Developmental stasis, sensitivity, and disturbance: Linking concepts to analytic methods using impulsivity and alcohol use

The goals of this article are to (a) describe and contrast conceptual characteristics of periods of developmental sensitivity, disturbance, and stasis, and (b) translate these concepts to testable analytic models with an example dataset. Although the concept of developmental sensitivity is widely known, the concepts of developmental stasis and disturbance have received less attention. We first define the concepts and their principles and then, using repeated measures data on impulsivity and alcohol use from adolescence to young adulthood, propose the dual latent change score (LCS) growth model as one analytic approach for evaluating evidence for key characteristics of these developmental concepts via examination of intraindividual time-varying associations.

Bringing home the benefits: Do pro-family employee benefits mitigate the risk of depression from competing workplace and domestic labor roles?

Despite significant historical progress toward gender parity in employment status in the US, women remain more likely to provide domestic labor, creating role competition which may increase depression symptoms. Pro-family employee benefits may minimize the stress of competing roles. We tested whether depressive symptoms were higher among women with vs. without competing roles and whether this effect was greater among women without (vs. with) pro-family benefits. Data included employed women surveyed across 4 waves of the National Longitudinal Survey (2010-2019) (N=9884). Depression symptoms were measured with the Mental Health Inventory (MHI-5). The interaction between competing roles and pro-family employee benefits on depressive symptoms was also compared with non-family-related benefits, using marginal structural models to estimate longitudinal effects in the presence of time-varying confounding. MHI-5 scores were 0.56 points higher (95% CI=0.15, 0.97) among women in competing roles (vs. not). Among women without pro-family benefits, competing roles increased MHI-5 scores by 6.1-points (95% CI=1.14, 11.1). In contrast, there was no association between competing roles and MHI-5 scores among women with access to these benefits (MHI-5 difference=0.44; 95% CI=-0.2, 1.0). Results were similar for non-family-related benefits. Dual workplace and domestic labor role competition increases women's depression symptoms, though broad availability of workplace benefits may attenuate that risk.

Trends in binge drinking in the United States by LGBTQ+ identity, gender, and age, 2014-2022

BACKGROUND

People who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) have higher rates of risky drinking than their cisgender, heterosexual peers. It is unknown to what extent recent age and gender trends in binge drinking vary by LGBTQ+ identity.

METHODS

We used nationally representative, serial, cross-sectional surveys from men and women in the 2014-2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (N = 2,099,959) to examine trends in past-month binge drinking by LGBTQ+ identity, gender, and age (18-29, 30-44, 45 and older). We estimated stratum-specific prevalence ratios for an average 1-year increase in prevalence of past-month binge drinking using survey-weighted log-binomial models, controlling for education, race/ethnicity, marriage, and parenthood status.

RESULTS

In the beginning of the study period, LGBTQ+ women endorsed binge drinking at higher prevalences than their cisgender, heterosexual peers (i.e., 2014 predicted probability for women ages 30-44: 0.22 for LGBTQ+, 0.15 for cisgender, heterosexual). LGBTQ+ disparities in women's drinking attenuated over the study period among women in midlife (30-44 age group) due to increases in binge drinking among cisgender, heterosexual women (Prevalence Ratio [PR]: 1.025, 95% CI 1.018-1.033). Among men, we saw no evidence of LGBTQ+ disparities in binge drinking probabilities or in binge drinking trends across all age groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Disparities in mid-life binge drinking between LGBTQ+ and cisgender women have begun to diminish. These disparities are closing not because LGBTQ+ women are binge drinking less, but because cisgender, heterosexual women in midlife are binge drinking more.

Cohort effects of women's mid-life binge drinking and alcohol use disorder symptoms in the United States: Impacts of changes in timing of parenthood

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Alcohol use is increasing among women in mid-life concurrently with societal changes in timing of parenthood and changing cultural norms, which may influence alcohol use. The aim of this study was to determine if age of first parenting was associated with excessive drinking [i.e. past 2-week binge drinking and past 5-year alcohol use disorder (AUD) symptoms] among women during mid-life in the United States and to determine if there were pronounced cohort effects influencing these relationships.

DESIGN

This was a retrospective cohort, longitudinal study.

SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND MEASUREMENTS

Data were drawn from the Monitoring the Future survey, an annual ongoing survey of high school students' substance use behaviors in the United States. Participants were women who completed the age 35 survey between 1993 and 2019, corresponding to high school senior years 1976-2002 (n = 9988). Past 2-week binge drinking and past 5-year AUD symptoms were self-reported. Age of first parenting was self-reported.

FINDINGS

Binge drinking and AUD symptoms were higher among women in recent than in older cohorts. Women from the 2018-19 cohort had increased odds of binge drinking [odds ratio (OR) = 1.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.41-2.12] and AUD symptoms (OR = 1.51, CI = 1.27-1.80) relative to women from the 1993-97 cohort. Throughout cohorts, there was an inverse association between transition to parenthood and excessive drinking outcomes (e.g. range for ORs for binge drinking among those without children compared with those who had had children between the ages of 18 and 24: 1.22-1.55). Simultaneously, there was a population shift towards delaying parenting in recent cohorts (i.e. 54% of women in the 1993-97 cohort had children before age 30 compared with 39% in the two recent cohorts), increasing the size of the group at highest risk for excessive drinking.

CONCLUSIONS

In the United States, subgroups of women at highest risk of excessive drinking appear to be expanding, probably supported in part by a trend towards delayed parenting.

Age 18-30 trajectories of binge drinking frequency and prevalence across the past 30 years for men and women: Delineating when and why historical trends reversed across age

Historical analyses based on US data indicate that recent cohorts engage in lower binge drinking at age 18 relative to past cohorts, but by the mid- to late-20s the reverse is true: recent cohorts engage in higher binge drinking relative to past cohorts. We pinpoint when - both developmentally and historically - this reversal manifested, examine possible reasons for this reversal, and examine sex convergence in these developmental and historical patterns. As part of the US national Monitoring the Future Study, over 75,000 youths from the high school classes of 1976-2006 were surveyed biennially between ages 18 and 30. We found that the reversal primarily manifested between ages 18 and 24 for men and 18 and 22 for women. We also found that the reversal emerged gradually across the last three decades, suggesting it is the result of a broad and durable historical shift. Our findings indicated that historical variation in social roles and minimum legal drinking age collectively accounted for only a modest amount of the reversal, although marriage was the most influential among the factors examined here. Finally, we found evidence that sex convergence in binge drinking was developmentally limited and far more pronounced at the beginning of the transition to adulthood.

Parenting Stress and Attachment Insecurity in Young Adulthood: A Social Relations Model

Objective

We used the Social Relations Model to inspect the individual- and dyad-specific components of attachment among young adults and their parents, and examined relations between these components and parenting stress.

Background

Young adulthood is a transitional period in which the whole family is concerned with "launching" the young adult and exploring new ways to interact with and attach to one another. However, research on young adulthood attachment has primarily focused on young adults' attachment style rather than reciprocal attachments among family members.

Method

When the young adults were age 23, mothers, fathers, and young adults from 156 families reported their mutual attachment security. At ages 18 and 23, parents of the adolescent/young adult reported their parenting stress in interparental and parent-child relationship domains.

