Relational factors of vulnerability and protection for adolescent pregnancy: a cross-sectional comparative study of Portuguese pregnant and nonpregnant adolescents of low socioeconomic status

This study explores multiple relational contexts that promote vulnerability and protection against early pregnancy in a potential risk group of Portuguese adolescents. A comparative analysis was made between two groups of female adolescents of low socioeconomic status: pregnant adolescents (n=57) and adolescents without a history of pregnancy (n=81). Results suggest that several variables belonging to different contexts-family and school and peer relations--are important in the characterization of the two groups. Lower levels of mother's overprotection and father's emotional support, presence of early pregnancy in adolescent's mother, lower level of emotional proximity to peer relations, and higher number of school failures are significantly associated with adolescent pregnancy.     

Familial correlates of sexually active pregnant and nonpregnant adolescents

The relationship of familial, demographic, and individual characteristics to the probability of pregnancy was examined among 124 sexually active adolescent females. Logistic regression analyses revealed that adolescent pregnancy status was a function of a combination of demographic and familial variables. Adolescents who were pregnant at the time of the study perceived their families as having low levels of family strength, perceived communication with parents as closed, came from homes characterized by family fragmentation (i.e., only one parent or no parent living in the home), came from low-income households, were unlikely to use any method of birth control, and were more likely to be married than their nonpregnant counterparts.     

Motherhood as a dominant feature in the self-image of female adolescents of low socioeconomic status

Groups of socioeconomically and educationally disadvantaged young women in late adolescence have shown that, when they project themselves into a future role, predominantly they come up with the image of being a mother, even in the near future. This creates a direct transition from daughter role to mother role while excluding such roles as spouse or career woman. This distinguishes them from other groups of female adolescents. Some possible explanations and educational implications of this phenomenon are discussed.     

A comparison of personality characteristics, family relationships, and drug-taking behavior in low and high socioeconomic status adolescents who are drug abusers

Low socioeconomic status (SES) and high SES adolescents who met the DSM-III criteria for drug abuse were compared with respect to personality characteristics, family relationships, and drug-taking behavior. SES was determined by parents' income, education, and occupation. The two groups did not differ significantly with respect to self-esteem, quality of family relationships, impulse control, moral development, and drug-taking behavior. However, high SES adolescents were more depressed (p less than .009) and more anxious (p less than .02) than low SES adolescents, and these findings lent support to the argument that low and high SES drug abusers differ in personality and therefore require different kinds of treatment interventions.     

Psychosocial characteristics of pregnant and nulliparous adolescents

A case control study was carried out with 19 pregnant and 20 nulliparous fifteen- and sixteen-year-old black teenage women patients at an adolescent clinic. Both groups were measured on twenty-one variables, which included personal and family history information as well as scores on twelve scales of adolescent psychosocial adjustment. A stepwise discriminant analysis was carried out comparing both groups. The first analysis using only psychosocial adjustment variables did not significantly discriminate between the two groups. The second analysis used family history and psychosocial adjustment variables and had a multiple correlation of .65, with p = .008. The discriminant function generated was able to correctly classify 89.5% of the pregnant group and 80% of the nulliparous group. The pregnant group had lower maternal educational level, later sex education, more brothers, better family adjustment, but poorer vocational adjustment. The study suggests that distinct characteristics do exist for the pregnant adolescent in the population studied, but that such characteristics do not indicate family or psychological disturbance in pregnant adolescents. Further, the importance of the meaning of adolescent pregnancy within different cultural and socioeconomic contexts is discussed.     

低社会经济地位影响自我调节的神经机制

自我调节是个体为了实现目标并适应不断变化的环境而监控和调节自己的认知、情绪和行为的能力, 在成就、人际交往和健康等各个领域发挥着作用, 被视为是人类成功和幸福的关键。然而, 大量研究发现个体的社会经济地位越低, 自我调节能力越差。为了提高低社会经济地位者的自我调节能力, 必须深入考察低社会经济地位影响自我调节的机制。神经科学为此提供了独特而重要的信息：低社会经济地位改变了背外侧前额叶皮层、扣带回、腹内侧前额叶、杏仁核、海马体、腹侧纹状体的结构和功能, 进而影响了自我调节的各个成分(认知调节、情绪调节、行为调节)。未来研究除了对神经机制中每条因果链进行更严格地考察外, 还应将神经生物学与发展心理学联系起来深入揭示不同发展阶段低社会经济地位对自我调节的独特影响机制, 并关注低社会经济地位者在神经和行为层面特定反应的适应性, 在此基础上开发出系统、持续、有效的干预方案。     

