Adolescents' perceptions of differential parenting: Links with attachment style and adolescent adjustment

The study examines whether adolescent twins' attachment style mediates the association between their perceptions of differential parental treatment and their reported adjustment. Data from a survey of 174 adolescent twins are used to assess the links between twins' reports of differential parental affection and differential parental control, their attachment style, and their reported personal self-esteem, social self-esteem, and anxiety. Twins' reports of having been disfavored in comparison with their co-twin were associated with attachment insecurity, anxiety, and lower personal self-esteem. Attachment was found to mediate the association between the twins' reports of differential parental affection and their reported anxiety and personal self-esteem. The strongest evidence for mediation was found for twins' reports of differential maternal affection in predicting adolescent twins' anxiety.

Postpartum issues' for expectant mothers and fathers

Objective: To investigate the postpartum psychosocial and infant care topics that women and men who attend preparation for parenthood classes have been thinking or worrying about during the pregnancy. Furthermore, to compare the rates of endorsement of such issues for women and men so that clinicians can use this information to help plan which topics to include in preparation for parenthood classes. Design: A survey of expectant parents attending preparation for parenthood classes at a local public hospital. Participants completed a 17- to 19-item postpartum issues checklist devised for the study. Setting: Preparation for parenthood classes conducted in a public hospital in South Western Sydney, Australia. Participants: People attending the session were in their 2nd to 3rd trimester, of low to middle socioeconomic status, and 95% were expecting their first child. Eighty-five percent of women were accompanied by their male partner at the session. Data are reported from 201 women and 182 men. Measure: A 17-item issues checklist was devised initially and later expanded to 19 items. The initial checklist covered three psychosocial issues: interpersonal, intrapersonal, and parental competency. The expanded checklist also included items on infant care issues. Participants rated each item as to the extent to which they had been thinking or worrying about it over the past few weeks. Results: More than half of the men and women had been thinking or worrying about their ability to cope as new parents; just less than half of both men and women endorsed the item regarding the effect having a baby would have on their relationship with their partner; approximately 40% of women had thought that they might get bored or lonely when at home with the baby, and an equal rate of men reported that their partner experiencing this sense of boredom or loneliness was an issue for them. There were few differences between the genders in the rate of endorsement on the issues checklist. Conclusion: That many of the issues on the checklist are prevalent in both women and men at this time in the pregnancy would suggest that these are topics that would be pertinent for inclusion at preparation for parenthood classes. Although the checklist is not exhaustive, the data reported give empirical justification for inclusion of these topics in such classes.

Adolescent risk behaviors and communication research - Current directions

Examples of recent research into adolescent risk behaviors from a variety of disciplines and methodologies, denoting the range of researchers interested in this area and whose interest in communication and language articulates and exemplifies the extent of the field, are surveyed in this article.

Food Cent$: Educating mothers with a mental illness about nutrition

People with a mental illness can have deficits in a range of areas, including food skills. Mothers who have a mental illness and have residential care of their children are particularly vulnerable to experiencing food insecurity. The food skills programme known as Food Cent$ is a new way of spending money on food using the 10-plan, so that people can learn to balance their diet and their food budget. Occupational therapists in a mental health rehabilitation service incorporated the use of Food Cent$ into a parenting programme for mothers with a mental illness. A pilot study was conducted to identify whether the Food Cent$ programme influenced behaviours and attitudes towards food and food selection and preparation and reduced grocery expenditure. The participants were six mothers with a mental illness who had children under 5 years of age in their care. A focus group was conducted to gain insight into the experiences of mothers who had attended the programme. Supermarket receipts were collected before and after the project to determine changes in dietary practices. The results indicated that attending Food Cent$ contributed to an improvement in dietary intake, food selection and preparation, and grocery expenditure. Further research is required into the effectiveness of this programme with other target groups likely to experience food insecurity.

Linkage and Association Analysis of Radiation Damage Repair Genes XRCC3 and XRCC5 with Nevus Density in Adolescent Twins

Previous studies have shown that a deficiency in DNA damage repair is associated with increased cancer risk, and exposure to UV radiation is a major risk factor for the development of malignant melanoma. High density of common nevi (moles) is a major risk factor for cutaneous melanoma. A nevus may result from a mutation in a single UV-exposed melanocyte which failed to repair DNA damage in one or more critical genes. XRCC3 and XRCC5 may have an effect on nevus count through their function as components of DNA repair processes that may be involved directly or indirectly in the repair of DNA damage due to UV radiation. This study aims to test the hypothesis that the frequency of flat or raised moles is associated with polymorphism at or near these DNA repair genes, and that certain alleles are associated with less efficient DNA repair, and greater nevus density. Twins were recruited from schools in south eastern Queensland and were examined close to their 12th birthday. Nurses examined each individual and counted all moles on the entire body surface. A 10cM genome scan of 274 families (642 individuals) was performed and microsatellite polymorphisms in XRCC3 and adjacent to XRCC5 were also typed. Linkage and association of nevus count to these loci were tested simultaneously using a structural-equation modeling approach implemented in MX. There is weak evidence for linkage of XRCC5 to a QTL influencing raised mole count, and also weak association. There is also weak evidence for association between flat mole count and XRCC3. No tests were significant after correction for testing multiple alleles, nor were any of the tests for total association significant. If variation in XRCC3 or XRCC5 influences UV sensitivity, and indirectly affects nevus density, then the effects are small.

