Family Studies Research Articles

Tailored Approach to Designing a Digital Research Platform for Adults Aged 95 and older: SuperAgers Family Study.

The SuperAgers Family study aims to investigate phenotypic and genetic mechanisms related to healthy aging in nonagenarians, centenarians, and their family members. A remote study design was tested to demonstrate the feasibility of using digital technology to conduct health research within this rare population of advanced age. This paper describes key design elements of the digital research platform developed to deliver consent, enrollment, and study data collection in a cohort of older adults. SuperAgers participants aged 95 years or older, their offspring, and offspring's spouses were invited to join the study via media and community outreach. Participants completed registration, consent, submitted study data, and completed remote biospecimen collection via the web-based study app. Platform design elements and functionality were adapted for use by older aged adults. Qualitative process evaluation assessed usability and participant data entry completion throughout the study workflow. Preliminary data from SuperAgers (n = 160) of average age 98 years (± 3 SD) and offspring/spouses (n = 127) of average age 69 years (± 5 SD) were evaluated. 97% of participants in both groups successfully used the platform to complete eligibility screening, eConsent, and study surveys. SuperAgers and offspring successfully used the digital research platform to complete eConsent and submit study data. This supports the feasibility of conducting digitally enabled research in older-aged populations using tailored platform design elements that increase usability and minimize entry errors. These findings may contribute to the development of best practices for digitally delivered research studies in aging populations.

Validation of a brief food parenting measure for fathers: A test of factorial validity, measurement invariance, internal reliability, and concurrent validity.

Fathers are underrepresented in food parenting research partly due to the lack of succinct, theory-informed, and father-mother equivalent food parenting measurement tools. To address this, we 1) tested the factorial validity of a brief food parenting measure utilizing a subset of items from the Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire (CFPQ) to represent coercive control, structure, and autonomy support, 2) assessed the extent to which the brief tool works similarly in fathers and mothers (i.e., measurement invariance), and 3) evaluated its internal reliability and concurrent validity. Participants included 1071 fathers of children aged 2-6 years and 487 of their co-parents (mothers) from the Fathers & Families study. Fathers and mothers responded to 16 CFPQ items, and fathers reported on children's diets. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test factorial validity. Multi-group CFA was used to examine measurement invariance across fathers and mothers. Internal reliability was examined using Cronbach's alpha and the Spearman-Brown coefficient. Concurrent validity was assessed utilizing multiple logistic regressions to examine associations between the three food parenting factors and children's intakes of fruit, vegetables, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), and fast food. CFA confirmed a three-factor model with 11 items, including coercive control (four items), structure (five items), and autonomy support (two items). Multi-group CFA indicated measurement invariance across fathers and mothers. Internal reliability was established. Concurrent validity was strong for structure, but weaker for coercive control and autonomy support. Further refinements are encouraged to enhance items' utility in characterizing fathers' food parenting practices, including in different social and cultural contexts.

Preparing for infants’ musicking – a tracking case study of a Chinese family's musical environment

ABSTRACT This empirical tracking case study explores the content and quality of an infant's home musical environment and family member-infant musical interactions. To this end, this study tracked and analyzed audio recordings of an infant girl's family life between the ages of seven and thirteen months and follow-up interviews with her parents. The characteristics and patterns of how family-infant musical interactions developed and changed as the infant grew were then analyzed through the concept of community. It was found that the parents' recognition of the function of music and their perceptions of the infant's developmental patterns jointly determined the manner, frequency, content, and duration of parent-infant musical interactions. In turn, the infant's growing and changing musical ability prompted her family members to adjust their strategies and interaction methods with the infant. Descriptive statistics and qualitative data were synthesised to identify the parents' distinctive views of music education. On this basis, the infant's home musical environment, the content and quality of family member-infant musical interactions, the patterns of change in the frequency and duration of interactions, and the possible reasons for these qualities are discussed. Finally, the limitations of this study and future research directions are considered.

Sequence-based Identification of Polyamine Oxidase Genes in Sorghum bicolor L.

