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Reck A, Sweet LH, Geier C, Kogan SM, Cui Z, Oshri A. Food insecurity and adolescent impulsivity: The mediating role of functional connectivity in the context of family flexibility. Dev Sci 2024:e13554. [PMID: 39054810 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Adolescent food insecurity is a salient adversity hypothesized to affect neural systems associated with increased impulsive behavior. Family environments shape how adverse experiences influence development. In this study, hypotheses were tested regarding the conjoint effects of food insecurity and family flexibility on impulsivity via alterations in connectivity between regions within the salience and central executive networks. Such alterations are reflected in resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) metrics between the anterior insula (AI) and the middle frontal gyrus (MFG). Hypotheses were tested in a longitudinal moderated mediation model with two waves of data from 142 adolescents (Time 1 [T1] Mage = 12.89, SD = 0.85; Time 2 [T2] Mage = 15.01, SD = 1.07). Data on past-year household food insecurity, family flexibility, and rsFC were obtained at T1. Impulsivity was self-reported by the adolescent at T1 and T2. Findings revealed that high T1 left-to-left rsFC between the AI and MFG was associated with increased impulsivity at T2. The interaction of family flexibility and food insecurity was associated with AI and MFG rsFC. In the context of low family flexibility, food insecurity was linked to high levels of AI and MFG rsFC. Conversely, in the context of optimal family flexibility, food insecurity was associated with low levels of AI and MFG rsFC. Conditional indirect analysis suggests that the links among food insecurity, rsFC, and impulsive behavior depend on family flexibility. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Adolescent food insecurity was associated with anterior insula and middle frontal gyrus connectivity only at certain levels of family flexibility. High family flexibility attenuated the link between food insecurity and neural connectivity, while low levels of family flexibility increased this risk. High left anterior insula and left middle frontal gyrus connectivity was associated with increased impulsivity 1 year later.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ava Reck
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Lawrence H Sweet
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Charles Geier
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Steven M Kogan
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Zehua Cui
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Assaf Oshri
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
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Green CD, Martinez AC, Becker SP. Examining ADHD and Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome Symptoms in Relation to Food Insecurity in Early Adolescents. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2024:10.1007/s10802-024-01226-5. [PMID: 38967900 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-024-01226-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
Approximately 13.8 million U.S. households face food insecurity, which severely affects child development, with more than half of these households including children. Research links food insecurity to cognitive deficits and mental health challenges, highlighting the need for thorough understanding and intervention. Although existing studies have explored the association between food insecurity and internalizing symptomatology, less research has examined food insecurity in relation to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. Further, no studies have explored the connection between food insecurity and cognitive disengagement syndrome (CDS) symptoms, closely related to ADHD symptoms. Despite extant research linking CDS to environmental factors, empirical attention to its potential association with food insecurity is notably lacking. Additionally, adolescents, almost twice as likely as younger children to experience household food insecurity, are likely more aware and respond differently to challenges during this developmental period. Accordingly, this study investigated the unique associations of parent-, teacher-, and youth self-reported ADHD dimensions and CDS symptoms in relation to parent-reported food insecurity in early adolescents (N = 136, ages 10-12). Controlling for age, sex, race, and medication use, no informant's ratings of ADHD symptom dimensions were uniquely related to food insecurity. In contrast, higher parent-, teacher-, and youth self-reported CDS symptoms were uniquely associated with greater food insecurity. This finding was robust to additional control of family income for teacher- and youth self-reported CDS symptoms. These findings highlight the complex link between food insecurity and mental health, suggest a connection with CDS symptoms, and stress the need to address food insecurity as a public health priority, especially in early adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathrin D Green
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH, 45229-3039, USA.
