parental Characteristics Research Articles

Longitudinal Change in Physical Activity in Children 6 to 36 Months of Age

To describe the developmental pattern for physical activity (PA) in children 6-36 months of age and to identify factors that are longitudinally associated with PA as children transition from infancy to preschool age. The study employed a prospective, longitudinal design with baseline data collected when children were approximately 6 months of age. Mothers and infants (n = 124) were recruited through community and educational settings in South Carolina. Data were collected at 6-month intervals from 6 through 36 months. PA was measured via accelerometry. Mothers completed questionnaires that assessed independent variables, including parent characteristics, the child's sex, race, and ethnicity, birth/delivery type, motor milestones, sleep habits, dietary practices, childcare setting, and home environmental factors. Trained research staff administered anthropometric measures and assessed motor developmental status. Growth curve models described the age-related pattern for PA and evaluated relationships between independent variables and change in PA. PA increased by approximately 45% between 6 and 36 months of age and followed a curvilinear pattern, with most of the increase occurring between 6 and 24 months. The child's exposure to television/electronic media was negatively associated with change in PA, and the presence of older siblings in the home was positively associated with change in PA. As children develop from infancy to early childhood, their PA increases substantially, with most of the increase occurring by 24 months of age.

Towards Theology of Parenthood: Mother Mary as the Role Model for Sensitive and Secure Christian Parenting

Mother Mary’s intimate and confidential relationship with God has inspired Christians around the world for the last two millennia. Her role in salvation history has already been discussed in detail in various church documents and scholarly literature. However, from an interdisciplinary point of view, her maternal role has not yet been fully evaluated from a psychological and child-rearing perspective. Therefore, in this article, we conduct a psychological analysis of the Gospel passages that talk about her maternal role and we evaluate these passages through the prism of the well-established attachment theory. Despite temporal and cultural differences, Mary’s maternal attitude is found to be highly consistent with the key findings in research on quality parenting and interpersonal relationships. As we show, her “maternal genius” is revealed through the following fundamental characteristics of attachment-focused parenting: unconditional acceptance, sensitive guidance, compassionate accompaniment and continuous emotional regulation. These characteristics of Mary’s motherhood come to the fore especially in the key moments of salvation history. The psychological analysis of Mary’s motherhood brings an important contribution to the “aggiornamento” of Mariology and enables some new opportunities for pastoral theology. With new scientifically supported insights, the Church will be better equipped to help parents to discover the beauty and depth of the mission of parenthood, following Mary’s example. The findings of our research therefore also represent an important foundation for the emerging theology of parenthood.

Exploring relationships between parental stress, coping, and psychological outcomes for parents of infants with CHD.

This study aimed to explore relationships between parental stress, coping, and outcomes for parents of infants with CHD, via observational approach reflecting domains of the Parental Stress and Resilience in CHD (PSRCHD) model. Fifty-five parents of 45 infants with CHD completed questionnaires with measures of parental stress, Problem-Focused Coping (PFC), Emotion-Focused Coping (EFC), Avoidant Coping (AC), mental health (symptoms of anxiety and symptoms of depression), post-traumatic growth (PTG) and quality of life (QoL). Demographic and infant clinical data were obtained. Parental stress showed significant small to medium positive correlations with MH and PTG, but no significant correlations with QoL. EFC and AC showed significant small to medium positive correlations with MH, and medium negative correlations with parental QoL. EFC and PFC had significant small to medium correlations with PTG. PFC and AC had significant small to medium correlations with infant QoL. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that parental symptoms of anxiety, PTG, parental QoL, infant QoL were significantly predicted by models comprising of parental stress, coping styles, and clinical controls (adjusted R2 = 13.0-47.9%, p range < 0.001-.048), with results for parental symptoms of depression falling marginally above significance (adjusted R2 = 12.3%, p = .056). Parental stress, coping styles, and length of hospital stay are related to psychological outcomes in parents of infants with CHD. Future research may use the PSRCHD framework to assess mechanisms underlying CHD parents' stress and coping experiences and investigate longitudinal relationships between parental factors and parent and child outcomes.

Urban family with minor children: resources, moral guidelines and social adaptation of working parents. Part one

The first part of the article presents the results of studying the daily activities of working parents in the field of caring for minor children and their upbringing. Data from monitoring studies of the daily activities and time budget of urban residents carried out during 1986-2020 were used. The composition of families with children is considered and the resource characteristics of parents are analyzed, which turned out to be very similar for fathers and mothers. The relationship of parents' time spent on caring for children and their upbringing with parents' belonging to fathers and mothers, with their age, level of education, religious identity and income level in parents' families, as well as with some value orientations of fathers and mothers, is investigated. The analysis showed that the objective picture of working parents using time resources for activities with children does not agree with their subjective opinion that “activities with their childre n, their upbringing is the most important thing in the life of both spouses”. At the same time, most working fathers and mothers are satisfied with the time spent both on caring for children and on their upbringing as time resources. The characteristics of the provision of fathers and mothers with other resources do not affect their satisfaction with time spent. There is a direct relationship between satisfaction with the time spent on raising children and parents' satisfaction with life in general. An analysis of the moral guidelines of parents, which are the moral basis for the process of socialization of minor children in the family, has shown that more than half of the moral qualities related to virtues are the norm for the vast majority of fathers and to a somewhat lesser extent for mothers. At the same time, there is a tendency to blur parents' ideas about qualities-virtues and anti-virtues as a norm and deviation from it. In addition, a trend is emerging in which, judging by estimates, a considerable part of parents do not see a positive life prospect for their children, in terms of their social adaptation, if children in life are guided by the same virtues as the parents themselves. The first part in the article analyzes the composition and resource potential and the use of time resources of parents for child care and upbringing. The second part will be about the moral guidelines and the results of social adaptation of working parents. The numbering of tables and figures is continuous in both parts.

A PRISMA Systematic Review: Parent Sensitivity in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Its Relationship with Child and Parent Characteristics

A PRISMA Systematic Review: Parent Sensitivity in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Its Relationship with Child and Parent Characteristics

Developmental cascades from maternal depressive symptoms in childhood to adolescents' friendship quality: A 13-year longitudinal study.

Adolescent friendships of positive quality promote well-being for decades to come. But what impedes the development of positive friendship quality? The present study examined whether maternal depressive symptoms during early childhood predict children's friendship quality into adolescence, and whether observed negative parenting behavior and children's earlier friendship quality, social skills, and their own depressive symptoms in middle childhood mediate these associations. We used six waves of data from a prospective longitudinal community sample (N = 396). The study followed children and their mothers across 13 years from child ages 2-15 years (52% female, 67% White, 26% Black), collecting multi-informant data (from mothers, children, teachers, and behavioral observations). The significance of indirect effects was estimated with structural equation modeling. Exposure to high levels of maternal depressive symptoms in early childhood (child ages 2-5 years) was negatively correlated with children's later adolescent friendship quality (at age 15). Structural equation models revealed that this association was mediated by children's poorer social skills (age 7) and friendship quality (age 10). Negative parenting behavior and children's depressive symptoms did not mediate this association. Maternal depressive symptoms have downstream associations with children's friendship quality into adolescence, including via children's social skills. Promoting the social skills of children exposed to maternal depressive symptoms could have long-term positive effects. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

A longitudinal investigation of parenting, depression, and counseling use among Asian American adolescents.

