Facilitative parenting and children's social, emotional and behavioural adjustment

Facilitative parenting (FP) supports the development of children’s social and emotional competence and effective peer relationships. Previous research has shown that FP discriminates between children bullied by peers from children who are not bullied, according to reports of teachers. This study investigates the association between FP and children’s social, emotional and behavioral problems, over and above the association with dysfunctional parenting (DP). 215 parents of children aged 5–11 years completed questionnaires about parenting and child behavior, and children and teachers completed measures of child bullying victimization. As predicted, FP accounted for variance in teacher reports of children’s bullying victimization as well as parent reports of children’s social and emotional problems and prosocial behavior better than that accounted for by DP. However for children’s reports of peer victimization the whole-scale DP was a better predictor than FP. Contrary to predictions, FP accounted for variance in conduct problems and hyperactivity better than DP. When analyses were replicated substituting subscales of dysfunctional and FP, a sub-set of FP subscales including Warmth, Supports Friendships, Not Conflicting, Child Communicates and Coaches were correlated with low levels of problems on a broad range of children’s adjustment problems. Parent–child conflict accounted for unique variance in children’s peer victimization (teacher report), peer problems, depression, emotional problems, conduct problems and hyperactivity. The potential relevance of FP as a protective factor for children against a wide range of adjustment problems is discussed

The influence of in-pregnancy smoking cessation programmes on partner quitting and women's social support mobilization: a randomized controlled trial [ISRCTN89131885]

Background: Smoking cessation interventions in pregnancy could influence a woman's social behaviour and her partner's smoking behaviour, but this has not been examined in any published randomized trials. Method: 918 women smoking at booking for antenatal care were enrolled in a cluster-randomized trial of three interventions: standard care, self-help manual and enhanced stage-based counselling, or self-help manual, enhanced stage-based counselling and use of an interactive computer program. The outcomes were change in social support received by women between booking for maternity care and 30 weeks gestation and 10 days postpartum and reported cessation in the woman's partner at these times. Results: Few pregnant women's partners stopped smoking (4.1% at 30 weeks of gestation and 5.8% at 10 days postpartum) and the probability of quitting did not differ significantly by trial arm. Women's scores on the Inventory of Socially Supportive Behaviors showed a slight decline from booking to 30 weeks gestation, and a slight increase to 10 days postpartum, but these changes did not differ significantly by trial arm. Conclusion: The stage-based interventions tested in this trial aimed partly to influence women's mobilization of support and might have influenced partners' quitting, but there was no evidence that they did so. Given that women and their partners often stopped smoking together, future interventions to prevent smoking in pregnant women could encourage both partners to quit together

Deviant Peer Affiliation and Antisocial Behavior: Interaction with Monoamine Oxidase A (MAOA) Genotype

Although genetic and environmental factors are separately implicated in the development of antisocial behavior (ASB), interactive models have emerged relatively recently, particularly those incorporating molecular genetic data. Using a large sample of male Caucasian adolescents and young adults from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), the association of deviant peer affiliation, the 30-base pair variable number tandem repeat polymorphism in promoter region of the monoamine oxidase-A (MAOA) gene, and their interaction, with antisocial behavior (ASB) was investigated. Weighted analyses accounting for over-sampling and clustering within schools as well as controlling for age and wave suggested that deviant peer affiliation and MAOA genotype were each significantly associated with levels of overt ASB across a 6-year period. Only deviant peer affiliation was significantly related to covert ASB, however. Additionally, there was evidence suggestive of a gene-environment interaction (G × E) where the influence of deviant peer affiliation on overt ASB was significantly stronger among individuals with the high-activity MAOA genotype than the low-activity genotype. MAOA was not significantly associated with deviant peer affiliation, thus strengthening the inference of G × E rather than gene-environment correlation (rGE). Different forms of gene-environment interplay and implications for future research on ASB are discussed

Women who smoke and stop during pregnancy: who are they?

OBJECTIVES: to identify factors involved in not stopping smoking in spite of being pregnant. METHODS: standardized interviews were applied to 486 pregnant women in the pre-natal clinics of four health centers in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between April 2003 and February 2004. Every time a smoker was identified, an additional interview, which included the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, the Fagerströn scale for nicotine dependence, and the Screening Questionnaire for Adult Mental Disorders, was carried out. RESULTS: the prevalence of smoking, in the initial stages of pregnancy was 21.1%. Most smokers presented a low level of nicotine dependence. Thirty-six percent of them stopped smoking by the first trimester of the present pregnancy without any specific medical intervention. Important differences between those who were able to stop and those who were not were alcohol intake and number of previous attempts at abstinence. Women who stopped smoking drank less during gestation. CONCLUSIONS: stopping smoking during pregnancy seems to be linked to a non-specific drive towards the well-being of the fetus. The number of previous attempts at abstinence was positively related to stopping at the beginning of pregnancy. In spite of the prevalence of the problem, there is still inadequate support for smokers in the prenatal services.OBJETIVOS: identificar fatores envolvidos no comportamento de continuar fumando a despeito de estar grávida. MÉTODO: entrevistas padronizadas foram aplicadas a 486 mulheres grávidas nas clínicas de pré-natal de quatro centros de saúde na cidade do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, no período de abril 2003 a fevereiro 2004. Todas as vezes que uma fumante era identificada, uma entrevista adicional foi aplicada, contendo a Escala de Edinburgh para Depressão, a escala de Fagerstron para dependência de nicotina e o Questionário de Avaliação de Doenças Mentais em adultos. RESULTADOS: a prevalência de tabagismo nos estágios iniciais da gravidez foi de 21,1%. A maioria das tabagistas apresentou baixo nível de dependência de nicotina. Trinta e seis por cento das mulheres avaliadas pararam de fumar no primeiro trimestre da gestação sem qualquer intervenção médica específica. As mesmas beberam menos durante a gestação e haviam tentado parar de fumar mais vezes anteriormente. CONCLUSÕES: os resultados sugerem uma motivação inespecífica para o bem estar do concepto que envolve as duas drogas lícitas. Aquelas que pararam, tentaram mais vezes anteriormente e também diminuíram o consumo de álcool na gestação atual

Dimensional Latent Structure of Early Disruptive Behavior Disorders: A Taxometric Analysis in Preschoolers

Kliem S, Heinrichs N, Lohmann A, Bussing R, Schwarzer G, Briegel W. Dimensional Latent Structure of Early Disruptive Behavior Disorders: A Taxometric Analysis in Preschoolers. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology. 2018;46(7):1385-1394.Although disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs) are used as a distinct categorical diagnosis in clinical practice, they have repeatedly been described as having a dimensional structure in taxometric analyses. In the current study the authors analyzed the latent status of disruptive behaviors (DB) in a large sample (N = 2,808) of German preschool children (2–6 years old, mean age 53.7 months, SD = 13.5, 48.4% girls). The Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI) as well as the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) were used to compile indicators of the DB core dimensions (Temper Loss, Aggression, Noncompliance, and Low Concern for others). Three widely used taxometric methods (a) MAXEIG, (b) MAMBAC, and (c) L-Mode were applied. Simulation data were created to evaluate the Comparison Curve Fit Index values (CCFIs), which were below 0.45, supporting a dimensional solution. Hence, in the current study the latent structure of DB in preschoolers encompassed differences in degree rather than kind. Researchers and practitioners should be mindful of the dimensional latent status of DB in theory building, assessment, classification, and labeling