Accuracy of Mothers' Retrospective Reports of Smoking During Pregnancy: Comparison with Twin Sister Informant Ratings

Retrospective assessment of maternal smoking or substance use during pregnancy is sometimes unavoidable. The unusually close relationship of twin sister pairs permits comparison of self-report data versus co-twin informant data on substance use during pregnancy. Information about smoking during pregnancy has been gathered from a series of mothers from an Australian volunteer twin panel (576 women reporting on 995 pregnancies), supplemented in many cases by independent ratings of their smoking by twin sister informants (821 pregnancies). Estimates of the proportion of women who had never smoked regularly (56-58%), who had smoked but did not smoke during a particular pregnancy (16-21%), or who smoked throughout the pregnancy (16-18%), were in good agreement whether based on self-report or twin sister informant data. However, informants underreported cases who smoked during the first trimester but then quit (1-3% versus 7-9% by self-report). Women who smoked throughout pregnancy (by informant report) rarely denied a history of regular smoking (

Serum inhibin A and B concentrations during the menstrual cycle in mothers of spontaneous dizygotic twins

Dizygotic twinning in humans is influenced by genetic factors suggesting inherited variation affects follicle development and predisposes to double ovulations. In a previous study, we conducted a detailed examination of follicle development and variation in hormone concentrations during the menstrual cycle in mothers of DZ twins (MODZT) compared with an age-matched control group of mothers of singletons. We did not detect differences in FSH concentrations between mothers of twins and mothers of singletons. Serum inhibin concentrations were measured by a radioimmunoassay that did not distinguish between dimeric inhibin A and B forms and free inhibin alpha subunit. We therefore analyzed the samples from this study with specific assays to determine whether concentrations of inhibin A and B were different between MODZT and controls and therefore contribute to the twinning phenotype. There were no significant differences between MONT with single ovulations and control women in inhibin A and B concentrations during the cycle, including the critical period for the selection of the dominant follicle. These data suggest that the genetic cause of twinning is not associated with changes in FSH concentrations or recognised feedback mechanisms regulating FSH release.

Dizygotic twinning is not associated with methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase haplotypes

Background: Folate metabolism is critical to embryonic development, influencing neural tube defects (NTD) and recurrent early pregnancy loss. Polymorphisms in 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) have been associated with dizygotic (DZ) twinning through pregnancy loss. Methods: The C677T and A1298C polymorphisms in MTHFR were genotyped in 258 Australasian families (1016 individuals) and 118 Dutch families (462 individuals) of mothers of DZ twins and a population sample of 462 adolescent twin families (1861 individuals). Haplotypes were constructed from the alleles, and transmission of the MTHFR haplotypes to mothers of DZ twins and from parents to twins in the adolescent twin families analysed. Results: The C677T and A1298C were common in all three populations (frequencies > 0.29). There was strong linkage disequilibrium (D'=1) between the variants, showing that specific combinations of alleles (haplotypes) were transmitted together. Three haplotypes accounted for nearly all the variation. There was no evidence of any association between MTHFR genotype and twinning in mothers of twins, or of the loss of specific MTHFR genotypes during twin pregnancies. Conclusions: It is concluded that variation in twinning frequency is not associated with MTHFR genotype.

Opening windows into the mind: mothers' preferences for mental state explanations and children's theory of mind

A new questionnaire, the Maternal Mental State Input Inventory (MMSII) was created to measure mothers' preferences for introducing and elaborating on mental states in conversation with their young children. In two studies, the questionnaire was given to mothers of young children, and the children's theory of mind (ToM) development was assessed with standard tasks. In both studies, the questionnaire exhibited good internal reliability, and significant correlations emerged between mothers' self-reported preferences for elaborated, explanatory talk about the mental states and children's theory of mind performance. Further, mothers' conversational preferences, as measured by the MMSII, were the best predictors of children's theory of mind development when relevant control variables were included in the analyses. These results converge with naturalistic observational research that has demonstrated links between mothers' conversational styles and their children's theory of mind. They go further in suggesting that mothers' tendencies toward elaborated, explanatory talk about a range of mental states is particularly beneficial to children's theory of mind development. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

'Suitable mothers': lesbian and single women and the 'unborn' in Australian parliamentary discourse

Throughout the latter months of 2000 and early 2001, the Australian public, media and parliament were engaged in a long and emotive debate about motherhood. This debate constructed the two main protagonists, the unborn 'child' and the potential mother, with a variety of different and often oppositional identities. The article looks at the way that these subject identities interacted during the debate, starting from the premise that policy making has unintended and unacknowledged material outcomes, and using governmentality as a tool through which to analyse and understand processes of identity manipulation and resistance within policy making. The recent debate concerning the right of lesbian and single women to access new reproductive technologies in Australia is used as a case study. Nominally the debate was about access to IVF technology; in reality, however, the debate was about the governing of women and, in particular, the governing of motherhood identities. The article focuses on the parliamentary debate over the drafting of legislation designed to stop lesbian and single women from accessing these technologies, particularly the utilization of the 'unborn' subject within these debates as a device to discipline the identity of 'mother'.

