Associations of Youth and Adulthood Body-Mass Index and Waist-Hip Ratio with Attachment Styles and Dimensions

The current cross-sectional study examined whether body-mass index (BMI) and waist-hip ratio are associated with adult attachment. Participants were 1,570 men and women participating in Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns study. BMI was measured in youth and in adulthood and waist-hip ratio in adulthood. A single measure of attachment style was conducted when participants were aged 24–39 years. In age and sex adjusted models, youth BMI (Beta = .066, p = .008), adulthood BMI (Beta = .069, p = .007) and waist-hip ratio (Beta = .082, p = .016) were associated with fearful attachment. The associations remained significant when education and relationship status were adjusted for. Age adjusted association between adulthood waist-hip ratio and preoccupied attachment was found in men (Beta = .132, p = .002). The association was not essentially changed by additionally adjusting for education and relationship status, and including fearful attachment in the model. Furthermore, associations for attachment dimensions were also found. These results suggest that in addition to previously reported negative effects of higher BMI on physical health, higher BMI might have negative associations with psychological functioning as well. Furthermore, our results imply that physical appearance might be associated with attachment style in adulthood.     

Emotional Reaction to Fragile X Premutation Carrier Tests Among Infertile Women

Female fragile X premutation carriers are at ∼10-fold increased risk of premature ovarian failure (follicle stimulating hormone >40 mIU/mL, amenorrhea, age <40). A milder degree of premature ovarian aging (diminished ovarian reserve, where follicle stimulating hormone levels are typically 10–20 mIU/mL) results in infertility. Approximately 10% of fertility clinic patients have this diagnosis. A cohort of 20 women diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve provided a blood specimen (confidential results), and completed structured questionnaires that assessed emotional reactions to potentially being a premutation carrier (pretest questionnaire, n = 20) and the posttest known carrier status (3 month follow-up questionnaire, n = 18 non-carriers). Responses were measured using 9-point scales, and analyzed with Fisher exact and Wilcoxon exact tests. While most participants did not view fragile X premutations as a serious medical condition, perceptions of seriousness were positively correlated with anger and regret about not knowing sooner of the potential association of these premutations with infertility. Overall, when women (pretest) imagined themselves as carriers, their self-esteem and Health Orientation Scale responses were unchanged with the exception of feeling more afraid (p = 0.004). Despite strongly wishing for negative test results, they were glad to know there might be a medical explanation for their infertility. Financial Support: This work was financially supported by a University of Virginia School of Medicine Research & Development Award.     

Health Related Quality of Life After Gastric Bypass Surgery

The majority of studies which have evaluated health related quality of life are limited in the duration of follow up. The objective of this study was to prospectively conduct an evaluation using a repeated cross sectional analysis of separate patient cohorts who were up to four years after gastric bypass surgery. Adult Roux-en-Y gastric bypass patients were recruited to the study. All patients were requested to complete a general health status questionnaire, the Short Form-36 (SF-36), before surgery or at their post operative out patient follow up visits. Patient weight was documented at each follow up visit. A cross sectional analysis was performed to evaluate SF-36 scores in each annual cohort. Data are reported as mean +/− S.D. Three-hundred-eight patients completed at least one SF-36 assessment [Initial assessment at the time of surgery, time 1, n = 245, 1y n = 149, 2y n = 70, 3y n = 59, 4y n = 61]. The SF-36 scores were greater (p < 0.05) in each of the separate post surgery cohorts for physical functioning, role limitations due to physical health, social functioning, pain, vitality, general health and the physical component summary (PCS) scores. While not comparing changes in scores within individuals over time, these data suggest early improvement especially in the physical dimension of health related quality of life. In this analysis, this finding was also observed in each of the separate cohorts up to 4 years after gastric bypass surgery.     