Intellectual disability examinations and social context variables among patients of low socioeconomic status

The purpose was to investigate the demographic, clinical, and social context variables of clients seeking intellectual disability screening assessments, so as to promote planning and development of services in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands region of South Africa. Of 100 consecutive attendees seeking intellectual disability examinations at state mental health facilities, 70% were male and 70% were less than 18 years of age. 51% had Moderate or Severe Mental Retardation, 52% lived in homes with more than six people, and 52% in homes where nobody was employed. Of participants' families, 85% relied on social grants, 46% of attendees or caregivers wanted a social grant, 28% hoped for appropriate school placement, and 17% wanted both. Of the participants' households, 26% reported going without food for days. The results are discussed within the context of the regional social deprivation.     

Perinatal complications in births to low socioeconomic status schizophrenic and depressed women.

Pregnancy and birth complications in births to 57 schizophrenic, 28 depressed, and 31 well women were studied. The sample was of low socioeconomic status and predominantly African-American. The study extended earlier work on the perinatal status of infants born to schizophrenic women by including measures of severity of maternal disturbance, mother's age, IQ, and premorbid social competence, and family composition. The results show that maternal competence and the mother's diagnosis of schizophrenia were significant variables in determining the likelihood of less adequate prenatal care and more complicated births. The results indicate the importance of an assessment not only of a disturbed woman's diagnosis but also of her personal background and social competence in determining the likelihood of obstetrical complications.     

Loneliness and alcoholism risk in late adolescence: a comparative study of adults and adolescents.

The Short Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (SMAST) was administered via phone survey to a random sample of subjects 18 years of age and older in a large metropolitan county. Among late adolescents (aged 18 to 20), lonely females had the highest mean score on the SMAST, indicating a higher degree of alcoholism risk than lonely males and nonlonely males and females. Among lonely females, late adolescents scored higher on the SMAST than any other age group. For males, loneliness did not appear to increase alcoholism risk in the late adolescent age group, but did appear to do so during the early and middle adulthood years. The implications of these findings for mental health professionals and adolescent substance abuse treatment personnel are discussed.     

Predictors of stress in adolescents: an exploratory study of pregnant and of parenting females

A study of 152 adolescents enrolled in school-based programs for pregnant and parenting youth in Colorado in 1987-88 found no differences in overall stress levels between these two groups; however, salient predictors of stressful life events for pregnant teens were not the same as those for teen mothers. The mean age of study subjects was 16.5 years (range 14-19 years); most were living with a parent rather than the child's father. The dependent variable, level of stress, was measured through use of an abbreviated Life Events Questionnaire. Independent variables were assessed through administration of the Inventory of Social Supportive Behaviors, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Adolescent Coping Orientation for Problem Experiences scale. Of the 5 sources of stress measured (family, accidents, autonomy, deviance, relocation, and distress), only stress related to accidents differed significantly between pregnant and parenting adolescents. For pregnant adolescents, self-esteem was the only significant predictor of the overall level of stress; among parents, the only significant predictor was objective social support. Among adolescents, self-esteem was associated with more frequent use of social support and coping strategies. For parenting adolescents, self-esteem was correlated with the frequency of use of social support, satisfaction resulting from such use, and frequent use of coping strategies. Overall, the independent variables of social support, self-esteem, coping, and age were stronger predictors of stress in pregnant than in parenting adolescent females. This finding suggests that parenting teens may have successfully negotiated the multiple transitions involved in this new stage of the life-cycle. An important implication of this study is the need to design separate counseling components of school-based programs for pregnant versus parenting adolescents rather than to use a single curriculum.     

Predictors of quantitative and qualitative Halstead finger-tapping scores in low socioeconomic status school-age children.

Two hundred and thirteen low socioeconomic school-age children in grades 1 through 8 were administered the Halstead Finger Oscillation (or Tapping) Test (HFTT). All children were age appropriate for their grade in school and were not requiring special education services. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that a composite age/grade classification score, gender, and estimated level of intelligence accounted for approximately 40% of the variability in dominant and nondominant hand scores for these children (multiple R = .627, R(2) = +.393 for the dominant and multiple R = +.607, R(2) = +.368 for the nondominant hand). Only the age/grade level of the child (R(2) = .168) predicted the ability to inhibit adjacent finger movements when performing the HFTT task. Regional normative data for low socioeconomic school-age children are presented. Neurodevelopmental changes in the cortical and subcortical systems underlying finger movement may account for some of the variability observed in children when performing the HFTT.     

