Prevalence and characteristics of overweight and obesity in indigenous Australian children: A systematic review

Evidence-based profiling of obesity and overweight in Indigenous Australian children has been poor. This study systematically reviewed evidence of the prevalence and patterns of obesity/overweight, with respect to gender, age, remoteness, and birth weight, in Indigenous Australian children, 0–18 years (PROSPERO CRD42014007626). Study quality and risk of bias were assessed. Twenty-five publications (21 studies) met inclusion criteria, with large variations in prevalence for obesity or overweight (11 to 54%) reported. A high degree of heterogeneity in study design was observed, few studies (6/21) were representative of the target population, and few appropriately recruited Indigenous children (8/21). Variability in study design, conduct, and small sample sizes mean that it is not possible to derive a single estimate for prevalence although two high-quality studies indicate at least one in four Indigenous Australian children are overweight or obese. Four of six studies reporting on gender, found overweight/obesity higher in girls and eight studies reporting on overweight/obesity by age suggest prevalence increases with age with one high quality large national study reporting total overweight/obesity as 22.4% of children aged 2–4 years, 27.5% of those aged 5–9, 38.5% aged 10–14, and 36.3% aged 15–17. Three of four studies, reporting obesity/overweight by region, found lower rates for children living in more remote areas than urban areas.     

Depression and delinquency covariation in an accelerated longitudinal sample of adolescents.

Objectives: The current study tested opposing predictions stemming from the failure and acting out theories of depression–delinquency covariation. Method: Participants included a nationwide longitudinal sample of adolescents (N = 3,604) ages 12 to 17. Competing models were tested with cohort-sequential latent growth curve modeling to determine whether depressive symptoms at age 12 (baseline) predicted concurrent and age-related changes in delinquent behavior, whether the opposite pattern was apparent (delinquency predicting depression), and whether initial levels of depression predict changes in delinquency significantly better than vice versa. Results: Early depressive symptoms predicted age-related changes in delinquent behavior significantly better than early delinquency predicted changes in depressive symptoms. In addition, the impact of gender on age-related changes in delinquent symptoms was mediated by gender differences in depressive symptom changes, indicating that depressive symptoms are a particularly salient risk factor for delinquent behavior in girls. Conclusion: Early depressive symptoms represent a significant risk factor for later delinquent behavior—especially for girls—and appear to be a better predictor of later delinquency than early delinquency is of later depression. These findings provide support for the acting out theory and contradict failure theory predictions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Depleted parental psychological resources as mediators of the association of income with adherence and metabolic control.

For adolescents with Type 1 diabetes, lower family income may be associated with poorer diabetes management through depleted parental psychological resources (i.e., higher parental depressive symptoms, lower parental acceptance). Adolescents (N = 252; 46% male) aged 10–14 years with Type 1 diabetes assessed the acceptance of their mother and father (e.g., “gives me the feeling that she likes me as I am”; “she doesn't feel she has to make me over into someone else”). Mothers provided information on family income and demographics. Both mothers and fathers reported their depressive symptoms. HbA1c scores were indexed via medical records. Lower family income was associated with higher (i.e., worse) HbA1c, more mother and father depressive symptoms, and less acceptance from both parents. Mediation analyses revealed that the relationship of lower family income with metabolic control occurred indirectly through lower maternal and paternal acceptance and lower adherence. Lower family income may impair the quality of parent—adolescent relationships that are beneficial for good diabetes management. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Maternal parenting and mental health of Mexican American youth: A bidirectional and prospective approach.

Understanding the bidirectional relation between parenting behaviors and youth mental health in Mexican American families is crucial because of the current need to improve the availability of high quality services for this underserved population and to broaden the reach of extant theories on this topic. Youth (14–19 years old; N = 88) were recruited from a public high school in an urban immigrant enclave and reported their internalizing and externalizing symptoms as well as six maternal parenting behaviors at two points approximately one year apart. Youth-reported parenting behaviors formed two factors: Supportive Parenting and Harsh Parental Control. T1 externalizing symptoms predicted higher T2 Harsh Parental Control, providing evidence for the coercive model. T1 internalizing symptoms predicted lower T2 Supportive Parenting, providing evidence for social interaction theory. However, T1 parenting factors did not predict T2 youth mental health symptoms as expected according to bidirectional theories. We advocate the use of eco-developmental models to interpret our findings and guide future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Family, school, and neighborhood: Links to Chinese American adolescent perceptions of racial/ethnic discrimination.

The purpose of the study was to examine how family, school, and neighborhood factors contributed to Chinese American adolescent perceptions of discrimination. The sample included 185 Chinese American adolescents (mean age = 16.8 years, SD = .81; 58% female; 70% U.S.-born) and their parents. As hypothesized, the results showed that greater parent perceptions of discrimination, more negative school environment, and less availability of cultural resources were related to greater adolescent perceptions of discrimination. Contrary to the hypothesis, parent/adolescent subjective perceptions of ethnic density were related to greater adolescent perceptions of discrimination. The findings suggest that adolescent perceptions of discrimination are related to both within and outside family factors, supporting an ecological approach to understanding racial/ethnic discrimination. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Verbal deception from late childhood to middle adolescence and its relation to executive functioning skills.

