The Social Ecology of Health Beliefs and Misinformation Framework: Examining the impact of misinformation on vaccine uptake through individual and sociological factors.

BACKGROUND: Misinformation presents a critical concern for academic and public health discourse, particularly around vaccine response. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine hesitancy was responsible for decreased immunization uptake for vaccine-preventable diseases. Misinformation connected to the novel COVID-19 vaccine has further fueled vaccine hesitancy in Colorado and the United States. Our study brings together three different perspectives - physicians, public health professionals, and parents - to understand the impact of misinformation on vaccine uptake in Colorado. Our study proposes a framework for combining the Health Belief Model with the Socio-Ecological model to account for societal factors in healthcare decision making. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews and focus groups with public health professionals, physicians, and parents (n = 31) were conducted in late spring and summer 2022. Data were coded inductively using thematic analysis. Identified themes were deductively categorized according to the Socio-Ecological Model and Health Belief Model. RESULTS: Using a theoretical framework that combined the Health Belief Model and the Socio-Ecological Model, we identified seven factors that influenced vaccine hesitancy in Colorado. Intrapersonal factors included routine vaccine hesitancy connected to perceptions of severity and susceptibility, efficacy, and benefits and barriers to vaccine uptake; interpersonal factors included social networks; institutional factors included mass mediated platforms, portrayals of uncertainty, distrust in institutional sources of information, and political influences in vaccine decision making; and structural factors included economic barriers behind vaccine hesitancy. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides a unique, triangulated, post-positivist perspective on the role of misinformation in vaccine hesitancy in Colorado. The findings provide evidence that misinformation is an important barrier to vaccination uptake and can permeate multiple socio-ecological determinants/characteristics to influence vaccination behaviors including intrapersonal, interpersonal, institutional, and structural levels. We introduce the Social Ecology of Health Beliefs and Misinformation Framework to account for how misinformation may interrupt vaccine uptake.

Social attributes shape antipredator behavior strategies in the ruddy ground-dove.

The cost-benefit of social behavior depends on group size and the social interaction. As group size increases, competition for resources increases, while individual vigilance may decrease due to the lower probability of individual predation or increased competition for resources. To test predictions of the "many eyes hypothesis" and the "competition hypothesis", we investigated the effects of social attributes on the vigilance, foraging, direct conflict and sex on social groups of ruddy ground-doves (Columbina talpacoti) in an urban area. We observed that the number of conspecifics did not influence individual foraging behavior, instead, the vigilance decreased as flock size increased. Moreover, the number of conflicts within the flock negatively affected individual vigilance. However, larger flocks exhibited more direct conflicts, and males were more frequently involved in social conflicts, regardless of the sex ratio of the flock. Finally, the investment in both vigilance and foraging was not influenced by the sex of the focal individual or the sex ratio of the flock. Our findings indicate that conspecific numbers and flock social organization significantly influence the cost-benefit dynamics of flocking behavior. Larger flocks enhance vigilance for predator detection but come at an individual cost due to increased resource competition and conflicts.

Which physical and social characteristics of Brazilian cities contribute to physical activity of adolescents?

This study aimed to analyze the association between adolescents' physical activity and the Brazilian capitals' built and social environment. The units of analysis of this ecological study were the 26 capitals and the Federal District, with data from the National Adolescent Health Survey (2012). The outcome variable was the reported regular physical activity (PA) of ninth graders in Brazilian schools. Exposure variables included characteristics of the natural environment, socioeconomic and educational indicators, urban infrastructure, urban violence, and sociocultural factors retrieved from several secondary sources of Brazilian databases. We adopted multiple linear regression to verify the association between PA and exposure variables. The percentage of active adolescents was 33.0% (95%CI: 32.1; 33.9). In the final model, higher PA was associated with lower temperature, higher Primary Education Development Index, the higher percentage of ramps for wheelchair users, and a higher percentage of leisure-time active adults. The data show that climatic and educational factors, the infrastructure, and the social environment of the capitals can contribute to Brazilian adolescents complying with the recommended weekly PA levels.

Income inequality in later years: occupational trajectories or initial social characteristics?