The association between low socioeconomic status and depressive symptoms depends on temperament and personality traits

Socioeconomic status and personality traits are known to be associated with depression risk. We examined whether temperament and personality traits modified the association between socioeconomic status and depressive symptoms. The participants were 2678 individuals from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns study, aged 18-49 during the three study waves in 1997, 2001, and 2007 included in the present study. Temperament was assessed with the Temperament and Character Inventory, personality with the Five Factor Model, and depressive symptoms with a modified version of Beck’s Depression Inventory. Education, occupational status, and income level were used as indicators of socioeconomic status. Results of multilevel linear regression analysis indicated that low occupational status and income were associated with high depressive symptoms particularly in individuals with high neuroticism or harm avoidance, and with low extraversion or reward dependence. High persistence also strengthened the negative association between income and depressive symptoms, but this interaction effect was not observed with conscientiousness. The mental health risks of low socioeconomic status may therefore be most potent among individuals who are sensitive to negative and threatening stimuli.     

Examining the differences in career thoughts of women in three low socioeconomic status groups

The authors examined differences in career thoughts of 3 groups of women from low socioeconomic status backgrounds. The 3 groups were composed of women who were not seeking employment, women attempting to obtain General Educational Development (GED) certification prior to seeking employment, and women with disabilities who were participating in readiness‐to‐work programs. Results indicated that there were significant differences in participants' career thoughts. Specifically, career thoughts of women who were not seeking employment were significantly less dysfunctional than were the career thoughts of the women who were pursuing their GED certification and those of the women with disabilities who were participating in a job‐readiness training program. The impact of negative career thoughts is discussed.     

Differences in irrational beliefs of pregnant and never pregnant adolescents

Twenty-five pregnant and/or parenting adolescents were compared with sixteen nonpregnant adolescents on two irrationality measures: The Child and Adolescent Scale of Irrationality and the Adolescent Pregnancy Beliefs Questionnaire. Findings suggest that pregnant adolescents subscribe to a greater number of general irrational beliefs; to a greater number of irrational beliefs specific to sex, dating and birth control; to a greater number of beliefs consistent with promoting pregnancy; and to fewer beliefs that might deter pregnancy when compared to never pregnant adolescents.Karen Westphal holds a Ph.D. in School Psychology from the University of South Carolina. She is an Assistant Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychology, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio.Susan Wagner worked with Dr. Westphal on this research while she was a graduate student at Cleveland State University. She is presently employed in the Mood Disorders Research Project at University Hospitals, Cleveland, Ohio.     

Educational level, socioeconomic status and aphasia research: a comment on Connor et al. (2001)--effect of socioeconomic status on aphasia severity and recovery

Is there a relation between socioeconomic factors and aphasia severity and recovery? describe correlations between the educational level and socioeconomic status of aphasic subjects with aphasia severity and subsequent recovery. As stated in the introduction by, studies of the influence of educational level and literacy (or illiteracy) on aphasia severity have yielded conflicting results, while no significant link between socioeconomic status and aphasia severity and recovery has been established. In this brief note, we will comment on their findings and conclusions, beginning first with a brief review of literacy and aphasia research, and complexities encountered in these fields of investigation. This serves as a general background to our specific comments on, which will be focusing on methodological issues and the importance of taking normative values in consideration when subjects with different socio-cultural or socio-economic backgrounds are assessed.     

Self-affirmation increases acceptance of health-risk information among UK adult smokers with low socioeconomic status.

This study reports an experiment designed to test whether self-affirmation can overcome defensive processing of risk information in a sample of UK adult smokers with low socioeconomic status. Participants (N = 57) were randomized to either a self-affirmation or control condition before reading a government-sponsored antismoking leaflet and completing measures of message acceptance, intention, and self-efficacy. Participants' subsequent behavior (taking leaflets) was recorded surreptitiously. Results showed that the manipulation significantly increased message acceptance, intention and behavior, and that the effects of the manipulation on behavior were mediated through message acceptance and intention. The practical and theoretical implications of the findings are discussed in relation to the possible use of self-affirmation manipulations to enhance the effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions.