Early attachment quality moderates eating disorder risk among adolescent girls

Objective: There is growing evidence that children’s early relational environment has lasting implications for physical and mental health. In this paper, we test whether attachment insecurity in early childhood is associated with increased responsivity to risk factors for eating disorders (EDs; e.g. pubertal weight gain, maternal negative affect) during adolescence.

Design: Hypotheses were tested with longitudinal data from 447 girls (final mean age?=?15.1?years) over a 12-year period. Tests of direct effects, moderation and moderated mediation were conducted using nested structural equation models and bootstrapped estimates of direct and indirect effects.

Results: Early attachment quality was not directly associated with disordered eating attitudes and behaviours (DEABs), but did moderate relations between adolescent ED risk factors and DEABs. Specifically, among girls with an insecure attachment history, higher BMI at age 15 directly predicted more DEABs, while maternal negative affect and pubertal weight gain indirectly predicted DEABs via greater preoccupation with parental relationships. These same direct and indirect paths did not emerge among adolescent girls with a secure attachment history.

Conclusion: Results delineate one way early attachment quality may contribute to EDs among some adolescent girls, and support recent efforts to incorporate relational components into obesity and ED prevention programmes.     

Cultural, contextual, and intrapersonal predictors of risky sexual attitudes among urban African American girls in early adolescence

The role of cultural factors in explaining sexual attitudes among African American urban girls, aged 10-13 years, was investigated in this study. The authors predicted that girls with higher school interest, family cohesion, religiosity, and behavioral self-esteem would endorse less risky sexual attitudes. Also, older girls were expected to have more risky sexual attitudes than younger girls, and girls from 1- rather than 2-parent households were expected to have more risky sexual attitudes. The authors hypothesized that ethnic identity and gender role orientations would contribute to explaining variability in sexual attitudes after controlling for contextual and intrapersonal variables. A questionnaire containing measures of the study constructs was administered to 214 girls who were participants in a substance abuse prevention program. Pretest data were used in analyses. A final regression model accounted for 23% of the variance in sexual attitudes. Age and behavioral self-esteem were significant predictors, with younger teens and teens with higher behavioral self-esteem having less risky sexual attitudes. Cultural variables contributed to explaining variation in sexual attitudes after other variables were controlled for. Higher levels of ethnic identity were associated with less risky sexual attitudes. A masculine gender role orientation was associated with more risky sexual attitudes.     

Assessing African American adolescents' risk for suicide attempts: attachment theory

The threat of separation from a parent theoretically increases the risk of adolescent suicide attempts. The present study evaluated this and other hypothesized risk factors in a sample of adolescent suicide attempters and nonsuicidal controls, using the Psychiatric Consultation Checklist (Lyon, 1987). Stepwise logistic regression was used to predict group membership. It was found that threat of separation from a parental figure, insomnia, neglect, substance abuse, suicidal ideation, and failing grades were the strongest predictors of suicide attempt. Ten predictor variables correctly identified 97% of suicide attempters and 86% of nonattempters. Unexpected findings included high levels of truancy, threatening others, and separation from a parent before the age of 12 among nonattempters.     

Developmental origins of perfectionism among African American youth

The present study used a person-centered latent variable approach to classify types of perfectionism among 6th-grade African American children living in an urban setting. In particular, the authors were interested in determining whether an adaptive subtype could be found and validated against external criteria. The authors also attempted to identify any developmental precursors that could reliably differentiate the perfectionist subtypes. A social learning and competence framework was used to select potential 1st-grade risk and protective factors for future perfectionism profiles. Four classes best described the children's perfectionism scores in 6th grade. Three of these classes resembled the profiles most commonly seen in prior perfectionism research (Non-Critical/Adaptive, Critical/Maladaptive, and Non-Perfectionist). The fourth class, Non-Striving, was characterized by extremely low levels of reported personal standards. Sixth-grade correlates confirmed the distinctiveness of these classes. In particular, the Critical/Maladaptive and Non-Striving classes had higher rates of internalizing symptoms and disorders. Additionally, several 1st-grade predictors suggested unique developmental origins of these classes. The Critical/Maladaptive class was characterized by lower academic skills and elevated teacher-rated attention problems, hyperactivity, shyness, and peer rejection. The Non-Striving class had higher rates of family alcohol problems and lower levels of parent praise. Implications regarding the universal and culture-specific origins and effects of perfectionism are discussed.     

