Same-sex attraction, social relationships, psychosocial functioning, and schoolperformance in young adolescents.

The study assessed the extent to which children between eight and 12 years old in planned lesbian families in the Netherlands experience stigmatization, as well as the influence of protective factors (relationship with parents, social acceptance by peers, contact with children from other families headed by lesbian mothers or gay fathers) on their psychological adjustment (conduct problems, emotional symptoms, hyperactivity, self-esteem). Data were collected by questionnaires filled out by the mothers and by the children themselves. The children in the sample generally reported low levels of stigmatization. However, boys more often reported that, in their view, they were excluded by peers because of their non-traditional family situation. Girls more often reported that other children gossiped about the fact that they had two lesbian mothers. Higher levels of stigmatization were associated with more hyperactivity for boys and lower self-esteem for girls. Having frequent contact with other children who have a lesbian mother or gay father protects against the negative influence of stigmatization on self-esteem. Findings support the idea that children in planned lesbian families benefit from the experience of meeting other children from similar families

Global Retinoblastoma Presentation and Analysis by National Income Level

Importance: Early diagnosis of retinoblastoma, the most common intraocular cancer, can save both a child's life and vision. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that many children across the world are diagnosed late. To our knowledge, the clinical presentation of retinoblastoma has never been assessed on a global scale. Objectives: To report the retinoblastoma stage at diagnosis in patients across the world during a single year, to investigate associations between clinical variables and national income level, and to investigate risk factors for advanced disease at diagnosis. Design, Setting, and Participants: A total of 278 retinoblastoma treatment centers were recruited from June 2017 through December 2018 to participate in a cross-sectional analysis of treatment-naive patients with retinoblastoma who were diagnosed in 2017. Main Outcomes and Measures: Age at presentation, proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma, and tumor stage and metastasis. Results: The cohort included 4351 new patients from 153 countries; the median age at diagnosis was 30.5 (interquartile range, 18.3-45.9) months, and 1976 patients (45.4) were female. Most patients (n = 3685 84.7%) were from low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). Globally, the most common indication for referral was leukocoria (n = 2638 62.8%), followed by strabismus (n = 429 10.2%) and proptosis (n = 309 7.4%). Patients from high-income countries (HICs) were diagnosed at a median age of 14.1 months, with 656 of 666 (98.5%) patients having intraocular retinoblastoma and 2 (0.3%) having metastasis. Patients from low-income countries were diagnosed at a median age of 30.5 months, with 256 of 521 (49.1%) having extraocular retinoblastoma and 94 of 498 (18.9%) having metastasis. Lower national income level was associated with older presentation age, higher proportion of locally advanced disease and distant metastasis, and smaller proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma. Advanced disease at diagnosis was more common in LMICs even after adjusting for age (odds ratio for low-income countries vs upper-middle-income countries and HICs, 17.92 95% CI, 12.94-24.80, and for lower-middle-income countries vs upper-middle-income countries and HICs, 5.74 95% CI, 4.30-7.68). Conclusions and Relevance: This study is estimated to have included more than half of all new retinoblastoma cases worldwide in 2017. Children from LMICs, where the main global retinoblastoma burden lies, presented at an older age with more advanced disease and demonstrated a smaller proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma, likely because many do not reach a childbearing age. Given that retinoblastoma is curable, these data are concerning and mandate intervention at national and international levels. Further studies are needed to investigate factors, other than age at presentation, that may be associated with advanced disease in LMICs. © 2020 American Medical Association. All rights reserved

Dominance-popularity status, behavior, and the emergence of sexual activity in young adolescents

Contains fulltext : 102452.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)In this paper, we investigated the sexual activity levels of several subtypes of middle adolescents (age 14-15 years). The subtype profiles were based on dominance-popularity status and a range of behaviors associated with dominance and popularity. In addition, gender differences in behavioral profiles were examined among dominant-popular, sexually active young adolescents. Results showed that socially dominant and popular young adolescent boys who exhibited a highly aggressive profile were more sexually active than their low-status and non-aggressive male peers; dominant-popular girls who were very attractive and gossips were more sexually active than their female peers. The results are discussed from an evolutionary psychological framework.25 p

Leisure Activity Preferences and Perceived Popularity in Early Adolescence

Item does not contain fulltextThe goal of the current study was to examine the associations between early adolescents' popularity in the peer group and their leisure activity preferences. First, the pattern of normative leisure activity preferences was assessed in a sample of early adolescent 13-year-olds in The Netherlands (n = 860). Second, gender differences in these normative patterns were examined. Third, the associations between patterns of leisure activity preferences and popularity in the peer group was examined, also taking gender into account. Results indicated that youth in general preferred activities with a social character such as dating and going to the movies, and tended to dislike solitary activities such as collecting stamps. Gender differences were large; girls preferred to shop, and boys preferred cars and computers. Popular adolescents, both boys and girls, preferred to engage in social activities in groups. Popular boys disliked computer activities, whereas popular girls disliked solitary cultural activities. These results were discussed in light of constraint and facilitator theories of leisure activity preferences

Parenting, goal orientations, classroom behavior, and school success in early adolescence

The present study was designed to investigate the chain of associations between parenting behavior and early adolescents' school success. Students' goal orientations and classroom behavior were hypothesized to mediate between parenting and school success. The sample consisted of 327 pre-university-tracked pupils in their first year of secondary school. Results indicate that boys and girls shared the same pathway from maternal disciplinary strategies to school success mediated by the child's goal orientations and cognitive classroom engagement. Path analyses revealed moderate associations between parenting and goal orientations. Goal orientations were found to be moderately linked to classroom behavior dimensions conducive to school success. Although models for boys and girls differed slightly, overall results highlight the continuing relationship in early adolescence between parenting and pupils' beneficent academic behavior. The present study highlights several processes by which parents might shape their early adolescents' school success