scholarly journals Infant temperament, early-childhood parenting, and early-adolescent development: Testing alternative models of Parenting × Temperament interaction

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Xiaoya Zhang ◽  
Kristina Sayler ◽  
Sarah Hartman ◽  
Jay Belsky
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Differential Susceptibility ◽  
Early Adolescent ◽  
Emotional Symptoms ◽  
Supportive Parenting ◽  
Parents And Children ◽  
Parameterized Model ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Childhood Parenting ◽  
Avon Longitudinal Study

Abstract Here we evaluate whether infant difficult temperament (6 months) functions as a vulnerability or more general plasticity factor when investigating effects of early-childhood parenting (8–42 months) on both positive and negative early-adolescent socioemotional development (age 8–11 years). Using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC, N = 14,541) and a re-parameterized model-testing approach to distinguish alternative person × environment conceptual models, results indicated that temperament × parenting interacted in predicting externalizing (i.e., hyperactivity, conduct problems), but not other behavior (i.e., emotional symptoms, peer problems), in a (weak) differential susceptibility manner. While more and less supportive parenting predicted, respectively, fewer and more behavior problems, it did so more strongly for children who were more difficult as infants.

scholarly journals Why the son-bias in fathering? Testing sex-differences in the associations between paternal caregiving and child outcomes in England (Pre-print)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily H Emmott ◽  
Ruth Mace
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Child Outcomes ◽  
Ecological Framework ◽  
Parents And Children ◽  
More Care ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Avon Longitudinal Study

Fathers in Western populations tend to provide more care to sons than daughters. Following a Human Behavioural Ecological framework, we hypothesise that son-biases in fathering may (at least in part) be due to differences in the “returns to paternal caregiving” on children’s outcomes by sex. In this study, we investigate possible sex-differences in the associations between paternal caregiving throughout early childhood and children’s outcomes in stable, two-parent families. Using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, we test whether paternal caregiving is associated with different effects on children’s school test scores and behavioural difficulty by children’s sex. Overall, we find that paternal caregiving is associated with higher school test scores and lower behavioural difficulty scores, but the association between paternal caregiving and school test scores were stronger for boys. Our findings highlight possible sex-differences in returns to paternal caregiving for certain domains of child outcomes in England.

scholarly journals Gestation at completion of prenatal questionnaires in ALSPAC

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 100
Author(s):  
Yasmin Iles-Caven ◽  
Kate Northstone ◽  
Jean Golding
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
First Trimester ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Parents And Children ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Time Critical ◽  
Avon Longitudinal Study ◽  
In Pregnancy ◽  
Made In

Enrolling a cohort in pregnancy can be methodologically difficult in terms of structuring data collection. For example, some exposures of interest may be time-critical while other (often retrospective) data can be collected at any point during pregnancy.  The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) is a prime example of a cohort where certain data were collected at specific time points and others at variable times depending on the gestation at contact.  ALSPAC aimed to enrol as many pregnant women as possible in a geographically defined area with an expected date of delivery between April 1991 and December 1992. The ideal was to enrol women as early in pregnancy as possible, and to collect information, when possible, at two fixed gestational periods (18 and 32 weeks). A variety of methods were used to enrol participants.   Approximately 80% of eligible women resident in the study area were enrolled. Gestation at enrolment ranged from 4-41 (median = 14) weeks of pregnancy. Given this variation in gestation we describe the various decisions that were made in regard to the timing of questionnaires to ensure that appropriate data were obtained from the pregnant women.  45% of women provided data during the first trimester, this is less than ideal but reflects the fact that many women do not acknowledge their pregnancy until the first trimester is safely completed. Data collection from women at specific gestations (18 and 32 weeks) was much more successful (80-85%). Unfortunately, it was difficult to obtain environmental data during the first trimester. Given the time critical nature of exposures during this trimester, researchers must take the gestational age at which environmental data was collected into account. This is particularly important for data collected using the questionnaire named ‘Your Environment’ (using data known as the A files).

Development and Implementation of an Early Childhood Parenting Curriculum for Preschool Teachers

2021 ◽  
pp. 227-251
Author(s):  
Theresa J. Canada
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Preschool Teachers ◽  
University Campus ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Urban City ◽  
Parents And Children ◽  
Childhood Parenting ◽  
Early Childhood Center

This chapter describes the development and subsequent implementation of a parenting curriculum in an early childhood education classroom. The purpose of the study is to provide a curriculum for preschool teachers to improve the quality of early childhood education. The study was implemented in several classrooms of an early childhood center. The center was located on a university campus of an urban city in the state of Connecticut, USA. The innovation in this work was the idea that curriculum for early childhood providers could be created in a way that started from parent perceptions, rather than from telling parents how they need to change to meet school needs. The results of this study suggest that teachers who implement the parenting curriculum would be better prepared to work with both parents and children in a preschool setting.

scholarly journals Why the Son-bias in Caregiving? Testing Sex-differences in the Associations Between Paternal Caregiving and Child Outcomes in England