A comparison of MMPI-2 validity in African American and Caucasian psychiatric inpatients

This study investigated ethnic differences on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) in 229 African American and 1,558 Caucasian psychiatric inpatients. Mean differences were found on several MMPI-2 validity and clinical scales. These were generally consistent with differences between the groups, indicated by the available extratest criterion data. To identify potential bias, the authors conducted 65 step-down hierarchical multiple regression analyses, predicting conceptually relevant clinical criteria from either MMPI-2 clinical or content scales for each gender. A number of MMPI-2 scales evidenced bias reflecting minor underprediction of psychopathology in African Americans. It is important to note that, in almost all cases, the magnitude of these differences was small and not clinically significant.     

Hispanic versus African American girls: body image, nutrition, and puberty

Public health research has been dominated by the biomedical model, which does not appear to be appropriate for studying public health variables across different populations. For example, when comparing the Hispanic American (HA) and African American (AA) population in the U.S., there are similarities on several demographic and public health variables. Despite these similarities, there is a public health paradox. HA with strong cultural ties engage in fewer high-risk behaviors and therefore have favorable health outcomes. The primary focus of this study however, is the health disparities between AA and HA girls in particular. Pediatric research indicates that HA girls are developing secondary sexual characteristics at a later age than AA girls. Researchers have acknowledged that growth trends are sensitive to life changes such as catastrophes, prosperity, and those which affect diet and lifestyle. Thus, this study investigated whether there are differences in food intake between HA and AA girls as a function of early sexual maturation and body image perceptions in the context of culture. Participating were 23 HA and 44 AA girls, aged 7 to 10 years, and 1 of their parent/guardians.     

Perceived family conflict, parental attachment, and depression in African American female adolescents

The purpose of this study was to test a hypothesized model that explored the degree to which parental attachment mediated the relationship between perceived family conflict and depression in a sample of 283 African American female adolescents. Results revealed that perceived family conflict had both a direct and an indirect effect on depression, with parental attachment mediating 28% of the effect of perceived family conflict on depression. Implications of the findings are discussed.     

Confluent paranoia in African American psychiatric patients: an empirical study of Ridley's typology

This study examined Ridley's (1984) typology of paranoia in African Americans, which assumes orthogonal dimensions of culture and pathology in symptom expression. Median split of scores on the Cultural Mistrust Inventory and the scale of False Beliefs and Perceptions represented high and low levels of cultural paranoia and pathological paranoia, respectively. The 4 groups of Black patients were nonparanoia, cultural paranoia, pathological paranoia, and confluent paranoia. A Fenigstein Paranoia Scale manipulation check indicated that differences in paranoid symptom expression among the groups were partially supportive of Ridley's model, as were measures of perceptions of hostility and self-esteem. Omnibus tests of between-groups differences were significant for global assessment of functioning and number of symptoms recorded in patients' charts. Predicted pattern testing revealed a significant severity dimension in mean scores across paranoia groups for some measures of clinician-rated functioning but not others. SCID interviewers' ratings of cultural mistrust and number of times restrained (or secluded) were more consistent with a pattern representing a cultural dimension than a severity dimension across paranoia groups. Findings provide limited empirical validation of Ridley's typology of paranoia in African Americans.     

Counter-stereotypical impulsivity and violence among African American college men

The study examined the relationship between impulse control and violence in terms of past feelings and acts among African American males enrolled in Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Data were gathered from a sample of 1,874 male undergraduates in eleven colleges and universities with predominantly African-American students. Less than six percent were classified as impulsive, and even less than half of the impulsive males had past feelings and acts of violence. The study offers strategies for impulse control which may help to further minimize incidents of violence on the college campus.     