| | - Andrew C Martinez
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH, 45229-3039, USA
| | - Stephen P Becker
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH, 45229-3039, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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Thielman J, Orr S, Naraentheraraja S, Harrington D, Carsley S. Cross-sectional analysis of the association between household food insecurity and mental health conditions in children aged 5-11 years in Canada. BMJ Open 2024; 14:e081538. [PMID: 38925691 PMCID: PMC11202637 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-081538] [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: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children living in food insecure households have poorer mental health outcomes compared with their food-secure peers; however, the relationship between the severity of food insecurity and diagnosed mental health conditions in young children remains unknown. This study examined the association between household food insecurity and reported diagnosed mental health conditions among children aged 5-11 years in Canada. METHODS This study included 16 216 children aged 5-11 years living in Canada, from the 2019 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth. We measured household food insecurity using the Household Food Security Survey Module. We measured diagnosed mental health conditions by parent/caregiver report of health professional-diagnosed anxiety, depression, autism spectrum disorder or attention-deficit/hyperactive disorder. We developed a multivariable logistic regression model to assess the association between severities of food insecurity and mental health, controlling for potentially confounding variables. RESULTS 17.0% of children lived in households reporting some level of food insecurity (5.4% marginal, 8.0% moderate and 3.6% severe). The prevalence of at least one diagnosed mental health condition in the same population was 10.9%. After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, children from marginal, moderate and severe food insecure households had a 1.39 (95% CI 0.99 to 1.97), 1.46 (95% CI 1.13 to 1.89) and 1.67 (95% CI 1.18 to 2.35) increased odds of having a diagnosed mental health condition, respectively. CONCLUSION Household food insecurity is associated with an increased presence of diagnosed mental health conditions in children aged 5-11 years. This study adds to the body of research showing that social and economic inequities, including household food insecurity, negatively impact the health of children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Thielman
- Health Promotion, Chronic, Disease and Injury Prevention, Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sarah Orr
- Health Promotion, Chronic, Disease and Injury Prevention, Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Daniel Harrington
- Health Promotion, Chronic, Disease and Injury Prevention, Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sarah Carsley
- Health Promotion, Chronic, Disease and Injury Prevention, Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Gong Q, Ju S. Food Insecurity and Children's Problem Behaviors: The Mediating Role of Parental Relationship Quality and Parenting Stress. J Dev Behav Pediatr 2024:00004703-990000000-00170. [PMID: 38896566 DOI: 10.1097/dbp.0000000000001281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Food insecurity, identified as a critical stressor for many families, can directly and indirectly influence children's development through interparental relationships and parenting. This study examines how food insecurity relates to children's problem behaviors and the mediating roles of interparental relationship quality and parenting stress. It also investigates the association between parents' perception of relationship quality and both their own and their partner's parenting stress. METHOD The study included 2095 children from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study. The actor partner interdependence model was used to explore the actor and partner influence of relationship quality on parents' parenting stress. To examine the association pathways from food insecurity to children's problem behaviors, a structural equation model was conducted. RESULTS Results suggest that fathers' perception of couple relationship quality predicted both their own and their partner's parenting stress while mothers' perception of couple relationship quality only predicted their own, but not fathers', parenting stress. In the positive association between food insecurity and children's problem behaviors, there was a serial mediation through mothers' perception of relationship quality and mothers' parenting stress. In addition, food insecurity was negatively correlated with mothers' perception of relationship quality, but not with that of fathers. CONCLUSION This study highlights the pathway from food insecurity to children's problem behaviors through mothers' perceptions of interparental relationship quality and parenting stress. Results provide support for the family stress theory and offer valuable insights for the formulation of potential prevention and intervention programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiujie Gong
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
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Tost G, Srikanth P, Bruton A, Hatsu IE, Leung BM, Ast HK, Eiterman LP, Robinette LM, Williams C, Gracious B, Eugene Arnold L, Johnstone JM. Problems most concerning to parents of children with ADHD and emotional dysregulation in a randomized controlled trial of multinutrients: MADDY secondary analysis. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2024:10.1007/s00787-024-02463-1. [PMID: 38819662 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-024-02463-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE With dual focus on structured, objective quantification of parent observations of child's behavior and identifying behaviors most amenable to change, this report examines Parent Target Problems (PTP) as a secondary outcome in a randomized clinical trial (RCT) of children with attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in which one primary outcome, Clinical Global Impression-Improvement, showed a significant advantage of multinutrients over placebo and the other, Likert-type parent ratings, showed significant improvement in both groups, without significant difference between them. METHOD In a multisite 8-week RCT of broad-spectrum micronutrients ("multinutrients"), parents of children ages 6-12 (N = 126, 73% male, 88% white) with ADHD and emotional dysregulation nominated their child's most concerning problem(s) at baseline and quantified them by frequency, duration, impairment, and consequences. At subsequent visits, parents re-quantified the problem(s). Blinded child psychiatrists