Differences In Socioeconomic Status Research Articles

Investigating socioeconomic disparities in prescribing new diabetes medication

Abstract Background There is a concern regarding socioeconomic disparities in prescription of new medications such as SGLT-2is or GLP-1RAs in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study aims to analyze prescription patterns of these medications and assess socioeconomic disparities in their initiation among individuals with T2DM with very high cardiovascular risk. Methods Individuals diagnosed with T2DM and very high cardiovascular risk were identified (N = 10,768) based on general practitioner’ electronic health record data. Socioeconomic status (SES) was based on standardized disposable household income in quintiles. The association between SES and the prescription of SGLT-2is and GLP-1RAs in 2022 was investigated by logistic regression analyses, adjusting for potential confounding factors. SGLT-2is and GLP-1RAs prescription patterns were examined over 2019-2022, stratified for age-groups and sex. Results We found a positive association between SES quintile 1 (referent) and quintile 4 in SGLT-2is prescription in all models (OR 1.29 95%CI:1.08-1.54 in the fully adjusted model). For prescriptions of GLP-1RAs, we found no significant differences in SES. Proportionally, men are more frequently prescribed SGLT-2is, while there are no sex disparities in GLP-1RAs prescription. Older individuals consistently receive fewer SGLT-2is and GLP-1RAs prescriptions compared to other age categories. Conclusions We observed sex and age disparities but no profound socioeconomic differences in initiation of SGLT-2is and GLP-1RAs in the Netherlands. The latter may be due to guidelines’ clear indication of the eligible population (T2DM and very high cardiovascular risk) and GP education. Future development and potential disparities in initiation and maintenance should be monitored. Key messages • We found no disparities in prescribing new Type 2 diabetes medication based on socioeconomic status. • The adoption of prescribing new medication for Type 2 diabetes patients takes time.

Sustainable Waste Management in Urban Area - A Case Study of the Waste Management of the Cities in China

As urbanisation continues to accelerate, the integration of regional waste treatment capacity is becoming increasingly important and challenging nowadays, as economic development imbalances and environmental problems are becoming more prominent. An important component of urban development is the generation and management of municipal solid waste , and due to differences in socio-economic status, China's world-class metropolises such as Shanghai and medium-sized cities such as Xiamen are facing the same problem. This study attempts to explore the possibilities and prospects for sustainable waste management in China's future by comparing Xiamen with Shanghai, using relevant structural models and relevant research data within the city and the region. The introduction of the concept of waste-free cities also provides a greater diversity of options for future programmes. Finding effective strategies based on China's socio-economic and cultural conditions has implications for developing countries such as China in promoting the shift from waste management to a circular economy.

Socioeconomic status differences in agentic and communal self-concepts: Insights from 6 million people across 133 nations.

Do people of different socioeconomic status (SES) differ in how they see themselves on the Big Two self-concept dimensions of agency and communion? Existent research relevant to this theoretically and socially important question has generally been indirect: It has relied on distant proxies for agentic and communal self-concepts, narrow operationalizations of SES, comparatively small samples, and data from few nations/world regions. By contrast, the present research directly examines the associations between SES and agentic and communal self-concepts, relies on well-validated measures of agency and communion, examines three complementary measures of SES, and uses data from 6 million people (years of age: M = 26.12, SD = 11.50) across 133 nations. Overall, people of higher status saw themselves as somewhat more agentic and as slightly less (or negligibly less) communal. Crucially, those associations varied considerably across nations. We sought to explain that variation with 11 national characteristics and found only three of them to be robustly relevant: National religiosity and pathogen load curbed status differences in agentic self-concepts, and income inequality amplified status differences in communal self-concepts. Our discussion develops theory to explain the importance of national religiosity, pathogen load, and income inequality for socioeconomic status differences in agentic and communal self-concepts and it also describes the substantial societal implications of those differences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Supplemental Material for Socioeconomic Status Differences in Agentic and Communal Self-Concepts: Insights From 6 Million People Across 133 Nations

Supplemental Material for Socioeconomic Status Differences in Agentic and Communal Self-Concepts: Insights From 6 Million People Across 133 Nations

Abstract C097: PVT1 exon 9-dependent overexpression of RSAD2 is a characteristic of prostate cancer in males of African ancestry