This study focuses on the constitution of financial reserves in Switzerland from a longitudinal perspective. Personal income after retirement derives from financial reserves whose constitution depends both on positional factors, such as sex and birth cohorts, and processual factors, such as occupational trajectories, in the institutional context of the Swiss pension system (structural factors). We hypothesise that some processual, positional and structural factors interact with each other to shape financial reserves available in old age. We assess this set of factors and their interactions using the occupational trajectory types stemming from optimal matching analysis (OMA) combined with the hierarchical clustering and regression tree methods. We used the retrospective biographic data SHARELIFE gathered during the third wave of the SHARE survey in 2009. The results show that occupational trajectories are influential factors accounting for much of the financial reserves available in later life. However, these processual factors interact with positional factors such as sex and birth cohort. The retirement schemes generalised in Switzerland during the period under consideration add up to the effect of positional factors on the constitution of financial reserves.

Comprehensive Social Trait Judgments From Faces in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Processing social information from faces is difficult for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, it remains unclear whether individuals with ASD make high-level social trait judgments from faces in the same way as neurotypical individuals. Here, we comprehensively addressed this question using naturalistic face images and representatively sampled traits. Despite similar underlying dimensional structures across traits, online adult participants with self-reported ASD showed different judgments and reduced specificity within each trait compared with neurotypical individuals. Deep neural networks revealed that these group differences were driven by specific types of faces and differential utilization of features within a face. Our results were replicated in well-characterized in-lab participants and partially generalized to more controlled face images (a preregistered study). By investigating social trait judgments in a broader population, including individuals with neurodevelopmental variations, we found important theoretical implications for the fundamental dimensions, variations, and potential behavioral consequences of social cognition.

Does parents' cognitive ability affect household educational investment? Evidence from Chinese families with left behind children.

The large group of left-behind children with the absence of parental accompanying are likely to have serious physical and psychological problems, which may lead to serious public safety and social economic troubles in adulthood. Such unique phenomenon calls us attention on the impact of parents on household educational investment. Based on the data of China Family Panel Studies in 2014, This paper examines the effects of parents' cognitive ability on household educational investment for their children. The research propositions were tested using multiple regression analysis methods. Results indicate that parents' cognitive ability can significantly improve the level of monetary and non-monetary investment in education. We also find that compared with their counterparts, the cognitive ability of left-behind children's parents fails to affect their household educational investment, due to the "parent-child separation effect". Further analysis shows that improving the regional informatization level of parents of left-behind children can alleviate the "parent-child separation effect", and finally facilitate cognitive ability's role in increasing household educational investment. These findings enlighten education policy makers and households a feasible way to alleviate the imbalance and insufficiency of household educational investment among left-behind children families.

Delivery of WeChat-Based HIV Result e-Reports in Social Networks for Recruitment of High-Risk Population: Baseline Data From a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Disclosure of infectious disease status to social network peers can facilitate reaching and early detection among high-risk populations. In this era of social media, globally, HIV/AIDS represents a high burden of infectious disease. Thus, delivery of an HIV result e-report via social media presents a new approach that has the potential to improve contact with and enrollment of the high-risk population in research studies and routine practice. OBJECTIVE: This study explores the effectiveness and associated factors of a recruitment strategy (ie, WeChat-based HIV e-report delivery in social networks) on the enrollment of men who have sex with men (MSM) for an HIV testing intervention study. METHODS: This was an enrollment result analysis of an ongoing cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) aiming to promote HIV testing among MSM. Recruitment of potential participants was based on the unit of an egocentric social network, which includes 1 core member (an offline tested ego as the recruiter) and several network members (online alters as network associates). Alters' enrollment and alters' transformation to ego-recruiters (alter-ego) were measured as outcomes. Recruitment outcomes were compared between the exchangeable and regular e-report groups of the RCT. Associated factors of both outcomes were also investigated, including sociodemographic characteristics, health behaviors, social network characteristics, e-report types, and online delivery information. Binary outcomes were modeled using logistic models, with Firth correction for rare events. Qualitative interviews were conducted to understand facilitators and barriers in detail for alter-ego as the subsequent wave's recruiter. RESULTS: The e-report of 1157 egos who tested offline were delivered to 5165 alters in 3 recruitment waves; eventually, 1162 eligible alters enrolled in this RCT (response rate: 22.5%). In the exchangeable e-report group, 544 egos recruited 467 alters, of which 35 alters transformed to alter-egos (7.5%), whereas in the regular e-report group, 613 egos recruited 695 alters, of which 40 alters transformed to alter-egos (5.8%). Alters' enrollment at first wave was associated with a higher number of e-reports being forwarded by the egos. Alters' transformation to alter-egos for the subsequent wave was associated with the exchangeable e-report, higher income, being a Guangzhou resident, unprotected anal intercourse, preferring self-testing, and viewing senders' e-reports frequently. Qualitative interviews revealed that the lack of awareness of e-reports' function and inadequate access to e-reports at offline testing facilities were major barriers to alters' transformation to offline ego-recruiters. CONCLUSIONS: The delivery of e-report was feasible in MSM social network, and the success and sustainability of online recruitment depended on high levels of familiarity among MSM with the digital tool. The HIV e-report exchange mechanism might promote MSM to test HIV offline to get their own e-report for exchange in the community. The e-report provides an innovative recruitment method with great potential to trace direct contacts for infectious diseases studies.

