Development and validation of the scoliosis misconception scale (SMS) for assessing level of misconception of patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about patients' understanding of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). This paper aims to develop and validate the Scoliosis Misconception Scale (SMS) and to explore patients' level of misconception about AIS. METHODS: A total of 195 patients who were newly referred with newly diagnosed AIS were recruited to assess their levels of misconception and psychological distress before and after their first consultation with a specialist. The 17-item SMS was administered to assess patients' level of misconception about AIS and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) was used to measure their level of distress. RESULTS: According to the Item Response Theory, all items were within the acceptable range from -3.69 to 2.39 for difficulty parameters, which determined the difficulty of the scale, while most of the items were within the acceptable range from 0.11 to 1.54 for the discrimination parameters, which determined the rate at which the probability of endorsing a correct item changes given ability levels. Internal consistency by marginal reliability was 0.66. One-sample t test revealed that participants on average scored 6.79 (SD = 2.12) before the first clinic session and 6.45 (SD = 2.51) after the first clinic session, both significantly higher than 0 [t(75) = 27.86, p < .001; t(75) = 22.43, p < .001]. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a longstanding clinical model that functions well to treat AIS, most patients still have significant misconceptions about the condition. This highlights the necessity to assess patients' knowledge level of a medical condition and potential generalisability of misconception-distress link to the forefront across other illnesses.

Early sleep deprivation and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to study prospectively specific sleep patterns and risk of ADHD after adjusting for potential confounders such as obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and methylphenidate use. METHODS: A population-representative sample of 514 Chinese preschool children was recruited when in kindergarten (K3). Parents reported on their socioeconomic status and children's sleep duration. The cohort was reassessed 3 years later when the children were in Grade 3 (P3). Parents reported on children's sleep patterns and ADHD symptoms. Information on OSA diagnosis and methylphenidate use was retrieved from health records. RESULTS: Among the 514 parent-child dyads (mean [SD] age, 5.52 [0.33] years), 411 were reassessed (80.0% retention; 9.35 [0.33] years) at follow-up. There were no significant baseline differences between follow-up and drop-out groups. A gradient relationship was observed between probable ADHD in P3 and sleep duration in K3. The risk of probable ADHD was 15.5 per 100 for children with <8 h of sleep in K3, whereas it was 1.1 per 100 for children with 11-12 h of sleep in K3. The adjusted risk ratio was 14.19 (p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Sleep deprivation in early childhood is associated with higher risk of ADHD in middle childhood.

Threat vigilance and socioeconomic disparities in metabolic health.

A quarter of the global population meets diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome (MetS). MetS prevalence stratifies by socioeconomic status (SES), such that low SES is associated with higher MetS risk starting in childhood. Despite this trend, some low-SES children maintain good metabolic health across the life span, but the factors responsible for their resilience are not well understood. This study examined the role of threat vigilance as either a moderator or a mediator of the effects of low early life SES on adult metabolic risk. Three hundred twenty-five Canadians aged 15-55 participated (M = 36.4 years, SD = 10.7; 55.4% female). We coded parental occupational status between the ages of 0 and 5 to index early life SES. We used the International Diabetes Federation case definition for MetS based on waist circumference, blood pressure, triglyceride levels, HDL cholesterol, and glycosylated hemoglobin measures. Threat vigilance was assessed using the Weapons Identification Procedure, a visual discrimination paradigm that captures implicit perceptions of threat. Analyses supported the moderator hypothesis: low early life SES was associated with MetS diagnosis exclusively among those with high levels of threat vigilance. This suggests that low early life SES environments that heighten vigilance to threat might be particularly detrimental for metabolic health. Conversely, low threat vigilance may buffer against the metabolic risks associated with socioeconomic disadvantage.

Parental accuracy regarding adolescent daily experiences: relationships with adolescent psychological adjustment and inflammatory regulation.