independently reviewed the PTPs and rated change at two timepoints compared to baseline. PTPs were grouped into 9 categories. Mean ratings were compared between active and placebo groups and explored by category. RESULTS By week 8, a significant separation favored multinutrients: 38% of the multinutrient group were "definitely improved" or better, compared to 25% of the placebo group, and ratings of "no change" or "worse" occurred in 35% with placebo versus 23% with multinutrients (p = 0.04). Inattention (72.2%) and emotional dysregulation (69.1%) were the most frequently reported PTP categories. Inattention and internalizing symptoms improved more with multinutrients than placebo (p = 0.01, d = 0.55; p = 0.03, d = 0.80, respectively). The multinutrient advantage was not significant for 7 other symptoms, including hyperactivity/impulsivity, aggression, autistic symptoms, or emotional dysregulation/irritable oppositionality. CONCLUSIONS This secondary analysis found that the multinutrients, compared to placebo, were associated with improvements in parental concerns overall, and in two domains specifically: inattention and internalizing symptoms (anxiety/depression), but not in seven domains: hyperactivity/impulsivity, aggression, autistic symptoms or physiological symptoms, peer relationships or emotional dysregulation/irritable oppositionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Tost
- Center for Mental Health Innovation, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, DC7P, Portland, Oregon, 97239, United States
| | - Priya Srikanth
- OHSU-Portland State University School of Public Health, Portland, Oregon, United States
| | - Alisha Bruton
- Center for Mental Health Innovation, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, DC7P, Portland, Oregon, 97239, United States
| | - Irene E Hatsu
- Center for Mental Health Innovation, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, DC7P, Portland, Oregon, 97239, United States
- The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States
| | | | - Hayleigh K Ast
- Center for Mental Health Innovation, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, DC7P, Portland, Oregon, 97239, United States
| | | | | | - Craig Williams
- The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States
| | - Barbara Gracious
- The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States
- Orange Park Medical Center, Florida, Florida, United States
- Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Auburn, Alabama, United States
| | | | - Jeanette M Johnstone
- National University of Natural Medicine, Helfgott Research Institute, Portland, Oregon, United States.
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Homolak J. Fruit and vegetable intake and ADHD - beeting around the bush? Nutr Neurosci 2024; 27:209-211. [PMID: 36787276 DOI: 10.1080/1028415x.2023.2177580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jan Homolak
- Department of Pharmacology, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
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Chen X, Yeung WJJ. How food insecurity affects children's behavior problems in early childhood: The nutrition and family stress pathways. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0294109. [PMID: 38170704 PMCID: PMC10763944 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294109] [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] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
This study examines how household food insecurity shapes young children's behavior problems in Singapore. The analysis is based on two waves of data collected before and during COVID-19 from a nationally representative sample of 2,601 children in the Singapore Longitudinal Early Development Study (SG-LEADS, Mage = 4.5 at wave 1, Mage = 6 at wave 2). Results based on propensity score matching, fixed effects analysis and lagged-variable models show a positive association between household food insecurity and children's behavior problems both concurrently and over a two-year period. Two mediating pathways of this association are identified-children's dietary intake and family stress. Children in food-insecure households tend to consume fewer vegetables and more sugar-sweetened beverages and carbohydrates, which is associated with elevated behavior problems. Parents in food-insecure households exhibit greater emotional distress, diminished parental warmth, and increased punitive parenting practices, also contributing to their children's behavior problems. The family stress pathway has a stronger explanatory power than the nutrition pathway on children's behavior problems. This study reveals that food insecurity is a risk factor for children's behavior problems in early childhood which can lead to later developmental vulnerabilities for children in financially deprived families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuejiao Chen
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Wei-Jun Jean Yeung
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
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Bhatara VS, Bernstein B, Fazili S. Complementary and Integrative Treatments of Aggressiveness/Emotion Dysregulation: Associated with Disruptive Disorders and Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am 2023; 32:297-315. [PMID: 37147041 DOI: 10.1016/j.chc.2022.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Youth with emotional dysregulation (ED) and irritability/aggression, common in disruptive disorders (frequently comorbid with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), are underserved by conventional treatments. Anger dysregulation is usually the core feature of ED. Complementary and integrative Medicine (CIM) treatments for youth with disruptive disorders and ED are reviewed. Broad-spectrum micronutrient supplementation has a medium effect and is supported by two double-blind randomized controlled trials using similar formulations. Other CIM treatments supported by controlled data but needing further research, include omega-3 fatty acid supplementation, music therapy, martial arts, restricting exposure to media violence, decreasing sleep deprivation, and increased exposure to green-blue spaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinod S Bhatara
- Department of Psychiatry, University of South Dakota, Sanford School of Medicine, Sioux Falls, SD, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of South Dakota, Sanford School of Medicine, Sioux Falls, SD, USA.
| | - Bettina Bernstein
- Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, 4170 City Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3401 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Sheeba Fazili
- University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, 4400 West 69th street, suite 1500, Sioux Falls, SD 57104, USA
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