Results

Attachment in the families of young adults can be separated into three components: 1) actor effects (each family member's internal working model of attachment), 2) partner effects (characteristics of each family member as an attachment figure), and 3) relationship effects (dyad-specific attachment between family members). Increase of parenting stress in a family subsystem (dyad of family members) predicted attachment insecurity within the subsystem. Additionally, compensatory effects across family subsystems were observed.

Conclusion

Attachment in the family during young adulthood is explained by family members' own characteristics as well as dyad-specific interactions and is predicted by parenting stress in family subsystems.

Maturing out of alcohol and cannabis co-use: A test of patterns and personality predictors

OBJECTIVE

Reductions in substance involvement into adulthood are thought to represent a normative maturing out of substance use. However, patterns and predictors of maturing out of alcohol and cannabis co-use remain largely unstudied. Therefore, the current study tested developmental trajectories of alcohol and cannabis use from late adolescence into adulthood and whether late adolescent personality traits predicted trajectory class membership.

METHODS

Data come from a longitudinal study of family history of alcohol disorder (N = 458). Age bands were created to model trajectories of drinking quantity, negative alcohol consequences, and cannabis use frequency from late adolescence (age 18-22) to young adulthood (age 23-28) and adulthood (age 29-36). Participants reported on their sensation seeking, conscientiousness, and neuroticism during late adolescence and their typical drinking quantity, negative alcohol consequences, and cannabis use frequency at each age band.

RESULTS

Three trajectory classes were derived from an initial Parallel Process Growth Mixture Model: (1) low-risk maturing out of alcohol-only use, (2) high-risk maturing out of co-use, and (3) high-risk switchers who increased their cannabis use into adulthood. Late adolescent sensation seeking was associated with higher odds of being in both co-use trajectories, whereas a lack of conscientiousness was associated with higher odds of being a co-use switcher.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified heterogeneity in trajectories of co-use, which suggests that a lack of maturing out of alcohol involvement may be accompanied by increased cannabis use. Moreover, late adolescent personality traits may predispose individuals toward riskier developmental trajectories of substance use into adulthood.

Guidance or Gatekeeping: An Audit Examination of Racial Discrimination in Leading STEM High Schools: Systems that Marginalize BIPOC Youth Special Issue: Dismantling Oppression Series: Systems that Marginalize BIPOC Youth Special Issue: Dismantling Oppression Series

Racial discrimination remains a mechanism by which ethnic-racial minorities are restricted from power. We examined whether racial discrimination restricts ethnic-racial minority access to high-achieving STEM schools. We conducted an audit correspondence experiment to investigate racial discrimination in guidance counselor responsiveness to 976 emails from fictitious Asian, Black, Latina, and White mothers inquiring about school enrollment. Moderation analyses revealed that guidance counselors restricted access from Asian mothers at schools characterized as rural, lower socioeconomic status, and higher STEM prestige-evidence of gatekeeping points to the restriction of Asian students from advanced STEM opportunities. Results are situated within educational audit experiments to objectively document how racism from multiple facets of the education system intersect to inhibit ethnic-racial minority youth.

Alcohol use and the COVID-19 pandemic: Historical trends in drinking, contexts, and reasons for use among U.S. adults

Objective

The current study used U.S. national data to examine drinking trends prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, focusing on changes in U.S. young- and middle-adult alcohol prevalence, frequency, and drinking contexts and reasons, and whether they differed by age and college status.

Methods

Data from 2015 to 2020 from 16,987 young adults (ages 19–30) and 23,584 middle adults (ages 35–55) in the national Monitoring the Future study were used to model historical trends and potential 2020 shifts (data collection April 1 to November 30, 2020) in prevalence (30-day, daily, binge drinking) and frequency (30-day, binge drinking). For young adults, data on drinking contexts and negative affect reasons for drinking were examined. Moderation by age and college status was also tested.

Results

2020 was associated with (1) downward deviation in 30-day (young and middle adults) and binge drinking (young adults) prevalence; (2) upward deviation in daily drinking prevalence (middle adults); (3) among drinkers, upward deviation in frequency of 30-day (young and middle adults) and binge drinking (young adults); and (4) changes in drinking contexts and reasons among drinkers. Among college students, in particular, 2020 was associated with a downward deviation from expected historical trends in drinking prevalence. Upward deviations in daily prevalence and both binge and 30-day drinking frequency were stronger at ages 25–30 (vs. 19–24) and 35–45 (vs. 50–55).

Conclusions

Among U.S. young and middle adults, deviations from expected historical trends in population alcohol use that occurred during the pandemic included decreases in alcohol use prevalence, increases in alcohol use frequency, and increases in the use of alcohol to relax/relieve tension and because of boredom. These shifts were likely due, in part, to drinking while alone and at home—which increased during the pandemic.

The destabilization and destandardization of social roles across the adult life course: Considering aggregate social role instability and its variability from a historical-developmental perspective

Existing research focused on social role destabilization (historical increases in role instability) and destandardization (historical increases in variability of role instability) has primarily focused on discrete social roles during discrete periods of development. Building on this work, we applied a macro approach to elucidate the extent to which historical trends toward destabilization and destandardization are occurring at the aggregate among a key set of social roles (union formation, education, residential independence, and employment) and across the whole of adulthood. Applying a historical-developmental approach, we also document how historical trends toward destabilization and destandardization vary by age. We used 3 historical, longitudinal data sets: the Monitoring the Future study (N = 69,464; 55.4% women; 75.5% white), the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (N = 45,001; 51.4% women; 54.3% white), and The Health and Retirement Study (N = 30,913; 53.6% women; 75.6% white) that collectively cover the entire adult life course and over a century of U.S. birth cohorts. We found that aggregate destabilization and destandardization have occurred across the entirety of adulthood, although trends appear more pronounced at either end of the adult life course and the specific roles driving both trends vary across the adult life course. Findings were robust for educational attainment, and destabilization and destandardization were more pronounced among women. Findings highlight the importance of considering social role changes at the aggregate and singularly, and the need to evaluate social role changes in any 1 period of adulthood in conjunction with those occurring in other periods of adulthood. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Forecasting future prevalence and gender differences in binge drinking among young adults through 2040

BACKGROUND

Binge drinking among adolescents and young adults has changed over time, but patterns differ by age and gender. Identifying high-risk groups to target future efforts at reducing drinking in this population remains a public health priority. Forecasting methods can provide a better understanding of variation and determinants of future binge drinking prevalence.

METHODS

We implemented regression-based forecasting models to estimate the prevalence and gender differences in binge drinking among cohort groups of U.S. young adults, ages 18, 23-24, and 29-30 through 2040. Forecasting models were adjusted for covariates accounting for changes in demographic, Big-5 social roles (e.g., residential independence), and drinking norms and related substance use, to understand the drivers of forecasted binge drinking estimates.

RESULTS

From the last observed cohort group (years varied by age) through 2040, unadjusted binge drinking prevalence was forecasted to decrease from 26% (95% CI: 20, 33%) (2011-15) to 11% (95% CI: 4, 27%) at age 18, decrease from 38% (95% CI: 30, 45%) (2006-2010) to 34% (95% CI: 18, 55%) at ages 23/24, and increase from 32% (95% CI: 25, 40%) (2001-2005) to 35% (95% CI: 16, 59%) at ages 29/30. Gender-stratified forecasts show a continuation in the narrowing of binge drinking prevalence between young men and women, though the magnitude of narrowing differs by age. Estimated trends were partially explained by changing norms regarding drinking and other substance use, though these indirect effects explained less of the total trend as age increased.