Abstract Aggressive prostate cancer (PCa), including castrate-resistant and neuroendocrine subtypes, is projected to increase in incidence 5% each year. Aggressive PCa disproportionally impacts African American men, has limited effective treatment options and high mortality rates. Although racial disparities are established in PCa development, attributed to multiple contributory factors including systemic racism, differences in socioeconomic status and distrust in the medical system, work is still needed to understand the contribution of biological factors. We found the exon 9 region of plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (PVT1) overexpressed in aggressive PCa cell lines derived from African American (AA) men. We found PVT1 exon 9 overexpression induced phenotypic changes to normal prostate epithelial cells in vitro and led to tumor formation in vivo. RNA-sequencing analysis revealed 156 significantly differentially expressed genes influenced by PVT1 exon 9 overexpression and radical S-adenosyl methionine domain containing 2 (RSAD2) was the top significantly overexpressed gene (log2Fold change 1.71, p-value < 0.05). We utilized the GSE223405 publicly available dataset to identify whether our identified PVT1 exon 9 downstream genes were enriched in AA prostate cancer cells. RSAD2 was significantly overexpressed in AA prostate cancer cells compared to prostate cancer cells from men of European ancestry (moEA) (log2Fold change 6.18, p-value < 0.05). Comparing normal cells to prostate cancer cells between these groups, we found that normal AA prostate cells had significantly higher expression of RSAD2 (log2fold change 4.25, p-value < 0.001) whereas moEA samples did not (log2fold change 0.837, p-value=0.150). From analysis of data obtained from cBioPortal, we found RSAD2 alteration significantly correlates (p-value < 0.001) with self-identified race and copy number overexpression of RSAD2 was found to be enriched in AA patients (18.16% moEA versus 24% AA). Finally, we found 88.6% of the significantly differentially expressed genes within our PVT1 exon 9 RNA-sequencing dataset were significantly differentially expressed in GSE223405 AA samples and of those, 51.7% of genes exhibited a similar differential expression pattern suggesting that the PVT1 exon 9/RSAD2 dependent pathway may be more prominent in AA men. Mechanistically, we found two differing pathways of RSAD2 overexpression in aggressive prostate cancer cell models, one dependent and one independent of PVT1 exon 9 overexpression, with similar but differing biological functions related to epigenetic processes and metabolism. Ongoing work is investigating the RSAD2 and PVT1 exon 9 expression axis in a diverse set of human prostate cancer tissues and investigating their utilization as a therapeutic target in prostate cancer. Citation Format: Rachel E. Sexton-Bonacci1, Murtaza Barkarar1, Chindeum Udekwu1, Olorunseun O. Ogunwobi1. PVT1 exon 9-dependent overexpression of RSAD2 is a characteristic of prostate cancer in males of African ancestry [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr C097.

Disparities in Environmental Behavior from Urban–Rural Perspectives: How Socioeconomic Status Structures Influence Residents’ Environmental Actions—Based on the 2021 China General Social Survey Data

This study explores the environmental behavior disparities between urban and rural residents in China due to socioeconomic status differences amidst social governance and institutional reform. Using OLS regression models on the 2021 China General Social Survey (CGSS) data, it analyzes the impact of socioeconomic status on environmental behaviors. This study reveals that urban residents generally exhibit better environmental behaviors than rural residents. Education and income are identified as critical drivers, with education raising environmental awareness and income driving participation in environmental activities. Urban residents benefit more from these factors. The policy recommendations are for the government to enhance rural education resources and improve education quality, ensuring that education poverty alleviation policies are effectively implemented to support rural development. Simultaneously, promoting rural economic growth and narrowing the urban–rural economic gap is crucial for improving rural environmental behavior and achieving urban–rural environmental harmony. Furthermore, the results call on the international community to focus on environmental governance systems, aiming to provide references for other developing countries in formulating environmental policies, thereby promoting the creation of a more just, eco-friendly, and sustainable global development framework.

Psychosocial pathways linking differences in socioeconomic status to symptoms of depression

Psychosocial pathways linking differences in socioeconomic status to symptoms of depression

Public funding for private for-profit centres and access to cataract surgery by patient socioeconomic status: an Ontario population-based study.

