The Association of Family Eating Behaviors With Children's Cognitive Functioning: A Cross-Sectional Study Among 3–6-Year-Old Mexican Children

Abstract Objectives Little is known about the association of family eating behaviors with young children's cognitive development, particularly among non-White populations. The objective of this study is to determine if healthier family eating behaviors are associated with young Mexican children's cognitive functioning. Methods We used cross-sectional data from a convenience sample of low-income child-mother dyads recruited from a public preschool in San Luis Potosi, S.L.P., Mexico. Using the Family Nutrition and Physical Activity (FNPA) questionnaire, mothers were asked to report the frequency of ten family eating behaviors (e.g., frequency of breakfast intake, family mealtimes, etc.). Children completed two cognitive tests: a working memory test of their ability to recall four words after a timed distraction (i.e., delayed recall); and a verbal fluency test, examined with a 60-second trial of word retrieval in response to “things people eat”. The associations of family eating behaviors with children's working memory and verbal fluency were examined using multiple linear regression models adjusting for child sex, age, mother's age, education, and subjective socioeconomic status. Results Study included 85 child-mother dyads; children's ages ranged from 3 to 6 years (4.58 ± 0.58) and mothers from 19 to 55 years (30.92 ± 8.49). Children had a mean working memory score of 2.24 ± 0.99 words recalled and retrieved a mean of 20.06 ± 5.26 words in the verbal fluency tests. Higher frequency of breakfast intake was associated with higher working memory scores (β = 0.56, P = 0.013). No other family eating practices were significantly associated with children's working memory. Children's verbal fluency scores were not significantly associated with family eating practices. Conclusions Frequent breakfast intake was associated with young children's memory maintenance. Future research is needed to examine the mechanisms through which breakfast intake could benefit children's neurodevelopmental health. Funding Sources This study was supported by the training grant “Illinois Transdisciplinary Obesity Prevention Program (I-TOPP)” funded by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and support from the NIDDK.

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Association of Family Nutrition and Physical Activity with Preschooler’s Working Memory: A Cross-Sectional Study among Mexican Children

Children ◽

10.3390/children8060506 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (6) ◽

pp. 506

Author(s):

Liliana Aguayo ◽

Maria Pineros-Leano ◽

Rifat B. Alam ◽

Rosalba Aguirre-Pereyra ◽

Andiara Schwingel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Working Memory ◽

Low Income ◽

Weight Status ◽

Healthy Weight ◽

Linear Regression Models ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Nutrition And Physical Activity ◽

Family Nutrition

Healthy eating and active lifestyles are associated with children’s healthy weight and cognitive development. This study examines whether family behaviors relevant for nutrition and activity levels are associated with children’s working memory, independent of their weight status. A convenience sample of child–caregiver dyads (n = 85 dyads) were recruited from a public preschool serving a low-income community in central Mexico. Caregivers reported the frequency of ten family behaviors using the Family Nutrition and Physical Activity screening tool. Children completed a test of their ability to recall four words after a 60-s distraction task, an assessment of working memory. Multiple linear regression models were used to test the association of children’s working memory with each family behavior, adjusting for children’s sex, age, mother’s age and education, and subjective social status and then also adjusting for children’s age- and sex-specific body mass index percentile (BMI-P) and covariates. Higher frequency of breakfast intake was significantly associated with working memory (β = 0.57, p = 0.013). This association was independent of children’s BMI-P. Other family behaviors (frequent family mealtimes, limiting screen time, and others) were not significantly associated with children’s working memory. Frequent breakfast intake could benefit young children’s working memory, regardless of their weight status. This association merits further investigation.

