Risk Factors In Children Research Articles

Perinatal Risk Factors in Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Dubai: A Case-Control Study

Introduction: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by deficits in social-emotional reciprocity and associated behavioral symptoms. The goal of this study was to examine perinatal risk factors for ASD and their correlates in a tertiary care hospital in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methods: We conducted a case-control study of 87 children diagnosed with ASD using the DSM-5 criteria, who were born between 1999 and 2014, and diagnosed between 2014 and 2016, and 134 age- and gender-matched control subjects. Data were collected from hospital medical records. Associations between ASD and maternal, birth, and neonatal risk factors were examined using logistic regression analysis. Results: Maternal fever was associated with ASD (p = 0.018), with 0% in the control group and 5% in the cases. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed a trend for an association between high birthweight (>4,000 g) and ASD (95% CI: 0.76–59.93, p = 0.086). Conclusion: The data affirmed the established gender difference of approximately four males to one female and supported previous findings associating ASD with prematurity. Larger representative studies are further required to explore risk factors for ASD in the UAE.

Association of adipocytokines and adipocytokine ratios with cardiovascular risk factors in Japanese preadolescents.

Asians are particularly susceptible to obesity-associated disorders and rapid progression of obesity from childhood to adulthood. Data on the association between adipocytokine parameters, particularly adipocytokine ratios, and cardiovascular risk factors in childhood remain limited. Herein, we assessed the association of resistin, adiponectin, and leptin levels and leptin/adiponectin and resistin/adiponectin ratios with selected cardiovascular risk factors and the influence of unhealthy weight on such associations in children aged 9-10 years. We included 380 children aged 9-10 years from three public elementary schools in Japan. The body mass index (BMI) was significantly higher in male preadolescents than in female adolescents (median 16.5 kg/m2 vs. 16.2 kg/m2, p=0.032). No differences in height, weight, waist circumference (WC), waist/height ratio (W/Hr), total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, or atherosclerosis index (AI) were observed between the sexes. Of the adipocytokine levels and ratios analyzed, only the leptin level and leptin/adiponectin ratio (L/Ar) were strongly and significantly positively correlated with the cardiovascular risk factors WC, W/Hr, and BMI (all p<0.05). The AI was not strongly correlated with any adipocytokine levels or ratios. Apart from the strong positive correlation between the L/Ar and W/Hr, no other significant associations were observed between any of the adipocytokine levels or ratios and the selected cardiovascular risk factors. Our findings confirmed the value of adipocytokine ratios in risk assessment in pediatric populations, with leptin levels and leptin/adiponectin ratios strongly correlating with risk factors in children aged 9-10 years.

The Association between Consumption of Bitter-taste Vegetables in Asian Culture and Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors in Children: A Narrative Review

The Association between Consumption of Bitter-taste Vegetables in Asian Culture and Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors in Children: A Narrative Review

Risk factors for early childhood caries (systematic review)

Relevance. Early childhood caries remains the most common chronic disease in children, having a significant impact on society around the world.Objective. To study all risk factors for early childhood caries identified from 2004 to 2023.Material and methods. The review analyzed and searched the literature in the databases MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, PubMed and E-library using the keywords: caries, early childhood caries, dental diseases, risk factors in English and Russian, respectively. In addition, we studied links to the studies relevant to the topic and manually searched the references for potentially suitable publications. The systematic review finally included randomized controlled trials, meta-analysis and systematic reviews to identify risk factors for caries onset in early childhood over the past decade. The final sample included 31 papers covering 16 countries and published from 2004 to 2023.Results. The results of the studies established the main risk factors for early childhood caries development (oral hygiene factors, social-demographic factors and dietary factors), identified temporary risk factors (complicated pregnancy, calcium intake during pregnancy), and determined insufficiently studied risk factors.Conclusion. The data of the included studies confirm the multifactorial nature of caries onset in early childhood and the lack of quantitative analysis among all currently known factors, which could significantly reduce caries prevalence due to the conceptual treatment model.

