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Abo Hamza E, Tindle R, Pawlak S, Bedewy D, Moustafa AA. The impact of poverty and socioeconomic status on brain, behaviour, and development: a unified framework. Rev Neurosci 2024; 35:597-617. [PMID: 38607658 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2023-0163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
In this article, we, for the first time, provide a comprehensive overview and unified framework of the impact of poverty and low socioeconomic status (SES) on the brain and behaviour. While there are many studies on the impact of low SES on the brain (including cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, and even neurotransmitters) and behaviours (including educational attainment, language development, development of psychopathological disorders), prior studies did not integrate behavioural, educational, and neural findings in one framework. Here, we argue that the impact of poverty and low SES on the brain and behaviour are interrelated. Specifically, based on prior studies, due to a lack of resources, poverty and low SES are associated with poor nutrition, high levels of stress in caregivers and their children, and exposure to socio-environmental hazards. These psychological and physical injuries impact the normal development of several brain areas and neurotransmitters. Impaired functioning of the amygdala can lead to the development of psychopathological disorders, while impaired hippocampus and cortex functions are associated with a delay in learning and language development as well as poor academic performance. This in turn perpetuates poverty in children, leading to a vicious cycle of poverty and psychological/physical impairments. In addition to providing economic aid to economically disadvantaged families, interventions should aim to tackle neural abnormalities caused by poverty and low SES in early childhood. Importantly, acknowledging brain abnormalities due to poverty in early childhood can help increase economic equity. In the current study, we provide a comprehensive list of future studies to help understand the impact of poverty on the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eid Abo Hamza
- College of Education, Humanities & Social Sciences, 289293 Al Ain University , 64141, Al Jimi, UAE
- Faculty of Education, Tanta University, Al-Geish St., 122011, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Richard Tindle
- JMS Allied Services, 1109 Coffs Harbour , NSW, 2452, Australia
| | - Simon Pawlak
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, John Street, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia
| | - Dalia Bedewy
- Department of Psychology, College of Humanities and Sciences, 59104 Ajman University , University Street, Al jerf 1, Ajman, UAE
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education, Tanta University, Al-Geish St., 122011, Tanta, Egypt
- 59104 Humanities and Social Sciences Research Center (HSSRC), Ajman University , University Street, Al jerf 1, Ajman, UAE
| | - Ahmed A Moustafa
- Department of Human Anatomy and Physiology, The Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Cnr Kingsway & University Roads, Auckland Park, Johannesburg, 2092, South Africa
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Society and Design, 448704 Bond University , 14 University Dr, Robina QLD 4226, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
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Butzin-Dozier Z, Mertens AN, Tan ST, Granger DA, Pitchik HO, Il'yasova D, Tofail F, Rahman MZ, Spasojevic I, Shalev I, Ali S, Karim MR, Shahriar S, Famida SL, Shuman G, Shoab AK, Akther S, Hossen MS, Mutsuddi P, Rahman M, Unicomb L, Das KK, Yan L, Meyer A, Stewart CP, Hubbard AE, Naved RT, Parvin K, Mamun MMA, Luby SP, Colford JM, Fernald LCH, Lin A. Stress biomarkers and child development in young children in Bangladesh. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 164:107023. [PMID: 38522372 PMCID: PMC11157411 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hundreds of millions of children in low- and middle-income countries are exposed to chronic stressors, such as poverty, poor sanitation and hygiene, and sub-optimal nutrition. These stressors can have physiological consequences for children and may ultimately have detrimental effects on child development. This study explores associations between biological measures of chronic stress in early life and developmental outcomes in a large cohort of young children living in rural Bangladesh. METHODS We assessed physiologic measures of stress in the first two years of life using measures of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis (salivary cortisol and glucocorticoid receptor gene methylation), the sympathetic-adrenal-medullary (SAM) system (salivary alpha-amylase, heart rate, and blood pressure), and oxidative status (F2-isoprostanes). We assessed child development in the first two years of life with the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories (CDI), the WHO gross motor milestones, and the Extended Ages and Stages Questionnaire (EASQ). We compared development outcomes of children at the 75th and 25th percentiles of stress biomarker distributions while adjusting for potential