Asian American adolescents are equally or more likely to experience depression but less likely to seek treatment for depression than adolescents from other racial and ethnic groups in the US. The current study examined the long-term effects of parental care, parental control, and parental closeness on depression and counseling use among Asian American adolescents. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), we conducted a cross-lagged path analysis with 270 Asian American adolescents (48.1% female; 51.9% male). The study used data from Waves I, II, and III (1994-2002) with participants' mean ages ranging from 14 to 23. Findings indicated that the cross-sectional relationships between parenting characteristics and depression were stronger than the longitudinal relationships suggesting that parenting practices may be a stronger proximal, rather than distal, predictor of depression. Specifically, parental closeness was associated with less depression in early and mid-adolescence (age 12-18), but the relationship changed direction in young adulthood (age 18-26). Additionally, a significant interaction suggested that parental care was related to fewer depressive symptoms for those who reported high, compared to low, parental control in mid-adolescence (age 14-18). Furthermore, high parental care was associated with more counseling use at high levels of control. However, high parental care was associated with less counseling use at low levels of parental control in early adolescence. These results highlight the importance of understanding parenting characteristics using longitudinal designs when examining the development of depression and help-seeking behaviors among Asian American adolescents.

Inbreeding and its effect on the gene fund in dog breeding

Aim. Identifying problems and approaches to dog breeding that emphasize the importance of the quality of parents and hereditary factors in determining the offspring's quality. Methods. Theoretical review of inbreeding and its impact on the gene pool in dog breeding, comparing it with outbreeding, and exploring natural selection mechanisms and their influence on animal reproduction. Results. The paper discusses the principles of selecting breeders in dog breeding and provides recommendations for avoiding mating dogs with deficiencies in a particular trait. It also highlights the study of genetic mechanisms and their impact on the inheritance of traits in dogs. Two main breeding methods are considered in animal husbandry – inbreeding and outbreeding. The study findings indicate types of inbreeding and their influence on the genetic homogeneity of the offspring. Conclusions. The breeder must clearly define the type of dog he wants to obtain, specifying desired characteristics such as appearance, health, and temperament. In the initial stages, the breeder must achieve stability in breeding offspring with desired characteristics, creating animals with a typical temperament. After achieving stability, one can begin fine-tuning specific traits by selecting for improvements in breed aspects. A dog should be viewed as a holistic system, striving for overall correctness and balance, paying attention to the interrelation between different aspects. The breeder must ensure the preservation of unique breed characteristics during selection. Effective selection involves careful planning, observation, evaluation, and collaboration with experienced veterinarians and breed specialists.

Intersections of family expressiveness and adolescent mental health: exploring parent–adolescent relationships as a mediator

Purpose This study investigates the mediating role of parent−adolescent relationships in the impact of family emotional expressiveness on adolescent psychological adjustment. This study aims to elucidate the mechanisms by which positive family dynamics and strong parent−child bonds influence adolescents' psychological resilience and well-being. Design/methodology/approach The study involved 463 middle school students (241 boys and 222 girls) from Chlef, Algeria. Data was collected using the self-expressiveness in the family questionnaire (SEFQ), the parent−adolescent relationship scale (PARS) and the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ). Descriptive statistics, correlations and mediation analysis were performed to examine the relationships among family emotional expressiveness, parent−adolescent relationships and psychological adjustment. Findings The results reveal moderate positive correlations among family emotional expressiveness, parent−adolescent relationships and psychological adjustment. Mediation analysis indicates that parent−adolescent relationships partially mediate the effects of family emotional expressiveness on psychological outcomes, with both direct and indirect effects being statistically significant. Originality/value This study contributes to the field of mental health by exploring the nuanced interplay between family dynamics, parent−adolescent relationships and psychological adjustment within the Algerian cultural context. While the quantitative nature of the study limits the depth of contextual insights, the findings underscore the importance of considering family emotional expressiveness and the quality of parent−adolescent relationships in interventions aimed at promoting adolescent psychological well-being. The study highlights the partial mediating role of parent−adolescent relationships, indicating that other factors may also influence the association between family expressiveness and adolescent adjustment. This emphasizes the need for a comprehensive, culturally-sensitive approach that addresses various influences on adolescent development. It should be noted that while the family unit and parenting styles have been extensively researched, this study offers a fresh perspective by focusing on these dynamics within a specific cultural setting.