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Describing Independent Eating Occasions among Low-Income Adolescents

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17030981 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (3) ◽

pp. 981

Author(s):

Jinan Banna ◽

Rickelle Richards ◽

Blake Jones ◽

Alex Kojo Anderson ◽

Marla Reicks ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Food Selection ◽

Early Adolescents ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

United States Department ◽

Food Groups ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Eating Occasions

The purpose of this formative, cross-sectional study was to describe independent eating occasions (iEOs) among a convenience sample of low-income early adolescents (10–13 years, n = 46) in 10 U.S. states, including environmental context, foods selected and reasons for selection, and parental rules about foods consumed. Participants took pictures of all foods consumed over 24 h and participated in semi-structured interviews to describe the context of each eating occasion using the pictures as a guide. Responses based on a total of 304 eating occasions were coded to classify foods based on United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) MyPlate food groups and to characterize parental rules and reasons for food selection. Average age was 10.9 ± 1.1 years and 60% were female. Approximately 58% of eating occasions were classified as iEOs with approximately 65% as snacks. Most iEOs took place at home. Foods frequently consumed during iEOs were from the sweets, total fruit, dairy, and whole fruit food categories. Primary parental rules for iEOs focused on avoiding certain foods and not eating too much. Early adolescents selected foods for convenience, taste preferences, and availability. Foods selected during iEOs were based on parent, household and early adolescent factors, which could be addressed to influence overall diet quality.

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Self-rated health among undocumented and newly regularized migrants in Geneva: a cross-sectional study

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-11239-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Julien Fakhoury ◽

Claudine Burton-Jeangros ◽

Idris Guessous ◽

Liala Consoli ◽

Aline Duvoisin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Social Networks ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Future Research ◽

Undocumented Migrants ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Residence Permit ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Self Rated Health

Abstract Background In Europe, knowledge about the social determinants of health among undocumented migrants is scarce. The canton of Geneva, Switzerland, implemented in 2017–2018 a pilot public policy aiming at regularizing undocumented migrants. We sought to test for associations between self-rated health, proven eligibility for residence status regularization and social and economic integration. Methods This paper reports data from the first wave of the Parchemins Study, a prospective study whose aim is to investigate the effect of residence status regularization on undocumented migrants’ living conditions and health. The convenience sample included undocumented migrants living in Geneva for at least 3 years. We categorized them into those who were in the process of receiving or had just been granted a residence permit (eligible or newly regularized) and those who had not applied or were ineligible for regularization (undocumented). We conducted multivariate regression analyses to determine factors associated with better self-rated health, i.e., with excellent/very good vs. good/fair/poor self-rated health. Among these factors, measures of integration, social support and economic resources were included. Results Of the 437 participants, 202 (46%) belonged to the eligible or newly regularized group. This group reported better health more frequently than the undocumented group (44.6% versus 28.9%, p-value < .001), but the association was no longer significant after adjustment for social support and economic factors (odds ratio (OR): 1.12; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.67–1.87). Overall, better health was associated with larger social networks (OR: 1.66; 95% CI: 1.04–2.64). This association remained significant even after adjusting for health-related variables. Conclusion At the onset of the regularization program, access to regularization was not associated with better self-rated health. Policies aiming at favouring undocumented migrants’ inclusion and engagement in social networks may promote better health. Future research should investigate long-term effects of residence status regularization on self-rated health.

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EXPRESS: Trajectories of verbal fluency and executive functions in multilingual and monolingual children and adults: A cross-sectional study

Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology ◽

10.1177/17470218211026792 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 174702182110267

Author(s):

Roberto Filippi ◽

Andrea Ceccolini ◽

Peter Bright

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Executive Function ◽

Verbal Fluency ◽

Fluid Intelligence ◽

Response Times ◽

Developmental Trajectories ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Human Cognition ◽