Polyamine oxidase (PAOs) are enzymes associated with polyamine catabolism and play important roles in growth and development and stress tolerance of plants. In the present study, genome-wide discovery and analysis of the PAO family in sorghum was done utilizing model PAO of Arabidopsis. Six PAO genes were found using publicly available genomic data. Sorghum has the PAO gene representatives distributed throughout four chromosomes (chr1, 3, 6, and 7), and most members have 8 to 9 exons. The molecular weights of PAO proteins range from 53 to 63 kDa. PAO proteins have a theoretical PI between 5.2 and 8.1. The identification and characterization of PAO gene members in sorghum laying the foundation for further experimental studies elucidating their roles in growth, development, and stress responses, ultimately contributing to our understanding of plant biology, with significant implications for plant breeding by providing valuable insights into potential targets for enhancing stress tolerance and improving crop performance.

Derivation of a multivariate longitudinal causal effects model

This paper presents a causal inference estimation method for longitudinal observational studies with multiple outcomes. The method uses marginal structural models with inverse probability treatment weights (MSM-IPTWs). In developing the proposed method, we re-define the weights as a product of inverse weights at each time point, accounting for time-varying confounders and treatment exposures and possible correlation between and within (serial) the multiple outcomes. The proposed method is evaluated by simulation studies and with an application to estimate the effect of HIV positivity awareness on condom use and multiple sexual partners using the Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health (MLSFH) data. The simulation study shows that the joint MSM-IPTW performs well with coverage within the expected 95% level for a large sample size (n = 1000) and moderate to strong between and within outcome correlation strength ( ρ j = 0.3 , 0.75, ρ k = 0.4 , 0.8) when the effects are similar. The joint MSM-IPTW performed relatively the same as the adjusted standard joint model when the treatment effect estimate was the same for the outcomes. In the application, HIV positivity awareness increased the usage of condoms and did not affect the number of sexual partners. We recommend using the proposed MSM-IPTWs to correctly control for time-varying treatment and confounders when estimating causal effects for longitudinal observational studies with multiple outcomes.

Home math environment as a mediator of socioeconomic differences in early math skills: A study of Chinese families from disparate backgrounds.

Children exhibit substantial variation in their early math skills, with pronounced achievement gaps by socioeconomic status (SES) observable even before formal schooling. These SES-related differences in math skills are long-standing and globally observed, prompting investigations into how SES variations in home math environment contribute to early math development. The present study employed a mixed-methods design to examine the relations among SES, key aspects of home math environment, and early math skills in a non-Western context. The sample comprised 122 Chinese parents and their preschool children (Mage = 5.25 years, 52% female) from diverse SES backgrounds. Quantitative analyses indicated that low-SES parents experienced higher math anxiety (large effect) but also placed greater value on math (small effect). Although the frequency of formal math activities did not differ by SES, high-SES parents engaged more in informal math activities and provided math talk with higher quantity and diversity (small effects). Crucially, the study identified parents' math anxiety and the frequency of informal activities as mediators of SES-related differences in early math skills. Qualitative analyses further revealed that low-SES parents viewed math as essential for future success but defined it more narrowly, focusing mainly on formal practices of concrete skills. The implications for future research and practice are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

A Comparative Study of New Ratio-Type Family of Estimators Under Stratified Two-Phase Sampling

A Comparative Study of New Ratio-Type Family of Estimators Under Stratified Two-Phase Sampling

Supplemental Material for Home Math Environment as a Mediator of Socioeconomic Differences in Early Math Skills: A Study of Chinese Families From Disparate Backgrounds

Supplemental Material for Home Math Environment as a Mediator of Socioeconomic Differences in Early Math Skills: A Study of Chinese Families From Disparate Backgrounds

A scoping review of psychosocial interventions delivered by non-mental health workers following disaster events.

Individuals exposed to disasters are at high risk of developing mental health conditions, yet the availability of mental health practitioners is often limited. The aim of this scoping review was to examine the quality of the evidence for psychosocial interventions that can be delivered by non-mental health workers in the context of disasters. Searches were performed in PsycInfo, EMBASE, Family & Society Studies Worldwide, CINAHL, Global Health, PubMed, and SCOPUS, from inception through to November 2024, to identify studies of relevance. Only studies investigating psychosocial interventions that could be delivered by non-mental health clinicians in a non-hospital or clinic setting were included. In total, 69 primary intervention studies examining 27 universal interventions and 10 indicated interventions were identified. Studies were rated on quality and risk of bias, and GRADE was used to rank the evidence for each intervention. For universal interventions, no study had an evidence rating above "very low" to support confidence in a significant impact on clinical outcomes. For indicated interventions, Problem Management Plus (PM+) and Self-Help Plus (SH+) had an evidence rating of "high" in the postdisaster context, and Skills for Life Adjustment and Resilience (SOLAR) had a "low" evidence rating; the remaining interventions were given "very low" ratings. Despite the high number of psychosocial interventions that target postdisaster distress, very few have been tested using rigorous methodologies with large samples. Future research should include methodologies that test interventions at scale and recognize the impacts of compounding disasters.