P315 Bone mineral density in children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis

Bone health can be affected in (young) adults with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) due to different risk factors in childhood. We aimed to analyze the prevalence of low bone mineral density (BMD) during childhood in patients with CF, its risk factors and course in time.

Childhood atopic dermatitis is associated with cardiovascular risk factors in young adulthood-A population-based cohort study.

Studies have indicated that atopic dermatitis (AD) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, data are conflicting. Furthermore, the longitudinal effect of childhood AD on cardiovascular risk factors in young adulthood is less investigated. To assess associations between AD in childhood and CVD risk factors in young adulthood. The study encompasses longitudinal data from a population-based birth cohort. Participants with data up to age 24 years were included (n = 2270). The primary outcomes were body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), body fat per cent (BF%) and blood pressure (BP) at 24 years. The secondary outcome was blood lipids. Severe AD was defined as AD in combination with sleep disturbance due to itching. In total, 18.6% (n = 420) had AD at 24 years. Males with AD had higher BMI (βAdj. 0.81, 95% CI 0.15-1.47), BF% (βAdj. 1.19, 95% CI 0.09-2.29), systolic BP (βAdj. 1.92, 95% CI 0.02-3.82), total cholesterol (βAdj. 0.14, 95% CI 0.00-0.28) and LDL cholesterol (βAdj. 0.15, 95% CI 0.02-0.27) compared with males without AD. No associations were seen in females. Current AD with prepubertal onset was associated with increased BMI in both males (βAdj. 0.89, 95% CI 0.11-1.67) and females (βAdj. 0.72, 95% CI 0.11-1.33). At 24 years, 23.1% (n = 97) of all with AD, had severe disease, which was significantly associated with overweight in both sexes, with BMI (βAdj. 1.83, 95% CI 0.72-2.94), WC (βAdj. 4.03, 95% CI 1.54-6.52) and BF% (βAdj. 2.49, 95% CI 0.60-4.39) in females and with BF% (βAdj. 2.96, 95% CI 0.23-5.69) in males, compared with peers with mild to moderate AD. AD in males appears to be associated with CVD risk factors in young adulthood. The duration and severity of AD seem to be of importance in both sexes.

Socio-ecological predictors of dietary inflammatory scores and associations with childhood and adolescent adiposity: A protocol for a rapid scoping review of observational studies.

Diet-related inflammation is associated with adiposity. Obesity and inflammation in early life may have adverse health outcomes in later life; however, the socio-ecological predictors of a pro-inflammatory diet in childhood and adolescence are not well understood. This rapid scoping review aims to summarise the current state of research from observational studies investigating socio-ecological predictors (childhood, parental, familial, demographic and chronobiological risk factors) and their association with diet-associated inflammation and adiposity in children and adolescents. This scoping review will be conducted using the frameworks based on the Joanna Briggs Institute and Arksey and O'Malley and the Population, Concept and Context (PCC) mnemonic. Searches were conducted in OVID Medline, Cinahl and Embase, with adaptations as required. The piloted study selection process will utilise two reviewers for study selection, with reference lists checked for included studies. A third reviewer will moderate disagreements. Data will be extracted by one reviewer and calibrated by a second reviewer. The results will be reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist and PRISMA-ScR flow diagram. The main findings will be synthesised into themes and concepts narratively. Tables and graphs will present frequencies, study details and categorical descriptions. This scoping review will provide an overview of the research conducted to date regarding predictors of diet-related inflammation in childhood and their associations with adiposity. Better understanding of the factors associated with a more inflammatory diet in childhood may be useful for clinicians and policy makers when designing and implementing health interventions.