Physical Activity, Life Satisfaction, and Self-Rated Health of Middle School Students

Little research has examined the association between life satisfaction, self-rated health (SRH), and physical activity concurrently for middle school students. A convenience sample of 245 students in grades 7 and 8 was surveyed about physical activity, life satisfaction, and SRH using the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2005 Middle School Youth Risk Behavior Survey. ANOVA analyses revealed significantly reduced life satisfaction for females who reported not engaging in vigorous physical activity during the past 7 days [p < .01, effect size (ES) = .75]. Significantly reduced life satisfaction was detected for both males (p < .001, ES = .66) and females (p < .0001, ES = .80) who reported not playing on sports teams. Additionally, logistic regression analyses showed the odds of reporting fair/poor SRH increased 5.4 times for males (CI = 1.30–22.39, p < .05) and 30.9 times for females (CI = 3.74–255.43, p < .001) who reported not playing on sports teams. Preliminary findings suggest physical activity and sports participation is associated with improved life satisfaction and SRH for middle school students. In addition, although some gender differences were observed, consistent findings for sports participation suggest sports participation may carry multiple social, mental, and physical benefits for youth.     

Health Related Quality of Life After Percutaneous Coronary Revascularisation in Patients with Previous Coronary Artery Bypass Grafts: A Two-Year Follow Up Study

Percutaneous coronary revascularisation [PCR] improves angina and health related quality of life [HRQOL] compared to standard medical therapy. It is unknown whether PCR has the same benefits for patients with a history of CABG. Over a period of 5 years, we assessed HRQOL of patients undergoing PCR using Part 1 of the Nottingham Health Profile [NHP] at baseline 3, 12 and 24 months. We compared HRQOL after PCR in 255 patients with CABG to 2680 without. There were more males [81.1% v 69.6% p = 0.002] and older patients [mean age 60.1 years v. 58.0 p = 0.03] in CABG group. Perceived HRQOL improved at 24 months for pain, energy and emotional reaction but the improvement was less in the CABG group. However, mean NHP scores at 24 months for those with CABG had returned to baseline levels for sleep [34.9] and for physical function was worse than at baseline [22.0 vs 30.7]. This relationship persisted after adjustment for male sex, history of previous MI and coronary stent usage. Patients with previous CABG had less improvement in HRQOL after PCR. Further work is needed to assess the benefits and cost effectiveness of PCR in these patients.     

Preliminary Validity of the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory With Filipino Immigrant Parents

Filipinos are an understudied minority affected by significant behavioral health disparities. We evaluate evidence for the reliability, construct validity, and convergent validity of the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI) in 6- to 12-year-old Filipino children (N = 23). ECBI scores demonstrated high internal consistency, supporting a single-factor model (preintervention α = .91; postintervention α = .95). Results document convergent validity with the Child Behavior Checklist Externalizing scale at pretest (r = .54, p < .01) and posttest (r = .71, p < .001). We conclude that the ECBI is a promising tool to measure behavior problems in Filipino children.     

Changes in Pediatric Health-Related Quality of Life in Cystic Fibrosis After IV Antibiotic Treatment for Pulmonary Exacerbations

Intravenous (IV) antibiotic therapy for pulmonary exacerbations (PE) has been shown to improve pulmonary functioning for patients with cystic fibrosis (CF); however, little is known about its effects on pediatric health-related quality of life (HRQOL). This prospective study assessed the impact of IV treatment of a PE on generic and CF-specific HRQOL for children and adolescents with CF. Participants included 52 children and adolescents with CF experiencing a PE (M _age = 13.6 years; 54% males; M_\textFEV1% M_{{{\text{FEV}}_{1\% } }} predicted = 58.8%). HRQOL, pulmonary functioning, and body mass index were assessed before and after IV antibiotic treatment. Results of this prospective, observational study indicated significant improvements on CFQ-R Respiratory (M _{change score} = 11.7; 95% CI = 6.3–17.1; p < .0001) and Weight (M _{change score} = 15.9; 95% CI = 7.9–23.8; p < .0001) scales. The CF-specific measure was more sensitive to changes in HRQOL than the generic instrument. These data suggest that CF-specific HRQOL improves with treatment for a PE with IV antibiotics. The noted statistically and clinically significant changes in the CFQ-respiratory scale indicate that the measure may be beneficial to pulmonary health care teams.     

Anxiety in Children with Mood Disorders: A Treatment Help or Hindrance?