confounders using generalized additive models, which are statistical models where the outcome is predicted by a potentially non-linear function of predictor variables. RESULTS We analyzed data from 684 children (49% female) at both 14 and 28 months of age; we included an additional 765 children at 28 months of age. We detected a significant relationship between HPA axis activity and child development, where increased HPA axis activity was associated with poor development outcomes. Specifically, we found that cortisol reactivity (coefficient -0.15, 95% CI (-0.29, -0.01)) and post-stressor levels (coefficient -0.12, 95% CI (-0.24, -0.01)) were associated with CDI comprehension score, post-stressor cortisol was associated with combined EASQ score (coefficient -0.22, 95% CI (-0.41, -0.04), and overall glucocorticoid receptor methylation was associated with CDI expression score (coefficient -0.09, 95% CI (-0.17, -0.01)). We did not detect a significant relationship between SAM activity or oxidative status and child development. CONCLUSIONS Our observations reveal associations between the physiological evidence of stress in the HPA axis with developmental status in early childhood. These findings add to the existing evidence exploring the developmental consequences of early life stress.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew N Mertens
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Sophia T Tan
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Douglas A Granger
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Helen O Pitchik
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Fahmida Tofail
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md Ziaur Rahman
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Idan Shalev
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Shahjahan Ali
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Sunny Shahriar
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Gabrielle Shuman
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Abul K Shoab
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Salma Akther
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md Saheen Hossen
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Palash Mutsuddi
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Mahbubur Rahman
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Leanne Unicomb
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Kishor K Das
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | | | | | - Alan E Hubbard
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Kausar Parvin
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Stephen P Luby
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - John M Colford
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Lia C H Fernald
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Audrie Lin
- Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
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Fábián G, Szoboszlai K, Tóth AP, Fedor AR. The Impact of Poverty on Children's Well-Being and Health Behavior Based on the Results of Research Conducted in One of Hungary's Most Disadvantaged Micro-Regions. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 11:624. [PMID: 38929204 PMCID: PMC11202138 DOI: 10.3390/children11060624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
This empirical research on children's poverty and the accompanying risk behavior was conducted in the Baktalórántháza micro-region, in one of the most disadvantaged micro-regions of Hungary. The study, completed in 2023, was conducted utilizing three methods, a questionnaire for families, interviews, and focus group interviews with social professionals working in the settlements. The region is one of the ten micro-regions with the highest poverty rate in the country. The majority of the population only has an elementary education, and the proportion of graduates is much lower than the national average. The proportion of households with three or more children is higher than the national average and the proportion of unemployed people in households with children is twice as high as the national average. Based on the experience of social workers working in the area, in addition to smoking and drinking alcohol, the consumption of psychoactive and psychotropic substances has increased among adolescents and young adults. Based on various indicators, children regularly consume illegal drugs. The origin and composition of these drugs are typically unknown. According to the reports by drug users, everyday life is easier, and they can escape from problems when under the influence of drugs. Based on the observations of experts, the consumption of various psychoactive substances has harmful effects on behavior, health, learning, and family life. School performance and the ability to think and learn decrease. Drug users are dissatisfied with their lives, have problems with social relationships, engage in partner violence, and may develop antisocial behavior in their lives.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Katalin Szoboszlai
- Social Sciences Institute of Department of Social Sciences and Social Work, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Debrecen, H-4400 Nyíregyháza, Hungary; (G.F.); (A.P.T.); (A.R.F.)
