Clinical and behavioral correlates in adult methamphetamine users with childhood exposure to household drug and alcohol use

Aims: To describe and compare methamphetamine (MA) users with and without a family history of alcohol or drug () use in the household. Design: A total of 1144 Thai-speaking MA users in Thailand were recruited for a cohort study. Cross-sectional baseline data were analyzed according to their exposure to FAOD use (FAOD+/FAOD-). The Semi-Structured Assessment for Drug Dependence and Alcoholism (SSADDA) was utilized to collect baseline socio-demographic information and variables known to be associated with the impact of FAOD use. Findings: FAOD+ participants had lower average years of education (p<0.01), fewer average months of employment in the past year (p<0.01) and reported higher rates of self-harm experience (p<0.001), gambling (p=0.018) and antisocial personality disorder (p=0.015). FAOD+ participants had more severe clinical, adverse consequences. FAOD+ significantly predicted episodes of lifetime MA use (R2 =0.004, p=0.032), the largest number of drinks ever had in a 24-hour period (R2 =0.01, p=0.001), paranoid experiences ([OR]=1.090, p=0.004), alcohol dependence ([OR]=1.112, p=0.001) and antisocial personality disorder ([OR]=1.139, p=0.015). FAOD+ participants who were exposed to alcohol only were more likely to report a significantly higher number of drinks ever had in a 24-hour periods (p<0.005). Similarly, FAOD+ participants who were exposed to MA use only were significantly more likely to report more frequent use of MA (p<0.005). Conclusions: FAOD+ participants were characterized by a generally more severe clinical presentation than FAOD- participants. Moreover, we show the specificity of drug type mattered, with family exposure of alcohol and MA associated with greater subsequent use of the respective drugs.

The effects of childhood unpredictability and harshness on emotional control and relationship quality: A life history perspective

Being able to control oneself in emotionally upsetting situations is essential for good relationship functioning. According to life history theory, childhood exposure to harshness and unpredictability should forecast diminished emotional control and lower relationship quality. We examined this in three studies. In Studies 1 and 2, greater childhood unpredictability (frequent financial, residential, and familial changes), but not harshness (low SES), was associated with lower emotional control in adolescents (N = 1041) and adults (N = 327). These effects were stronger during the participants’ reproductive years. Moreover, in Study 2, greater childhood unpredictability was indirectly associated with lower relationship quality through lower emotional control. In study 3, we leveraged the Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Risk and Adaptation (N = 160). Greater early-life unpredictability (ages 0–4) prospectively predicted lower relationship quality at age 32 via lower emotional control at the same age. This relation was serially mediated by less supportive observed early maternal care (ages 1.5–3.5) and insecure attachment representations (ages 19 and 26). Early unpredictability also predicted greater observed emotional distress during conflict interactions with romantic partners (ages 19–36). These findings point to the role of emotional control in mediating the effects of unpredictable childhood environments on relationship functioning in adulthood.

Childhood Exposure to Family Violence and Later-Life Sibling Relationships

There has been a growth in research examining the long-term effects of childhood adversity on later life outcomes; however, only a few studies have examined the impact that childhood adversity has on sibling relationships in late adulthood. To address this gap in the literature, the current study examines the latent class structure of childhood exposure to family violence and investigates whether a latent class membership is associated with aspects of later-life sibling relationships, including geographical proximity, frequency of contact, perceived closeness, similarity in outlook, and exchange of support. Using data from 3,921 adult participants in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study and the Bolck, Croon, and Hagenaars (BCH) approach of latent class analysis (LCA), we identified five latent classes (prevalence rate noted): “Never experienced violence (75%),” “experienced sibling violence (7%),” “experienced parental abuse & witnessed domestic violence (4%),” “experienced father’s abuse & witnessed domestic violence (10%),” “experienced mother’s abuse & witnessed domestic violence (5%)”. Childhood exposure to family violence was a significant predictor of later-life sibling relationships. Specifically, adults who experienced sibling violence and their mother’s and/or father’s abuse in childhood showed significantly lower perceived closeness and similarity in outlook with their siblings in adulthood than those who did not experience violence. Our findings suggest that childhood exposure to family violence may have a long-term negative impact on the emotional aspect of sibling relationships. Future research may explore how the impact of childhood adversity on sibling relationships affects other aspects of adult lives, such as individual well-being or caregiving for aging parents.