Suicidal behavior among urban,African American young adults

The objectives of the present study were four-fold. First, to determine the lifetime, last year, and 6-month prevalence and demographic correlates of suicidal behavior in a defined population of urban, African American young adults. Second, to determine the degree of mental health service utilization among attempters. Third, to study the comorbidity between mental disorders and suicidal behavior, along with the variation in the numbers and types of psychiatric disorders associated with attempts versus ideation only. Fourth, to examine gender differences in the psychiatric diagnoses associated with attempts and ideation. Data relevant to each of these objectives were gathered through structured interviews of 1,157 economically disadvantaged, African American young adults. Lifetime, last year, and 6-month prevalence rates for attempts were 5.3%, 1.2%, and 0.4%, respectively, whereas the lifetime and 6-month prevalence of ideation were 14% and 1.9%, respectively. Approximately two thirds of those who reported lifetime ideation, and a similar proportion of those who reported lifetime attempts, had a history of at least one lifetime psychiatric disorder. There were no gender differences in terms of the degree of risk for suicidal behavior (ideation or attempts) associated with any of the comorbid psychiatric diagnoses assessed. Despite the severity of most attempts, few attempters received mental health services in their lifetime or at the time of their most recent attempt.     

Family protective factors among urban African American youth.

Examined the relations among family protective factors, stressful events, and behavioral adjustment of 64 African American 6th graders. The youths reported on family stressors, father-figure involvement, and kin support. Their primary caregivers reported on parenting, father-figure involvement, and family stressors. Teachers reported on child social skill deficits, acting out, and shy or anxious behavior. Based on regression analyses, stress exposure associated positively with child social skill deficits, acting out, and shy or anxious behavior. Parental warmth was associated negatively with shy or anxious behavior. Parental use of corporal punishment was associated positively with child acting out. For youth exposed to high numbers of family stressors, parental demandingness was associated negatively with child acting out and kin support was associated negatively with acting out and shy or anxious behavior, suggesting that these family factors partially shield children from the negative effects of stress.     

Counter-stereotypical impulsivity and violence among African American college men

The study examined the relationship between impulse control and violence in terms of past feelings and acts among African American males enrolled in Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Data were gathered from a sample of 1,874 male undergraduates in eleven colleges and universities with predominantly African-American students. Less than six percent were classified as impulsive, and even less than half of the impulsive males had past feelings and acts of violence. The study offers strategies for impulse control which may help to further minimize incidents of violence on the college campus.     

Psychosocial correlates of substance use behaviors among African American youth

Cross-sectional data were collected on substance use behaviors and potential correlates in 1,494 African American students enrolled in grades 5-12 in eight schools in a central Alabama school district. Using a risk and asset framework, self-reported recent alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use were analyzed by identifying and measuring levels of influence, including individual, family, and school. For alcohol and marijuana use, recurrent risk factors were age, being hit by a parent, affiliation with gangs, and a tolerant attitude of peers toward drug use. For cigarette use, risk factors were peer-oriented: associations with gangs or cohorts holding lenient attitudes about substance use. For all substances, salient asset factors were academic achievement and parental monitoring. Findings suggest that efforts to reduce substance use behaviors should be directed at adolescents in terms of academic achievement and grade level as well as their social environments. For the latter, peer/family risks and family/school assets should be the foci for programs to minimize the short- and long-term consequences of these behaviors. Hence, the emphasis should be placed on modeling attitudes, preventing gang and family violence, encouraging parental supervision, and building positive teacher-student interactions.     

Factors related to life satisfaction among urban African American adults receiving care at a publicly-funded sexual health clinic

Life satisfaction is linked to premature morbidity and mortality and it may be compromised for individuals living in economically-disadvantaged, urban neighborhoods. The present study explores how behavioral and social-environmental health factors are associated with life satisfaction among a sample of African American young adults. Participants (N = 307, M_age = 26.6 years, 53% male) were recruited from a publicly-funded clinic for a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Data from the baseline assessment of the RCT, which included measures of sleep, depression, anxiety, social support, alcohol and drug use problems, city stress, and life satisfaction, were used for the current study. Correlation analyses assessed bivariate associations between life satisfaction and the demographic and health-related factors. Linear regression using backward elimination determined the best fitting model of factors associated with life satisfaction. Backward elimination resulted in the following variables remaining as significantly associated with life satisfaction: age (b = ?2.40, p = .017), anxiety (b = ?5.32, p < .001), and social support (b = 2.89, p = .004). Feeling rested upon waking also remained in the best fitting model, although this association did not achieve statistical significance (p = .099). The results suggest that African American adults who are younger, less anxious, and report adequate social support are more likely to report satisfaction with life. These findings add to the literature aimed at examining health and social factors impacting the well-being of African Americans living in low-income, urban communities.     