Multigenerational family coaggregation study of obsessive-compulsive disorder and cardiometabolic disorders

BackgroundObsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality due to cardiometabolic disorders. Whether this association is driven by familial factors is unknown. This population-based family...

Depression and Incident Hypertension: The Strong Heart Family Study.

Compared with White Americans, American Indian adults have disproportionately high depression rates. Previous studies in non-American Indian populations report depression as common among people with uncontrolled hypertension, potentially interfering with blood pressure control. Few studies have examined the association of depressive symptoms with hypertension development among American Indians despite that population's high burden of depression and hypertension. We examined the association of depressive symptoms with incident hypertension in a large cohort of American Indians. We studied 1,408 American Indian participants in the Strong Heart Family Study, a longitudinal, ongoing, epidemiologic study assessing cardiovascular disease and its risk factors among American Indian populations. Depressive symptoms were assessed by using the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale, 2001-2003. At each study examination in 2001-2003 and 2007-2009, blood pressure was measured 3 times. The average of the last 2 measurements taken at baseline and follow-up examinations was used for analyses. Incident hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure of ≥90 mm Hg, or use of hypertension medications at follow-up. To account for within-family correlation, we used generalized estimating equations to examine the association of depressive symptoms with incident hypertension. During follow-up, 257 participants developed hypertension. Participants with symptoms consistent with depression (CES-D ≥16) at baseline had 54% higher odds of developing hypertension during follow-up (OR = 1.54; 95% CI, 1.06-2.23) compared with those without depression (CES-D <16) at baseline after adjustment for other risk factors. These data suggest that participants who experienced symptoms consistent with depression were at increased odds of incident hypertension.

From father to son, from son to daughter: redefining celebrity activism through defiant Burmese voices

ABSTRACT This article re-examines celebrity activism by challenging some of the Western-centric frameworks that characterise such engagement as superficial or self-serving. It demonstrates that celebrities in conflict-heavy regions, particularly in the Global South, can function as catalysts for change by organising social relations through their authenticity. An analysis of celebrity activism in Myanmar following the 2021 coup d’état and the Spring Revolution maps the construction and mobilisation of the anti-junta movement. Through the case study of a Burmese celebrity family of Zin Wine, Min Maw Kun, and Lay Pyay Thway, this article argues that by integrating their lives with the struggles of their communities, creating grassroots opposition against the oppressive regimes, and risking personal harm such as imprisonment and death, celebrities can embody the Gramscian organic intellectual. Unlike Western celebrities’ managed advocacy, these figures’ direct experience of state persecution transforms their cultural influence into revolutionary capital, propelling resistance via public demonstrations, rebel radio broadcasts, clandestine movements, and social media – particularly Facebook – while adapting their activism to sustain social dissent against authoritarian oppression. This reconceptualisation of celebrity activism transcends its conventional Eurocentric characterisation as performative advocacy to evolve into revolutionary praxis, wherein public figures become internal agents in the production and dissemination of counter-hegemonic social formations.

The genetics of non-syndromic dentinogenesis imperfecta: a systematic review

Abstract Purpose This systematic review aims to consolidate existing genetic and clinical data on non-syndromic dentinogenesis imperfecta (DI) to enhance understanding of its etiology. Methods Electronic databases were searched for genetic familial linkage studies published in English without time restrictions. Genetic familial linkage studies that reported cases of Shield’s classifications: DI-II, DI-III or DD-II were included. After removing duplicates and excluding non-eligible articles, two reviewers screened relevant articles independently, followed by data extraction. Results The systematic search identified 3475 articles, with 135 suitable for full-text review and a final 41 that met inclusion criteria. Within this set of studies, 10 conducted a histopathologic examination of teeth from affected participants. DSPP mutations were the most frequently reported, with 59 documented mutations. Four studies identified mutations in COL1A1 and COL1A2, revealing non-syndromic DI cases, predominantly in individuals of Asian descent. Histopathological analysis of affected teeth showed variations in pulp chamber size, dentinal tubule irregularities, enamel malformations, and mineral density reductions, depending on DI phenotype. Conclusions This review consolidates genetic and clinical data to advance the understanding of non-syndromic DI. It highlights the role of DSPP, COL1A1 and COL1A2 and the potential involvement of other genes, emphasizing the effectiveness of whole-exome sequencing in identifying causative mutations.