The Emergence of an “Intersecting Circle” in Kachru’s Three Concentric Circles of World Englishes: A Case of Ethno-linguistic Neutrality in Central Nigeria

There is evidence that contemporary Nigeria is drifting towards a society of monolingual English users a component of which could be defined as lacking in ethno-linguistic identity. This trend is found among a generation of young Nigerian urban dwellers (between the age bracket of (12 and 25) who can neither communicate in their parents’ native language(s) nor indeed in any other Nigerian indigenous language; their only medium of communication is English. Although based on their childhood exposure to the English language and their relative competence in it, English can be described as their ‘‘mother tongue’’ but the fact that they are not native speakers given the socio-geographical circumstances of their birth excludes them from Kachru’s (1988) Inner Circle classification of native speakers. Consequently, these Nigerians are left without a clearly defined ethno-linguistic affiliation. This paper interrogates this emerging sociolinguistic phenomenon in especially Central Nigeria, with the aim of stimulating scholarly consciousness on the ethno-linguistic identity of this category of Nigerians, and its implications for English usage among them. The submission of the paper is that another circle, “the intersecting circle”, be created for them since they bestride both the inner circle in having English as their “mother tongue” and yet they are not native speakers of the language

Positive Exemplar Exposure

In adults, implicit racial bias has been linked to prejudiced and discriminatory behavior. However, implicit racial biases emerge well before adulthood; as young as age six, children have already internalized the racial attitudes of their culture. Thus, it is critical for researchers to understand how to change implicit racial bias early in development, before its negative effects compound across the lifespan. The following chapter highlights one potential method of bias reduction in childhood: exposure to positive exemplars. As this method is both scalable and child-friendly, it has the potential to be used with young children on a broader cultural level. This chapter details child-friendly methods for measuring bias change and provides two examples of studies that have successfully employed positive exemplar exposure to reduce children’s implicit racial bias. I conclude the chapter with recommendations for future use of this intervention cross-culturally, as well as broader cultural applications.

Associations of Exposure to Nitrogen Oxides with Prevalent Asthma and Other Atopic Diseases in Israel

Childhood exposure to nitrogen oxides (NOx) is considered a risk factor for the onset of asthma. However, associations of this exposure with other atopic diseases and factors that modify this association are less clear. We aimed to study associations between exposure to NOx and the prevalence of atopic diseases in Israeli adolescents using a cross-sectional design. The study population comprised all Israeli-born adolescents whose medical status was evaluated for mandatory military recruitment during 1967–2017 (n = 2,523,745), of whom 5.9% had prevalent asthma. We based the exposure assessments on a land-use regression model and estimated associations using multivariable logistic regression models. Across all periods, mean exposure to NOx from birth to adolescence was associated with prevalent asthma at the examination in a dose-response manner, with an odds ratio for the upper quintile of 1.61 (95% CI: 1.56–1.67), in comparison to the lowest quintile. Associations were stronger in males and in lower socioeconomic strata. We found the strongest associations for asthma with comorbid rhinitis, with an almost twofold increase in the odds of upper versus lower quintile of exposure (odds ratio = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.82–2.11). Rhino-conjunctivitis and allergic atopic dermatitis suggested a possible threshold level with NOx. Capsule Summary: Research indicates that half of the global population will suffer from an allergic condition at some point in life. Childhood exposure to nitrogen oxides is a risk factor for the onset of asthma. The association between exposure and allergic diseases other than asthma is unclear. We demonstrate a strong, dose-response relationship between exposure and a group of allergic outcomes, using data comprising 2.5 million subjects over 50 years. The large health benefits from clean air should motivate governments to prioritize mitigation measures.