2020 ◽  
pp. 0192513X2094190
Author(s):  
Emily H. Emmott ◽  
Ruth Mace
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Child Outcomes ◽  
Behavioral Difficulties ◽  
Ecological Framework ◽  
Parents And Children ◽  
Behavioral Difficulty ◽  
More Care ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Avon Longitudinal Study

Studies show that fathers across Western populations tend to provide more care to sons than daughters. Following a human behavioral ecological framework, we hypothesize that son-biases in fathering may (at least in part) be due to differences in fitness returns to paternal direct investments by child’s sex. In this study, we investigate sex-differences in the associations between paternal caregiving and children’s outcomes in stable, two-parent families. Using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, we test whether paternal caregiving in early childhood is associated with different effects on children’s school test scores and behavioral difficulties by children’s sex. Overall, we find that paternal caregiving is associated with higher school test scores and lower behavioral difficulty scores, but the association between paternal caregiving and school test scores was stronger for boys. Our findings highlight possible sex-differences in returns to paternal caregiving for certain domains of child outcomes in England.

scholarly journals The Implications of COVID-19 for Early Childhood Education in Ethiopia: Perspectives from Parents and Caregivers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janice H. Kim ◽  
Mesele Araya ◽  
Belay Hagos Hailu ◽  
Pauline M. Rose ◽  
Tassew Woldehanna
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Limited Attention ◽  
School Closures ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Parents And Children ◽  
Phone Survey ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Parents And Caregivers

AbstractRecent research on the effects of COVID-19 on school closures has mainly focused on primary and secondary education, with extremely limited attention to early childhood education (ECE). To address this gap, we identify the extent to which parents and caregivers with pre-primary school-aged children were engaged in their children’s learning during school closures in Ethiopia. Our focus on Ethiopia is of particular relevance given that ECE provision has expanded dramatically in recent years, aimed at ensuring children are prepared for primary school. Using data collected through a phone survey with 480 parents and caregivers, the results revealed that learning disruption due to COVID-19 school closures is likely to be substantial and will probably widen existing inequalities further. Many poorer households and those where parents or caregivers are not literate, are less likely to have child-oriented learning resources, and home learning activities between parents and children in these households are limited. The study highlights that greater attention needs to be paid to mitigate the threats of COVID-19 on Ethiopia’s recent gains in ECE, to prevent the pandemic from further reinforcing inequalities between children from advantaged and disadvantaged households.

scholarly journals Testing the principles of Mendelian randomization: Opportunities and complications on a genomewide scale

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Taylor ◽  
KE Tansey ◽  
DA Lawlor ◽  
J Bowden ◽  
DM Evans ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variants ◽  
Mendelian Randomization ◽  
Phenotypic Correlation ◽  
Causal Relationships ◽  
Biological Phenomena ◽  
Parents And Children ◽  
Multiple Variables ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Avon Longitudinal Study ◽  
Gwas Catalog

ABSTRACTBackgroundMendelian randomization (MR) uses genetic variants as instrumental variables to assess whether observational associations between exposures and disease reflect causal relationships. MR requires genetic variants to be independent of factors that confound observational associations.MethodsUsing data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, associations within and between 121 phenotypes and 13,720 genetic variants (from the NHGRI-EBI GWAS catalog) were examined to assess the validity of MR assumptions.ResultsAmongst 7,260 pairwise comparisons between the 121 phenotypes, 2,188 (30%) provided evidence of association, where 363 were expected at the 5% level (observed:expected ratio=6.03; 95% CI: 5.42, 6.70; χ2=9682.29; d.f. =1, P≤1x10-50). Amongst 1,660,120 pairwise associations between phenotypes and genotypes, 86,748 (5.2%) gave evidence of association at the same threshold, where 83,006 were expected (observed:expected ratio=1.05; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.05; χ2=117.57; d.f. =1, P=2.15x10-27). Amongst 1,171,764 pairwise associations between the phenotypes and LD pruned independent genetic variants, 60,136 (5.1%) gave evidence of association, where 58,588 were expected (observed:expected ratio=1.03; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.08; χ2= 43.05; d.f. = 1, P=5.33x10-11).ConclusionThese results confirm previously observed patterns of phenotypic correlation. They also provide evidence of a substantially lower level of association between genetic variants and phenotypes, with residual inflation the likely product of indistinguishable real genetic association, multiple variables measuring the same biological phenomena, or pleiotropy. These results reflect the favorable properties of genetic instruments for estimating causal relationships, but confirm the need for functional information or analytical methods to account for pleiotropic events.

scholarly journals Early Childhood General Anesthesia and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children Birth Cohort

2020 ◽  
Vol 133 (5) ◽  
pp. 1007-1020
Author(s):  
Graham J. Walkden ◽  
Hannah Gill ◽  
Neil M. Davies ◽  
Alethea E. Peters ◽  
Ingram Wright ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
General Anesthesia ◽  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Dynamic Balance ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
P Value ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Outcomes ◽  
Parents And Children ◽  
Avon Longitudinal Study