Parental Factors Related to COVID-19 Prevention Behavior in Children with Intellectual Disability: Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling

Efforts to prevent COVID-19 in children with intellectual disability require the role of parents. Even though the vaccine has been implemented, the most important effort is to implement health protocols. Implementing health protocols cannot be separated from knowledge, attitudes, intentions, subjective norms, and social support from parents. This research aims to determine the influence of knowledge, attitudes, intentions, subjective norms, and social support on the COVID-19 prevention behavior of parents of children with intellectual disability. This type of research is descriptive correlational research, and the developed model is validated using the partial least squares structural equality modeling (PLS-SEM) approach based on data collected from 100 parents of children with intellectual disabilities taken using purposive sampling at Semarang Municipal Special Schools.The study results show that parental characteristics, namely education, influence attitudes, which can ultimately affect parental intentions. Parental education also affects social norms, namely social support and subjective norms, which can determine COVID-19 prevention behavior. Parental education is a priority in public health strategies because it can directly shape attitudes, intentions, and social norms that can improve the health of children with intellectual disabilities. Health programs and education for parents must be focused and carried out consistently and continuously.

Intergenerational transmission of the structure of the auditory cortex and reading skills.

High-level cognitive skill development relies on genetic and environmental factors, tied to brain structure and function. Inter-individual variability in language and music skills has been repeatedly associated with the structure of the auditory cortex: the shape, size and asymmetry of the transverse temporal gyrus (TTG) or gyri (TTGs). TTG is highly variable in shape and size, some individuals having one single gyrus (also referred to as Heschl's gyrus, HG) while others presenting duplications (with a common stem or fully separated) or higher-order multiplications of TTG. Both genetic and environmental influences on children's cognition, behavior, and brain can to some to degree be traced back to familial and parental factors. In the current study, using a unique MRI dataset of parents and children (135 individuals from 37 families), we ask whether the anatomy of the auditory cortex is related to reading skills, and whether there are intergenerational effects on TTG(s) anatomy. For this, we performed detailed, automatic segmentations of HG and of additional TTG(s), when present, extracting volume, surface area, thickness and shape of the gyri. We tested for relationships between these and reading skill, and assessed their degree of familial similarity and intergenerational transmission effects. We found that volume and area of all identified left TTG(s) combined was positively related to reading scores, both in children and adults. With respect to intergenerational similarities in the structure of the auditory cortex, we identified structural brain similarities for parent-child pairs of the 1st TTG (Heschl's gyrus, HG) (in terms of volume, area and thickness for the right HG, and shape for the left HG) and of the lateralization of all TTG(s) surface area for father-child pairs. Both the HG and TTG-lateralization findings were significantly more likely for parent-child dyads than for unrelated adult-child pairs. Furthermore, we established characteristics of parents' TTG that are related to better reading abilities in children: fathers' small left HG, and a small ratio of HG to planum temporale. Our results suggest intergenerational transmission of specific structural features of the auditory cortex; these may arise from genetics and/or from shared environment.

Gastroschisis Prevalence and Co-occurring Malformations Among Danish Live Births During 1994–2021: A Nationwide Register-based Study