CONCLUSIONS

Understanding how covariates influence binge drinking trends can guide public health policies to leverage the most important determinants of future binge drinking to reduce the harm caused by binge drinking from adolescence to adulthood.

Cohort and age trends in age 35-45 prevalence of alcohol use disorder symptomology, by severity, sex, race, and education

AIMS

To present national trends by age and cohort among middle-aged adults in the prevalence of AUD symptomology, by severity, sex, race, and education.

DESIGN

National, multi-cohort longitudinal probability samples of US adults, with data collected at ages 35, 40, and 45 among 14 cohorts who reached age 45 between 2003 and 2016.

SETTING

Data were collected via self-administered questionnaires to adults in the United States.

PARTICIPANTS

The sample consisted of 20,634 individuals.

MEASUREMENTS

5-year prevalence of symptoms consistent with a DSM-5 AUD.

FINDINGS

Between ages 35-45 prevalence of any AUD symptoms decreased 19 %; decreases were most evident between ages 35-40. From 2003 to 2016, AUD symptoms were steady across cohort. However, because the pace of decrease across ages 35-45 slowed across cohort, cohort differences emerged at specific ages: age 35 prevalence decreased 18 % across cohort, but age 45 prevalence was equivalent across cohort. Age and cohort effects, and their interaction, did not vary by AUD severity level. Declines in AUD symptoms across age were 17 % slower for women, and declines in AUD symptoms across age and cohort were 11 % and 29 % slower, respectively, for those with a college degree. The protection afforded by a college degree was reversed among mild AUD and most pronounced for severe AUD.

CONCLUSIONS

AUDs may be more plastic and responsive to intervention during early mid-life than later. Despite progress in reducing the burden of AUD in the US population among younger middle-aged adults, an increased focus remains necessary as they continue to age.

Cohort effects on gender differences in alcohol use in the United States: How much is explained by changing attitudes towards women and gendered roles?

Gender differences in binge drinking have converged in recent cohorts, due in part to faster decreases in consumption among boys in adolescence, and faster increases in consumption among women in young to middle adulthood. Changes in education and occupation explain a portion, but not all, of these differences; the present study examines how attitudes about gender, religion and family additionally explain cohort effects in binge drinking by sex. Data were drawn from the Monitoring the Future panel studies, including >54,000 participants who were high school seniors from 1976 through 2006, followed to age 29/30 from 1988 through 2016. The main effect relationship between cohort and binge drinking was assessed, and 28 items on gender, religion and family were evaluated to determine if mediation criteria were met; mediation models assessed direct and indirect effects. Results indicated that gender, religion and family attitudes and beliefs among US adults across the 20 th and 21 st centuries have shifted dramatically but not monotonically. US adolescents and adults have largely become less religious; some attitudes on women and family have become less conservative and some more. Among men, views on marriage showed the largest mediation effects; agreeing with the statement 'one partner is too restrictive' mediated 3.35% of the cohort effect (95% C.I. 2.42, 4.31) and 'couples should live together before they are married' mediated 1.6% of the cohort effect (95% C.I. -2.37, -0.8). Among women, declines in religious service attendance mediated 2.0% of cohort effects in binge drinking (95% C.I. -3.03, -1.09), as well as similar family attitudes as men. In conclusion, changes in social roles, as well as some gender, and religious views, partially mediate cohort effects on binge drinking for men and women. The dynamic changes in how adolescents and adults view family and gender are important components of alcohol epidemiology.

Perception of Parental Knowledge by Parents and Adolescents: Unique Effects on Recent Substance Use in a Latinx Sample

The main objective of the current study is to analyze how the unique perspectives from both parents and children in regards to parental knowledge of the child's whereabouts, activities, and friendships are related to the adolescent's recent substance use four months later. Differences between parents and children, as well as between male and female adolescents are examined. Data come from a Latinx sample (mostly Mexican-origin) of 523 parent-adolescent dyads from Arizona (US) using a multi-informant approach (parent and adolescent reports). The results indicate that parents, especially mothers, report higher levels of parental knowledge than adolescents do. The structural equation modeling (SEM) results for the total sample indicate that both parents' and adolescents' unique perception of the level of parental knowledge is negatively related to the adolescents' recent alcohol and cannabis use four months later. Further, multi-group SEM results split by gender indicate that parents' unique perception of higher levels of parental knowledge is only marginally related to lower alcohol use for both males and females, whereas adolescents' unique perception is negatively related to alcohol and cannabis use (significantly) and tobacco use (marginally) for both males and females. No significant gender differences were found in the effects of parental knowledge on substance use. Findings suggest that parents' and adolescents' perceptions seem to be quite distinctive and independent from each other. Implications of these results regarding intervention programs for preventing substance use are discussed.

Measurement equivalence testing of the American Identity Questionnaire across Black, Latino, and White adolescents

OBJECTIVES

The current study examined the psychometric properties of the American Identity Questionnaire (Phinney & Devich-Navarro, Journal of Research on Adolescence, 1997, 7, 3). American identity has been associated with societal and personal benefits for ethno-racially diverse populations, but limited research has assessed whether American identity measures function equivalently across members of different groups. Thus, the current study examined the measurement equivalence and construct validity of the American Identity Questionnaire among Black, Latino, and White adolescents.

METHOD

Using a cross-sectional design, adolescents completed self-administered surveys during regular school time. The current study included U.S.-born adolescents (N = 1,326; M age = 16.16 years; SD = 1.12; 53% female) who self-identified as either Black (n = 315), Latino (n = 345), or White (n = 666).

RESULTS

Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis was carried out using ethnic-racial group membership as the grouping variable. Findings suggested that the American Identity Questionnaire demonstrated configural (equivalent factor structures) and metric (equivalent factor loadings) invariance across the three groups. Partial scalar invariance was supported after allowing one item intercept to be freely estimated among Latino youth. Regarding construct validity, American identity was positively associated with self-esteem and personal identity, and negatively associated with depressive symptoms across the three groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that the American Identity Questionnaire can be used to assess associations between American identity and other constructs with samples of Black, Latino, and White adolescents. Mean-level comparisons across the three groups may also be possible. Construct validity results indicated that American identity was positively associated with adolescents' psychosocial adjustment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Multifinality, equifinality, and fanning: Developmental concepts and statistical implications

Multifinality, equifinality, and fanning are important developmental concepts that emphasize understanding interindividual variability in trajectories over time. However, each concept implies that there are points in a developmental window where interindividual variability is more limited. We illustrate the multifinality concept under manipulations of variance in starting points, using both normal and zero-inflated simulated data. Results indicate that standardized estimates and effect sizes are inflated when predicting components of growth models with limited interindividual variance, which could lead to overinterpretation of the practical importance of findings. Conceptual implications are considered and recommendations are provided for evaluating developmental changes in common situations that researchers may encounter.

Theoretical Mediators of Diabetes Risk and Quality of Life Following a Diabetes Prevention Program for Latino Youth With Obesity

PURPOSE

This study tested self-efficacy and social support for activity and dietary changes as mediators of changes in type 2 diabetes related outcomes following a lifestyle intervention among Latino youth.