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Aronoff JE, McDade TW, Adair LS, Lee NR, Carba DB, MacIsaac JL, Dever K, Atashzay P, Kobor MS, Kuzawa CW. Socioeconomic status is negatively associated with immunosenescence but positively associated with inflammation among middle-aged women in Cebu, Philippines. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 115:101-108. [PMID: 37820972 PMCID: PMC10841485 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Socioeconomic status (SES) gradients in health are well-documented, and while biological pathways are incompletely understood, chronic inflammation and accelerated immune aging (immunosenescence) among lower SES individuals have been implicated. However, previous findings have come from samples in higher income countries, and it is unclear how generalizable they are to lower- and middle-income countries (LMIC) with different infectious exposures and where adiposity-an important contributor to chronic inflammation-might show different SES patterning. To address this gap, we explored associations between SES and inflammation and immunosenescence in a sample of women in Cebu, Philippines. METHODS Data came from the mothers of the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey birth cohort (mean age: 47.7, range: 35-69 years). SES was measured as a combination of annual household income, education level, and assets. Chronic inflammation was measured using C-reactive protein (CRP) in plasma samples from 1,834 women. Immunosenescence was measured by the abundance of exhausted CD8T (CD8 + CD28-CD45RA-) and naïve CD8T and CD4T cells, estimated from DNA methylation in whole blood in a random subsample of 1,028. Possible mediators included waist circumference and a collection of proxy measures of pathogen exposure. RESULTS SES was negatively associated with the measures of immunosenescence, with slight evidence for mediation by a proxy measure for pathogen exposure from the household's drinking water source. In contrast, SES was positively associated with CRP, which was explained by the positive association with waist circumference. CONCLUSIONS Similar to higher income populations, in Cebu there is an SES-gradient in pathogen exposures and immunosenescence. However, lifestyle changes occurring more rapidly among higher SES individuals is contributing to a positive association between SES and adiposity and inflammation. Our results suggest more studies are needed to clarify the relationship between SES and inflammation and immunosenescence across LMIC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob E Aronoff
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA; Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
| | - Thomas W McDade
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA; Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Linda S Adair
- Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, Carolina Population Center, CB #8120, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Nanette R Lee
- Office of Population Studies Foundation, University of San Carlos, Cebu City, Philippines
| | - Delia B Carba
- Office of Population Studies Foundation, University of San Carlos, Cebu City, Philippines
| | - Julia L MacIsaac
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kristy Dever
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Parmida Atashzay
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Michael S Kobor
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Christopher W Kuzawa
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA; Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
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Haraldstad K, Abildsnes E, Bøe T, Vigsnes KL, Wilson P, Mølland E. Health-related quality of life of children from low-income families: the new patterns study. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:2439. [PMID: 38057731 PMCID: PMC10702070 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-17335-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Child poverty has been gradually rising, and about 12% of all Norwegian children are living in a state of relative poverty. This study was part of the New Patterns project, which recruits low-income families requiring long-term welfare services. Included families receive integrated welfare services, with the help of a family coordinator. The current study objectives were to explore the associations between HRQoL, demographic variables (age, gender, immigration status) and leisure activities in children and adolescents in low-income families. METHODS A cross-sectional survey was conducted among low-income families. Participating families had children (N = 214) aged 8-18 years.The family had a household income below 60% of the equivalized median population income for three consecutive years and needed long-term welfare services. HRQoL was measured using the KIDSCREEN-27 self-report instrument. Descriptive statistics, including means, standard deviations, and proportions, were calculated, and ordinary least squares regressions were performed, clustering standard errors at the family level. RESULTS Compared with boys, girls reported lower HRQoL on only one out of five dimensions, physical wellbeing. In the regression analysis we found statistically significant positive associations between migrant status and HRQoL on all five dimensions: physical wellbeing, psychological wellbeing, parents and autonomy, peers and social support, and school environment. In addition, age was associated with school environment, and age, gender and participation in leisure activities was associated with better physical wellbeing. CONCLUSIONS Baseline results regarding HRQoL among children and adolescents in low-income families indicate that they have overall good HRQoL, though some participants had low HRQoL scores, especially on the physical and social support dimensions. Children with an immigrant background report higher HRQoL than do children without an immigrant background.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Haraldstad
- Department of Health and Nursing science, Faculty of Health and Sport Science, University of Agder, Agder, Norway.