Children and divorce: A rapid review targeting cognitive dissonance, in the context of narrative therapy.

Today, for divorcing parents, the social norms of "good" parenting appear to impose obligations to "fight" for shared custody of their children. However, this may intensify conflicts experienced by their children in the form of cognitive dissonance. Authors conducted a rapid review to explore children's experiences of divorce (ages three to 12years old) in the context of narrative therapy, in order to uncover the mechanism of cognitive dissonance. Four databases of Scopus, PsychINFO, Family and Societies Studies Worldwide, and PubMed were searched for literature in the last 10years. Results included 11 study articles, one policy brief, and one book chapter, representing the experiences of 1169 children from seven developed countries/regions. Our findings suggest four themes associated with cognitive dissonance, whereby the first three represent the formation of harmful perceptions of cognitive dissonance resulting from divorce. The fourth represents the children's coping strategies to reduce their cognitive dissonance. We advocate that family mediators consider narrative therapy targeting cognitive dissonance as a means of repairing disruptions to family coherence. In this regard, we recommend that future research explore the consequences of children's confrontation of their cognitive dissonance in narratives found to be prevalent in children's experiences of divorce.

Current status and trend of global research on the pharmacological effects of emodin family: bibliometric study and visual analysis.

Emodin, as a natural active ingredient, has shown great application potential in the fields of medicine, food and cosmetics due to its unique pharmacological effects, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-cancer, etc. In recent years, with the development of science and technology and the increase of people's demand for natural medicine, emodin research has been paid more and more attention by the global scientific research community.The bibliometric analysis of emodin and the construction of knowledge map are still blank. We searched the publications of emodin related studies in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database from 2004 to 2024 and conducted a bibliometric analysis. Data processing was done using the R packages Bibliometrix, VOSviewer and CiteSpace.The consensus identified 4,125 emodin related articles from multiple countries, with China being the main contributor. The number of publications in this field is increasing year by year. China Medical University, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine are all prominent research institutions in this field. The Journal of ethnopharmacology published the most articles on the subject. The total number of authors of these articles has reached 14,991, among which Yi Wang is the author with the most output and Xiaoxv Dong is the author with the most cited times. "emodin", "apoptosis", and "liver injury" were the main research focuses. Topics such as "pharmacology", "photodynamic therapy", "advancing drug discovery" and "gallbladder cancer cell" may represent emerging areas of research in medicine.The results of this study help to identify the latest research frontiers and hot topics, and provide a valuable reference for the study of emodin family.

Assessment of candidate high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma predisposition genes through integrated germline and tumour sequencing

High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) has a significant hereditary component, only half of which is explained. Previously, we performed germline exome sequencing on BRCA1 and BRCA2-negative HGSOC patients, revealing three proposed and 43 novel candidate genes enriched with rare loss-of-function variants. For validation, we undertook case-control analyses using genomic data from disease-free controls. This confirms enrichment for nearly all previously identified genes. Additionally, one-hundred-and-eleven HGSOC tumours from variant carriers were sequenced alongside other complementary studies, seeking evidence of biallelic inactivation as supportive evidence. PALB2 and ATM validate as HGSOC predisposition genes, with 6/8 germline carrier tumours exhibiting biallelic inactivation accompanied by characteristic mutational signatures. Among candidate genes, only LLGL2 consistently shows biallelic inactivation and protein expression loss, supporting it as a novel HGSOC susceptibility gene. The remaining candidate genes fail to validate. Integrating case-control analyses with tumour sequencing is thus crucial for accurate gene discovery in familial cancer studies.

Links between preschool inhibitory control and working memory and elementary school adjustment.