SETTING AND INTERVENTION

Latino adolescents (14-16 years) with obesity (BMI% = 98.1 ± 1.4) were randomized to a 3-month intervention (n = 67) that fostered self-efficacy and social support through weekly, family-centered sessions or a comparison condition (n = 69).

MEASURES

Primary outcomes included insulin sensitivity and weight specific quality of life. Mediators included self-efficacy, friend, and family social support for health behaviors. Data was collected at baseline, 3-months, 6-months, and 12-months.

ANALYSIS

Sequential path analysis was used to examine mediators as mechanisms by which the intervention influenced primary outcomes.

RESULTS

The intervention had a direct effect on family (β = 0.33, P < .01) and friend social support (β = 0.22, P < .001) immediately following the intervention (3-months). Increased family social support mediated the intervention's effect on self-efficacy at 6-months (β = 0.09, P < .01). However, social support and self-efficacy did not mediate long-term changes in primary outcomes (P > .05) at 12-months.

CONCLUSIONS

Family social support may improve self-efficacy for health behaviors in high-risk Latino youth, highlighting the important role of family diabetes prevention. Fostering family social support is a critical intervention target and more research is needed to understand family-level factors that have the potential to lead to long-term metabolic and psychosocial outcome in vulnerable youth.

Characterization of an ester-based core-multishell (CMS) nanocarrier for the topical application at the oral mucosa

OBJECTIVES

Topical drug administration is commonly applied to control oral inflammation. However, it requires sufficient drug adherence and a high degree of bioavailability. Here, we tested the hypothesis whether an ester-based core-multishell (CMS) nanocarrier is a suitable nontoxic drug-delivery system that penetrates efficiently to oral mucosal tissues, and thereby, increase the bioavailability of topically applied drugs.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

To evaluate adhesion and penetration, the fluorescence-labeled CMS 10-E-15-350 nanocarrier was applied to ex vivo porcine masticatory and lining mucosa in a Franz cell diffusion assay and to an in vitro 3D model. In gingival epithelial cells, potential cytotoxicity and proliferative effects of the nanocarrier were determined by MTT and sulphorhodamine B assays, respectively. Transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) was measured in presence and absence of CMS 10-E-15-350 using an Endohm-12 chamber and a volt-ohm-meter. Cellular nanocarrier uptake was analyzed by laser scanning microscopy. Inflammatory responses were determined by monitoring pro-inflammatory cytokines using real-time PCR and ELISA.

RESULTS

CMS nanocarrier adhered to mucosal tissues within 5 min in an in vitro model and in ex vivo porcine tissues. The CMS nanocarrier exhibited no cytotoxic effects and induced no inflammatory responses. Furthermore, the physical barrier expressed by the TEER remained unaffected by the nanocarrier.

CONCLUSIONS

CMS 10-E-15-350 adhered to the oral mucosa and adhesion increased over time which is a prerequisite for an efficient drug release. Since TEER is unaffected, CMS nanocarrier may enter the oral mucosa transcellularly.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Nanocarrier technology is a novel and innovative approach for efficient topical drug delivery at the oral mucosa.

Variations in risk and promotive factors on substance use among urban American Indian youth

Although roughly 70% of the American Indian and Alaska Native (AI) population live in urban areas, research is scarce regarding this population. As a consequence, there is limited understanding about the salient socioenvironmental factors that aid in preventing substance use among urban AI communities. This study utilized a statewide, cross-sectional, school-based survey of urban AI adolescents (N = 2,375) to (a) examine the associations between substance use and risk and promotive factors within the family and peer group, and (b) explore how these associations vary by subgroups (gender, racial/ethnic background, and grade level). Results suggest that risk factors-familial substance use and antisocial peer affiliation-were associated with higher alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use. However, these findings varied by subgroup. For males, involvement with antisocial peers was associated with greater marijuana use. Involvement with antisocial peers was also positively associated with alcohol and marijuana use for multiracial/multiethnic AI adolescents and those adolescents in 10th and 12th grades. The promotive factors-supportive family environment and prosocial peer affiliation-were not universally associated with lowered substance use by subgroup. This study advances understandings of the risk and promotive factors important in reducing and preventing substance use among urban AI adolescents. Experiencing familial substance use and affiliating with antisocial peers were the salient factors associated with increased substance use, particularly for urban AI adolescents who are older, male, and with multiracial/multiethnic AI backgrounds.

The mediation process between Latino youths' family ethnic socialization, ethnic-racial identity, and academic engagement: Moderation by ethnic-racial discrimination?

OBJECTIVES

Guided by García Coll and colleagues' (1996) integrative model for the study of developmental competencies in minority children, the current study examined the role of ethnic-racial identity as a mediator through which family ethnic socialization was associated with academic engagement among Latino youth. Furthermore, based on the high prevalence rates of ethnic-racial discrimination among Latino adolescents, the associations between experiences with peer and adult discrimination and youth's academic engagement (controlling for family ethnic socialization and ethnic-racial identity) were tested. Finally, we tested whether discrimination from either peers or adults moderated the mediation process between family ethnic socialization, ethnic-racial identity, and academic engagement.

METHOD

Data were collected from a cross-sectional study of adolescents in the Southwestern United States. Participants in the current study consisted of self-identified Latino adolescents (N = 370; M_age = 16.14 years; SD = 1.12; Range = 14-18; 52.8% female; 96.2% U.S.-born) who completed self-administered surveys during school hours.

RESULTS

Path analyses indicated that family ethnic socialization was indirectly associated with academic engagement via ethnic-racial identity. Adult discrimination was negatively associated with academic engagement; however, peer discrimination was not associated with academic engagement. Finally, neither source of discrimination emerged as a moderator of the associations of interest.

CONCLUSION

Findings point to Latino youth's enhanced resilience against discrimination encounters when they have more experiences with family ethnic socialization and have engaged in greater ethnic-racial identity exploration and resolution. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Familism, Self-Esteem, and Weight-Specific Quality of Life Among Latinx Adolescents With Obesity

OBJECTIVE

Obesity is a critical public health condition affecting Latinx adolescents and contributes to health disparities across the lifespan. Childhood and adolescent obesity is associated with reduced quality of life (QoL) and decreased self-esteem. The purpose of this study is to examine the role of cultural (e.g., familism) and psychosocial (e.g., self-esteem) factors as predictors of weight-specific QoL among Latinx adolescents with obesity.

METHODS

Baseline data from 160 Latinx adolescents (ages 14-16 years) with obesity (BMI > 95th percentile for age and sex) who were recruited for a diabetes prevention intervention were used. Structural equation modeling tested the relationships between four latent constructs (familism, positive self-esteem, self-deprecation, and weight-specific QoL).

RESULTS

The model tested paths from familism to positive self-esteem, self-deprecation, and weight-specific QoL, and paths from positive self-esteem and self-deprecation to weight-specific QoL. Higher familism was positively associated with positive self-esteem but not self-deprecation. In turn, positive self-esteem was positively associated with higher weight-specific QoL, whereas self-deprecation was negatively associated. Furthermore, there was an indirect effect of familism on QoL via positive self-esteem.

CONCLUSIONS

These data shed light into specific cultural and psychosocial constructs that influence QoL among Latinx adolescents with obesity. This study suggests that familism and positive self-esteem can operate as protective factors associated with higher weight-specific QoL in Latinx adolescents with obesity; whereas self-deprecation may operate as a risk factor for lower weight-specific QoL.

