Education and alcohol use in adolescence – The role of social causation and health-related selection

Abstract Background Both social causation and health-related selection may influence educational gradients in alcohol use in adolescence. From past studies it is unclear which of these mechanisms predominates, as drinking may be both a cause and consequence of low educational attainment. Furthermore, gradients in alcohol use may reflect 'third variables' already present in childhood, such as parental socioeconomic status (SES), effortful control, and IQ. We investigated social causation and health-related selection in the development of educational gradients in alcohol use. Methods We used data from a Dutch population-based cohort (TRAILS Study; n = 2,229), including measurements of educational level and drinking at ages around 14, 16, 19, 22, and 26 years. First, we evaluated the directionality in longitudinal associations between education and alcohol use with cross-lagged panel models, with and without adjusting for pre-existing individual differences using fixed effects. Second, we assessed the role of childhood characteristics around age 11, i.e. IQ, effortful control, and parental SES, both as confounders in these longitudinal associations, and as predictors of educational level and drinking around age 14. Results In fixed effects models, lower education at age 14 strongly predicted increases in drinking at 16. From age 19 onward, we found a non-significant tendency towards opposite associations, with higher education predicting increases in alcohol use. Alcohol use was not associated with subsequent changes in education. All childhood characteristics strongly predicted education around age 14 and, to a lesser extent, early drinking. Conclusions We found conclusive evidence for social causation from education to alcohol use in early adolescence only, and no evidence for selection attributable to alcohol use. By determining initial educational level, childhood characteristics also predict subsequent trajectories in alcohol use. Key messages Our findings illustrate the importance of social causation in relation to alcohol use in early adolescence, while no support was found for health-related selection from alcohol use to education. Parental SES, effortful control, and IQ in childhood strongly predicted educational level in early adolescence, which subsequently predicted trajectories in alcohol use during adolescence.

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Educational level, attention problems, and externalizing behaviour in adolescence and early adulthood: the role of social causation and health-related selection—the TRAILS study

European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry ◽

10.1007/s00787-021-01913-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Heiko Schmengler ◽

Margot Peeters ◽

Gonneke W. J. M. Stevens ◽

Anton E. Kunst ◽

Catharina A. Hartman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Educational Attainment ◽

Educational Level ◽

Attention Problems ◽

Social Causation ◽

Educational Differences ◽

The Social ◽

Health Related ◽

Externalizing Behaviour

AbstractSocial causation and health-related selection may contribute to educational differences in adolescents’ attention problems and externalizing behaviour. The social causation hypothesis posits that the social environment influences adolescents’ mental health. Conversely, the health-related selection hypothesis proposes that poor mental health predicts lower educational attainment. From past studies it is unclear which of these mechanisms predominates, as attention problems and externalizing behaviour have the potential to interfere with educational attainment, but may also be affected by differences in the educational context. Furthermore, educational gradients in mental health may reflect the impact of ‘third variables’ already present in childhood, such as parental socioeconomic status (SES), and IQ. We investigated both hypotheses in relation to educational differences in externalizing behaviour and attention problems throughout adolescence and young adulthood. We used data from a Dutch cohort (TRAILS Study; n = 2229), including five measurements of educational level, externalizing behaviour, and attention problems from around age 14–26 years. First, we evaluated the directionality in longitudinal associations between education, externalizing behaviour, and attention problems with and without adjusting for individual differences using fixed effects. Second, we assessed the role of IQ and parental SES in relation to attention problems, externalizing behaviour, and educational level. Attention problems predicted decreases in education throughout all of adolescence and young adulthood. Differences in parental SES contributed to increases in externalizing behaviour amongst the lower educational tracks in mid-adolescence. Childhood IQ and parental SES strongly predicted education around age 14. Parental SES, but not IQ, also predicted early adolescent attention problems and externalizing behaviour. Our results provide support for the health-related selection hypothesis in relation to attention problems and educational attainment. Further, our results highlight the role of social causation from parental SES in determining adolescent educational level, attention problems, and externalizing behaviour.