Public funding of cataract surgery provided in private, for-profit surgical centres increased to help mitigate surgical backlogs during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Canada. We sought to compare the socioeconomic status of patients who underwent cataract surgery in not-for-profit public hospitals with those who underwent this surgery in private for-profit surgical centres and to evaluate whether differences in access by socioeconomic status decreased after the infusion of public funding for private, for-profit centres. We conducted a population-based study of all cataract operations in Ontario, Canada, between January 2017 and March 2022. We analyzed differences in socioeconomic status among patients who accessed surgery at not-for-profit public hospitals versus those who accessed it at private for-profit surgical centres before and during the period of expanded public funding for private for-profit centres. Overall, 935 729 cataract surgeries occurred during the study period. Within private for-profit surgical centres, the rate of cataract surgeries rose 22.0% during the funding change period for patients in the highest socioeconomic status quintile, whereas, for patients in the lowest socioeconomic status quintile, the rate fell 8.5%. In contrast, within public hospitals, the rate of surgery decreased similarly among patients of all quintiles of socioeconomic status. During the funding change period, 92 809 fewer cataract operations were performed than expected. This trend was associated with socioeconomic status, particularly within private for-profit surgical centres, where patients with the highest socioeconomic status were the only group to have an increase in cataract operations. After increased public funding for private, for-profit surgical centres, patient socioeconomic status was associated with access to cataract surgery in these centres, but not in public hospitals. Addressing the factors underlying this incongruity is vital to ensure access to surgery and maintain public confidence in the cataract surgery system.

Peer pressure, socio-economic status and gender difference on cybercrime tendencies of undergraduates

Peer pressure, socio-economic status and gender difference on cybercrime tendencies of undergraduates

Prevalence of Helminth Infections in Patients with Celiac Disease

Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between helminth infections and celiac disease (CeD), examining various demographic and clinical factors in CeD cases compared to controls. Methods: We conducted a retrospective case-control study utilizing Leumit Health Care Services’ electronic health records. The study encompassed individuals with CeD and a matched control group. We analyzed demographic and clinical characteristics, examining their association with helminth infections. Results: We observed CeD cases and controls had similar mean ages (17.8 years vs. 18.0 years, p = 0.565) and gender distributions (64.0% females in both groups, p = 0.999). There were no significant differences in socioeconomic status and ethnic distribution between the two groups. Most of the helminthiases in the CeD group were due to intestinal helminthiases, and most of the intestinal helminthiases were nematode (roundworm) infections. Enterobiasis (the pinworm Enterobius vermicularis) is involved in most cases (odds ratio 1.32, 95% confidence interval 1.20–1.45, p < 0.001). While the prevalence of ascariasis and anisakiasis was also higher in the CeD group, these differences were not statistically significant (p = 0.115 and p = 0.174, respectively). No significant differences were found in the prevalence of other specific helminth infections, such as echinococcosis, cestode infections, and strongyloidiasis. Conclusions: This study reveals an unexpected association between CeD and helminth infections, challenging prevailing hypotheses, particularly within the context of the hygiene hypothesis. These findings warrant further investigation to elucidate the mechanisms underlying this intriguing relationship.

Multilevel medical insurance mitigate health cost inequality due to air pollution: Evidence from China

BackgroundAir pollution affects residents’ health to varying extents according to differences in socioeconomic status. However, there has been a lack of research on whether air pollution contributes to unfair health costs.MethodsIn this research, data from the China Labour Force Dynamics Survey are matched with data on PM2.5 average concentration and precipitation, and the influence of air pollution on the health expenditures of residents is analysed with econometric methods involving a two-part model, instrument variables and moderating effects.ResultsThe findings reveal that air pollution significantly impacts Chinese residents’ health costs and leads to low-income people face health inequality. Specifcally, the empirical evidence shows that air pollution has no significant influence on the probability of residents’ health costs (β = 0.021, p = 0.770) but that it increases the amount of residents’ total outpatient costs (β = 0.379, p < 0.006), reimbursed outpatient cost (β = 0.453, p < 0.044) and out-of-pocket outpatient cost (β = 0.362, p < 0.048). The heterogeneity analysis of income indicates that low-income people face inequality due to health cost inflation caused by air pollution, their total and out-of-pocket outpatient cost significantly increase with PM2.5 (β = 0.417, p = 0.013; β = 0.491, p = 0.020). Further analysis reveals that social basic medical insurance does not have a remarkable positive moderating effect on the influence of air pollution on individual health inflation (β = 0.021, p = 0.292), but supplementary medical insurance for employees could reduce the effect of air pollution on low-income residents’ reimbursed and out-of-pocket outpatient cost (β=-1.331, p = 0.096; β=-2.211, p = 0.014).ConclusionThe study concludes that air pollution increases the amount of Chinese residents’ outpatient cost and has no significant effect on the incidence of outpatient cost. However, air pollution has more significant impact on the low-income residents than the high-income residents, which indicates that air pollution leads to the inequity of medical cost. Additionally, the supplementary medical insurance reduces the inequity of medical cost caused by air pollution for the low-income employees.