Differential Unmet Needs and Experience of Restorative Dental Care in Trajectories of Dental Caries Experience: A Birth Cohort Study

Dental caries is a chronic and cumulative disease but little has been reported on the continuity of the disease and its treatment through life. Group-based multi-trajectory modeling was used to identify developmental trajectories of untreated carious tooth surfaces (DS), restored tooth surfaces (FS), and teeth extracted due to caries (MT) from ages 9 to 45 years in a New Zealand longitudinal birth cohort, the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study (n = 975). Associations between early-life risk factors and trajectory group membership were examined by specifying the probability of group membership according to a multinomial logit model. Six trajectory groups were identified and labeled: “low caries rate”; “moderate caries rate, maintained”; “moderate caries rate, unmaintained”; “high caries rate, restored”; “high caries rate, tooth loss”; and “high caries rate, untreated caries”. The two moderate-caries-rate groups differed in count of FS. The three high-caries-rate groups differed in the relative proportion of accumulated DS, FS, and MT. Early childhood risk factors associated with less favorable trajectories included higher dmfs scores at age 5, lack of exposure to community water fluoridation during the first 5 years of life, lower childhood IQ, and low childhood socioeconomic status. Parent self-ratings of their own or their child’s oral health as “poor” were associated with less favorable caries experience trajectories. Children who had clinical signs of dental caries together with a parent rating of child’s oral health as poor were more likely to follow a less favorable caries trajectory. Higher deciduous dentition caries experience at age 5 years was associated with less favorable caries trajectories, as were children whose parents gave “poor” ratings of their own or their child’s oral health. These findings highlight the considerable intergenerational continuity in dental caries experience from early childhood to midlife. Subjective measures of child oral health are informative and might aid as predictors of adult caries experience in cases where childhood dental clinical data were not available.

Adverse Drug Reactions to Antiretroviral Therapy: Frequency, Type, and Risk Factors in Children in Mali.

The aim of our study was to evaluate the frequency, type, and risk factors associated with adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in HIV-positive children with adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) at the Unit of Care and Accompaniment for People Living With HIV (USAC) of Bamako. A cross-sectional study was conducted at USAC of Bamako from May 1, 2014, to July 31, 2015. We included children aged 1 to 14 years with at least 6 months of ARV treatment initiated at USAC, with or without ADRs. Data collection was based on information collected from parents and clinical/biological assessments. Median age of participants was 36 months and female sex was predominant (54.8%). Poor adherence during the study was observed in 15% of cases. Of patients in the study, 52% had a CD4 count less than 350 cells/mm3 at the time of adverse events. In bivariate analysis, we found that participants with adherence to ART tended to be younger than those with non-adherence to ART (36 vs 72 months, p = 0.093). In multivariable analysis, prophylactic treatment was the only factor marginally associated with ART adherence in HIV patients (p = 0.09). No other adverse biological effects or clinical conditions were associated with ART adherence in this study. In this study we found that ADRs were frequent in HIV-positive patients but less frequent in ART-adherent HIV-positive children. Therefore, it is essential to regularly monitor children receiving ARVs to detect and treat the complications associated with these therapies according to ART adherence.

The Prevalence of Colonization with Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella and Enterobacter, and Related Risk Factors in Children

Background: Carbapenems are broad-spectrum antibiotics used to treat the family of gram-negative Enterobacteriaceae, especially those that are resistant to first-line antibiotics. Because these drugs are usually prescribed as the last line of treatment, resistance to these antibiotics carries irreparable risks to treatment systems, and screening high-risk individuals in medical centers and using infection control measures are critical strategies for eliminating them. Objectives: We investigated the prevalence of colonization of different strains of Enterobacteriaceae, Klebsiella, Enterobacter, and Escherichia coli and their risk factors in hospitalized children. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, stool samples were taken from patients during the first 48 hours of hospitalization in a tertiary children’s hospital and were cultured on Makcanki culture medium or EMB. Cultured Enterobacteriaceae samples were transferred to Müller-Hinton agar medium, and their antibiotic susceptibility was evaluated with meropenem and imipenem discs by disc diffusion method. In the next step, five common carbapenemase genes, including (VIM, IMP, OXA-48, NDM-1, and SPM-1) were examined by PCR method and reported accordingly. Results: Two hundred and ninety-five stool samples were examined, of which 242 (82%) samples were cultured positively with Enterobacteriaceae. The prevalence of carbapenem resistance was reported to be 37% among 295 samples using the phenotypic method. Resistance rates were high in patients with a history of antibiotic use, with frequent hospitalizations (more than two episodes in the last six months), and in patients with an underlying disease) malignancy, GI diseases, immunodeficiency, neurologic diseases such as cerebral palsy and epilepsy, endocrine diseases. Most of the genes found were OXA-48, followed by IMP and VIM. NDM-1 was found in 3 samples, and SPM was not found in any of the samples. In 13% of resistant samples, more than one carbapenemase gene was found. Conclusions: The results of this study showed that the frequency of carbapenem resistance in stools colonized with Enterobacteriaceae is high in our patients. On the other hand, the presence of carbapenemase genes in these bacteria, which are located on the plasmids that can be rapidly spread in the hospital environment, is an alarm for the hospital infection control committee to take preventive measures in order to prevent the spread of these bacteria in the hospital.