BackgroundGastroschisis prevalence has increased for decades with corresponding increases in the need for immediate and follow-up care. Such care can be complicated by presence of co-occurring malformations. This study explores prevalence of gastroschisis and co-occurring malformations among a 28-year cohort of Danish live-born infants. MethodsThis retrospective cohort study used data from 1,695,992 infants born in Denmark during 1994–2021 and registered in the neonatal screening program. Infants were identified from the Danish Civil Registration System and Danish National Patient Register accessed through the Danish Biobank Register. Data on co-occurring malformations were ascertained to classify infants as syndromic or non-syndromic (either isolated or with co-occurring major malformations) and on selected infant and parental characteristics. Poisson regression models were used to estimate prevalence and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). ResultsPrevalence (per 10,000 live births) of gastroschisis was 1.64 (CI: 1.45–1.84). Temporal trend analyses showed a statistically significant annual increase of 2.8% (CI: 1.4–3.3). Infants with gastroschisis most often presented as isolated (77.7%; CI: 72.3–82.5), followed by those with co-occurring malformations (21.9%; CI: 17.2–27.3) or a diagnosed syndrome (0.4%, CI: <0.1–2.0). Among infants with co-occurring malformations, cardiovascular (10.9%; CI: 6.8; 12.2) and intestinal (9.0%; CI: 5.9–12.2) malformations were most frequently recorded. Prevalence was higher among infants classified as premature but not influenced by infant sex or parental nativity. ConclusionGastroschisis prevalence in Denmark increased during 1994–2021, similar to international reports, without increase in co-occurring malformations. Future work with this cohort will characterize healthcare received, comorbidities, and outcomes across the lifespan. Levels of EvidenceLevel III (High-quality prospective cohort study).

Parenting strategies and child behavior at preschool age in families using assisted reproductive technologies

Introduction. Certain parenting strategies have a significant impact on the appearance of behavioral problems in children. Due to the continuous increase in the number of children conceived with the help of assisted reproductive technologies (ART), and the availability of limited, disparate and contradictory data on the development of such children and influencing family factors, the purpose of this study is to identify the characteristics and relationship of maternal and paternal parenting strategies and child behavior in preschool age in families with ART. Materials and methods. The sample consisted of 90 families who used ART and 155 families with natural conception. To identify the features of the child's parenting strategies, the "Interaction with the child" questionnaire was used, and the "Behavior of your child" questionnaire was used to assess the child's behavior. Nonparametric Mann–Whitney U test. Results. The general trends (regardless of the type of conception) are the dominance of manifestations of sensitivity to the child, emotionality, responsiveness, positive constructive regulation of discipline on the part of both parents, but with a predominance of severity in mothers compared with fathers (p≤0.05). There is no specificity associated with the type of conception (p&gt;0.05) in the characteristics of a child's behavior at the age of 5 years. On the one hand, the stronger emotionality towards the child on the part of both parents is specific for families who have used ART (3684.5 &lt; U &lt; 5154.0; p≤0.05), but on the other hand, there are trends towards less consistency and the risk of contradictions in the upbringing of a child compared with families with natural conception of a child, the lack of direct links between paternal strategies and child behavior indicators (p&gt;0.05), stronger interrelations of different manifestations of dysfunctional behavior in a child. The types of ART families with different types of severity and relationship of parental parenting strategies and behavioral characteristics of children (p≤0.05) are identified. Conclusion. The results of the study show the need to develop and conduct personalized training programs for parents and build individual trajectories of psychological support for families who have used ART at the age stages of child development.

Long-term effect observation after 10 years of tonsillotomy （Histological analysis of one case of secondary operation）