The development of inhibitory control (IC) and working memory (WM) in preschool is linked to a multitude of cognitive, emotional, and social outcomes, including elementary school adjustment. Furthermore, there are both cognitive and socioemotional domains of IC and it is unclear if both are related to these outcomes in the same manner. Using a family study design, the present investigation examined preschoolers' IC, WM and externalizing behavior problems, maternal depression and anxiety measured when the children were in preschool, and elementary school externalizing behaviors and child and family functioning. Families with two children between 2.5 and 5.5 years of age (n = 198; mean age = 3.88, SD = 1.04) completed online surveys and laboratory visits, as well as another online survey after the children entered elementary school. Both cognitive and emotional domains of preschool IC significantly predicted the externalizing and functioning aspects of adjustment in elementary school (but WM did not predict either). In addition, child age predicted functioning in elementary school, and maternal depression predicted externalizing in elementary school. These longitudinal results indicate that supporting both cognitive and emotional aspects of preschool IC can benefit adjustment in elementary school.

Intergenerational Relationships and Family Support: Implications for Health and Wellbeing.

This review summarizes research projects supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) that have contributed scholarship on intergenerational relationships and support provided to older adults that frequently precedes, and is often complementary to, intensive caregiving. We review NIA-supported projects that have almost exclusively focused on intergenerational relationships and involved primary data collections, and others making use of omnibus aging and family studies that have allowed a variety of investigations on this topic. Where the former set of studies has generated deeply phenotypic analyses-comprehensive fine-grained analyses of relational data in specialized samples-the latter set has focused on analyses of secondary data, often from national samples which include information on intergenerational relationships. Early research funded by NIA addressed the factors underlying cohesion across generations, including the Longitudinal Study of Generations. Subsequent studies shed light on the dynamics of ties between siblings or across multiple generations in navigating support and affection. Studies have revealed important information about transfers of tangible and non-tangible resources, loss of parent or child, and diversity by race, ethnicity, and gender. NIA funding has made important inroads in understanding a relationship that is of primary importance in individuals' lives for their health and well-being.

Voices, imaginaries and agency of Ukrainian and Moldovan transnational children

Situated at the intersection of transnational family studies and the sociology of childhood, the article gives a voice to children in Moldovan and Ukrainian labour migrants’ families, viewing their imaginary and practices in reconstructing their transnational world as displays of their agency. Based on data from 88 interviews with children, our findings show how children’s indirect transnational experience and their imaginary lead to accomplishments, such as normalising their situation through same-status peer groups; overcoming a sense of victimisation and assuming more responsibilities; and investing in extracurricular activities to create meaning, make good use of their time, and build self-image in a socially mediated manner. Children maintain an openness to study abroad as an important goal and an opportunity for future success, correlated with children’s studies as a rationale for parental migration. Personal migration plans are nonetheless equivocal given both a familiarity with the ‘abroad’ and a heightened importance of family and homeland.

Study of the SPL gene family and miR156-SPL module in Populus tomentosa: Potential roles in juvenile-to-adult phase transition and reproductive phase.

Populus tomentosa, a deciduous tree species distinguished by its significant economic and ecological value, enjoys a wide-ranging natural distribution. However, its long juvenile period severely restricts the advancement of breeding work. The SPL gene family, a distinctive class of transcription factors exclusive to the plant kingdom, is critical in various processes of plant growth and development. The miR156-SPL molecular module stands as an indispensable regulatory mechanism in the transition from the vegetative juvenile phase to the adult phase in plants. Consequently, this research endeavored a methodical and exhaustive exploration of the SPL gene family within the P.tomentosa species, synergistically integrating the miR156 family into the analysis. A total of 56 PtSPL genes were identified and subjected to a comprehensive analysis of their gene structure, conserved motifs, collinearity relationships, chromosomal localization, and promoter cis-acting elements. Further analysis of gene expression profiles confirmed the pivotal role of PtSPLs in the reproductive phase and tissue development of P. tomentosa. In addition, 11 members of miR156 in P. tomentosa were identified and their sequences analyzed, elucidating the miR156-SPL regulatory network. The target relationship between miR156k and PtSPLs was further validated by detecting the expression levels of PtSPLs in transgenic poplars overexpressing 35S::MIR156k. This comprehensive study lays a robust theoretical foundation for the continued exploration and application of the SPL genes in P. tomentosa, opening avenues for future research and potential advancements in plant biology and breeding strategies.