OBJECTIVE: There is evidence that parents play an important role in their adolescent's health and well-being, but the links between specific daily processes and biological mechanisms relevant to health remain to be determined. In this study, we examined the role of parental accuracy-that is, whether parents who are more accurate about their adolescents' daily experiences have adolescents with better psychological functioning and inflammatory regulation. METHODS: In a 2-week daily diary study of 116 parent-adolescent dyads, we examined whether parental accuracy about their adolescent's daily demands and the positivity of their day together were associated with markers of psychological functioning and with regulation of the inflammatory response in terms of glucocorticoid sensitivity (the extent to which cortisol is able to dampen the production of inflammatory proteins) in adolescents. RESULTS: Adolescents whose daily experiences were perceived more accurately by their parents reported better psychological adjustment (lower stress and depression) and a greater sensitivity of their immune cells to anti-inflammatory signals from cortisol (i.e., diminished production of inflammatory proteins when cells were stimulated with the combination of a bacterial product [lipopolysaccharide] and cortisol; |ß| range, 0.38-0.53, all p values <.041). CONCLUSIONS: Greater parental accuracy regarding adolescents' daily experiences is associated with better adolescent psychological adjustment and a more sensitive anti-inflammatory response to cortisol. These results provide preliminary evidence that parental accuracy regarding their adolescent's daily experiences may be one specific daily parent factor that plays a role in adolescent health and well-being.

Mediating roles of sleep quality and resilience in the relationships between chronotypes and mental health symptoms.

Sleep and mental health are intrinsically intertwined, but not every individual with problems sleeping develops a mental health disorder. This study examined the association among chronotypes, resilience, sleep quality and mental health symptoms amongst otherwise healthy individuals. Two hundred adults (Mage = 27.75 ± 5.11, 68% female) with no previous diagnosis of mental illness were recruited and filled in a set of questionnaires measuring chronotypes, sleep quality, depression and anxiety symptoms. The findings from the path analysis showed that the morning type had a statistically significant direct effect on a range of sleep quality indices. These included better subjective sleep quality, shortened sleep latency, and fewer daytime dysfunctions, as well as a higher level of resilience. However, it did not significantly affect depression and anxiety symptoms. In addition, the morning type had statistically significant indirect effects on a higher level of resilience and fewer depression and anxiety symptoms through the mediating effect of sleep quality indices. Findings from this study support that morning type is associated with better resilience and psychological health, which is mediated through better sleep quality.

Global trends in cross-cultural endorsement of social mobility: Evidence from 167 countries.

The American Dream-the perception that upward social mobility depends on effort-is a central cultural ethos in the United States. The belief in upward social mobility is not unique to Americans, and cultural groups across the world endorse it to varying degrees. The current study aims to examine cross-cultural trends in perceived mobility and to test possible mechanisms that may explain changes in perceived mobility. Using a dataset of over 1.4 million participants across 167 countries from 2005 to 2019, we comprehensively document cultural variations in perceived mobility. Citizens in Bhutan, Qatar, and Uzbekistan reported the highest levels of perceived mobility, and the United States ranked 107. We further examined the trajectories of perceived mobility across a 15-year timespan and found rapid declines in perceived mobility in countries experiencing sociopolitical crises (e.g., in Syria and Hong Kong). Multilevel analyses revealed high-income individuals are 32% (95% confidence interval, CI [24%, 39%]) more likely to perceive mobility than low-income individuals, and the level of disparity did not decrease over time. Preregistered time-series analyses showed education privatization and economic condition Granger-cause perceived mobility, but these temporal associations showed heterogeneity across countries. Overall, we performed the world's largest global monitor of perceived mobility and discussed how the cultural value of perceived mobility unfolds in social, economic, and political contexts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Socioeconomic status associated with exhaled nitric oxide responses to acute stress in children with asthma.

Although psychosocial stress has been linked to clinical asthma outcomes, controlled, laboratory paradigms that test associations between psychosocial stress and markers of airway inflammation in humans are lacking. There is also little known about how individual background characteristics may affect variability across individuals in asthma-relevant inflammatory and pulmonary responses to stress. The goals of this study were to investigate the effects of a laboratory stress paradigm on markers of airway inflammation and pulmonary function in children with asthma, and to determine why some children are more biologically responsive to stress. 38 children physician-diagnosed with asthma, and 23 healthy control children (M age=15 years) engaged in a conflict discussion task with a parent. Pulmonary function (FEV(1)) was measured before and immediately after the task. Airway inflammation (indicated by exhaled nitric oxide, FeNO) was measured before and 45 min after the task (to minimize effects from spirometry). Parents were interviewed about family socioeconomic status (SES: income and occupation). In children with asthma only, there was an inverse association of SES with change in FeNO levels in response to the conflict task, meaning that as SES declined, greater increases in FeNO were observed No changes in FEV(1) were found in response to the conflict task. This study suggests that lower SES children with asthma may be more vulnerable to heightened airway inflammation in response to stress.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of cognitive behavioral therapy for hemodialysis patients with depression.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this meta-analysis was to examine the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for hemodialysis patients with comorbid depression and to identify which other aspects, including anxiety and quality of life, can be improved through intervention. METHODS: A systematic literature review was performed using multiple databases (PubMed, EMBase, PsycINFO, CENTRAL). The inclusion criteria included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of CBT conducted in hemodialysis patients with depression. Study reporting quality was assessed with the Cochrane tool and Review Manager version 5.3 was used to obtain pooled results. RESULTS: Eight RCTs, with a total sample size of 540 participants, met the inclusion criteria. Compared with control groups, the CBT groups had statistically significant improvements in depression (standardized mean differences [SMD] = -0.68, 95% confidence interval [CI] (-0.94 to -0.42), P < .001), anxiety (SMD = -0.99, 95%CI (-1.99 to 0.00), P = .05) and quality of life (SMD = 0.34, 95%CI (0.13 to 0.54), P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this meta-analysis showed that CBT could have an effective role in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety as well as improving quality of life in hemodialysis patients with comorbid depression.