The present investigation examined 8- to 16-year-olds' tendency to lie, the sophistication of their lies, and related cognitive factors. Participants were left alone and asked not to look at the answers to a test, but the majority peeked. The researcher then asked a series of questions to examine whether the participants would lie about their cheating and, if they did lie, evaluate the sophistication of their lies. Additionally, participants completed measures of working memory, inhibitory control, and planning skills. Results revealed that the sophistication of 8- to 16-year-olds' lies, but not their decision to lie, was significantly related to executive functioning skills. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Assessing the forms and functions of aggression using self-report: Factor structure and invariance of the Peer Conflict Scale in youths.

This study examined the structure of a self-report measure of the forms and functions of aggression in 855 adolescents (582 boys, 266 girls) aged 12 to 19 years recruited from high school, detained, and residential settings. The Peer Conflict Scale (PCS) is a 40-item measure that was developed to improve upon existing measures and provide an efficient, reliable, and valid assessment of four dimensions of aggression (i.e., reactive overt, reactive relational, proactive overt, and proactive relational) in youths. Confirmatory factor analyses showed that a 4-factor model represented a satisfactory solution for the data. The factor structure fit well for both boys and girls and across high school, detained, and residential samples. Internal consistency estimates were good for the 4 factors, and they showed expected associations with externalizing variables (i.e., arrest history, callous-unemotional traits, and delinquency). Reactive and proactive subtypes showed unique associations consistent with previous literature. Implications for the use of the PCS to assess aggression and inform intervention decisions in diverse samples of youths are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Autonomy Over Smoking Scale.

Our goal was to create an instrument that can be used to study how smokers lose autonomy over smoking and regain it after quitting. The Autonomy Over Smoking Scale was produced through a process involving item generation, focus-group evaluation, testing in adults to winnow items, field testing with adults and adolescents, and head-to-head comparisons with other measures. The final 12-item scale shows excellent reliability (αs = .91–.97), with a one-factor solution explaining 59% of the variance in adults and 61%–74% of the variance in adolescents. Concurrent validity was supported by associations with age of smoking initiation, lifetime use, smoking frequency, daily cigarette consumption, history of failed cessation, Hooked on Nicotine Checklist scores, and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (4th ed., text rev.; American Psychiatric Association, 2000) nicotine dependence criteria. Potentially useful features of this new instrument include (a) it assesses tobacco withdrawal, cue-induced craving, and psychological dependence on cigarettes; (b) it measures symptom intensity; and (c) it asks about current symptoms only, so it could be administered to quitting smokers to track the resolution of symptoms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Are adolescents less mature than adults?: Minors' access to abortion, the juvenile death penalty, and the alleged APA "flip-flop."

The American Psychological Association’s (APA’s) stance on the psychological maturity of adolescents has been criticized as inconsistent. In its Supreme Court amicus brief in Roper v. Simmons (2005), which abolished the juvenile death penalty, APA described adolescents as developmentally immature. In its amicus brief in Hodgson v. Minnesota (1990), however, which upheld adolescents’ right to seek an abortion without parental involvement, APA argued that adolescents are as mature as adults. The authors present evidence that adolescents demonstrate adult levels of cognitive capability earlier than they evince emotional and social maturity. On the basis of this research, the authors argue that it is entirely reasonable to assert that adolescents possess the necessary skills to make an informed choice about terminating a pregnancy but are nevertheless less mature than adults in ways that mitigate criminal responsibility. The notion that a single line can be drawn between adolescence and adulthood for different purposes under the law is at odds with developmental science. Drawing age boundaries on the basis of developmental research cannot be done sensibly without a careful and nuanced consideration of the particular demands placed on the individual for “adult-like” maturity in different domains of functioning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Do adolescent smokers experience withdrawal effects when deprived of nicotine?

This is the first controlled prospective study of the effects of nicotine deprivation in adolescent smokers. Heart rate and subjective withdrawal symptoms were measured over and 8-hr period while participants smoked normally. Seven days later, participants were randomized to wear a 15-mg (16-hr) nicotine patch or placebo patch for 8 hr, and they refrained from smoking during the session. Those wearing the placebo experienced a decrease in heart rate across sessions and an increase in subjective measures of nicotine withdrawal. Those wearing the active patch also reported significant increases for some subjective symptoms. Expectancy effects were also observed. The findings indicate that adolescent smokers experience subjective and objective changes when deprived of nicotine. As in previous research with adults, expectancies concerning the effects of nicotine replacement also influenced perceptions of withdrawal. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)