Methods and participant characteristics in the Cancer Risk in Vegetarians Consortium: a cross-sectional analysis across 11 prospective studies

BackgroundThe associations of vegetarian diets with risks for site-specific cancers have not been estimated reliably due to the low number of vegetarians in previous studies. Therefore, the Cancer Risk in Vegetarians Consortium was established. The aim is to describe and compare the baseline characteristics between non-vegetarian and vegetarian diet groups and between the collaborating studies.MethodsWe harmonised individual-level data from 11 prospective cohort studies from Western Europe, North America, South Asia and East Asia. Comparisons of food intakes, sociodemographic and lifestyle factors were made between diet groups and between cohorts using descriptive statistics.Results2.3 million participants were included; 66% women and 34% men, with mean ages at recruitment of 57 (SD: 7.8) and 57 (8.6) years, respectively. There were 2.1 million meat eaters, 60,903 poultry eaters, 44,780 pescatarians, 81,165 vegetarians, and 14,167 vegans. Food intake differences between the diet groups varied across the cohorts; for example, fruit and vegetable intakes were generally higher in vegetarians than in meat eaters in all the cohorts except in China. BMI was generally lower in vegetarians, particularly vegans, except for the cohorts in India and China. In general, but with some exceptions, vegetarians were also more likely to be highly educated and physically active and less likely to smoke. In the available resurveys, stability of diet groups was high in all the cohorts except in China.ConclusionsFood intakes and lifestyle factors of both non-vegetarians and vegetarians varied markedly across the individual cohorts, which may be due to differences in both culture and socioeconomic status, as well as differences in questionnaire design. Therefore, care is needed in the interpretation of the impacts of vegetarian diets on cancer risk.

Human rights health care measures reporting physical fitness test for ages 6 to 17 with 10-year follow-up

Purpose This study aims to compare the physical fitness test results of Japanese children in 2008 and 2018 to narrow the gap between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy and extend healthy life expectancy. In addition, this paper sought to explore the potential of implementing health education programs as a new social context to promote race equality and human rights in health and social care. Design/methodology/approach This study was conducted in 2008 and 2018 in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Physical fitness tests related to growth and development were administered to participants aged 6–17 years. Findings Physical fitness measurements in 2018, specifically those for walking ability and endurance, were significantly inferior to those in 2008. In a gender-specific analysis, boys outperformed girls in muscle strength, muscle endurance, walking ability and endurance tests, while girls outperformed boys in the balance test. Research limitations/implications Most of the junior and senior high school students who participated in the EO test exceeded the upper limit of 120 s, suggesting that the load of the measurement method is low and improvement is necessary. In 2018, a large variation in 6M results was observed among participants, possibly due to the differences in the level of seriousness during the 6M test. Therefore, to ensure that junior and senior high school students properly perform the EO and 6M tests, it is necessary to devise an effective method of implementation, such as changing the physical fitness test load. Originality/value Mere health education is ineffective to address health inequalities. Addressing structural factors is essential to avoid unintended consequences such as increasing the gap between groups of people. However, one way to extend healthy life expectancy is to improve overall health, including differences in the health status of groups due to differences in region and socioeconomic status.