This study examined the role of comorbid anxiety in treatment outcome for children with mood disorders (N = 165; age 8–11) participating in Multi-Family Psychoeducational Psychotherapy (MF-PEP). Assessments occurred at baseline, 6, 12, and 18 months for two randomly assigned groups: immediate treatment and 1-year wait-list. Most children (69%) had comorbid anxiety disorders. Baseline comorbid anxiety, as reported on the Children’s Interview for Psychiatric Syndromes (ChIPS), was associated with higher Children’s Depression Rating Scale- Revised (CDRS-R) scores but not Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) scores. Higher levels of anxiety symptoms were associated with lower Children’s Global Assessment Scale (C-GAS) scores. Participation in MF-PEP did not significantly reduce anxiety symptoms (p = 0.62). However, presence of comorbid anxiety did not impede reduction in depressive (CDRS-R, p = 0.74) or manic (YMRS scores, p = 0.94) symptoms following MF-PEP. More baseline anxiety symptoms were associated with greater improvement in C-GAS scores post-treatment (p = 0.02). Implications are discussed.     

An Evaluation of the Relation Between Distress Tolerance and Posttraumatic Stress within a Trauma-Exposed Sample

The present investigation examined the incremental associations between distress tolerance, or the perceived capacity to tolerate emotional distress, and global posttraumatic stress symptom severity as well as symptom cluster severity, beyond the variance accounted for by number of trauma exposure types and negative affectivity. The sample consisted of 140 adults (72 women; M _age = 25.9, SD = 11.1) who endorsed exposure to traumatic life events, as defined by posttraumatic stress disorder diagnostic criterion A (American Psychiatric Association 2000). Participants did not meet diagnostic criteria for current axis I psychopathology. Distress tolerance demonstrated significant incremental associations with global posttraumatic stress symptom severity (p < .01) as well as re-experiencing (p < .05), avoidance (p = .05), and hyperarousal (p < .001) symptom cluster severity. Given the cross-sectional study design, causation cannot be inferred. Theoretical implications and future directions for better understanding associations between distress tolerance and posttraumatic stress are discussed.     

Happiness as Stable Extraversion: Internal Consistency Reliability and Construct Validity of the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire Among Undergraduate Students

The Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ) was developed by Hills and Argyle (2002) to provide a more accessible equivalent measure of the Oxford Happiness Inventory (OHI). The aim of the present study was to examine the internal consistency reliability, and construct validity of this new instrument alongside the Eysenckian dimensional model of personality. The Oxford Happiness Questionnaire was completed by a sample of 131 undergraduate students together with the abbreviated form of the Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. The data demonstrated good internal consistency reliability (alpha = .92) and good construct validity in terms of positive association with extraversion (r = .38 p < .001) and negative association with neuroticism (r = −.57 p < .001). The kind of happiness measured by the OHQ is clearly associated with stable extraversion.     

Socioeconomic Status and Psychological Function in Children with Chromosome 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome: Implications for Genetic Counseling

The purpose of this study is to examine the association between parental socio-economic status (SES) and childhood neurocognition and behavior in children with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS). Although undoubtedly, the deletion of genes in the 22q11.2 interval is primarily responsible for the psychological manifestations, little is known about the role of the environment in either mitigating or contributing to these problems. We examined the association of parental socio-economic status (SES) with cognition and behavior in children with 22q11DS (n = 65) and matched healthy control subjects (n = 52), since SES is a component of family resources. We found that in children with 22q11DS, higher SES correlated with better overall functioning (p < .01) and social skills (p < .01), and less frequent oppositional defiant behavior (p < .001). These findings were in contrast to the control subjects in whom SES correlated with cognition and achievement, but not behavior. Our results indicate that environmental factors influence the behavioral phenotype in children with 22q11DS, providing a framework for developing appropriate interventions. As such, genetic counseling for families with 22q11DS may include consideration of family resources and inclusion of other health professionals, such as social workers, to explore with the family available social supports and resources.     