Is the US Gender Gap in Depression Changing Over Time? A Meta-Regression

The depression gap refers to higher rates of depression among women than men. Change in the depression gap over time might elucidate social causes of this disparity-such as unequal college attendance or employment status. We conducted a meta-regression analysis to estimate variation in the depression gap over time by age, accounting for potential sources of variation between studies. Electronic databases and bibliographies were searched for English-language studies from January 1980 through October 2019; 144 independent estimates from US-representative samples met selection criteria (n = 813,189). The depression gap was summarized as prevalence ratios among studies using diagnostic instruments and as standardized mean differences among symptom-based studies. Primary study measures were baseline study year (range, 1982-2017) and age (age groups ranging, in years, from 10-59 and 60 or older). Compared with respondents aged ≥60 years, depression prevalence was greater among respondents aged 10-19 (prevalence ratio = 1.26, 95% confidence interval: 1.02, 1.56). Over time, the depression gap did not change among adults, but it increased among adolescents (age-by-time interaction prevalence ratio = 1.05, 95% confidence interval: 1.01, 1.08). Results were similar for symptom-based studies. The present study finds no evidence of a change in the depression gender gap for US adults; however, the gap increased among adolescents. Greater attention to factors driving this widening disparity in adolescent depression is needed.

When does attrition lead to biased estimates of alcohol consumption? Bias analysis for loss to follow-up in 30 longitudinal cohorts

OBJECTIVES

Survey nonresponse has increased across decades, making the amount of attrition a focus in generating inferences from longitudinal data. Use of inverse probability weights [IPWs] and other statistical approaches are common, but residual bias remains a threat. Quantitative bias analysis for nonrandom attrition as an adjunct to IPW may yield more robust inference.

METHODS

Data were drawn from the Monitoring the Future panel studies [twelfth grade, base-year: 1976-2005; age 29/30 follow-up: 1987-2017, N = 73,298]. We then applied IPW imputation in increasing percentages, assuming varying risk differences [RDs] among nonresponders. Measurements included past-two-week binge drinking at base-year and every follow-up. Demographic and other correlates of binge drinking contributed to IPW estimation.

RESULTS

Attrition increased: 31.14%, base-year 1976; 61.33%, base-year 2005. The magnitude of bias depended not on attrition rate but on prevalence of binge drinking and RD among nonrespondents. The probable range of binge drinking among nonresponders was 12-45%. In every scenario, base-year and follow-up binge drinking were associated. The likely range of true RDs was 0.14 [95% CI: 0.11-0.17] to 0.28 [95% CI: 0.25-0.31].

CONCLUSIONS

When attrition is present, the amount of attrition alone is insufficient to understand contribution to effect estimates. We recommend including bias analysis in longitudinal analyses.

Changes in the depression gender gap from 1992 to 2014: Cohort effects and mediation by gendered social position

The depression gap (i.e., higher rates of depression among women than men) represents an important mental health disparity in the US. Differences in gendered social position (i.e., the roles, responsibilities, and opportunities available to women and men), which have been changing since the mid-20th Century may contribute to this gender gap. The present study examined the evidence for a changing depression gap across birth cohorts and tested the extent to which any changes over time were mediated by changes in relative social position between women and men. Data were from the National Longitudinal Surveys. The depression gap was defined as differences in mean CESD scores for women vs. men. The analytic sample included 13,666 respondents interviewed from 1992 to 2014. Hierarchical mixed models estimated the magnitude of the gender depression gap over time, its association with 10-year birth cohort (range: 1957-1994), and whether any variation was mediated by ratios among women relative to men of obtaining a college degree, being employed full-time, and the average number of hours spent doing housework per week, three indicators of gendered social position. There was a linear decrease in the depression gap by 0.18 points across birth cohort (95% CI = -0.26, -0.10). The results of the mediation analysis estimated that an increasing ratio of college degree attainment mediated 39% of the gender depression gap across cohorts (95% CI = 0.18, 0.78). There was no evidence of mediation due to changing employment or housework ratios. These findings partially support the hypothesis that the depression gap is changing over time and is meaningfully related to the social environment. Understanding the social causes of the depression gap can illuminate the fundamental processes through which depression disparities may be perpetuated or attenuated over time and may aid in the identification of strategies to reduce them.

Sex as a moderator of body composition following a randomized controlled lifestyle intervention among Latino youth with obesity

BACKGROUND

Body composition differences between males and females emerge during adolescence and continue throughout adulthood; however, whether sex moderates body composition changes in adolescents with obesity after an intervention is unknown.

OBJECTIVE

To examine sex as a moderator of changes in adiposity following lifestyle intervention.

METHODS

A total of 136 Latino youth with obesity (BMI% 98.2 ± 1.3) aged 14 to 16 years old were randomized to either a 12-week lifestyle intervention (27 males/40 females) or control (35 males/34 females) group. The intervention included nutrition education (1 h/wk) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (3 h/wk). Anthropometric data (body mass index [BMI], BMI%, waist circumference, total body fat, and fat-free mass) were obtained pre- and post-intervention. Sex differences were examined by general linear models with significance determined at P < .05 for the F-statistic.

RESULTS

Sex did not moderate changes in BMI (F1,115 = 0.01, P = .9), BMI% (F1,115 = 0.14, P = .7), or waist circumference (F1,117 = 1.1, P = .3). Sex significantly moderated changes in body fat percent (F1,117 = 5.3, P = .02), fat mass (F1,116 = 4.5, P = .04), and fat-free mass (F1,116 = 4.3, P = .04). Intervention males compared with females had greater relative reductions in fat percent (-4.1 ± 0.8% vs -1.2 ± 0.7%, P = .02) and fat mass (-5.0 ± 1.1 kg vs -1.5 ± 0.9 kg, P = .02) and gained more fat free mass (3.6 ± 0.9 kg vs 0.5 ± 0.8 kg, P = .02) when compared with same sex controls.

CONCLUSION

Males and females exhibited a differential response to lifestyle intervention for percent fat, fat mass, and fat-free mass indicating that sex-specific improvements in body composition favours males over females.

Mexican-origin family members' unique and shared family perspectives of familism values and their links with parent-youth relationship quality

To advance understanding of parents' and adolescents' unique and shared perspectives of familism, a core cultural value in Mexican-origin families, our study addressed 2 goals. First, we identified family members' unique and shared perspectives of familism values using multitrait-multimethod confirmatory factor analysis (Kenny & Kashy, 1992). Second, we examined links between family members' unique and shared perspectives of familism values and mother-youth and father-youth warmth and conflict. Participants were mothers, fathers, and 2 siblings (Mage = 15.48 years for older and Mage = 12.55 years for younger siblings) from 246 Mexican-origin families who were interviewed in their homes on 2 occasions over 5 years. Results indicated that familism values operated as an individual-level process more so than a family-level process and that youth's familism values were most consistently linked to parent-youth relationship quality. These findings provide novel insights into investigating family system dynamics involving familism values, suggest that youth's familism values may keep them connected to their families during adolescence, and highlight potential implications for prevention and intervention programs geared toward Mexican-origin families. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Reciprocal Effects of Alcohol Use and Violence Perpetration Among Early Adolescents in Mexico: A Gendered Analysis