| | - Eirik Abildsnes
- Department of Psychosocial Health, Faculty of Health and Sport Science, University of Agder, Agder, Norway
- Kristiansand Municipality, Agder, Norway
| | - Tormod Bøe
- Department of psychosocial science, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- RKBU Vest, NORCE Norwegian Research Center, Bergen, Norway
| | - Kristine L Vigsnes
- Kristiansand Municipality, Agder, Norway
- Department of Nutrition and Public Health, Faculty of Health and Sport Science, University of Agder, Agder, Norway
| | - Philip Wilson
- Institute of Applied Health Science, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland
- Centre for Research and Education in General Practice, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Eirin Mølland
- Department of Economics and Finance, School of Business and Law, University of Agder, Agder, Norway
- NORCE, Norwegian Research Centre As, Bergen, Norway
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Butzin-Dozier Z, Mertens AN, Tan ST, Granger DA, Pitchik HO, Il’yasova D, Tofail F, Rahman MZ, Spasojevic I, Shalev I, Ali S, Karim MR, Shahriar S, Famida SL, Shuman G, Shoab AK, Akther S, Hossen MS, Mutsuddi P, Rahman M, Unicomb L, Das KK, Yan L, Meyer A, Stewart CP, Hubbard A, Tabassum Naved R, Parvin K, Mamun MMA, Luby SP, Colford JM, Fernald LCH, Lin A. Stress Biomarkers and Child Development in Young Children in Bangladesh. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.09.12.23295429. [PMID: 37745503 PMCID: PMC10516093 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.12.23295429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Background Hundreds of millions of children in low- and middle-income countries are exposed to chronic stressors, such as poverty, poor sanitation and hygiene, and sub-optimal nutrition. These stressors can have physiological consequences for children and may ultimately have detrimental effects on child development. This study explores associations between biological measures of chronic stress in early life and developmental outcomes in a large cohort of young children living in rural Bangladesh. Methods We assessed physiologic measures of stress in the first two years of life using measures of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis (salivary cortisol and glucocorticoid receptor gene methylation), the sympathetic-adrenal-medullary (SAM) system (salivary alpha-amylase, heart rate, and blood pressure), and oxidative status (F2-isoprostanes). We assessed child development in the first two years of life with the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories (CDI), the WHO gross motor milestones, and the Extended Ages and Stages Questionnaire (EASQ). We compared development outcomes of children at the 75th and 25th percentiles of stress biomarker distributions while adjusting for potential confounders (hereafter referred to as contrasts) using generalized additive models, which are statistical models where the outcome is predicted by a potentially non-linear function of predictor variables. Results We analyzed data from 684 children (49% female) at both 14 and 28 months of age; we included an additional 765 children at 28 months of age. We observed 135 primary contrasts of the differences in child development outcomes at the 75th and 25th percentiles of stress biomarkers, where we detected significant relationships in 5 out of 30 contrasts (17%) of HPA axis activity, 1 out of 30 contrasts (3%) of SAM activity, and 3 out of 75 contrasts (4%) of oxidative status. These findings revealed that measures of HPA axis activity were associated with poor development outcomes. We did not find consistent evidence that markers of SAM system activity or oxidative status were associated with developmental status. Conclusions Our observations reveal associations between the physiological evidence of stress in the HPA axis with developmental status in early childhood. These findings add to the existing evidence exploring the developmental consequences of early life stress.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew N. Mertens
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA USA
| | - Sophia T. Tan
- Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Global Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Douglas A. Granger
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Helen O. Pitchik
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA USA
| | | | - Fahmida Tofail
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md. Ziaur Rahman
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Idan Shalev
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA USA
| | - Shahjahan Ali
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Sunny Shahriar
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Syeda Luthfa Famida
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Gabrielle Shuman
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA USA
| | - Abul K. Shoab
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Salma Akther
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md. Saheen Hossen
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Palash Mutsuddi
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Mahbubur Rahman
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Leanne Unicomb
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Kishor K. Das
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | | | | | - Alan Hubbard
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA USA
| | | | - Kausar Parvin
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md. Mahfuz Al Mamun
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Stephen P. Luby
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - John M. Colford
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA USA
| | - Lia C. H. Fernald
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA USA
| | - Audrie Lin
- Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA USA