Abstract 4518: Highlighting the prenatal, natal, and early childhood risk factors of cancer: seeking better opportunities for cancer prevention

Abstract Background: Fostering new public health approaches to cancer prevention is required to reduce the number of new cases. Early life exposures, to carcinogens may affect different phases of the multi-tage clonal expansion model of carcinogenesis. Critical development periods, in-utero and puberty, exposures may induce permanent changes in tissue differentiation, metabolism, and gene expression that influence cancer risk. Epigenetic modifications are also critical for regulating cellular processes and responses during development that are maintained overtime. Therefore, promising strategies should develop for cancer prevention mainly on environmental approaches. We aim in this study to assess the prevalence of risk factors of childhood cancer in Almadinah City, a local community in Saudi Arabia, and to address cancer prevention opportunities during prenatal, natal and early children life. Patients and Methods: The study is a cross section observational study. The population includes convenient samples of pregnant mothers, neonates and preschool children. Data regarding natal, prenatal and early childhood risk factors of cancer collected using a predesigned questionnaire. Results: Early life exposure to cancer risks increases prevalence of cancer. Risk factors like high birth weight, maternal obesity and smoking are the most frequent risks followed by chromosomal anomalies and genetic syndromes. Prenatal use of folic acid, breastfeeding and allergy, respectively, are the most frequent protective factors against cancer development. conclusions: Strict approaches should be designed for preventing early life exposures and their cumulative effect that can lead to cancer development. Citation Format: Abeer Abd Elmoneim, Ayat Roushdy, Ehab Metwally. Highlighting the prenatal, natal, and early childhood risk factors of cancer: seeking better opportunities for cancer prevention. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 4518.

Childhood predictors of self-harm, externalised violence and transitioning to dual harm in a cohort of adolescents and young adults

The aetiology of dual harm (co-occurring self-harm and violence towards others) is poorly understood because most studies have investigated self-harm and violence separately. We aimed to examine childhood risk factors for self-harm, violence, and dual harm, including the transition from engaging in single harm to dual harm. Data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a UK-based birth cohort study, were used to estimate prevalence of self-reported engagement in self-harm, violence, and dual harm at ages 16 and 22 years. Risk ratios were calculated to indicate associations across various self-reported childhood risk factors and risks of single and dual harm, including the transition from single harm at age 16 years to dual harm at age 22. At age 16 years, 18.1% of the 4176 cohort members had harmed themselves, 21.1% had engaged in violence towards others and 3.7% reported dual harm. At age 22 the equivalent prevalence estimates increased to 24.2, 25.8 and 6.8%, respectively. Depression and other mental health difficulties, drug and alcohol use, witnessing self-harm and being a victim of, or witnessing, violence were associated with higher risks of transitioning from self-harm or violence at age 16 to dual harm by age 22. Prevalence of dual harm doubled from age 16 to 22 years, highlighting the importance of early identification and intervention during this high-risk period. Several childhood psychosocial risk factors associated specifically with dual harm at age 16 and with the transition to dual harm by age 22 have been identified.