Although substance use and violent behaviors often emerge together in adolescence, and both have similar widely cited causes and negative consequences for development, it remains unclear whether and how they may be linked causally. This study of early adolescents in Mexico's three largest cities tested whether alcohol use and violence perpetration are temporally related, whether their relationship is unidirectional or reciprocal, and whether the relationship differs by gender and the type of violence. The study employed longitudinal data from seventh grade students (N = 4830; M age = 12.0, range 11-15; 49% female) in 18 public middle schools in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey. Students completed questionnaires at the beginning, middle, and end of the 2014-2015 academic year. Students' responses to a multi-dimensional violence assessment emerged in two distinct patterns: criminally violent acts, and bullying/aggression. Although males engaged in both types of violence more frequently than females at all three time points, they used alcohol more frequently than females only at the first survey, after which the gender gap disappeared. Cross-lagged multi-group path models showed that, for both males and females, more frequent alcohol use predicted subsequent increases in criminally violent behavior, and bullying/aggression predicted later increases in alcohol use. Reciprocal associations varied by gender and type of violence: Alcohol use was reciprocally linked to criminally violent behavior among males only, and reciprocally linked to bullying-aggression among females alone. The results are interpreted in the context of sharply increasing rates of violence in Mexico and changing gender norms, with implications for youth prevention programs.

Is There a Recent Epidemic of Women's Drinking? A Critical Review of National Studies

Alcohol consumption is increasing in the United States, as is alcohol-attributable mortality. Historically, men have had higher rates of alcohol consumption than women, though evidence for birth cohort effects on gender differences in alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm suggests that gender differences may be diminishing. We review studies using U.S. national data that examined time trends in alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm since 2008. Utilizing a historical-developmental perspective, here we synthesize and integrate the literature on birth cohort effects from varying developmental periods (i.e., adolescence, young adulthood, middle adulthood, and late adulthood), with a focus on gender differences in alcohol consumption. Findings suggest that recent trends in gender differences in alcohol outcomes are heterogeneous by developmental stage. Among adolescents and young adults, both males and females are rapidly decreasing alcohol consumption, binge and high-intensity drinking, and alcohol-related outcomes, with gender rates converging because males are decreasing consumption faster than females. This pattern does not hold among adults, however. In middle adulthood, consumption, binge drinking, and alcohol-related harms are increasing, driven largely by increases among women in their 30s and 40s. The trend of increases in consumption that are faster for women than for men appears to continue into older adult years (60 and older) across several studies. We conclude by addressing remaining gaps in the literature and offering directions for future research.

Intergenerational continuity and stability in early family formation

This study examines intergenerational continuity (mean level similarity) and stability (maintenance of rank ordering of individuals) in age and marital status at the time of becoming a young parent using prospective data from 3 generations of 585 families. G2 participants were recruited at the age of 5 years and followed until the age of 28, by which time 227 had become parents themselves. The findings suggest that despite dramatic intergenerational discontinuities with young adults, on average, now being more likely to be unmarried and older at the time of becoming parents than in previous generations, intergenerational stability in age and marital status at the time of becoming a young parent is still substantial. This intergenerational stability was, for the most part, not moderated by demographic, familial, or behavioral factors, suggesting that a developmental, multigenerational perspective is necessary to understand what has previously been considered a largely demographic issue. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Shifting Age of Peak Binge Drinking Prevalence: Historical Changes in Normative Trajectories Among Young Adults Aged 18 to 30

BACKGROUND

This study examined the extent to which the developmental pattern of prevalence of binge drinking in the past 2 weeks from ages 18 through 30 has changed across 29 cohorts of U.S. young adults, and whether the changes differed by gender.

METHODS

Analyses used national longitudinal data from 58,019 12th-grade students (from graduating high school classes 1976 to 2004) participating in the Monitoring the Future study followed through modal age 30 (with age 29/30 data collected from 1987 to 2016). Weighted time-varying effect modeling was used to model cohort group differences in age-related patterns of binge drinking.

RESULTS

The age of peak binge drinking prevalence increased across cohorts (from age 20 in 1976 to 1985 to 22 in 1996 to 2004 for women, and from 21 in 1976 to 1985 to 23 in 1996 to 2004 for men). Historical change in the developmental pattern of binge drinking across all ages of young adulthood differed for men and women. Even after controlling for key covariates, women in the more recent cohort group reported significantly higher binge drinking prevalence than women in earlier cohorts from ages 21 through 30. Men in the more recent cohort group reported higher binge drinking prevalence at ages 25 to 26, but prevalence levels then converged to those seen in earlier cohort groups by age 30.

CONCLUSIONS

An older age of peak binge drinking and a decreased rate of decline in the prevalence of binge drinking in later young adulthood among more recent cohorts have resulted in an extension of individual and societal risks associated with binge drinking, particularly for women, across young adulthood. High-risk alcohol use prevention efforts are needed throughout at least the third decade of life.

Accumulation of advanced glycation end products is associated with macrovascular events and glycaemic control with microvascular complications in Type 2 diabetes mellitus

AIM

The United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) study showed that glycaemic control (HbA1c ) can predict vascular complications in Type 2 diabetes mellitus. The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) study showed that accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) from skin biopsies predicts vascular complications in Type 1 diabetes. Previously, we showed that tissue AGEs can be measured non-invasively using skin autofluorescence (SAF). The aim of this study was to compare the predictive value of HbA1c and SAF for new macrovascular events and microvascular complications in people with Type 2 diabetes.

METHODS

A prospective cohort study of 563 participants, median age 64 years [interquartile range (IQR) 57-72], diabetes duration of 13 years, from five Dutch hospitals was performed.

RESULTS

After a median follow-up of 5.1 (IQR 4.3-5.9) years, 79 (15%) participants had died and 49 (9%) were lost to follow-up. Some 133 (26%) developed a microvascular complication and 189 (37%) a macrovascular event. Tertiles of HbA1c were significantly associated with development of microvascular complications (log rank P = 0.022), but not with macrovascular events. Tertiles of SAF were significantly associated with macrovascular events (log rank P = 0.003). Cox regression analysis showed SAF was associated with macrovascular events: crude hazard ratio (HR) 1.53 (P < 0.001) per unit increase, HR 1.28 (P = 0.03) after correction for UKPDS score. HbA1c was predictive for microvascular complications: crude HR 1.20 (P = 0.004), HR 1.20 (P = 0.004) after correction for UKPDS score.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that tissue accumulation of AGEs, assessed by SAF, is associated with development of macrovascular events in people with Type 2 diabetes, whereas HbA1c is associated with the development of microvascular complications.

III. FROM SMALL TO BIG: METHODS FOR INCORPORATING LARGE SCALE DATA INTO DEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCE

For decades, developmental science has been based primarily on relatively small-scale data collections with children and families. Part of the reason for the dominance of this type of data collection is the complexity of collecting cognitive and social data on infants and small children. These small data sets are limited in both power to detect differences and the demographic diversity to generalize clearly and broadly. Thus, in this chapter we will discuss the value of using existing large-scale data sets to tests the complex questions of child development and how to develop future large-scale data sets that are both representative and can answer the important questions of developmental scientists.