Psychological Factors Associated with a Better Quality of Life Following Head-Up Tilt Testing

Quality of life (QoL) is reduced in patients with recurrent vasovagal (VVS) or unexplained syncope (US). Little is known concerning the natural evolution of QoL following diagnosis. Psychological factors contributing to QoL improvement, such as psychological distress and self-efficacy remain to be explored. The objective of this study is to examine whether QoL changes 2 months and 6 months following head-up tilt (HUT) testing as well as to determine whether psychological factors are predictive of changes in QoL. Seventy-three patients undergoing HUT for recurrent syncope were interviewed 1 month before as well as 2 months and 6 months following HUT, using semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. Pre-HUT QoL was significantly worse than at the 2-month (p = 0.000) and 6-month follow-ups (p = 0.000). Psychological distress at baseline was associated with worse QoL 2 months post-HUT (Beta = .280; p = .024), independently of socio-demographic and clinical factors. Improved self-efficacy at follow-up predicted improvements in QoL (Beta = −.186; p = .023). Two and 6 months post-HUT, QoL is mproved in patients with recurrent syncope. Better QoL is predicted by low psychological distress and a heightened sense of self-efficacy following HUT. Strategies for enhancing self-efficacy and reducing psychological distress could be an efficient way to promote QoL in patients suffering from recurrent syncope.     

Acculturation and Familiarity With, Attitudes Towards and Beliefs about Genetic Testing for Cancer Risk Within Latinas in East Harlem, New York City

Recent research underscores the need for increasing use of genetic testing for cancer risk in Latinos. This study examined the influence of acculturation on attitudes, beliefs about and familiarity with genetic testing for cancer risk in a community-based sample of Latinas in East Harlem, New York City (N = 103). Multivariate linear regression models analyzed the relationship of acculturation to: (1) familiarity (2) perceived benefits (3) perceived barriers and (4) concerns about abuses of genetic testing for cancer risk. Controlling for sociodemographic factors, results revealed that with increasing acculturation Latinas were more familiar with genetic testing (β = 1.62, SE = 0.72, p = 0.03), more likely to cite perceived benefits (β = 1.67, SE = 0.79, p = 0.04), and less likely to report perceived barriers related to genetic testing (β = −2.76, SE = 1.64, p = 0.10). Study results may help inform the development of culturally-appropriate health education outreach materials and programs targeted to increase awareness, knowledge and understanding about genetic testing for cancer risk within Latinas.     

In the Eye of the Beholder: Alcohol Use and Perceptions Among Student-Patrons of ‘Joints’ in Three Nigerian University Communities

Alcohol use and its associated problems among university students have attracted empirical investigation by researchers and scholars. While many of these studies have reported a very high level of alcohol consumption and highlighted the various problems this portends, alcohol-related perceptions of this vulnerable population, which could be germane to intervention aimed at curtailing the problem, have remained largely under-researched. This cross-sectional survey examined the use and perceptions of alcohol by student-patrons (n = 1,705) of beer parlours or ‘joints’ in three university communities in Southwest Nigeria. Respondents were interviewed using AUDIT, a socio-demographic prototype and an open-ended section on alcohol-related perceptions of the students. Findings indicated that overall, 72% of the respondents perceived that alcohol is good for socializing, 68% perceived that alcohol is good in the aspect of stress reduction, 58% believed that alcohol consumption is indicative of maturity, 36% perceived that alcohol enhances their sexual performance while 39% perceived that alcohol serves to enhance alertness/concentration. Results also showed that gender (β = −. 23; p < .05), paternal alcohol use (β = .36; p < .01), parental socio-economic status (β = .33; p < .01), and residential status of university of respondents (β = .21; p < .05) significantly predicted alcohol use. The study concluded that perceptions about alcohol are very germane to understanding students’ alcohol use and should be reckoned with in designing intervention programmes. The need to adopt a ‘client-centered’ approach to the problem of student drinking behaviour was emphasized.     