Objective:To investigate the long-term effect of partial tonsillectomy in children with tonsil hypertrophy. Methods:A total of 146 children with obstructive sleep apnea（OSA） who received surgical treatment for tonsil hyperplasia from January 2010 to January 2013 were selected and divided into the observation group（n=69） and the control group（n=77）. The observation group was received tonsillotomy（TT）, and the control group was received total tonsillectomy（TE）. Parental satisfaction and OSA quality of life questionnaire for children（OSA-18） were surveyed. Residual tonsil size was measured, and polysomnography（PSG） was monitored after 10 years. HE and immunohistochemical analysis were performed on tonsil tissues of one patient who performed a second operation after TT in 2017 year. Results:The results of questionnaire survey showed that the symptoms of respiratory obstruction were significantly improved in both groups, and the satisfaction of TT group was higher than that in the TE group. No increase in the number of respiratory tract infections was observed in all patients. In the TT group, nine cases（13.04%） had tonsil hyperplasia toⅡ°, and the remaining patients had tonsil hyperplasia to Ⅰ°. In addition, one case hadtonsil suppurative infection at the 14th month after surgery, and no recurrence or reoperation was found after treatment. There were seven cases in the TT group and eight cases in the TE group with occasional snoring and mouth breathing after surgery, but the PSG examination of the patients did not meet the diagnosis of OSA. The main causes were obesity and allergic rhinitis. Compared with the first operation, the cicatricial obstruction and infection of tonsil tissue in the second operation were not significantly changed, and the immunohistochemical results also demonstrated that the expression of CD20 was not changed, and the expression of CD3 was decreased. Conclusion:Both TT and TE can effectively improve the symptoms of OSA obstruction in children. TT has less trauma, less postoperative pain, faster recovery and lower rate of hyperplasia, which can be used as one of the main methods for the treatment of tonsil hypertrophy in children.

The reliability and validity of the Coder Impressions Questionnaire-Kindergarten for parenting and child behaviors.

Reliable and valid assessment of parenting and child behaviors is critical for clinicians and researchers alike, and observational measures of parenting behaviors are often considered the gold standard for assessing parenting and parent-child interaction quality. The present study sought to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Coder Impressions Questionnaire-Kindergarten (COIMP-K) measure. The present study was a secondary analysis of 274 parents and their children participating in a randomized control trial testing a brief parenting intervention for parents of children entering kindergarten. Families participated in baseline and follow-up assessments and videotaped observational tasks. Graduate and undergraduate coders completed the COIMP-K after achieving reliability. The aims of the present study were to assess COIMP-K's (a) internal consistency using intercorrelations among COIMP-K subscales, (b) construct validity, (c) convergent validity by comparing the COIMP-K subscales to parents' self-report of similar behaviors, (d) discriminant validity by comparing subscales to a parent-teacher communication measure as it is unrelated to parenting or child behaviors, and (e) congruence across time. The authors hypothesized that the COIMP-K would demonstrate adequate internal consistency (Cortina, 1993), adequate construct, convergent, and discriminant validity and find congruence of the measure across time. The results demonstrated that the factors had adequate internal consistency, construct, convergent, and discriminant validity, as well as longitudinal replicability and congruence over time. The study demonstrates that the COIMP-K is a reliable and valid tool for assessing observed family behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Brooding duration does not depend on cat predation risk but is related to weather and phenology in the wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans).

Parental investment increases offspring fitness at the expense of the parent's ability to invest in other offspring. In many animal species, parents guard their offspring after birth. The parental decision over the duration of this period is expected to be triggered by the associated fitness costs and benefits for both offspring and parents. Here, we evaluated the relevance of several intrinsic and environmental variables in determining brooding period duration in the wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans) and questioned whether brooding duration was related to chick subsequent survival and biometry prior to fledging. We used a semi-experimental design to increase the variance in cat abundance, a recent predator of albatross chicks, and predicted that an increased predation risk at the nest scale would trigger longer chick brooding and thus, protection. In addition, we questioned the influence of weather conditions, hatching date, and characteristics of chicks (sex and biometry) and parents (sex and age) on brooding duration. We report no effect of predation risk or parental characteristics on brooding duration. However, the probability for a parent to end brooding decreased with forthcoming unfavorable weather. Our data also revealed reduced brooding duration for late-hatched chicks and a positive association between brooding duration and chick structural size, and between the frequency of shifts between parents and chick structural size. Finally, brooding duration was not associated with chick survival or with chick biometry prior to fledging. We discuss these results in light of pre-existing hypotheses on fitness costs and benefits associated with brooding duration for chicks and parents.

Breeding phenology drives variation in reproductive output, reproductive costs and offspring fitness in a viviparous ectotherm.