Association Between Risk Factors in Childhood and Sex Differences in Prevalence of Carotid Artery Plaques and Intima-Media Thickness in Mid-Adulthood in the Childhood Determinants of Adult Health Study.

Background The origins of sex differences in cardiovascular diseases are not well understood. We examined the contribution of childhood risk factors to sex differences in adult carotid artery plaques and intima-media thickness (carotid IMT). Methods and Results Children in the 1985 Australian Schools Health and Fitness Survey were followed up whentheywereaged 36 to 49 years (2014-19, n=1085-1281). Log binomial and linear regression examined sex differences in adult carotid plaques (n=1089) or carotid IMT (n=1283). Childhood sociodemographic, psychosocial, and biomedical risk factors that might contribute to sex differences in carotid IMT/plaques were examined using purposeful model building with additional adjustment for equivalent adult risk factors in sensitivity analyses. Women less often had carotid plaques (10%) than men (17%). The sex difference in the prevalence of plaques (relativerisk[RR] unadjusted 0.59 [95% CI, 0.43 to 0.80]) was reduced by adjustment for childhood school achievement and systolic blood pressure (RRadjusted 0.65 [95% CI, 0.47 to 0.90]). Additional adjustment for adult education and systolic blood pressure further reduced sex difference (RR adjusted 0.72 [95% CI, 0.49 to 1.06]). Women (mean±SD 0.61±0.07) had thinner carotid IMT than men (mean±SD 0.66±0.09). The sex difference in carotid IMT (β unadjusted -0.051 [95% CI, -0.061 to -0.042]) reduced with adjustment for childhood waist circumference and systolic blood pressure (β adjusted -0.047 [95% CI, -0.057 to -0.037]) and further reduced with adjustment for adult waist circumference and systolic blood pressure (β adjusted -0.034 [95% CI, -0.048 to -0.019]). Conclusions Some childhood factors contributed to adult sex differences in plaques and carotid IMT. Prevention strategies across the life course are important to reduce adult sex differences in cardiovascular diseases.

Abstract MP38: Higher Childhood Cardiovascular Risk Score is Associated With Worse Physical, Social and Emotional Functioning in Adulthood

Introduction: Childhood cardiovascular risk factors have been associated with increased risk of adult cardiovascular disease, but how they are associated with adult physical, emotional and social functioning is not well understood. Hypothesis: We addressed the hypothesis that the International Childhood Cardiovascular Cohort (i3C) Consortium childhood risk score would be associated with worse physical, social and emotional functioning in adulthood. Methods: The i3C childhood combined risk score is the average of five childhood risk factors (body mass index, systolic blood pressure, youth smoking, total cholesterol and triglycerides) on the z-score scale. Self-reported measures of physical (e.g., pain, functioning, fatigue), social (e.g., social isolation, satisfaction with social role) and emotional functioning (e.g., anxiety, depression) were assessed in adulthood in a subset of two i3C cohorts, the NHLBI Growth and Health Study (NGHS) and the Princeton Lipid Research Study (PLRS). Potential covariates included cohort (as a proxy for age, given no overlap in ages between cohorts), sex, race (Black vs. White), own education, parental education, marital status, and self-reported hypertension, diabetes and cancer. Interactions between the i3C risk score and cohort (age) were evaluated. Results: Ninety-two NGHS (100% female, 46% Black, mean±SD age 44.5±0.6 years) and 75 PLRS (77% female, 31% Black, 60.6±3.4 years) participants were included in analyses. In adjusted models, a higher i3C risk score was associated with worse physical functioning, global pain score, pain interference with everyday activities, and fatigue in the older PLRS participants, but only with global pain score in the younger NGHS participants (all p[int]&lt;0.05 except global pain). Higher i3C childhood risk score was associated with greater sleep-related impairment in PLRS, but with less impairment in NGHS participants (p[int]=0.03). Higher i3C childhood risk score was also associated with higher depression scores and less satisfaction with social roles in PLRS participants but not NGHS participants (p[int]=0.02 and 0.04, respectively). There was no significant relationship of i3C risk score with sleep quality, friendships, social isolation or anxiety. Conclusions: In conclusion, higher childhood cardiovascular risk factors are associated with worse physical, social and emotional health in adulthood, even in this limited sample of predominantly Black and White women followed from childhood. These effects are more prominent in older than younger adults, when issues such as pain and sleep problems become more prevalent.