The Validity of a New,Self-report Measure of Multiple Intelligence

In all, 187 participants completed a new, self-report measure of eight multiple intelligences (Haselbauer 2005), a General Knowledge test (Irwing et al. Personality and Individual Differences 30:857–871, 2001), a measure of Approaches to Learning Styles (Biggs 1987), a measure of the Big Five personality traits (Costa and McCrae 1992), as well as gave their own estimated scores on the Gardner (1999) multiple intelligences. Alpha co-efficients were modest with only three of the eight test-derived, multiple intelligence scores being over .70. ‘Linguistic’ and Mathematical intelligence alone were correlated with General Knowledge. Five of the eight ‘intelligences’ were correlated both with Extraversion and Openness. Regressions indicated that ‘Intrapersonal intelligence’ was closely linked with Stability and Conscientiousness; ‘Interpersonal intelligence’ with Extraversion; ‘Linguistic intelligence’ with Openness; ‘Mathematical intelligence’ with Agreeableness and Conscientiousness. Correlations between self-estimated and test-derived emotional intelligence showed correlations ranging from r = .18 to r = .56 for similar type ‘intelligences’. This study provides modest evidence for the concurrent and construct validity of this measure. It requires more psychometric evidence of validity before it is used.     

Using the ASEBA to Screen for Callous Unemotional Traits in Early Childhood: Factor Structure,Temporal Stability,and Utility

This study evaluated a five-item screening measure of Callous Unemotional (CU) traits using items drawn from the Preschool Form of the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA). Using data from the Durham Child Health and Development study (N = 178), confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated that CU items could be distinguished from Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Oppositional Defiant (ODD) items. The two-year stability (N = 137) of CU (ϕ = .84) was comparable to that of ADHD (ϕ = .79) and ODD (ϕ = .69). Three groups of children were selected based on parent-rated ODD and CU behaviors at the 36-month assessment (N = 37; ODD+CU, N = 7; ODD-only, N = 12; non-ODD, N = 18). Multiple measures of infant temperament predicted group membership with 84% accuracy. Consistent with Frick and Morris’ (Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology 33(1):54–68, 2004) hypotheses, ODD+CU and ODD-only children exhibited temperamental profiles in infancy that were consistent with low fear and emotionally dysregulated pathways into conduct problems, respectively.     

Distress and Family Functioning in Oncogenetic Counselling for Hereditary and Familial Breast and/or Ovarian Cancers

We conducted a psychological assessment during oncogenetic counseling for hereditary breast/ovarian cancer. Anxiety and depression were assessed with the HAD scale, and family functioning and satisfaction with FACES III. HAD was administered at baseline (t ₁)_, at risk communication (t ₂), at genetic test result communication, or at first surveillance in not tested subjects (t ₃); FACES III was administered at baseline only. We analysed a total of 185 questionnaires administered to the 37 subjects studied. Although not pathological, distress was significantly higher at t ₂ and t ₃ (p = 0.027 and p = 0.039, respectively). Health and marital status were significantly associated with distress. In a disease-free condition, anxiety was higher (p = 0.027) at t _2, and for single status, depression increased from t ₁ to t ₂ (p = 0.026). Families were perceived to be well functioning, and subjects were satisfied with their families. The data collected in this analysis could help to improve the quality of oncogenetic counselling in clinical practice.     

Self-Esteem, Teasing and Quality of Life: African American Adolescent Girls Participating in a Family-Based Pediatric Overweight Intervention

Two studies investigated overweight in African American girls. First, African American adolescent girls (BMI was ≥ 85th percentile) and their mothers participated in focus groups addressing weight and eating. Although mothers and daughters shared some similar views on these issues, there were important discrepancies, with mothers expressing greater doubt about the potential success of a healthy weight program. The second study evaluated baseline data from 39 African American girls participating in a weight management program; mothers' reports were also analyzed. In both studies, adolescents reported significant teasing, and in the second study, teasing was inversely associated with social quality of life (β=.55, t=3.01, p=.007). Motivation to participate was positively associated with teasing (r=.50, p < .01). Self-esteem was inversely related to positive health habits (all p < .05). Mothers who viewed their daughters as having higher self-esteem were less concerned about their daughters' weight. Differences in mothers' and daughters' perceptions highlight the importance of a family approach in pediatric overweight interventions. Results provide evidence that overweight African American girls face significant weight stigmatization and suggest areas to target regarding intervention implementation.