Cranial fluctuating asymmetry and its relationship with non-specific physiological stress indicators in a contemporary South African cadaveric skeletal sample

ObjectivesBiological anthropologists frequently explore skeletal asymmetry, together with population health and disease. Given the conflicting findings in existing literature, this study aimed to clarify whether an association exists in a South African sample. MaterialsDry bone and cranial micro-focus X-ray Computed Tomography (micro-XCT) scans of 115 South African individuals were assessed. MethodsFluctuating asymmetry (FA) indices were calculated from interlandmark distances, and the frequency of four types of non-specific signs of physiological stress were documented to explore the relationship between FA and disease. ResultsBlack South Africans did not exhibit a high FA index; however, they had the highest prevalence of non-specific signs of physiological stress. However, no significant correlations were detected between FA indices and pathological lesions. ConclusionNo correlation was observed between FA and populations from different socio-economic backgrounds. However, individuals of lower socio-economic status (SES) demonstrated a greater prevalence of non-specific signs of physiological stress. SignificanceThis research suggests that skeletal indicators of stress may be a suitable biological marker for assessing differences in SES among population groups, while indicating that levels of cranial FA is an inadequate biological marker. LimitationsPossible limitations may include measurement error, and the lack of information on the life history and medical records of individuals in this sample. Suggestions for further researchFuture research should include a larger sample with more South African groups, and should evaluate the potential association among age, FA, and expression of skeletal markers of disease.

T110 - Socioeconomic Status Differences in U.S. Multiracial Adolescents’ Substance Use and Mental Health Problems

T110 - Socioeconomic Status Differences in U.S. Multiracial Adolescents’ Substance Use and Mental Health Problems

The impact of regional disparities on the availability of meningococcal vaccines in the US

BackgroundIn the United States (US), three types of vaccines are available to prevent invasive meningococcal disease (IMD), a severe and potentially fatal infection: quadrivalent conjugate vaccines against serogroups A, C, W, Y (MenACWY), and monovalent vaccines against serogroup B (MenB) as well as a newly licensed pentavalent vaccine (MenABCWY) protecting against serogroup A, B, C, W, and Y. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) routinely recommends MenACWY vaccine for all 11- to 12-year-olds with a booster dose at 16 years. MenB vaccination is recommended based on shared clinical decision-making (SCDM) for 16- to 23-year-olds. Recently, the pentavalent meningococcal vaccine (MenABCWY) was recommended by the ACIP. Meningococcal vaccine uptake is suboptimal across the country, particularly among individuals with lower socioeconomic status (SES), despite these recommendations. The objective of the spatial analyses was to assess the relationship between stocking of MenACWY and MenB vaccines, area-level SES, and state-level policies.MethodsThe number of MenACWY and MenB doses stocked by vaccinators was obtained from IQVIA and the CDC’s Vaccine for Children (VFC) program and compiled into a county-level dataset from 2016 to 2019. SES, as measured using the CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), state-level school recommendations, and universal purchasing programs were among the main county-level covariates included to control for factors likely influencing stocking. Data were stratified by public and private market. Bayesian spatial regression models were developed to quantify the variations in rates of stocking and the relative rates of stocking of both vaccines.ResultsAfter accounting for county-level characteristics, lower SES counties tended to have fewer doses of MenB relative to MenACWY on both public and private markets. Lower SES counties tended to have more supply of public vs. private doses. Universal purchasing programs had a strong effect on the markets for both vaccines shifting nearly all doses to the public market. School vaccination strategy was key for improving stocking rates.ConclusionsOverall, the results show that MenACWY has greater stock relative to MenB across the US. This difference is exacerbated in vulnerable areas without school entry requirements for vaccination and results in inequity of vaccine availability. Beyond state-level policy and SES differences, SCDM recommendations may be a contributing factor, although this was not directly assessed by our model.

Predictive Factors for Well-being of Vietnamese Undergraduate Students and Gratitude Journaling Intervention

The current study investigated the impact of predictive factors on the well-being of undergraduates in Ho Chi Minh City. Those factors were relationship satisfaction, academic achievement satisfaction, and financial well-being. Besides, the study explored the effectiveness of gratitude journaling in increasing students’ well-being. There are two phases in this study, in the first phase, referred to as study 1, a total of 102 undergraduates from twenty-two universities in Ho Chi Minh City were surveyed. After being controlled for individual differences in socio-economic status, the multiple linear regression results showed that satisfaction in the relationship and academic achievement positively predicted overall well-being, while financial well-being did not make a significant contribution. In the second phase, which is study 2, forty-five participants from study 1 agreed to move on to this phase, where they were randomly divided into two groups for a controlled pre and post-experiment. The experimental group practiced self-guided gratitude journaling for seven days. Analysis of covariance assessment was made to evaluate the impact model and the improvement of participants’ well-being before and after the experiment. Results showed that the difference in well-being between the control and experimental group was insignificant and did not come directly from practicing gratitude journaling, but might indicate individual and cultural differences in well-being. Further research on cross-cultural differences and standardized protocol is encouraged.