II. MORE THAN JUST CONVENIENT: THE SCIENTIFIC MERITS OF HOMOGENEOUS CONVENIENCE SAMPLES

Despite their disadvantaged generalizability relative to probability samples, nonprobability convenience samples are the standard within developmental science, and likely will remain so because probability samples are cost-prohibitive and most available probability samples are ill-suited to examine developmental questions. In lieu of focusing on how to eliminate or sharply reduce reliance on convenience samples within developmental science, here we propose how to augment their advantages when it comes to understanding population effects as well as subpopulation differences. Although all convenience samples have less clear generalizability than probability samples, we argue that homogeneous convenience samples have clearer generalizability relative to conventional convenience samples. Therefore, when researchers are limited to convenience samples, they should consider homogeneous convenience samples as a positive alternative to conventional (or heterogeneous) convenience samples. We discuss future directions as well as potential obstacles to expanding the use of homogeneous convenience samples in developmental science.

Characterization of hyperbranched core-multishell nanocarriers as an innovative drug delivery system for the application at the oral mucosa

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

In the oral cavity, the mucosal tissues may develop a number of different pathological conditions, such as inflammatory diseases (gingivitis, periodontitis) and autoimmune disorders (eg, oral lichen planus) that require therapy. The application of topical drugs is one common therapeutic approach. However, their efficacy is limited. Dilution effects due to saliva hinder the adherence and the penetration of drug formulations. Therefore, the bioavailability of oral topical drugs is insufficient, and patients may suffer from disease over years, if not life-long.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

In the present study, we characterized core-multishell (CMS) nanocarriers for their potential use as drug delivery systems at oral mucosal tissues. For this purpose, we prepared porcine masticatory as well as buccal mucosa and performed Franz cell diffusion experiments. Penetration of fluorescently labeled CMS nanocarriers into the mucosal tissue was analyzed using confocal laser scanning microscopy. Upon exposure to CMS nanocarriers, the metabolic and proliferative activity of gingival epithelial cells was determined by MTT and sulforhodamine B assays, respectively.

RESULTS

Here, we could show that the carriers penetrate into both mucosal tissues, while particles penetrate deeper into the masticatory mucosa. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed that the 3-carboxy-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-1-pyrrolidinyloxy-labeled glucocorticoid dexamethasone loaded on to the CMS nanocarriers was released from the carriers in both mucosal tissues but with a higher efficiency in the buccal mucosa. The release from the nanocarriers is in both cases superior compared to the release from a conventional cream, which is normally used for the treatment of inflammatory conditions in the oral cavity. The CMS nanocarriers exhibited neither cytotoxic nor proliferative effects in vitro.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggested that CMS nanocarriers might be an innovative approach for topical drug delivery in the treatment of oral inflammatory diseases.

Effects of maternal traumatic distress on family functioning and child mental health: An examination of Southeast Asian refugee families in the U.S

BACKGROUND

The psychological effects of trauma are well-documented among refugee adults and children alone, yet less research has attended to the intergenerational transmission of trauma within refugee families. Additionally, there is considerable diversity between refugee populations as well as within-group variation in the experiences and effects of refugee trauma.

OBJECTIVE

The current study examines the longitudinal effects of maternal traumatic distress on family functioning and child mental health outcomes among Southeast Asian refugee women and their adolescent children. Given the potential for variation in these effects, we also explore group differences in these relationships by ethnicity and child nativity.

METHODS

Longitudinal data were collected from a random sample of 327 Southeast Asian refugee mothers and their children in the United States. We employed structural equation modeling to examine associations between latent variables representing maternal traumatic distress, family functioning, and child mental health outcomes (i.e., depressive symptoms, antisocial and delinquent behavior, and school problems). We then tested for group differences in these associations by ethnicity (Cambodian and Vietnamese subgroups) and child nativity (U.S.-born and foreign-born children).

RESULTS

We found maternal traumatic distress was indirectly linked to child mental health outcomes, and that child nativity was associated with these paths while ethnicity was not. For foreign-born children, maternal traumatic distress was associated with diminished family functioning a year later, which was associated with increased school problems at the two-year mark. Maternal traumatic distress was indirectly associated with depressive symptoms and antisocial and delinquent behavior, respectively, after accounting for family functioning. For all children, weaker family functioning was significantly associated with poorer mental health.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that refugee parents' trauma can adversely affect family relationships and the mental health of children. Interventions that address parental trauma and support intergenerational relationships may enhance mental health within refugee communities for future generations.

Developmental course of non-medical use of prescription drugs from adolescence to adulthood in the United States: national longitudinal data

AIMS

To identify the developmental course of non-medical use of four separate prescription drug classes (opioids, sedatives, stimulants and tranquilizers) by examining the general functional growth and related covariates during the transition from adolescence to adulthood in the United States.

DESIGN

Nationally representative probability samples of high school seniors were followed longitudinally across five waves (waves 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5: modal ages 18, 19/20, 21/22, 23/24 and 25/26 years, respectively).

SETTING

Data were collected via self-administered questionnaires to high school seniors and young adults in the United States.

PARTICIPANTS

The sample consisted of nearly 72 000 individuals in 30 cohorts (high school senior years of 1977-2006) who participated in at least one wave.

MEASUREMENTS

Self-reports of annual non-medical use of prescription opioids, sedatives, stimulants, and tranquilizers.

FINDINGS

The annual non-medical use of prescription opioids, sedatives, stimulants and tranquilizers was highest at wave 1 over the five waves. There was a consistent descending path (linear and quadratic slopes, P < 0.001) in annual non-medical use from baseline across all four prescription drug classes (e.g. opioids linear slope = -0.043 and opioids quadratic slope = 0.034, P < 0.001). While the annual non-medical use of stimulants declined over time (linear slope = 0.063, P < 0.01; quadratic slope = -0.133, P < 0.001), the same decrease was not observed for the annual non-medical use of prescription opioids, sedatives or tranquilizers when controlling for socio-demographic and substance use behaviors at baseline. The covariates associated with the general functional growth differed across the four prescription drug classes.

CONCLUSIONS

The non-medical use of prescription opioids, sedatives, stimulants and tranquilizers appears to peak during late adolescence, suggesting preventive intervention efforts should be initiated in early adolescence. The developmental course of non-medical use is not the same among all four classes of prescription drugs, suggesting that each drug class warrants individual research.

Liver innate immune cells and insulin resistance: the multiple facets of Kupffer cells

Obesity, which affects 600 million adults worldwide, is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes (T2D) and insulin resistance. Current therapies for these metabolic disorders include weight management by lifestyle intervention or bariatric surgery and pharmacological treatment with the aim of regulating blood glucose. Probably because of their short-term effectiveness, these therapies have not been able to stop the rapidly rising prevalence of T2D over the past decades, highlighting an urgent need to develop new therapeutic strategies. The role of immune cells, such as macrophages, in insulin resistance has been extensively studied. Major advances have been made to elucidate the role of adipose tissue macrophages in these pathogeneses. Recently, anti-inflammatory drugs have been suggested as an alternative treatment for T2D, and clinical trials of these agents are currently ongoing. In addition, results of previous clinical trials using antibodies against inflammatory cytokines, which showed modest effects, are now being rigorously re-evaluated. However, it is still unclear how liver macrophages [termed Kupffer cells (KCs)], which constitute the major source of macrophages in the body, contribute to the development of insulin resistance. In this review, we will discuss the present understanding of the role of liver immune cells in the development of insulin resistance. We will particularly focus on KCs, which could represent an attractive target for the treatment of metabolic diseases.

Substance Use Profiles of Urban American Indian Adolescents: A Latent Class Analysis

A growing majority of American Indian adolescents now live in cities and are at high risk of early and problematic substance use and its negative health effects.

