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The Developmental Impact of Two First Grade Preventive Interventions on Aggressive/Disruptive Behavior in Childhood and Adolescence: An Application of Latent Transition Growth Mixture Modeling
We examine the impact of two universal preventive interventions in first grade on the growth of aggressive/disruptive behavior in grades 1–3 and 6–12 through the application of a latent transition growth mixture model (LT-GMM). Both the classroom-centered and family-centered interventions were designed to reduce the risk for later conduct problems by enhancing the child behavior management practices of teachers and parents, respectively. We first modeled growth trajectories in each of the two time periods with separate GMMs. We then associated latent trajectory classes of aggressive/disruptive behavior across the two time periods using a transition model for the corresponding latent class variables. Subsequently, we tested whether the interventions had direct effects on trajectory class membership in grades 1–3 and 6–12. For males, both the classroom-centered and family-centered interventions had significant direct effects on trajectory class membership in grades 6–12, whereas only the classroom-centered intervention had a significant effect on class membership in grades 1–3. Significant direct effects for females were confined to grades 1–3 for the classroom-centered intervention. Further analyses revealed that both the classroom-centered and family-centered intervention males were significantly more likely than control males to transition from the high trajectory class in grades 1–3 to a low class in grades 6–12. Effects for females in classroom-centered interventions went in the hypothesized direction but did not reach significance
The Course of Aggression in First-Grade Children with and without Comorbid Anxious Symptoms
We studied the course of aggressive behavior in an epidemiologically defined sample of first graders with and without comorbid anxious symptoms. Our primary purpose in doing so was to understand whether the stability of aggression in young children was attenuated or strengthened in the presence of comorbid anxiety. Previous studies of older children and adolescents had produced equivocal findings in this regard. Data on anxious symptoms were obtained through an interview of the children, whereas aggressive behavior was assessed through the use of a teacher interview and peer nominations. Assessments were performed in the fall and spring of first grade. In contrast to children classified as aggressive alone in the fall of first grade, boys and girls classified as aggressive and anxious in the fall of first grade were significantly more likely to be classified as aggressive in the spring in terms of teacher ratings and/or peer nominations of aggression. Thus our findings suggest that the link between early and later aggression may be strengthened in the presence of comorbid anxious symptoms, rather than attenuated. Future studies are needed to identify the mechanisms by which the course of aggression is influenced by the presence of comorbid anxiety
The effect of the level of aggression in the first grade classroom on the course and malleability of aggressive behavior into middle school
This paper is on the influences of the classroom context on the course and
malleability of aggressive behavior from entrance into first grade through the transition into
middle school. Nineteen public elementary schools participated in developmental
epidemiologically based preventive trials in first and second grades, one of which was directed at
reducing aggressive, disruptive behavior. At the start of first grade, schools and teachers were
randomly assigned to intervention or control conditions. Children within each school were
assigned sequentially to classrooms from alphabetized lists, followed by checking to insure
balanced assignment based on kindergarten behavior. Despite these procedures, by the end of
first quarter, classrooms within schools differed markedly in levels of aggressive behavior.
Children were followed through sixth grade, where their aggressive behavior was rated by
middle school teachers. Strong interactive effects were found on the risk of being highly
aggressive in middle school between the level of aggressive behavior in the first grade
classrooms and each boy's own level of aggressive, disruptive behavior in first grade. The
more aggressive first grade boys who were in higher aggressive first grade classrooms were at
markedly increased risk, compared both to the median first grade boys, and compared to
aggressive males in lower aggressive first grade classrooms. Boys were already behaving more
aggressively than girls in first grade; and no similar classroom aggression effect was found
among girls, although girls' own aggressive behavior did place them at increased risk. The
preventive intervention effect, already reported elsewhere to reduce aggressive behavior among
the more aggressive males, appeared to do so by reducing high levels of classroom aggression.
First grade males' own poverty level was associated with higher risk of being more
aggressive, disruptive in first grade, and thereby increased their vulnerability to classroom level
of aggression. Both boys and girls in schools in poor communities were at increased risk of being
highly aggressive in middle school regardless of their levels of aggressive behavior in first grade.
These results are discussed in terms of life course/social field theory as applied to the role of
contextual influences on the development and etiology of severe aggressive behavior
Comparison of OMI NO<sub>2</sub> observations and their seasonal and weekly cycles with ground-based measurements in Helsinki
We present the comparison of satellite-based OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument) NO2 products with ground-based observations in Helsinki. OMI NO2 total columns, available from NASA's standard product (SP) and KNMI DOMINO product, are compared with the measurements performed by the Pandora spectrometer in Helsinki in 2012. The relative difference between Pandora no. 21 and OMI SP total columns is 4 and -6% for clear-sky and all-sky conditions, respectively. DOMINO NO2 retrievals showed slightly lower total columns with median differences about -5 and -14% for clear-sky and all-sky conditions, respectively. Large differences often correspond to cloudy fall-winter days with solar zenith angles above 65°. Nevertheless, the differences remain within the retrieval uncertainties. The average difference values are likely the result of different factors partly canceling each other: the overestimation of the stratospheric columns causes a positive bias partly compensated by the limited spatial representativeness of the relatively coarse OMI pixel for sharp NO2 gradients. The comparison between Pandora and the new version (V3) of OMI NO2 retrievals shows a larger negative difference (about -30%) than the current version (V2.1) because the revised spectral fitting procedure reduces the overestimation of the stratospheric column. The weekly and seasonal cycles from OMI, Pandora and NO2 surface concentrations are also compared. Both satellite- and ground-based data show a similar weekly cycle, with lower NO2 levels during the weekend compared to the weekdays as a result of reduced emissions from traffic and industrial activities. The seasonal cycle also shows a similar behavior, even though the results are affected by the fact that most of the data are available during spring-summer because of cloud cover in other seasons. This is one of few works in which OMI NO2 retrievals are evaluated in a urban site at high latitudes (60°N). Despite the city of Helsinki having relatively small pollution sources, OMI retrievals have proved to be able to describe air quality features and variability similar to surface observations. This adds confidence in using satellite observations for air quality monitoring also at high latitudes.</p
Observational Measures of Parenting in Anxious and Nonanxious Mothers: Does Type of Task Matter?
Depressive symptoms over first grade and their response to a developmental epidemiologically based preventive trial aimed at improving achievement
Experience Corps: Design of an Intergenerational Program to Boost Social Capital and Promote the Health of an Aging Society
Population aging portends a crisis of resources and values. Desired solutions could include intergenerational strategies to harness the untapped potential of older adults to address societal needs and to generate health improvements for older adults. Despite the desire of many older adults to remain socially engaged and productive, the creation of productive roles has lagged. This report describes the conceptual framework and major design features of a new model of health promotion for older adults called Experience Corps®. Experience Corps operates at, and leads to benefits, across multiple levels, including individuals, schools, and the larger community. At the individual level, we propose a model based on Erikson\u27s concept of generativity to explain bow and why Experience Corps works. At the level of schools, we propose a parallel model based on social capital. Experience Corps is a volunteer service program designed to improve the lives of urban children and to yield health improvement for older persons. It illustrates bow population aging creates new opportunities to address difficult social problems. This article explores bow the linkage of concepts at multiple levels motivates a potentially cost-effective, feasible, and high-impact program