Adolescent Cyberbullies' Attributions: Longitudinal Linkages to Cyberbullying Perpetration.

The aim of the present study was to examine cyberbullies' attributions pertaining to their perpetration of cyberbullying, and how such attributions relate to their cyberbullying behaviors six months later. Participants were 216 adolescents (M = 13.46, SD = 0.62 years; 55% female) from the suburbs of a large Midwestern city in the United States. They were interviewed face-to-face in the fall of 2018 concerning why they acted in negative ways toward peers online or through text messages. They also answered questionnaires regarding how often they perpetrated face-to-face bullying and cyberbullying during the fall of 2018 and spring of 2019. The attributions of revenge, convenience, anger, and anonymity each predicted cyberbullying at the second time point while controlling for face-to-face bullying perpetration. Results from this study provide important information to the literature regarding cyberbullies' attributions for perpetrating cyberbullying, and how such attributions predict future cyberbullying perpetration. These findings are important for the development of antibullying programs that might aim to change adolescents' attributions for cyberbullying perpetration to reduce continued engagement in these behaviors.

Co-Occurrence, Extension, and Social Salience: The Emergence of Indexicality in an Artificial Language.

We investigated the emergence of sociolinguistic indexicality using an artificial-language-learning paradigm. Sociolinguistic indexicality involves the association of linguistic variants with nonlinguistic social or contextual features. Any linguistic variant can acquire "constellations" of such indexical meanings, though they also exhibit an ordering, with first-order indices associated with particular speaker groups and higher-order indices targeting stereotypical attributes of those speakers. Much natural-language research has been conducted on this phenomenon, but little experimental work has focused on how indexicality emerges. Here, we present three miniature artificial-language experiments designed to break ground on this question. Results show ready formation of first-order indexicality based on co-occurrence alone, with higher-order indexicality emerging as a result of extension to new speaker groups, modulated by the perceived practical importance of the indexed social feature.

Associations of prenatal exposure to a mixture of persistent organic pollutants with social traits and cognitive and adaptive function in early childhood: Findings from the EARLI study.

BACKGROUND: Literature suggests that maternal exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) may influence child neurodevelopment. Evidence linking prenatal POPs and autism spectrum disorder has been inconclusive and few studies have examined the mixture effect of the POPs on autism-related traits. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the associations between prenatal exposure to a mixture of POPs and autism-related traits in children from the Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation study. METHODS: Maternal serum concentrations of 17 POPs (11 polychlorinated biphenyls [PCBs], 4 polybrominated diphenyls [PBDEs], and 2 persistent pesticides) in 154 samples collected during pregnancy were included in this analysis. We examined the independent associations of the natural log-transformed POPs with social, cognitive, and behavioral traits at 36 months of age, including Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), Mullen Scales of Early Learning-Early Learning Composite (MSEL-ELC), and Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS) scores, using linear regression models. We applied Bayesian kernel machine regression and quantile g-computation to examine the joint effect and interactions of the POPs. RESULTS: Higher ln-PBDE47 was associated with greater deficits in social reciprocity (higher SRS score) (ß = 6.39, 95% CI: 1.12, 11.65) whereas higher ln-p,p'-DDE was associated with lower social deficits (ß = -8.34, 95% CI: -15.32, -1.37). Positive associations were observed between PCB180 and PCB187 and cognitive (MSEL-ELC) scores (ß = 5.68, 95% CI: 0.18, 11.17; ß = 4.65, 95% CI: 0.14, 9.17, respectively). Adaptive functioning (VABS) scores were positively associated with PCB170, PCB180, PCB187, PCB196/203, and p,p'-DDE. In the mixture analyses, we did not observe an overall mixture effect of POPs on the quantitative traits. Potential interactions between PBDE99 and other PBDEs were identified in association with MSEL-ELC scores. CONCLUSIONS: We observed independent effects of PCB180, PCB187, PBDE47, and p,p' DDE with ASD-related quantitative traits and potential interactions between PBDEs. Our findings highlight the importance of assessing the effect of POPs as a mixture.

"They see me as mentally ill": the stigmatization experiences of Chinese menopausal women in the family.

BACKGROUND: Menopausal women are regarded as "abnormal people" in China and are often discriminated against and ostracized, especially in the privacy of their homes. However, research on the stigmatization of menopausal women in China is limited. The aim of this study is to explore and describe the stigmatization experiences of Chinese menopausal women in the family and their feelings about these experiences. METHODS: A phenomenological qualitative research design involving in-depth semi-structured interviews was selected. Our data analysis adopted Colaizzi's methodology. RESULTS: Fourteen menopausal women participated in this study. Four themes and 12 subthemes emerged: (1) violent treatment (verbal and physical violence); (2) lack of attention and companionship (lack of understanding of physical and psychological suffering, neglect of the value of labour and difficulty finding someone to talk to and accompany them); (3) coping struggles (keeping quiet, fighting back, changing inappropriate perceptions and developing a menopausal transition management plan); and (4) despair (deep-rooted perceptions, restrictions on travel and consumption, and unknown "healing" times). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that Chinese menopausal women suffer physically and mentally within their families. The stigma of menopause is both a symptom of the broad societal lack of knowledge regarding menopause and a reflection of the patriarchal oppression of women in a specific cultural context. Accordingly, this study can help menopausal women and society in general better understand the former's stigmatization experiences and amplify their inner voices. Moreover, it can serve as a reference for the formulation of menopause-related health policies in China and for advocating and promoting humanistic care for menopausal women.

Psychological Distress in the Republic of Serbia, the Association of Social Characteristics and Substance Use on a National Representative Sample of Serbia.

This study examined the association between social characteristics, substance use, and psychological distress in a national representative sample of adults in Serbia. It was a secondary analysis of the National Survey on Lifestyles in Serbia: Substance Abuse and Gambling 2018. The study included a total of 2000 participants aged 18 to 65 from the general population in Serbia. Psychological distress was examined using the Kessler 6 questionnaire. There were a total of 945 male participants (47.3%) and 1055 (52.8%) female participants. The average age was 37.83 ± 13.61 years. The prevalence of a high risk of psychological distress was 5.2% (103/2000), while the prevalence of moderate risk of psychological distress was 15.2% (303/2000). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that being male, having poor self-rated health, having poor subjective financial status, binge drinking in the past year, and lifetime use of any illicit drug were associated with a higher likelihood of having a high risk of psychological distress. One in six adults in Serbia has a high risk of psychological distress, while one in twenty has a moderate risk. The findings of this study urge targeted actions to protect and improve the health of people in psychological distress and drug and alcohol users.

Social Risk Screening and Response Equity: Assessment by Race, Ethnicity, and Language in Community Health Centers.

INTRODUCTION: Little has previously been reported about the implementation of social risk screening across racial/ethnic/language groups. To address this knowledge gap, the associations between race/ethnicity/language, social risk screening, and patient-reported social risks were examined among adult patients at community health centers. METHODS: Patient- and encounter-level data from 2016 to 2020 from 651 community health centers in 21 U.S. states were used; data were extracted from a shared Epic electronic health record and analyzed between December 2020 and February 2022. In adjusted logistic regression analyses stratified by language, robust sandwich variance SE estimators were applied with clustering on patient's primary care facility. RESULTS: Social risk screening occurred at 30% of health centers; 11% of eligible adult patients were screened. Screening and reported needs varied significantly by race/ethnicity/language. Black Hispanic and Black non-Hispanic patients were approximately twice as likely to be screened, and Hispanic White patients were 28% less likely to be screened than non-Hispanic White patients. Hispanic Black patients were 87% less likely to report social risks than non-Hispanic White patients. Among patients who preferred a language other than English or Spanish, Black Hispanic patients were 90% less likely to report social needs than non-Hispanic White patients. CONCLUSIONS: Social risk screening documentation and patient reports of social risks differed by race/ethnicity/language in community health centers. Although social care initiatives are intended to promote health equity, inequitable screening practices could inadvertently undermine this goal. Future implementation research should explore strategies for equitable screening and related interventions.

The Involvement in Domestic Violence and the Severity of Legal, Moral and Social Consequences for the Perpetrators in the Perceptions of Students in Poland and Belarus.

Domestic violence is sequential, developmental and dynamic. The aim of this study was to examine whether, in the perceptions of students in Poland and Belarus, there is a relationship between involvement in violence and the legal and social consequences for the perpetrators. A total of 482 university students took part in the study, including 251 students from Poland and 231 students from Belarus. Statistically, Polish respondents were more frequently involved in domestic violence as witnesses and victims, which was confirmed by χ2 test. Based on the 95% confidence interval (CI), it can be concluded that the largest number of respondents from both countries surveyed who have been involved in violence as witnesses (85.2-94.8) indicated that an adequate punishment for perpetrators of violence is imprisonment. Students who have never been involved in domestic violence indicated social consequences as appropriate punishment for the use of violence more often than those who have been involved in violence as witnesses, victims or perpetrators. Witnesses and victims were not found to be in favour of more severe punishment or more serious moral and social consequences than perpetrators. The largest number of respondents indicated that the appropriate consequence of using violence should be imprisonment, followed by a restraining order and eviction from the place of residence.

Social Frailty Index: Development and validation of an index of social attributes predictive of mortality in older adults.

While social characteristics are well-known predictors of mortality, prediction models rely almost exclusively on demographics, medical comorbidities, and function. Lacking an efficient way to summarize the prognostic impact of social factor, many studies exclude social factors altogether. Our objective was to develop and validate a summary measure of social risk and determine its ability to risk-stratify beyond traditional risk models. We examined participants in the Health and Retirement Study, a longitudinal, survey of US older adults. We developed the model from a comprehensive inventory of 183 social characteristics using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, a penalized regression approach. Then, we assessed the predictive capacity of the model and its ability to improve on traditional prediction models. We studied 8,250 adults aged ≥65 y. Within 4 y of the baseline interview, 22% had died. Drawn from 183 possible predictors, the Social Frailty Index included age, gender, and eight social predictors: neighborhood cleanliness, perceived control over financial situation, meeting with children less than yearly, not working for pay, active with children, volunteering, feeling isolated, and being treated with less courtesy or respect. In the validation cohort, predicted and observed mortality were strongly correlated. Additionally, the Social Frailty Index meaningfully risk-stratified participants beyond the Charlson score (medical comorbidity index) and the Lee Index (comorbidity and function model). The Social Frailty Index includes age, gender, and eight social characteristics and accurately risk-stratifies older adults. The model improves upon commonly used risk prediction tools and has application in clinical, population health, and research settings.

Burning Mouth Syndrome and Hypertension: Prevalence, Gender Differences and Association with Pain and Psycho-Social Characteristics-A Case Control Study.

BACKGROUND: To assess the prevalence of hypertension (HTN) in burning mouth syndrome (BMS) patients and to investigate its relationship with sociodemographic factors, pain and the psychological profile. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted by enrolling 242 BMS patients and 242 controls matched for age and gender. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were recorded, and all participants completed numeric rating scale (NRS), the short-form of the McGill pain questionnaire (SF-MPQ), the Hamilton rating scale for anxiety and depression (HAM-A, HAM-D), the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS). RESULTS: The BMS patients presented with a statistically significant higher prevalence of HTN compared to that in the controls (55% versus 33.5%; p-value: <0.001) and higher median scores of the NRS, SF-MPQ, HAM-A, HAM-D, PSQI and ESS (p < 0.001). Multivariate regression analysis in the BMS patients indicated positive correlations between HTN and age, systemic diseases, drug consumption and anxiety (p-value: <0.001) and these predictors were responsible for 11.3% of the HTN variance in the BMS patients, when considered together. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of HTN was significantly higher in the BMS patients, since ageing, the presence of comorbidities, drug consumption and anxiety were potential predictors. Further studies are needed to better investigate the relationship between BMS and HTN.