Cultural variation in the social organization of problem solving among African American and European American siblings

This study examined the social organization of a problem-solving task among 15 African American and 15 European American sibling pairs. The 30 sibling pairs between the ages of 6 and 12 were video recorded constructing a marble track together during a home visit. African American siblings were observed to collaborate more often than European American siblings who were more likely to divide up the labor and direct each other in constructing the marble track. In addition, older European American siblings made more proposals of step plans than older African American siblings. The findings provide insights into the cultural basis of the social organization of problem solving across African American and European American siblings.     

Behavioral knowledge among direct care staff in an inpatient psychiatric setting

Despite demonstrations of the utility and cost effectiveness of behavioral programming, such techniques are not commonly employed in psychiatric inpatient settings. Several explanations for this have been proposed, including inadequate levels of training and competence in behavioral programming among prevalent treatment staff. This study employed a multiple choice inventory to assess behavioral knowledge among subjects representing several direct care disciplines commonly found in inpatient psychiatric settings. The results support assertions of relatively low levels of behavioral knowledge among disciplines that are most prevalent in such settings. The implications of these results for initiatives to enhance behavioral knowledge and skills are discussed.     

Stereotypical beliefs and psychological well-being of African American adolescent girls: Collective self-esteem as a moderator

African American women are often times characterized by stereotypes that can be traced back to slavery. Those stereotypes have been found to affect many outcomes in an array of domains related to work, intimate relationships, and personal well-being. The literature does not address how these stereotypes may affect adolescent African American girls. This study aimed to fill that gap by examining how the endorsement of stereotypes affects the psychological well-being, specifically stress, in 144 African American adolescent girls (N = 144) who ranged from 12–19 years old. This study goes a step further to investigate whether collective self-esteem can serve as a buffer between endorsement of stereotypes and perceived stress. Using combined mediation–moderation model, the analysis showed that there is a significant positive relationship between stereotypic beliefs and perceived stress that is buffered by moderate to high levels of collective self-esteem. Implications for treatment and policy, as well as educational recommendations are discussed.     

Depressive Symptomatology and College Persistence among African American College Students

ABSTRACT. While many studies find women self-report higher disgust sensitivity than men, few studies have examined gender differences with behavioral tasks in senses other than vision. On a haptic task, we tested the hypothesis that women would report greater disgust but not greater unpleasantness than men. Forty-four undergraduates (29 women) touched 8 out-of-sight stimuli with sensory (unpleasantness) and emotional (disgust) responses recorded. The stimuli consisted of 2 neutral, 2 pleasant, and 4 unpleasant (3 disgust-evoking) objects. No gender differences were found for reporting stimuli unpleasantness. In contrast, women rated their disgust significantly higher than men when touching the high disgust-evoking objects. Unpleasantness of the stimuli correlated with disgust to the objects, but disgust sensitivity (Disgust Scale-Revised) was not a strong predictor of disgust responses. Besides differentiating unpleasantness from disgust, this was also the first study to show gender differences in a disgust-evoking haptic task.     

Reasons for quitting smoking among low-income African American smokers.

The psychometric characteristics of the Reasons For Quitting scale (RFQ) were assessed among a sample of African American smokers with low income (N=487). The intrinsic and extrinsic scales and their respective subscales were replicated. As hypothesized, higher levels of motivation were associated significantly, in patterns that supported the measure's construct validity, with advanced stage of readiness to quit smoking, greater perceived vulnerability to health effects of smoking, and greater social support for cessation. On the basis of the present study, the RFQ might best predict short-term cessation among older and female smokers. Refinement of the RFQ is needed to assess intrinsic motivators other than health concerns and to identify salient motivators for young and male smokers.