Paternal intelligence affects school grades in children with and without ADHD - a register-based study.

ADHD profoundly impacts educational attainment, quality of life, and health in young adults. However, certain subgroups of ADHD patients seem to do quite well, potentially due to differences in intelligence and socioeconomic status. Here we used paternal intelligence from the Swedish Defence Conscription and Assessment register, to investigate the role of genetic propensity for intelligence, on school performance in a large cohort of ADHD patients and matched controls. Patients treated for ADHD in Linköping, Sweden between 1995 and 2020 (n = 3262), sex- and age-matched controls (n = 9591) as well as their parents and siblings were identified using regional and national registers. Socioeconomic and demographic data, ADHD diagnosis and treatment and school grades at age 16 for the study population were extracted from Swedish National registers. We explored the associations between paternal intelligence and child school performance using linear mixed models and mediation analyses, taking a wide range of potential covariates into account. Results indicate that paternal intelligence was positively associated with standardized school grades in their offspring (Zadjusted=0.09, 95%CI 0.07, 0.10). This effect was present in both ADHD patients and controls, but ADHD patients had significantly lower standardized grades (Zadjusted=-1.03, 95%CI -1.08, -0.98). Child ADHD did not serve as a mediator for how paternal intelligence affected school grades. Our findings indicate that ADHD prevents children from reaching their academic potential at all levels of paternal intelligence. Increased understanding of the contributions of ADHD, intelligence, and SES to functional outcomes can help clinicians to better personalize interventions to the unique preconditions in each patient.

Rural–urban differences in the intergenerational transmission of cognitive capabilities in China: evidence from a Northwestern province of China

PurposeLiterature has shown that the intergenerational transmission of cognitive abilities is stronger for children raised in more advantaged environments. However, there has never been an empirical investigation of this pattern in China. This study examines differences in the intergenerational transmission of cognitive capabilities among mothers and young children in urban and rural subpopulations in China and investigates whether these differences are driven by differences in parental investment in the home environment.Design/methodology/approachData collected from randomly selected 6- to 36-month-old babies and their mothers in a Northwestern province in China was used. Child capabilities were assessed by the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (3rd edition). Maternal intelligence quotient (IQ) scores were assessed with the Raven’s Progressive Matrices test. The non-parametric regression methods were used to construct the factor scores of child capabilities. The ordinary least squares (OLS) models were employed to investigate the relations between child cognition, maternal IQ and parental investment.FindingsIn urban households, where most children are raised in a positive home environment, child cognitive scores are strongly correlated with maternal IQ. In rural households, where parental investments are lower and more variable, child cognitive scores are not significantly correlated with maternal IQ but are predicted by differences in parental investments in a cognitively stimulating home environment.Originality/valueThis study provides a unique contribution by utilizing rural–urban disparities in China as a unique natural experiment to investigate differences in the transmission of cognitive capabilities across socioeconomic status (SES). It also provides the first empirical evidence of SES differences in the intergenerational transmission of cognitive capabilities in a developing country. This study reveals that intergenerational mother–child cognition associations are disrupted by poor parental investment in rural households but not in urban households.

Preschool Children’s Science Learning: Instructional Approaches and Individual Differences

ABSTRACT Research Findings: Early science skills predict later science achievement, and persistent achievement gaps in science appear as early as preschool. The current study compared the effectiveness of different instructional approaches for teaching preschoolers about sinking and floating and examined individual differences in learning. Typically developing 4–5-year-olds (N = 93; 47% female) were randomly assigned to an Explicit Instruction, Discovery Learning, or No-Instruction Control condition. A pre-posttest design was used to measure change in children’s knowledge of sinking and floating using an assessment created for the current study. Participants also completed measures of executive function and non-verbal and verbal IQ. Children in the Explicit Instruction condition learned more than children in the other two groups. Additionally, individual differences in age, socioeconomic status, IQ, and executive function predicted learning, although only age and SES were uniquely predictive when all variables were included in the model. Lastly, children’s sinking and floating pretest scores significantly interacted with instructional condition to predict learning. Among children in the Discovery Learning condition, those with more prior knowledge gained more after instruction than children with less prior knowledge. Practice or Policy: These findings highlight the importance of considering how learner characteristics might influence the effectiveness of different instructional approaches.