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Adebiyi E, Pietri-Toro J, Awujoola A, Gwynn L. Association of Adverse Childhood Experiences with Heart Conditions in Children: Insight from the 2019-2020 National Survey of Children's Health. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 10:486. [PMID: 36980044 PMCID: PMC10047196 DOI: 10.3390/children10030486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have been associated with a higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and premature mortality in adults. OBJECTIVES We evaluated the associations between ACEs and heart diseases among children in the United States. METHODS Data on children ages 0 to 17 years reported by parents/guardians to have current heart conditions were analyzed. Using Stata version 17 software, descriptive statistics were generated for the demographic characteristics and the various health outcomes using the chi-square of independence. Multivariate logistic regression models were employed to determine the associations between ACEs and heart conditions, the severity of heart conditions, and overall health status. RESULTS There were 826 children with current heart conditions from a total of 68,753 surveyed children. This corresponded to an estimated 780,000 (1.13%) children living with heart conditions in the U.S. On multivariate logistic models, several ACEs, including household economic hardship, parental/guardian's alcohol/drug abuse, severe mental health illness of parents/guardians, racial/ethnic discrimination, exposure to neighborhood violence, and accumulation of two or more ACEs, were significantly associated with heart diseases among children. Though the accumulation of two or more ACEs did not have a significant association with the severity of heart condition, it was significantly associated with caregiver reports of undesirable overall health status. CONCLUSIONS ACEs are significantly associated with heart conditions among children and contribute to unfavorable overall health status among children with heart conditions in the U.S. There is a need for policies and programs that will promptly identify ACEs and mitigate their negative impact on children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ebenezer Adebiyi
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Miami/Jackson Health System, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Jariselle Pietri-Toro
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Miami/Jackson Health System, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Adeola Awujoola
- Department of Pediatrics, BronxCare Health System, New York, NY 10457, USA
| | - Lisa Gwynn
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Miami/Jackson Health System, Miami, FL 33136, USA
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Spry EA, Olsson CA, Aarsman SR, Mohamad Husin H, Macdonald JA, Dashti SG, Moreno-Betancur M, Letcher P, Biden EJ, Thomson KC, McAnally H, Greenwood CJ, Middleton M, Hutchinson DM, Carlin JB, Patton GC. Parental personality and early life ecology: a prospective cohort study from preconception to postpartum. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3332. [PMID: 36849463 PMCID: PMC9971123 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29139-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Personality reliably predicts life outcomes ranging from social and material resources to mental health and interpersonal capacities. However, little is known about the potential intergenerational impact of parent personality prior to offspring conception on family resources and child development across the first thousand days of life. We analysed data from the Victorian Intergenerational Health Cohort Study (665 parents, 1030 infants; est. 1992), a two-generation study with prospective assessment of preconception background factors in parental adolescence, preconception personality traits in young adulthood (agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, extraversion, and openness), and multiple parental resources and infant characteristics in pregnancy and after the birth of their child. After adjusting for pre-exposure confounders, both maternal and paternal preconception personality traits were associated with numerous parental resources and attributes in pregnancy and postpartum, as well as with infant biobehavioural characteristics. Effect sizes ranged from small to moderate when considering parent personality traits as continuous exposures, and from small to large when considering personality traits as binary exposures. Young adult personality, well before offspring conception, is associated with the perinatal household social and financial context, parental mental health, parenting style and self-efficacy, and temperamental characteristics of offspring. These are pivotal aspects of early life development that ultimately predict a child's long-term health and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A. Spry
- grid.1021.20000 0001 0526 7079Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia ,grid.1058.c0000 0000 9442 535XCentre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia ,grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia ,grid.1021.20000 0001 0526 7079Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VIC 3125 Australia
| | - Craig A. Olsson
- grid.1021.20000 0001 0526 7079Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia ,grid.1058.c0000 0000 9442 535XCentre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia ,grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Stephanie R. Aarsman
- grid.1021.20000 0001 0526 7079Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia ,grid.1058.c0000 0000 9442 535XCentre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Hanafi Mohamad Husin
- grid.1058.c0000 0000 9442 535XCentre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Jacqui A. Macdonald
- grid.1021.20000 0001 0526 7079Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia ,grid.1058.c0000 0000 9442 535XCentre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia ,grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - S. Ghazaleh Dashti
- grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia ,grid.1058.c0000 0000 9442 535XClinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Margarita Moreno-Betancur
- grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia ,grid.1058.c0000 0000 9442 535XClinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Primrose Letcher
- grid.1021.20000 0001 0526 7079Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia ,grid.1058.c0000 0000 9442 535XCentre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia ,grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Ebony J. Biden