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Role of educational level in the relationship between Body Mass Index (BMI) and health-related quality of life (HRQL) among rural Spanish women

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/1471-2458-9-120 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

María José García-Mendizábal ◽

José Miguel Carrasco ◽

Beatriz Pérez-Gómez ◽

Nuria Aragonés ◽

Pilar Guallar-Castillón ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Body Mass Index ◽

Educational Level ◽

Health Related Quality ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related ◽

Spanish Women ◽

The Relationship

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Vulnerability to alcohol use disorders following early sexual abuse: The role of effortful control

Addiction Research & Theory ◽

10.3109/16066359.2012.703269 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 160-180 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Alicia K. Klanecky ◽

Dennis E. McChargue

Keyword(s):

Sexual Abuse ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Effortful Control ◽

Alcohol Use Disorders

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Co-occurrence of depressive moods and delinquency in early adolescence: The role of failure expectations, manipulativeness, and social contexts

International Journal of Behavioral Development ◽

10.1177/0165025406071491 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 30 (5) ◽

pp. 433-443 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Geertjan Overbeek ◽

Gretchen Biesecker ◽

Margaret Kerr ◽

Håkan Stattin ◽

Wim Meeus ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Early Adolescence ◽

Longitudinal Research ◽

Early Adolescents ◽

Social Contexts ◽

Negative Attitudes ◽

Research Results ◽

Longitudinal Associations ◽

Combined Failure ◽

Negative Interactions

This study examined the co-occurrence of depression and delinquency in early adolescents, focusing on longitudinal associations with failure expectations and manipulativeness, and on perceptions of relationships with parents, school and teachers, and peers. Data were used from 1,059 Swedish adolescents aged 13 to 15, who participated in 2 waves (T1–1998; T2–2000) of an ongoing longitudinal research. Results showed that depression and delinquency co-occurred in about 9% of respondents, and that depression and delinquency followed separate developments throughout early adolescence. Development of co-occurring depression and delinquency was positively linked to a later constellation of high failure expectations and manipulativeness across a 2-year period. Additionally, the development of combined failure expectations and manipulativeness was positively linked to a later co-occurrence of depression and delinquency across a 2-year period. Further, the cooccurrence of depression and delinquency was predicted by lower-quality relationships with parents and negative attitudes towards school and teachers, whereas a constellation of high failure expectations and manipulativeness was linked to earlier negative interactions with parents and feeling isolated from peers.

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Gender and Family Disparities in Suicide Attempt and Role of Socioeconomic, School, and Health-Related Difficulties in Early Adolescence

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2014/314521 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-13 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Kénora Chau ◽

Bernard Kabuth ◽

Nearkasen Chau

Keyword(s):

Suicide Attempt ◽

Early Adolescence ◽

Family Income ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Intact Families ◽

North Eastern ◽

Health Related ◽

First Occurrence ◽

Nonintact Families

Suicide attempt (SA) is common in early adolescence and the risk may differ between boys and girls in nonintact families partly because of socioeconomic, school, and health-related difficulties. This study explored the gender and family disparities and the role of these covariates. Questionnaires were completed by 1,559 middle-school adolescents from north-eastern France including sex, age, socioeconomic factors (family structure, nationality, parents’ education, father’s occupation, family income, and social support), grade repetition, depressive symptoms, sustained violence, sexual abuse, unhealthy behaviors (tobacco/alcohol/cannabis/hard drug use), SA, and their first occurrence over adolescent’s life course. Data were analyzed using Cox regression models. SA affected 12.5% of girls and 7.2% of boys (P<0.001). The girls living with parents divorced/separated, in reconstructed families, and with single parents had a 3-fold higher SA risk than those living in intact families. Over 63% of the risk was explained by socioeconomic, school, and health-related difficulties. No family disparities were observed among boys. Girls had a 1.74-time higher SA risk than boys, and 45% of the risk was explained by socioeconomic, school, and mental difficulties and violence. SA prevention should be performed in early adolescence and consider gender and family differences and the role of socioeconomic, school, and health-related difficulties.

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1161Educational level, attention problems, and externalizing behaviour in adolescence – Social causation versus health-related selection

International Journal of Epidemiology ◽

10.1093/ije/dyab168.586 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 50 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

Heiko Schmengler ◽

Margot Peeters ◽

Gonneke W.J.M. Stevens ◽

Anton E. Kunst ◽

Catharina A. Hartman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young Adulthood ◽