OBJECTIVE

This study used latent class analysis to empirically derive heterogeneous patterns of substance use among urban American Indian adolescents, examined demographic correlates of the resulting latent classes, and tested for differences among the latent classes in other risk behavior and prosocial outcomes.

METHOD

The study employed a representative sample of 8th, 10th, and 12th grade American Indian adolescents (n = 2,407) in public or charter schools in metropolitan areas of Arizona in 2012. Latent class analysis examined eight types of last 30 day substance use.

RESULTS

Four latent classes emerged: a large group of "nonusers" (69%); a substantial minority using alcohol, tobacco, and/or marijuana [ATM] (17%); a smaller group of polysubstance users consuming, alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, other illicit drugs, and prescription or OTC drugs in combination (6%); and a "not alcohol" group reporting combinations of tobacco, marijuana, and prescription drug use, but rarely alcohol use (4%). The latent classes varied by age and grade level, but not by other demographic characteristics, and aligned in highly consistent patterns on other non-substance use outcomes. Polysubstance users reported the most problematic and nonusers the least problematic outcomes, with ATM and "not alcohol" users in the middle.

CONCLUSIONS

Urban AI adolescent substance use occurs in three somewhat distinctive patterns of combinations of recent alcohol and drug consumption, covarying in systematic ways with other problematic risk behaviors and attitudes.

Secure attachment status is associated with white matter integrity in healthy young adults

The present study investigates associations between security of attachment in the mother-child relationship and patterns of brain connectivity in young adults. We hypothesized that secure attachment would relate to more efficient connectivity in white matter association fibers due to increased myelination. Attachment security was measured in 53 young adults using the Kerns Security Scale; anatomical information was acquired using diffusion tensor imaging. Higher fractional anisotropy, an index of directionality of diffusion, related to security of attachment in four left-hemisphere white matter association fibers (uncinate fasciculus, cingulum, superior longitudinal fasciculus, and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus). As expected, this result was mainly ascribable to increased myelination, which has been independently associated with attachment security. Security of attachment may have an identifiable biological basis. Our research demonstrates the feasibility of coupling neuroimaging tools with clinical investigation.

Answering Developmental Questions Using Secondary Data

Secondary data analysis of large longitudinal and national data sets is a standard method used in many social sciences to answer complex questions regarding behavior. In this article, we detail the advantages of using these data sets to study developmental questions across the lifespan. First, we provide an overview of how using secondary data can increase studies' scientific integrity. Then, we detail where and how data sets can be obtained that answer specific questions. Finally, we discuss methodological issues related to using longitudinal, population data sets. These data sets can enhance science and test theories by increasing the rigor and generalizability of research to the general population, making secondary data analysis an important method to consider.

National multi-cohort time trends in adolescent risk preference and the relation with substance use and problem behavior from 1976 to 2011

AIMS

Preference for risky activities is an important developmentally graded predictor of substance use. Population-level trends in adolescent risk preference, as well as the way in which risk preference may be a conduit to risk behavior, have never been documented. The present study examines population-level trends in risk preference among U.S. high school seniors for the 36 years from 1976 to 2011, as well as trends in the association between risk preference and substance use and other problem behaviors.

METHODS

Data were drawn from yearly nationally representative cross-sectional surveys of US high school seniors (N=91,860). Risk preference was measured consistently with two items. Marijuana and cocaine use, binge drinking, and conduct problems were assessed. Trends were tested using JoinPoint software.

RESULTS

The mean level of reported risk preference among US 12th graders has increased over time, especially in the 1980s. For example, the proportion of high school females who reported enjoying activities that were "a little dangerous" more than doubled, from 4.9% in 1976 to 10.8% in 1988. While risk preference reports among adolescent males leveled off in 1992, risk preference reports among females show a continued positive overall slope through 2011. The magnitude of the association between risk preference and marijuana use has increased over time.

CONCLUSIONS

Reported preference for risky activities has increased among adolescents in the US, especially among young women. Reported risk preference is increasingly associated with a higher use of marijuana. Our findings argue for the importance of placing risk preference within a multi-level framework that attends to historical variation.

Historical variation in young adult binge drinking trajectories and its link to historical variation in social roles and minimum legal drinking age

This study examines historical variation in age 18 to 26 binge drinking trajectories, focusing on differences in both levels of use and rates of change (growth) across cohorts of young adults over 3 decades. As part of the national Monitoring the Future Study, over 64,000 youths from the high school classes of 1976 to 2004 were surveyed at biennial intervals between ages 18 and 26. We found that, relative to past cohorts, recent cohorts both enter the 18 to 26 age band engaging in lower levels and exit the 18 to 26 age band engaging in higher levels of binge drinking. The reason for this reversal is that, relative to past cohorts, binge drinking among recent cohorts accelerates more quickly across ages 18 to 22 and decelerates more slowly across ages 22 to 26. Moreover, we found that historical increases in minimum legal drinking age account for a portion of the historical decline in age 18 level, whereas historical variation in social role acquisition (e.g., marriage, parenthood, and employment) accounts for a portion of the historical acceleration in age 18 to 22 growth. We also found that historical variation in the age 18 to 22 and age 22 to 26 growth rates was strongly and positively connected, suggesting common mechanism(s) underlie historical variation of both growth rates. Findings were generally consistent across gender and indicate that historical time is an important source of individual differences in young adult binge drinking trajectories. Beyond binge drinking, historical time may also inform the developmental course of other young adult risk behaviors, highlighting the interplay of epidemiology and etiology.

Adolescent-Peer Relationships, Separation and Detachment from Parents, and Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors: Linkages and Interactions

Most research exploring the interplay between context and adolescent separation and detachment has focused on the family; in contrast, this investigation directs its attention outside of the family to peers. Utilizing a latent variable approach for modeling interactions and incorporating reports of behavioral adjustment from 14-year-old adolescents (N = 190) and their mothers, we examine how separation and detachment relate to adolescent peer relationships, and whether peer relationships moderate how separation and detachment relate to adolescent internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Positive peer relationships were both associated with lower detachment and sharply attenuated relations between detachment and higher adolescent internalizing and externalizing. Separation from parents was unrelated to peer relationships, and regardless of whether peer relationships were positive, separation was not related to adolescent internalizing and externalizing. We integrate these findings with those from family-focused investigations and discuss their substantive and clinical implications.

Estimating and interpreting latent variable interactions: A tutorial for applying the latent moderated structural equations method

Latent variables are common in psychological research. Research questions involving the interaction of two variables are likewise quite common. Methods for estimating and interpreting interactions between latent variables within a structural equation modeling framework have recently become available. The latent moderated structural equations (LMS) method is one that is built into Mplus software. The potential utility of this method is limited by the fact that the models do not produce traditional model fit indices, standardized coefficients, or effect sizes for the latent interaction, which renders model fitting and interpretation of the latent variable interaction difficult. This article compiles state-of-the-science techniques for assessing LMS model fit, obtaining standardized coefficients, and determining the size of the latent interaction effect in order to create a tutorial for new users of LMS models. The recommended sequence of model estimation and interpretation is demonstrated via a substantive example and a Monte Carlo simulation. Finally, extensions of this method are discussed, such as estimating quadratic effects of latent factors and interactions between latent slope and intercept factors, which hold significant potential for testing and advancing developmental theories.