Background Most common anesthetic agents have been implicated in causing neurodegeneration in the developing animal brain, leading to warnings regarding their use in children. The hypothesis of this study was that exposure to general anesthesia and surgery before 4 yr would associate with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes at age 7 to 16 yr. Methods This cohort study comprised 13,433 children enrolled in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a prospective, population-based birth cohort born between 1991 and 1993 in southwest England. Children were grouped by none, single, or multiple exposures to general anesthesia and surgery by 4 yr. Motor, cognitive, linguistic, educational, social, and behavioral developmental outcomes were evaluated at 7 to 16 yr using school examination results, validated parent/teacher questionnaires, or clinic assessments. Continuous outcomes were z-scored. P-value thresholds were corrected using false discovery rate procedures. Results This study compared 46 neurodevelopmental outcomes in 13,433 children: 8.3% (1,110) exposed singly and 1.6% (212) exposed multiply to general anesthesia and surgery. Of these, the following reached predefined levels of statistical significance (corrected P < 0.00652): dynamic balance scores were 0.3 SD (95% CI, 0.1, 0.5; P < 0.001) lower in multiply exposed children; manual dexterity performance was 0.1 SD (95% CI, 0.0, 0.2; P = 0.006) lower in singly and 0.3 SD (95% CI, 0.1, 0.4; P < 0.001) lower in multiply exposed children; and social communication scores were 0.1 SD (95% CI, 0.0, 0.2; P = 0.001) and 0.4 SD (95% CI, 0.3, 0.5; P < 0.001) lower in singly and multiply exposed children, respectively. General anesthesia and surgery were not associated with impairments in the remaining neurodevelopmental measures including: general cognitive ability; attention; working memory; reading, spelling, verbal comprehension and expression; behavioral difficulties; or national English, mathematics, and science assessments (all ≤0.1 SD; corrected P ≥ 0.00652). Conclusions Early childhood general anesthesia and surgery were not associated with a global picture of clinically and statistically significant neurodegenerative effects, providing reassurance about the neurotoxic potential of general anesthesia. Exposure to anesthesia and surgery was associated with significantly lower motor and social linguistic performance. Editor’s Perspective What We Already Know about This Topic What This Article Tells Us That Is New

Girls in Gangs: Exploring Risk in a British Youth Context

2018 ◽  
Vol 64 (13) ◽  
pp. 1698-1717
Author(s):  
Zenta E. Gomez Auyong ◽  
Sven Smith ◽  
Christopher J. Ferguson
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
The United States ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Parents And Children ◽  
Community Risk ◽  
Community Environments ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Girls In Gangs ◽  
Community Risk Factors ◽  
Avon Longitudinal Study

The existing literature on gangs has largely focused on boys from the United States. Using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), this study investigated select individual, peer, and community risk factors that differentiate gang and nongang girls in the United Kingdom. We find that 48.3% of gang-involved youth were girls, and that gang girls commit more crime than nongang girls. Furthermore, girls who live in socially disorganized neighborhoods are more likely to be members of gangs. The current research suggests that focusing on girls’ community environments may be beneficial to reducing gangs in the United Kingdom.

scholarly journals Childhood hyperactivity/inattention and eating disturbances predict binge eating in adolescence

2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (12) ◽  
pp. 2511-2520 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. R. Sonneville ◽  
J. P. Calzo ◽  
N. J. Horton ◽  
A. E. Field ◽  
R. D. Crosby ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Binge Eating ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Structural Equation Models ◽  
Multiple Informants ◽  
Early Adolescent ◽  
Late Childhood ◽  
Eating Disturbances ◽  
Parents And Children ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Uk

BackgroundIdentifying childhood predictors of binge eating and understanding risk mechanisms could help improve prevention and detection efforts. The aim of this study was to examine whether features of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as well as childhood eating disturbances, predicted binge eating later in adolescence.MethodWe studied specific risk factors for the development of binge eating during mid-adolescence among 7120 males and females from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), a cohort study of children in the UK, using data from multiple informants to develop structural equation models. Repeated assessment of eating disturbances during childhood (mid-childhood overeating, late-childhood overeating and early-adolescent strong desire for food), as well as teacher- and parent-reported hyperactivity/inattention during mid- and late childhood, were considered as possible predictors of mid-adolescent binge eating.ResultsPrevalence of binge eating during mid-adolescence in our sample was 11.6%. The final model of predictors of binge eating during mid-adolescence included direct effects of late-childhood overeating [standardized estimate 0.145, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.038–0.259, p = 0.009] and early-adolescent strong desire for food (standardized estimate 0.088, 95% CI −0.002 to 0.169, p = 0.05). Hyperactivity/inattention during late childhood indirectly predicted binge eating during mid-adolescence (standardized estimate 0.085, 95% CI 0.007–0.128, p = 0.03) via late-childhood overeating and early-adolescent strong desire for food.ConclusionsOur findings indicate that early ADHD symptoms, in addition to an overeating phenotype, contribute to risk for adolescent binge eating. These findings lend support to the potential role of hyperactivity/inattention in the development of overeating and binge eating.

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