Lexical Retrieval ◽

Cross Sectional

The development of verbal fluency is associated with the maturation of executive function skills, such as the ability to inhibit irrelevant information, shift between tasks and hold information in working memory. Some evidence suggests that multilinguistic upbringing may underpin disadvantages in verbal fluency and lexical retrieval, but can also afford executive function advantages beyond the language system including possible beneficial effects in older age. This study examined the relationship between verbal fluency and executive function in 324 individuals across the lifespan by assessing the developmental trajectories of English monolingual and multilingual children aged 7 to 15 years (N=154) and adults from 18 to 80 years old (N=170). The childhood data indicated patterns of improvement in verbal fluency and executive function skills as a function of age. Multilingual and monolingual children had comparable developmental trajectories in all linguistic and non-linguistic measures used in the study with the exception of planning, for which monolingual children showed a steeper improvement over the studied age range relative to multilingual children. For adults, monolinguals and multilingual participants had comparable performance on all measures with the exception of non-verbal inhibitory control and response times on the Tower of London task: monolinguals showed a steeper decline associated with age. Exploratory factor analysis indicated that verbal fluency was associated with working memory and fluid intelligence in monolingual participants but not in multilinguals. These findings raise the possibility that early acquisition of an additional language may impact on the development of the functional architecture serving high-level human cognition.

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Stigmatising attitudes towards the mentally ill: A survey in a Nigerian university teaching hospital

South African Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.4102/sajpsychiatry.v16i2.238 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 5 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Dominic Ignatius Ukpong ◽

Festus Abasiubong

Keyword(s):

Mental Illness ◽

Teaching Hospital ◽

Low Income ◽

Mentally Ill ◽

Educational Programme ◽

University Teaching ◽

Low Income Countries ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Nigerian University

Background. The burden of mental illness is particularly severe for people living in low-income countries. Negative attitudes towards the mentally ill, stigma experiences and discrimination constitute part of this disease burden.Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate knowledge of possible causes of mental illness and attitudes towards the mentally ill in a Nigerian university teaching hospital population.Method. A cross-sectional descriptive study of a convenience sample of 208 participants from the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Uyo, Nigeria, using the Community Attitudes towards the Mentally Ill (CAMI) scale. Information was also obtained on beliefs about possible causes of mental illness. Results. The respondents held strongly negative views about the mentally ill, mostly being authoritarian and restrictive in their attitudes and placing emphasis on custodial care. Even though the respondents appeared to be knowledgeable about the possible role of psychosocial and genetic factors in the causation of mental illness, 52.0% of them believed that witches could be responsible, 44.2% thought mental illness could be due to possession by demons, and close to one-third (30%) felt that it could be a consequence of divine punishment.Conclusions. Stigma and discrimination against the mentally ill are widespread even in a population that is expected to be enlightened. The widespread belief in supernatural causation is likely to add to the difficulties of designing an effective anti-stigma psycho-educational programme. There is a need in Nigeria to develop strategies to change stigma attached to mental illness at both institutional and community levels.

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The Most and the Least Performed Self-Care Behaviors Among Patients With Heart Failure in Jordan

Clinical Nursing Research ◽

10.1177/1054773818779492 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 29 (2) ◽

pp. 108-116 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Loai Issa Tawalbeh ◽

Ahmed Mohammad Al-Smadi ◽

Mohammed AlBashtawy ◽

Maen AlJezawi ◽

Mohamad Jarrah ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Low Income ◽

Self Care ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Traditional Treatment ◽

Patients With Heart Failure ◽

Low Salt ◽

Cross Sectional Design ◽

The Relationship

Assessing self-care is important aspects among patients with heart failure. However, few studies were conducted to assess self-care among patients with heart failure in Jordan. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the most and the least performed maintenance self-care behaviors and to examine the relationship between maintenance self-care behaviors and selected sociodemographics. A cross-sectional design utilizing a convenience sample of 226 patients with heart failure was used. The maintenance self-care mean was 53.89 and considered below the clinical target level (≥70). Asking for low salt item and performing physical exercises were the most performed self-care behaviors, while “trying to avoid getting sick” and “checking ankles for swelling” were the least performed self-care behaviors. Limited self-care behaviors indicated the need to implement cardiac education that may improve self-care behaviors. Cardiac education should target mainly patients with low income, low educational level, elderly, living alone, unemployed, and who are using traditional treatment.

