Neighborhood Social Cohesion and Dementia-Related Stigma Among Mothers of Adolescents in the Pre- and Current COVID-19 Period: An Observational Study Using Population-Based Cohort Data

BACKGROUND: Middle-aged adults may be the ideal target group for dementia-related stigma reduction interventions to encourage the utilization of services among those who may become family caregivers. Neighborhood social cohesion may diminish dementia-related stigma, particularly in terms of perceived public attitudes. The COVID-19 pandemic can further negatively impact perceived public stigma. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between neighborhood social cohesion and dementia-related stigma during the pre- and current COVID-19 period. METHODS: We employed a cross-sectional design using data from a large population-based cohort, the Tokyo Teen Cohort, in Japan. Overall, 2,469 mothers of 16-year-old adolescents self-completed a questionnaire comprising nine dementia-related stigma questions evaluating perceived public and personal attitudes. Neighborhood social cohesion was assessed using a five-item instrument. The participants were divided into two groups according to the time of assessment: prior to the pandemic’s onset (February 2019–March 2020) and during the pandemic (April 2020–July 2021). A multiple regression analysis of stigma was performed using neighborhood social cohesion as an independent variable, and caring experience, age, educational level, and working status as covariates. RESULTS: Personal and perceived public stigma were significantly lower in participants who perceived greater neighborhood social cohesion. However, level of personal and perceived public stigma did not differ between pre- and during the pandemic period. CONCLUSIONS: Neighborhood social cohesion may be a modifiable factor for dementia-related stigma. A localized intervention to enhance social cohesion in the neighborhood community would promote the utilization of services among those who may become family caregivers

Informal Caregiving in Adolescents from 10 to 16 Years Old: A Longitudinal Study Using Data from the Tokyo Teen Cohort

There is growing evidence of the impact of informal caregiving on adolescent mental health, and its role is often hidden unintentionally or intentionally, which may hamper early identification and support for young informal caregivers. However, the quantitative evidence regarding household factors relating to informal caregiving has mostly been based on cross-sectional findings. This study examines the longitudinal associations between household characteristics and the duration of informal caregiving in adolescents from 10 to 16 years of age. Child–household respondent pairs (n = 2331) from the Tokyo Teen Cohort in Japan were followed every 2 years from 10 to 16 years of age. Informal caregiving was assessed repeatedly based on the household respondent’s survey responses. Persistent caregiving was defined as daily caregiving at two or more waves. There were 2.2% of children who gave daily care at two or more waves. Cross-sectional associations with daily informal caregiving at each wave were found with girls, low household income, and cohabiting with grandparents. A significant association with persistent caregiving was found only in cohabiting with grandparents at 10 years of age after adjusting for sex, number of siblings, single parent, and household income. Our longitudinal examination highlighted cohabiting with grandparents as a preceding factor for persistent caregiving. Identification and support for young informal caregivers should be integrated into social care service systems for older adults. The mechanism of persistent caregiving requires clarification

Being Praised for Prosocial Behaviors Longitudinally Reduces Depressive Symptoms in Early Adolescents: A Population-Based Cohort Study