Educational Level ◽

Attention Problems ◽

Sensitivity Analyses ◽

Educational Performance ◽

Social Causation ◽

Health Related ◽

Externalizing Behaviour ◽

Adolescence And Young Adulthood ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Social causation and health-related selection may contribute to educational gradients in adolescents’ attention problems (AP) and externalizing behaviour (EB). From past studies it is unclear which of these mechanisms predominates, as AP and EB have the potential to interfere with educational performance, but may also be affected by differences in the educational context. Furthermore, gradients in AP and EB may reflect confounding by stable background characteristics, which are often unmeasured (e.g. genetics). We investigated social causation and health-related selection in the development of educational differences in EB and AP. Methods We used data from a Dutch population-based cohort (TRAILS Study; n = 2,229), including measurements of educational level, EB, and AP at ages around 14, 16, 19, 22, and 26 years. We employed cross-lagged panel models with fixed effects. This novel method allowed to evaluate the directionality in longitudinal associations between education, EB, and AP, whilst simultaneously controlling for time-stable individual differences. Results AP, but not EB, consistently predicted decreases in subsequent educational level throughout all of adolescence and young adulthood. Regarding social causation, only lower education around age 14 predicted increases in AP around age 16, though this effect was not robust in sensitivity analyses. Conclusions AP interfere with educational performance and have the potential to negatively affect adolescents’ educational attainment throughout all phases of adolescence and young adulthood. Key messages Interventions to address the impact of AP on education are necessary in all age groups. Hereby, it is important to take developmental differences into account.

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Hard Boiled: Alcohol Use as a Risk Factor for MDMA-Induced Hyperthermia: a Systematic Review

Neurotoxicity Research ◽

10.1007/s12640-021-00416-z ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jan van Amsterdam ◽

Tibor M. Brunt ◽

Mimi Pierce ◽

Wim van den Brink

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Use ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Fatal Outcome ◽

Alcoholic Beverages ◽

Potential Health ◽

Ambient Temperatures ◽

Induced Hyperthermia ◽

Delayed Initiation ◽

Health Related

AbstractAlthough MDMA (ecstasy) is a relatively safe recreational drug and is currently considered for therapeutic use for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD), recreational MDMA use occasionally elicits hyperthermia and hyponatremia, sometimes with a fatal outcome. Specific risk factors for both adverse effects are profuse sweating while vigorously dancing under unfavorable conditions such as high ambient temperatures and insufficient fluid suppletion which result in dehydration. Concomitant use of MDMA and alcohol is highly prevalent, but adds to the existing risk, because alcohol facilitates the emergence of MDMA-induced adverse events, like hyperthermia, dehydration, and hyponatremia. Because of potential health-related consequences of concomitant use of MDMA and alcohol, it is important to identify the mechanisms of the interactions between alcohol and MDMA. This review summarizes the main drivers of MDMA-induced hyperthermia, dehydration, and hyponatremia and the role of concomitant alcohol use. It is shown that alcohol use has a profound negative impact by its interaction with most of these drivers, including poikilothermia, exposure to high ambient temperatures, heavy exercise (vigorous dancing), vasoconstriction, dehydration, and delayed initiation of sweating and diuresis. It is concluded that recreational and clinical MDMA-users should refrain from concomitant drinking of alcoholic beverages to reduce the risk for adverse health incidents when using MDMA.

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Parenting Behaviors and Anxiety in Young Adults

Journal of Individual Differences ◽

10.1027/1614-0001/a000169 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 36 (3) ◽

pp. 170-176 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Erin N. Stevens ◽

Joseph R. Bardeen ◽

Kyle W. Murdock

Keyword(s):

Effortful Control ◽

Parenting Behaviors ◽

Protective Role ◽

Anxiety Symptoms ◽

Interactive Effects ◽

Parental Overprotection ◽

High Control ◽

Development Of Anxiety ◽

The Relationship

Parenting behaviors – specifically behaviors characterized by high control, intrusiveness, rejection, and overprotection – and effortful control have each been implicated in the development of anxiety pathology. However, little research has examined the protective role of effortful control in the relation between parenting and anxiety symptoms, specifically among adults. Thus, we sought to explore the unique and interactive effects of parenting and effortful control on anxiety among adults (N = 162). Results suggest that effortful control uniquely contributes to anxiety symptoms above and beyond that of any parenting behavior. Furthermore, effortful control acted as a moderator of the relationship between parental overprotection and anxiety, such that overprotection is associated with anxiety only in individuals with lower levels of effortful control. Implications for potential prevention and intervention efforts which specifically target effortful control are discussed. These findings underscore the importance of considering individual differences in self-regulatory abilities when examining associations between putative early-life risk factors, such as parenting, and anxiety symptoms.

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