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Elevated Anxiety Relates to Future Executive Dysfunction: A Cross-Lagged Panel Network Analysis of Psychopathology and Cognitive Functioning Components

10.31234/osf.io/hrfqa ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nur Hani Zainal ◽

Michelle G. Newman

Keyword(s):

Executive Function ◽

Network Analysis ◽

Cognitive Functioning ◽

Language Processing ◽

Verbal Fluency ◽

Executive Dysfunction ◽

Causal Inferences ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Motor Behaviors ◽

Global Cognition

Background: Vulnerability models posit that reduced cognitive functioning abilities (e.g., verbal fluency, working memory (WM)) precede and relate to future heightened psychopathology. Conversely, scar theory postulates that elevated psychopathology coincides with subsequent reduced cognitive functioning. However, most studies so far have been cross-sectional and tested global cognitive functioning-psychopathology relations. Objective: Thus, we used cross-lagged panel network analysis (CLPN) to facilitate causal inferences and differentiation of components on this topic. Method: Community adults (n = 856) participated in this eight-year study across four waves of assessment, each spaced about two years apart. Nine psychopathology components (aberrant motor behaviors (AMB), agitation, apathy, anxiety, delusions, depression, disinhibition, hallucinations, irritability) and seven cognitive functioning (attention, episodic memory, global cognition, language, processing speed, verbal fluency, WM) multi-item nodes were assessed with various performance-based cognitive functioning tests and the caregiver-rated Neuropsychiatric Inventory. Results: Contemporaneous networks consistently showed negative associations among global cognition/verbal fluency and agitation, AMB, or hallucinations, during all waves of assessment. Nodes that were most influential across communities in contemporaneous networks were delusions, depression, WM, and verbal fluency. For temporal networks, heightened anxiety (versus other neuropsychiatric nodes), had the largest negative relations with future decreased executive and related cognitive functioning nodes. Further, executive function nodes (e.g., verbal fluency) tended to be impacted by, rather than influential on, other nodes, across all time-points. Discussion: Findings supported scar (vs. vulnerability) model. The efficacy of evidence-based cognitive-behavioral and related psychopharmacological treatments may be enhanced by adding executive function training. Other theoretical and clinical implications were discussed.

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Cognitive functioning in obsessive-compulsive disorder: a meta-analysis

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291713001803 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 44 (6) ◽

pp. 1121-1130 ◽

Cited By ~ 133

Author(s):

N. Y. Shin ◽

T. Y. Lee ◽

E. Kim ◽

J. S. Kwon

Keyword(s):

Executive Function ◽

Cognitive Functioning ◽

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽

Verbal Memory ◽

Verbal Fluency ◽

Future Research ◽

Confounding Factors ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Compulsive Disorder ◽

Pubmed Database

BackgroundSubstantial empirical evidence has indicated impairment in the cognitive functioning of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) despite inconsistencies. Although several confounding factors have been investigated to explain the conflicting results, the findings remain mixed. This study aimed to investigate cognitive dysfunction in patients with OCD using a meta-analytic approach.MethodThe PubMed database was searched between 1980 and October 2012, and reference lists of review papers were examined. A total of 221 studies were identified, of which 88 studies met inclusion criteria. Neuropsychological performance and demographic and clinical variables were extracted from each study.ResultsPatients with OCD were significantly impaired in tasks that measured visuospatial memory, executive function, verbal memory and verbal fluency, whereas auditory attention was preserved in these individuals. The largest effect size was found in the ability to recall complex visual stimuli. Overall effect estimates were in the small to medium ranges for executive function, verbal memory and verbal fluency. The effects of potentially confounding factors including educational level, symptom severity, medication status and co-morbid disorders were not significant.ConclusionsPatients with OCD appear to have wide-ranging cognitive deficits, although their impairment is not so large in general. The different test forms and methods of testing may have influenced the performance of patients with OCD, indicating the need to select carefully the test forms and methods of testing used in future research. The effects of various confounding variables on cognitive functioning need to be investigated further and to be controlled before a definite conclusion can be made.