BackgroundDepression is highly prevalent and causes a heavy burden in adolescent life. Being praised for prosocial behavior might be a preventive factor because both being praised and prosocial behavior are protective against depression. Here, we investigated the longitudinal relationship between being praised for prosocial behavior and depressive symptoms in adolescents.MethodsIn Tokyo Teen Cohort study (TTC), an ongoing prospective population-based cohort study, we collected 3,171 adolescents' data on self-reported experiences of being praised for prosocial behavior, depressive symptoms, and caregiver-evaluated prosocial behavior. Ten-year-old children were asked to freely describe answers to the question “What are you praised for?”. Only children who clearly answered that they were praised for their prosocial behavior were designated the “prosocial praise group.” The degree of depression at ages 10 and 12 was measured with the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ), a self-report questionnaire about depression. Objective prosocial behavior of the 10 year-old children was assessed by the Strength and Difficulty Questionnaire (SDQ). Multiple linear regression analysis was performed using the SMFQ score at age 12 as the objective variable and being praised for prosocial behavior as the main explanatory variable, and the SMFQ score at age 10 and the objective prosocial behavior at age 10 were included as confounders.ResultsDepressive symptoms (SMFQ scores) in the “prosocial praise group” were significantly lower than those in the other group both at age 10 (4.3 ± 4.4 vs. 4.9 ± 4.6, p < 0.001) and at age 12 (3.4 ± 4.2 vs. 4.0 ± 4.6, p < 0.01). In the single regression analysis, the children who reported being praised for prosocial behavior at age 10 had significantly lower depressive symptoms at age 12 (partial regression variable: −0.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) [−0.96, −0.17]). This association remained significant after adjusting for confounders, including baseline depressive symptoms (partial regression variable: −0.44, 95% CI [−0.80, −0.08]). Prosocial behavior alone was not associated with depressive symptoms.ConclusionsBeing praised for prosocial behavior rather than objective prosocial behavior at 10 years of age predicted lower depressive symptoms 2 years later. Praise for adolescents' prosocial behavior can be encouraged to prevent depression

Data from: Uncoordinated dances associated to high reproductive success in the crane

Coordinated mutual displays by two individuals are believed to play important roles in social and sexual communication. Although previous studies have described mutual displays in birds, few have conducted quantitative analyses. To understand the role of mutual signals, we investigated the reproductive function of pair dances in the red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis). We used an information theory approach to quantify the characteristics of the pair dance and tested the classical “pair bond hypothesis,” which states that the elaborate dance is related to reproductive success. We found that characteristics of the pair dances were related to reproductive success, but the results were not always consistent with the predictions. Dance duration increased as the breeding season approached. However, the past reproductive success of an individual was negatively related to dance coordination (i.e. mutual information) of a pair. These results partially support the pair bond hypothesis, but more importantly, also suggest the need to define the vague concept of a “pair bond” in a biologically reasonable, measurable way

dance-raw-data

raw data of analyses for pair dances in the red-crowned cran

思春期の自己制御の形成過程

2011～2015研究成果の概要(和文)：思春期における自己制御の発達過程を明らかにすることを目的に、3チーム体制で検討を行い、以下の成果を得た。①　東京ティーンコホートチームは、我が国初の大規模思春期コホート(N=4,478)を構築し、2回の大規模縦断調査を実施した。解析の結果、幼児期からの言語発達が自己制御性獲得の基盤となり、語彙難易度と文法理解の成熟にともなって自己制御性がさらに発展していく可能性を見いだした。②東大付属双生児チームは、双生児を含む中高一貫校で縦断調査を行い、生活習慣の自己制御に影響する要因を解明した。③神経経済学チームは、自己制御の生物学的基盤の解明を行った。研究成果の概要（英文）：We broke into 3 teams and studied the developmental process of self-regulation. First, Tokyo TEEN Cohort team has constituted the first large-scale adolescent cohort (N=4,478) in Japan and conducted a 2-wave large scale longitudinal survey. The survey based on community, and recruited participants randomly from three municipalities in Tokyo using the resident register. Result showed that self-regulation is based on language acquisition from an early age, and develops with the maturation of understanding of vocabulary and grasp of grammar. Second, Twin study team conducted a longitudinal study at Secondary School of the Faculty of Education, the University of Tokyo, which is a combined junior high and high school and a school where many twins belong. They found factors which have impact on self-regulation of daily habits.　Finally,Neuroeconomics team showed a biological foundation of self-regulation.科学研究費補助金研究成果報告書研究代表者：長谷川眞理子[総合研究大学院大学先導科学研究科教授

A case of unusually early postpartum resumption of estrous cycling in a young female chimpanzee in the wild

A case of unusually early postpartum resumption of estrous cycling (<7 months) was recorded for a young, presumably primiparous female in the M group of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) in the Mahale Mountains National Park, western Tanzania. The female showed estrous cycling while lactating her infant, and mated with young and low-ranking males as well as with the alpha male