Phenological advances are a widespread response to global warming and can contribute to determine the climate vulnerability of organisms, particularly in ectothermic species which are highly dependent on ambient temperatures to complete their life cycle. Yet, the relative contribution of breeding dates and temperature conditions during gestation on fitness of females and their offspring is poorly documented in reptiles. Here, we exposed females of the common lizard Zootoca vivipara to contrasting thermal scenarios (cold versus hot treatment) during gestation and quantified effects of parturition dates and thermal treatment on life-history traits of females and their offspring for one year. Overall, our results suggest that parturition date has a greater impact than thermal conditions during gestation on life history strategies. In particular, we found positive effects of an earlier parturition date on juvenile survival, growth and recruitment suggesting that environmental dependent selection and/or differences in parental quality between early and late breeders underlie seasonal changes in offspring fitness. Yet, an earlier parturition date compromised the energetic condition of gravid females, which suggests the existence of a mother-offspring conflict regarding the optimisation of parturition dates. While numerous studies focused on the direct effects of alterations in incubation temperatures on reptile life-history traits, our results highlight the importance of considering the role of breeding phenology in assessing the short- and long-term effects of thermal developmental plasticity.

Quality of parent–child interaction in underserved migrant areas in Kyrgyz Republic: a pilot study

BackgroundAfter societal change in Kyrgyz Republic, the pattern of parent–child interaction in the changing parenting culture is an important factor influencing the positive development of Kyrgyz children. This study is aim to assess the quality of parent–child interactions in Kyrgyzstan by analyzing the interaction patterns and playfulness of children during free play at home.MethodsThis was a descriptive pilot study using video-recorded observations to explore parent–child interactions. The Dyadic Parent–Child Interaction Coding System and a playfulness instrument were used to assess the patterns and quality of the interaction. A total of 20 dyads of children aged 24 to 58 months and their parents, living in migrant communities of Kyrgyzstan, participated in this study.ResultsMajor parent–child interaction patterns included 731 turns of parent–child dyads during 1040 episodes. Verbal as well as nonverbal behaviors of parents were observed while interacting with their children. Parents used direct and indirect commands most frequently, while praise was used the least in interactions. Children frequently used compliance as well as noncompliance when they interacted with their parents. Children had low playfulness scores while interacting with their parents. Cognitive spontaneity was the component with the lowest score among all subdomains of playfulness.ConclusionFuture studies are recommended to develop strategies to facilitate parents’ active interaction with their children, promote children’s playfulness, and improve the quality of their mutual interaction.

Peer attachment in adolescence: What are the individual and relational associated factors?

AbstractThe quality of peer attachment in adolescence is an important determinant of psychosocial adjustment. To date, few clear conclusions can be drawn about the most important factors associated with the quality of peer attachment. This study aimed to identify the most important individual and relational factors associated with peer attachment quality, and to establish their relative contribution. Early adolescents (N = 634, 45.7% girls), 11.29 years on average at the first measurement time, participated in the longitudinal study. Individual and relational factors were measured at T1; parent and peer attachment quality were measured at T2, 2 years later. First, a multiple linear regression analysis was performed using the global score for peer attachment as the outcome variable. Second, a path model, including the three specific attachment dimensions (trust, communication, and alienation), was tested. The invariance of the models by sex was also examined. The analyses showed that peer attachment was associated positively with the adolescent–parent attachment relationship, the adolescent's age, as well as the teacher–student relationship, and associated negatively with the presence of internalizing behavior problems and social rejection. These variables helped explain 21.3% of the total variance. Give or take a few nuances, these same variables were also related to the three specific peer attachment dimensions. Sex differences were observed for the associated factors of these specific dimensions. This study highlights the importance of certain relational variables, in both family and school contexts, as correlates of peer attachment.

Risk factors for undernutrition in children under five (6-59) months based on child and parents characteristics

Risk factors for undernutrition in children under five (6-59) months based on child and parents characteristics