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Psychiatric Disorders and Alcohol Consumption Among Low-Income African Americans:Gender Differences

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci9040086 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 86 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sharon Cobb ◽

Shervin Assari

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Linear Regression ◽

Low Income ◽

Regression Models ◽

Future Research ◽

Linear Regression Models ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Men And Women ◽

Compulsive Disorder

Background: Although cooccurrence of nonsubstance use disorders (non-SUDs) and substance use is well-established in the literature, most of what we know in this regard is derived from studies that have recruited predominantly White sample populations. As a result, there is a gap in knowledge on this link among low-income African Americans (AAs). There is also a need to understand how low-income AA men and women differ in these associations. Objective: To study whether there is an association between number of non-SUDs and amount of alcohol consumption by AA adults, and whether this association varies between AA men and women. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited a nonrandom sample of 150 AA adults with non-SUDs (i.e., major depression, bipolar disorders, obsessive–compulsive disorder, paranoid disorder, panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and schizoaffective disorder). The independent variable was the number of non-SUDs. The dependent variable was the amount of alcohol consumption. Age, socioeconomic status (educational attainment and household income), and self-rated health were covariates. Gender was the moderator. Linear regression models were used to analyze the data. Results: A higher number of non-SUDs was not associated with a higher amount of alcohol use in the pooled sample of AA adults. We, however, found a significant interaction between gender and number of non-SUDs on the amount of alcohol use, suggesting a stronger effect of non-SUDs on alcohol consumption in AA men than in AA women. Gender-stratified linear regression models showed a positive association between number of non-SUDs and amount of alcohol consumption in AA men but not in AA women. Conclusion: Non-SUDs impact alcohol use of AA men but not women. Future research should test whether AA men may have a higher tendency to turn to alcohol to regulate their emotions and cope with psychological pain due to multiple non-SUDs. The results also suggest that integration of services for SUDs and non-SUDs may be more relevant to provision of mental health services for AA men than AA women.

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Comparative Associations of Working Memory and Pain Catastrophizing With Chronic Low Back Pain Intensity

Physical Therapy ◽

10.2522/ptj.20150335 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 96 (7) ◽

pp. 1049-1056 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Corey B. Simon ◽

Trevor A. Lentz ◽

Mark D. Bishop ◽

Joseph L. Riley ◽

Roger B. Fillingim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Low Back Pain ◽

Back Pain ◽

Pain Intensity ◽

Chronic Low Back Pain ◽

Pain Catastrophizing ◽

Future Research ◽

Low Back ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Daily Pain

Abstract Background Because of its high global burden, determining biopsychosocial influences of chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a research priority. Psychological factors such as pain catastrophizing are well established. However, cognitive factors such as working memory warrant further investigation to be clinically useful. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine how working memory and pain catastrophizing are associated with CLBP measures of daily pain intensity and movement-evoked pain intensity. Design This study was a cross-sectional analysis of individuals with ≥3 months of CLBP (n=60) compared with pain-free controls (n=30). Method Participants completed measures of working memory, pain catastrophizing, and daily pain intensity. Movement-evoked pain intensity was assessed using the Back Performance Scale. Outcome measures were compared between individuals with CLBP and those who were pain-free using nonparametric testing. Associations were determined using multivariate regression analyses. Results Participants with CLBP (mean age=47.7 years, 68% female) had lower working memory performance (P=.008) and higher pain catastrophizing (P<.001) compared with pain-free controls (mean age=47.6 years, 63% female). For individuals with CLBP, only working memory remained associated with daily pain intensity (R2=.07, standardized beta=−.308, P=.041) and movement-evoked pain intensity (R2=.14, standardized beta=−.502, P=.001) after accounting for age, sex, education, and interactions between pain catastrophizing and working memory. Limitations The cross-sectional design prevented prospective analysis. Findings also are not indicative of overall working memory (eg, spatial) or cognitive performance. Conclusion Working memory demonstrated the strongest association with daily pain and movement-evoked pain intensity compared with (and after accounting for) established CLBP factors. Future research will elucidate the prognostic value of working memory on prevention and recovery of CLBP.

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