Assessment of Psychosocial and Neonatal Risk Factors for Trajectories of Behavioral Dysregulation Among Young Children From 18 to 72 Months of Age

Importance Emotional and behavioral dysregulation during early childhood are associated with severe psychiatric, behavioral, and cognitive disorders through adulthood. Identifying the earliest antecedents of persisting emotional and behavioral dysregulation can inform risk detection practices and targeted interventions to promote adaptive developmental trajectories among at-risk children. Objective To characterize children’s emotional and behavioral regulation trajectories and examine risk factors associated with persisting dysregulation across early childhood. Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study examined data from 20 United States cohorts participating in Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes, which included 3934 mother-child pairs (singleton births) from 1990 to 2019. Statistical analysis was performed from January to August 2022. Exposures Standardized self-reports and medical data ascertained maternal, child, and environmental characteristics, including prenatal substance exposures, preterm birth, and multiple psychosocial adversities. Main Outcomes and Measures Child Behavior Checklist caregiver reports at 18 to 72 months of age, with Dysregulation Profile (CBCL-DP = sum of anxiety/depression, attention, and aggression). Results The sample included 3934 mother-child pairs studied at 18 to 72 months. Among the mothers, 718 (18.7%) were Hispanic, 275 (7.2%) were non-Hispanic Asian, 1220 (31.8%) were non-Hispanic Black, 1412 (36.9%) were non-Hispanic White; 3501 (89.7%) were at least 21 years of age at delivery. Among the children, 2093 (53.2%) were male, 1178 of 2143 with Psychosocial Adversity Index [PAI] data (55.0%) experienced multiple psychosocial adversities, 1148 (29.2%) were exposed prenatally to at least 1 psychoactive substance, and 3066 (80.2%) were term-born (≥37 weeks’ gestation). Growth mixture modeling characterized a 3-class CBCL-DP trajectory model: high and increasing (2.3% [n = 89]), borderline and stable (12.3% [n = 479]), and low and decreasing (85.6% [n = 3366]). Children in high and borderline dysregulation trajectories had more prevalent maternal psychological challenges (29.4%-50.0%). Multinomial logistic regression analyses indicated that children born preterm were more likely to be in the high dysregulation trajectory (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.76; 95% CI, 2.08-3.65; P < .001) or borderline dysregulation trajectory (aOR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.06-1.76; P = .02) vs low dysregulation trajectory. High vs low dysregulation trajectories were less prevalent for girls compared with boys (aOR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.36-1.01; P = .05) and children with lower PAI (aOR, 1.94; 95% CI, 1.51-2.49; P < .001). Combined increases in PAI and prenatal substance exposures were associated with increased odds of high vs borderline dysregulation (aOR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.08-1.53; P = .006) and decreased odds of low vs high dysregulation (aOR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.64-0.92; P = .005). Conclusions and Relevance In this cohort study of behavioral dysregulation trajectories, associations were found with early risk factors. These findings may inform screening and diagnostic practices for addressing observed precursors of persisting dysregulation as they emerge among at-risk children

Earnings Assimilation of Immigrants in Germany: The Importance of Heterogeneity and Attrition Bias

Heterogeneity in the ethnic composition of Germany's immigrant population renders general conclusions on the degree of economic integration difficult. Using a rich longitudinal data-set, this paper tests for differences in economic assimilation profiles of four entry cohorts of foreign-born immigrants and ethnic Germans. The importance of time-invariant individual unobserved heterogeneity and panel attrition in determining the speed of assimilation is analysed. We find evidence for heterogeneity in the assimilation profiles and for robust assimilation profiles for two entry cohorts only. Omitted variables, systematic sample attrition and the presence of second generation immigrants in the sample influence the speed of assimilation, but do not change the overall picture

Migration, Ethnicity and Economic Integration

This chapter deals with the economic and ethnic diversity caused by international labor migration, and their economic integration possibilities. It brings together three strands of literature dealing with the neoclassical economic assimilation, ethnic identities and attitudes towards immigrants and the natives, and provides an analysis in understanding their interactions. The issue of how immigrants fare in the host country especially in terms of their labor force participation and remuneration has been the core of research in the labor migration literature. If immigrants fare as well as the natives, then they are economically assimilated. While some immigrant groups do, most do not, especially in Europe. Of equal importance is how immigrants identify with the culture of their home and receiving countries, and if natives and immigrants have the right attitudes about each other. Ethnic identities and attitudes seem to be less affected by the economic environment but have implications for economic performance

Suprime-Krise, strukturierte Finanzierung und die Förderung der Mikrokreditvergabe

Während Subprime-Kredite in der öffentlichen Wahrnehmung Auswüchse des Finanzmarkts symbolisieren, stehen Mikrokredite für das Soziale in der Finanzwelt. Dabei wird übersehen, dass nicht nur Mikrokredite in Entwicklungsländern, sondern auch Hypothekarkredite in den USA gefördert wurden, um breiteren Bevölkerungsschichten den Zugang zu Kredit zu eröffnen. Für beide Kredittypen ist die strukturierte Finanzierung ein Instrument, um den Kapitalmarkt verstärkt zur Refinanzierung zu nutzen und so den Zugang zu Kredit auszuweiten. Zentrale Unterschiede bestehen jedoch darin, wie die Attraktivität der Anlage in verbrieften Hypothekarkrediten einerseits und in Mikrokrediten andererseits gefördert wird. In den USA boten implizite staatliche Garantien eine quasi unlimitierte Förderquelle, die zur Erhöhung systemischer Risiken beitrug. In der Mikrofinanzierung dagegen werden mit Fördermitteln nachrangig zu bedienende Tranchen von verbrieften Mikrofinanzinvestitionen erworben, um privates Kapital für die Anlage in den sichereren Tranchen zu gewinnen. So lassen sich die Vorteile der Refinanzierung über den Kapitalmarkt für die Mikrofinanzierung erschließen, ohne die Gefahr einer unkontrollierten Ausweitung von Risiken einzugehen. Abstract In the public opinion, micro credits and securitized sub prime loans represent quite contrasting types of financial products. While the former stand for socially responsible finance the latter are regarded as toxic waste. This ignores that structured mortgage securities, like micro credit, had their origin in the public mission to create access to finance for the financially excluded. Before and after the sub prime crisis, structured securitization is a viable way to attract private capital and, thereby, deepen financial outreach to lower income customers. Not structured finance in itself, but the way it is publicly supported seems to be the key to enhancing financial access without boosting the burden of systemic risk. In the U.S. implicit government guarantees were the quasi unlimited source to attract more private capital to the mortgage market while increasing the burden of public risk. Quite differently, microfinance is supported by investing scarce donor funds into the junior tranches of microfinance investment vehicles. This attracts the investment of private capital into the senior tranches while the risk carried by donors and the support for microfinance is transparent and clearly limited. JEL Classifications: G01, G21, G38, O1