Is There a Role for Imaging Youth at Risk of Atherosclerosis?

Cardiovascular (CV) risk factors such as dyslipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity are associated with an increased risk for CV events in adults. Noninvasive measures of vascular health are associated with these CV events and can potentially help risk stratify children with CV risk factors. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent literature regarding vascular health in children with cardiovascular risk factors. Adverse changes in pulse wave velocity, pulse wave analysis, arterial distensibility, and carotid intima-media thickness are seen in children with CV risk factors supporting potential utility in risk stratification. Assessing vascular health in children can be challenging due to growth-related changes in vasculature, multiple assessment modalities, and differences in normative data. Vascular health assessment in children with cardiovascular risk factors can be a valuable tool for risk stratification and help identify opportunities for early intervention. Future areas of research include increasing normative data, improving conversion of data between different modalities, and increasing longitudinal studies in children linking childhood risk factors to adult CV outcomes.

Associations between early childhood poverty and cognitive functioning throughout childhood and adolescence: A 14-year prospective longitudinal analysis of the Mauritius Child Health Project.

Associations between childhood poverty and cognitive outcomes have been examined from multiple perspectives. However, most evidence is based on cross-sectional data or longitudinal data covering only segments of the developmental process. Moreover, previous longitudinal research has mostly relied on data from Western nations, limiting insights of poverty dynamics in low- and middle-income countries. Here, we use data from the Mauritius Child Health Project, a large-scale prospective longitudinal study conducted in a then low-income country, to examine long-term associations between poverty in early childhood and cognitive performance across childhood and adolescence. Poverty-related factors were assessed at age 3 years and comprised indicators of psychosocial adversity and malnutrition. Cognitive functioning was assessed at ages 3 and 11 years by using standardized intelligence measures and at age 17 years by means of a computerized test battery. Using multiple hierarchical regression models, we found that chronic malnutrition and parental characteristics showed similar-sized, independent associations with initial cognitive functioning at age 3 as well as at age 11 years. For age 17 years, however, associations with early childhood risk factors vanished and instead, cognitive functioning was predicted by performance on prior cognitive assessments. Sex was also found to be a powerful predictor of cognitive trajectories, with boys improving and girls worsening over time, regardless of the level of their initial exposure to risk. The current findings indicate that, to prevent cognitive impairment, interventions tackling poverty and malnutrition should focus on the infancy period and be designed in a gender-sensitive way.

The relationship between bullying, learning disorders and psychiatric comorbidity

BackgroundBoth learning disorders and bullying are major sources of public concern. Children with learning disorders often suffer from social rejection, potentially rendering them more susceptible to bullying involvement. Bullying involvement leads to a higher risk towards developing various problems including self-harm and suicidality. Past research on whether learning disorders are childhood bullying risk factors yielded inconsistent results.MethodsThe current study used path analyses on a representative sample of 2,925 German 3rd and 4th grades to examine whether learning disorders are a direct bullying risk factor, or whether their impact depends on psychiatric comorbidity. More so, the current study sought to examine whether associations differ between children with and without learning disorders, compare different bullying roles (i.e., only victim, only bully, or bully-victim), compare gender, and control for IQ and socioeconomic status.ResultsResults indicated that learning disorders are not a direct but rather an indirect childhood risk factor for bully-victim involvement, depending on psychiatric comorbidity with internalizing or externalizing disorders. Regarding the comparison between the samples of children with and without learning disorders, an overall difference and a difference in the path between spelling and externalizing disorders emerged. No difference for different bullying roles (i.e., only victim, only bully) emerged. Negligible differences emerged when IQ and socioeconomic status were controlled. An overall gender difference emerged, compatible with past research, indicating higher bullying involvement among boys compared to girls.ConclusionChildren with learning disorders are at a higher risk of having psychiatric comorbidity, which in turn renders them at a higher risk of bullying involvement. Implications for bullying interventions and school professionals are deduced.