- grid.1021.20000 0001 0526 7079Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia ,grid.1058.c0000 0000 9442 535XCentre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Kimberly C. Thomson
- grid.1021.20000 0001 0526 7079Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia ,grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830Human Early Learning Partnership, School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada ,grid.498772.7Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, Providence Health Care Research Institute, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Helena McAnally
- grid.29980.3a0000 0004 1936 7830Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Christopher J. Greenwood
- grid.1021.20000 0001 0526 7079Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia ,grid.1058.c0000 0000 9442 535XCentre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia ,grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Melissa Middleton
- grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia ,grid.1058.c0000 0000 9442 535XClinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Delyse M. Hutchinson
- grid.1021.20000 0001 0526 7079Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia ,grid.1058.c0000 0000 9442 535XCentre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia ,grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia ,grid.1005.40000 0004 4902 0432National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - John B. Carlin
- grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia ,grid.1058.c0000 0000 9442 535XClinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
| | - George C. Patton
- grid.1058.c0000 0000 9442 535XCentre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia ,grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
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9
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Mehdipanah R, McVay KR, Schulz AJ. Historic Redlining Practices and Contemporary Determinants of Health in the Detroit Metropolitan Area. Am J Public Health 2023; 113:S49-S57. [PMID: 36696614 PMCID: PMC9877378 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2022.307162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Objectives. To examine how redlining, a historical racially discriminatory housing policy implemented by the Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC), is associated with current neighborhood determinants of health in the Detroit Metropolitan Area. Methods. We analyzed associations between census tract‒level HOLC color grades (red = "hazardous"; yellow = "declining"; blue = "desirable"; and green = "best") and a developed neighborhood determinants of health index (DOHI) consisting of 8 indicators of economic, social, governance, and physical environment characteristics using spatial regression analysis and controlling for change in the census tract's percentage of White residents. Results. A total of 484 Detroit Metropolitan Area census tracts had HOLC grades. The mean redlining score across all census tracts was 3.02 (min = 1.0; max = 4.0). The mean contemporary DOHI was 19.11 (min = 8.0; max = 36.0). Regression models show significantly higher DOHI scores in yellowlined (b = 2.71; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.52, 3.91), bluelined (b = 5.33; 95% CI = 3.65, 7.01), and greenlined (b = 9.25; 95% CI = 6.86, 11.64) neighborhoods compared with redlined neighborhoods. Conclusions. Historical redlined neighborhoods experience contemporary determinants of health conditions that are less conducive to health compared with those in nonredlined neighborhoods. These differences also reflect the accumulation of resources essential for health in greenlined neighborhoods. Public Health Implications. Neighborhood development initiatives should consider the impacts of historical redlining on contemporary neighborhood conditions. (Am J Public Health. 2023;113(S1): S49-S57. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.307162).
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Affiliation(s)
- Roshanak Mehdipanah
- Roshanak Mehdipanah and Amy J. Schulz are with the School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Katelyn R. McVay is with the Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
| | - Katelyn R McVay
- Roshanak Mehdipanah and Amy J. Schulz are with the School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Katelyn R. McVay is with the Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
| | - Amy J Schulz
- Roshanak Mehdipanah and Amy J. Schulz are with the School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Katelyn R. McVay is with the Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
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10
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Childhood Trauma and Epigenetics: State of the Science and Future. Curr Environ Health Rep 2022; 9:661-672. [PMID: 36242743 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-022-00381-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW There is a great deal of interest regarding the biological embedding of childhood trauma and social exposures through epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation (DNAm), but a comprehensive understanding has been hindered by issues of limited reproducibility between studies. This review presents a summary of the literature on childhood trauma and DNAm, highlights issues in the field, and proposes some potential solutions. RECENT FINDINGS Investigations of the associations between DNAm and childhood trauma are commonly performed using candidate gene approaches, specifically involving genes related to neurological and stress pathways. Childhood trauma is defined in a wide range of ways in several societal contexts. However, although variations in DNAm are frequently found in stress-related genes, unsupervised epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) have shown limited reproducibility both between studies and in relating these changes to exposures. The reproducibility of childhood trauma DNAm studies, and the field of social epigenetics in general, may be improved by increasing sample sizes, standardizing variables, making use of effect size thresholds, collecting longitudinal and intervention samples, appropriately accounting for known confounding factors, and applying causal analysis wherever possible, such as "two-step epigenetic Mendelian randomization."