Nutritional factors in milk from Brazilian mothers delivering small for gestational age neonates

The composition of breast milk from brazilian mothers delivering low birthweight infants and its adequacy as a source of nutrients for this group has not yet been fully elucidated. A total of 209 milk samples from 66 women were analysed. The mothers were divided into three groups: G1, mothers delivering term babies of low birthweight (TSGA, n=16); G2, mothers delivering preterm babies of appropriate birthweight (PTAGA, n=20); G3, mothers delivering term babies of appropriate birthweight (TAGA, n=30). The following factors were analysed: osmolarity, total proteins and protein fractions, creamatocrit, sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. Milk samples were collected 48 h and 7, 15, 30 and 60 days after delivery. The groups did not differ significantly in terms of osmolarity, total proteins and fractions, creamatocrit, calcium, magnesium or potassium throughout the study period. Sodium levels were higher in all samples from mothers of TSGA infants and in samples from mothers of PTAGA infants on the 7th, 15th and 30th days than in milk from the TAGA group. The authors consider the needs of the low birthweight and TAGA infants and that these high sodium levels may be necessary for growth of low birthweight infants.

Job control, job demands, social support at work and health among adolescent workers

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate physical and psychological dimensions of adolescent labor (such as job demands, job control, and social support in the work environment), and their relation to reported body pain, work injuries, sleep duration and daily working hours. METHODS: A total of 354 adolescents attending evening classes at a public school in São Paulo, Brazil, answered questionnaires regarding their living and working conditions (Karasek's Job Content Questionnaire, 1998), and their health status. Data collection took place in April and May 2001. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to determine relations among variables. RESULTS: Psychological job demands were related to body pain (OR=3.3), higher risk of work injuries (OR=3.0) and reduced sleep duration in weekdays (Monday to Thursday) (p<0.01). Lower decision authority in the workplace (p=0.03) and higher job security (p=0.02) were related to longer daily working hours. CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that besides physical stressors, psychological factors are to be taken into account when studying adolescent working conditions, as they may be associated with negative job conditions and health effects.

Reliability of a questionnaire on substance use among adolescent students, Brazil

OBJECTIVE: To analyze reliability of a self-applied questionnaire on substance use and misuse among adolescent students. METHODS: Two cross-sectional studies were carried out for the instrument test-retest. The sample comprised male and female students aged 1119 years from public and private schools (elementary, middle, and high school students) in the city of Salvador, Northeastern Brazil, in 2006. A total of 591 questionnaires were applied in the test and 467 in the retest. Descriptive statistics, the Kappa index, Cronbach's alpha and intraclass correlation were estimated. RESULTS: The prevalence of substance use/misuse was similar in both test and retest. Sociodemographic variables showed a "moderate" to "almost perfect" agreement for the Kappa index, and a "satisfactory" (>0.75) consistency for Cronbach's alpha and intraclass correlation. The age which psychoactive substances (tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis) were first used and chronological age were similar in both studies. Test-retest reliability was found to be a good indicator of students' age of initiation and their patterns of substance use. CONCLUSIONS: The questionnaire reliability was found to be satisfactory in the population studied.

Longitudinal anthropometric assessment of infants born to HIV-1-infected mothers, Belo Horizonte, Southeastern Brazil

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the growth parameters in infants who were born to HIV-1-infected mothers. METHODS: The study was a longitudinal evaluation of the z-scores for the weight-for-age (WAZ), weight-for-length (WLZ) and length-for-age (LAZ) data collected from a cohort. A total of 97 non-infected and 33 HIV-infected infants born to HIV-1-infected mothers in Belo Horizonte, Southeastern Brazil, between 1995 and 2003 was studied. The average follow-up period for the infected and non-infected children was 15.8 months (variation: 6.8 to 18.0 months) and 14.3 months (variation: 6.3 to 18.6 months), respectively. A mixed-effects linear regression model was used and was fitted using a restricted maximum likelihood. RESULTS: There was an observed decrease over time in the WAZ, LAZ and WLZ among the infected infants. At six months of age, the mean differences in the WAZ, LAZ and WLZ between the HIV-infected and non-infected infants were 1.02, 0.59, and 0.63 standard deviations, respectively. At 12 months, the mean differences in the WAZ, LAZ and WLZ between the HIV-infected and non-infected infants were 1.15, 1.01, and 0.87 standard deviations, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The precocious and increasing deterioration of the HIV-infected infants' anthropometric indicators demonstrates the importance of the early identification of HIV-infected infants who are at nutritional risk and the importance of the continuous assessment of nutritional interventions for these infants.