Childhood Social Isolation as a Predictor of Retinal Neuronal Thickness in Middle Age: A Lifecourse Birth Cohort Study.

We investigated whether childhood social isolation was associated with retinal neural layer changes in adulthood, and whether this association was independent of other childhood or adulthood risk factors, including adult social isolation. Participants were members of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, a longitudinal population-based birth cohort from Aotearoa New Zealand ( n = 1037), born 1972 to 1973 and followed until age 45 years, with 94% of the living cohort still participating. Social isolation was recorded prospectively at ages 5, 7, 9, and 11 years, from teacher and parent report. Retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thicknesses were measured via optical coherence tomography at age 45 years. Childhood social isolation was associated with thinner average RNFL ( B = -0.739, p = .02), nasal RNFL ( B = -1.118, p = .005), and inferior RNFL ( B = -1.524, p = .007), although only nasal RNFL remained significant after adjustment. These associations were not fully explained by other psychosocial or physical health risk factors in childhood or adulthood, nor were they mediated by adult loneliness or social support. Childhood social isolation was an independent predictor of RNFL thickness in middle age. Highlighting prospective links between childhood psychosocial adversity and retinal neuronal measures will help to inform future research into the utility of retinal neuronal thickness as a biomarker for neurodegeneration.

A Typology of Transition Patterns Involving Long-Term NEET Episodes: Accumulation of Risk and Adversity

This paper uses Danish population-based administrative registers to study contemporary school-to-work transitions among young adults who experience long-term NEET episodes between age 16 and 20. By applying sequence analysis and clustering, this paper identifies five distinct transition patterns. Using this typology as the outcome variable in multinomial regression the paper offers insight into how experiences and circumstances, developing until age 16, can affect the subsequently unfolding transition process. Finally, the paper looks ahead and describes whether transitional difficulty accumulates into early adulthood. While one transition pattern stands out as more stable and less worrying, three of the remaining four demonstrate how transitional difficulty between age 16 and 20 develops as precarious patterns of attachment to well-established systems within the Danish welfare state. It is further established that various childhood risk factors significantly increase the odds of experiencing precarious transition patterns. Finally, the analyses demonstrate how instability and risk during childhood and school-to-work transition extend into early adulthood for a large part of the study population.

Risk and resilience factors for psychopathology during pregnancy: An application of the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP).

Pregnancy is a time of increased vulnerability to psychopathology, yet limited work has investigated the extent to which variation in psychopathology during pregnancy is shared and unshared across syndromes and symptoms. Understanding the structure of psychopathology during pregnancy, including associations with childhood experiences, may elucidate risk and resilience factors that are transdiagnostic and/or specific to particular psychopathology phenotypes. Participants were 292 pregnant individuals assessed using multiple measures of psychopathology. Confirmatory factor analyses found evidence for a structure of psychopathology consistent with the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP). A common transdiagnostic factor accounted for most variation in psychopathology, and both adverse and benevolent childhood experiences (ACEs and BCEs) were associated with this transdiagnostic factor. Furthermore, pregnancy-specific anxiety symptoms most closely reflected the dimension of Fear, which may suggest shared variation with manifestations of fear that are not pregnancy-specific. ACEs and BCEs also linked to specific prenatal psychopathology involving thought problems, detachment, and internalizing, externalizing, antagonistic, and antisocial behavior. These findings extend the dimensional and hierarchical HiTOP model to pregnant individuals and show how maternal childhood risk and resilience factors relate to common and specific forms of psychopathology during pregnancy as a period of enhanced vulnerability.