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11
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Dehghani M, Bernards J. The effectiveness of structural family therapy in repairing behavioral problems and improving family functioning in single-parent families in Iran. JOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY 2022; 48:1040-1058. [PMID: 35719007 DOI: 10.1111/jmft.12597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Family is foundational to Iranian culture and society and traditional families have been upheld by religious and political institutions since ancient times. However, the incidence of single-parent families in Iran is increasing and literature on treating dysfunction in these families in therapy is lacking. This study examines the effectiveness of structural family therapy (SFT) in addressing problems in family functioning and children's behavior in single-parent Iranian families using a single-case, multiple baseline, ABA design. Participants included five single mothers and their children who received SFT for 8 weeks following a baseline phase. Participants were assessed during the baseline, therapy, and follow-up phases using the Child Behavior Checklist and the Family Assessment Device. The data were analyzed visually and quantitatively. Results indicated that the treatment was effective in decreasing behavior problems and improving family functioning and that treatment effects were statistically significant and stable through the follow-up period. Research and clinical implications and limitations are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mostafa Dehghani
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Persian Gulf University, Bushehr, Iran
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12
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Kent MH, Jacob JC, Bowen G, Bhalerao J, Desinor S, Vavra D, Leserve D, Ott KR, Angeles B, Martis M, Sciandra K, Gillenwater K, Glory C, Meisel E, Choe A, Olivares-Navarrete R, Puetzer JL, Lambert K. Disrupted development from head to tail: Pervasive effects of postnatal restricted resources on neurobiological, behavioral, and morphometric outcomes. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:910056. [PMID: 35990727 PMCID: PMC9389412 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.910056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
When a maternal rat nurtures her pups, she relies on adequate resources to provide optimal care for her offspring. Accordingly, limited environmental resources may result in atypical maternal care, disrupting various developmental outcomes. In the current study, maternal Long-Evans rats were randomly assigned to either a standard resource (SR) group, provided with four cups of bedding and two paper towels for nesting material or a limited resource (LR) group, provided with a quarter of the bedding and nesting material provided for the SR group. Offspring were monitored at various developmental phases throughout the study. After weaning, pups were housed in same-sex dyads in environments with SRs for continued observations. Subsequent behavioral tests revealed a sex × resource interaction in play behavior on PND 28; specifically, LR reduced play attacks in males while LR increased play attacks in females. A sex × resource interaction was also observed in anxiety-related responses in the open field task with an increase in thigmotaxis in LR females and, in the social interaction task, females exhibited more external rears oriented away from the social target. Focusing on morphological variables, tail length measurements of LR males and females were shorter on PND 9, 16, and 21; however, differences in tail length were no longer present at PND 35. Following the behavioral assessments, animals were perfused at 56 days of age and subsequent immunohistochemical assays indicated increased glucocorticoid receptors in the lateral habenula of LR offspring and higher c-Fos immunoreactivity in the basolateral amygdala of SR offspring. Further, when tail vertebrae and tail tendons were assessed via micro-CT and hydroxyproline assays, results indicated increased trabecular separation, decreased bone volume fraction, and decreased connectivity density in bones, along with reduced collagen concentration in tendons in the LR animals. In sum, although the restricted resources only persisted for a brief duration, the effects appear to be far-reaching and pervasive in this early life stress animal model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly H. Kent
- Department of Biology, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, VA, United States
| | - Joanna C. Jacob
- Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Gabby Bowen
- Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Janhavi Bhalerao
- Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Stephanie Desinor
- Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Dylan Vavra
- Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Danielle Leserve
- Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Kelly R. Ott
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Benjamin Angeles
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Michael Martis
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Katherine Sciandra
- Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, United States
| | | | - Clark Glory
- Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Eli Meisel
- Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Allison Choe
- Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Rene Olivares-Navarrete
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Jennifer L. Puetzer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Kelly Lambert
- Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, United States
- *Correspondence: Kelly Lambert,
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