Health and social characteristics of clients reporting amphetamine type substance use at entry to public alcohol and other drug services in New South Wales, Australia, 2016-2019.

INTRODUCTION: Amphetamine type substances (ATS) are commonly used by Australian alcohol and other drug service entrants. We describe demographic characteristics, patterns of ATS and other substance use, health and social conditions among clients entering New South Wales (NSW) public alcohol and other drug services. METHODS: Retrospective cohort of 13,864 records across six health districts (2016-2019) for clients seeking substance use treatment. These districts service approximately 44% of the NSW population aged 15 years and over. Multivariate analysis was conducted on a subsample for whom full data were available (N = 9981). Data included NSW Minimum Data Set for drug and alcohol treatment services and Australian Treatment Outcomes Profile items. RESULTS: Over the preceding 4 weeks, 77% (n = 10,610) of clients (N = 13,864) reported no recent ATS use, 15% (n = 2109) reported 'low frequency' (1-12 days) and 8% (n = 1145) 'high frequency' (13-28 days) use. ATS use was most common among people attending for ATS or opioids as primary drug of concern. A multinomial regression (N = 9981) identified that clients reporting recent arrest (aOR 1.74, 95% CI 1.36, 2.24), higher cannabis use frequency (aOR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00, 1.02), lower opioid use frequency (aOR 0.98, 95% CI 0.97, 0.99) and poorer quality of life (aOR 0.91, 95% CI 0.86, 0.97) were more likely to report 'high frequency' rather than 'low frequency' ATS use. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: People who use ATS experience health and social issues that may require targeted responses. These should be integrated across all services, not only for clients with ATS as principal drug of concern.

Research priorities in the domain of disability - correlation between health and social characteristics. A Polish example.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: In each society there functions a group of the disabled who need assistance. The number and character of dysfunctional consequences determine the types of support, characteristics of health, medical and social problems, where a part of them are interdependent. The interdependence of these needs determine the consistency of rehabilitation actions, which result in the improvement of quality of life of disabled persons in their living environment, especially among rural inhabitants. REVIEW METHODS: The scientific medical, and sociological literature, as well as binding legal Acts from 1978-2021 were reviewed. Materials from Polish and English databases were analysed. Key words related to disability, its definition, models of disability, disability discrimination, inequalities in medical and social care, health and social needs, maps of needs, satisfaction with medical and social care, and quality of life were used. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE STATE OF KNOWLEDGE: Despite the fact that disability is a medical-social phenomenon, many reports concern only the treatment of the consequences of diseases, injuries, genetic/congenital or environmental defects. Disability is frequently identified with disease, which is inappropriate. Many researchers dealing with disability focus - quite rightly - on studies concerning social consequences, because they decide about the level of functioning of these persons in society and level of participation. SUMMARY: Disability is not only a medical and social problem. Treatment does not end the essence of disability. Only interdisciplinary studies can change the life of these persons regarding great possibilities for their participation.

Right anterior theta connectivity predicts autistic social traits in typically developing children.

Growing evidence supports functional network alterations in autism spectrum disorder, however much less is known about the neural mechanisms underlying autistic traits in typically developing children. Using resting-state electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings, we examined whether functional connectivity could predict autistic trait expression in 127 children aged between 4 and 12 years. Regression models showed that right anterior theta connectivity was a significant predictor of autistic traits (p = 0.013), with increased connectivity in this region associated with greater autistic trait expression. These results corroborate similar recent findings in adults, extending this observation to a cohort of children spanning early-to-middle childhood. These findings further highlight EEG-derived functional connectivity as a sensitive physiological correlate of autistic trait expression in typically developing children.