A Sports-Based Youth Development Program, Teen Mental Health, and Physical Fitness: An RCT.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness of a positive youth development (PYD)-based sports mentorship program on the physical and mental well-being of adolescents recruited in a community setting. METHODS: This is a randomized controlled trial in which we recruited students from 12 secondary schools in Hong Kong, China. Participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to an intervention or a control arm after stratification for school from October 2013 to June 2014. Participants were not blinded to allocation because of the nature of the intervention. Students in the intervention arm received an after-school, PYD-based sports mentorship for 18 weeks. Each weekly session lasted 90 minutes. Students in the control arm received exclusive access to a health education Web site. RESULTS: Six hundred and sixty-four students (mean age 12.3 years [SD 0.76]; 386 girls [58.1%]) completed baseline and postintervention assessments. The intervention improved students' mental well-being (Cohen's d, 0.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.10 to 0.40; P = .001), self-efficacy (Cohen's d, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.07 to 0.37; P = .01), resilience (Cohen's d, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.03 to 0.34; P = .02), physical fitness (flexibility [Cohen's d, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.13 to 0.43; P = .02], lower limb muscle strength [Cohen's d, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.03 to 0.33; P = .03], and dynamic balance [Cohen's d, 0.21; 95% CI, 0.06 to 0.37; P = .01]), and physical activity levels (Cohen's d, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.24 to 0.55; P < .0001). The intervention did not significantly improve physical well-being (Cohen's d, -0.01; 95% CI, -0.17 to 0.14; P = .86), BMI z scores (Cohen's d, -0.03; 95% CI, -0.18 to 0.12; P = .69), body fat proportion (Cohen's d, -0.15; 95% CI, -0.31 to 0.00; P = .051), and social connectedness (Cohen's d, -0.03; 95% CI, -0.18 to 0.12; P = .72). CONCLUSIONS: A PYD-based sports mentorship intervention improved healthy adolescents' mental well-being, psychological assets, physical fitness, and physical activity levels.

Early life socioeconomic status and metabolic outcomes in adolescents: The role of implicit affect about one's family.

OBJECTIVES: Previous research suggests that the quality of early family relationships may moderate the association between lower socioeconomic status (SES) and cardiovascular and other health outcomes. In this study, we investigated how implicit measures of early childhood environments (implicit anger, fear, or warmth about one's family) interacted with early life SES to predict metabolic outcomes in a sample of healthy adolescents. METHOD: Adolescents (N = 259) age 13 to 16 participated with 1 parent. Implicit family affect was measured with a computer-based implicit affect assessment tool. Early life SES was indexed by home crowding (e.g., number of people per bedroom) during the first 5 years of life. Metabolic indicators included resting blood pressure, total cholesterol, glycosylated hemoglobin, and waist circumference. RESULTS: Early life SES significantly interacted with implicit negative family affect in resting systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure levels, such that among those participants with higher early life SES, as implicit negative family affect increased, resting blood pressure also increased. Similarly, early life SES interacted with implicit family warmth to predict total cholesterol levels, such that among those participants with higher early life SES, as implicit family warmth decreased, total cholesterol increased. These patterns were not observed with current SES or with explicit measures of family relationships. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide evidence that implicit family affect moderates the association between early life SES and adolescent metabolic outcomes in a way that suggests that implicit family affect may be more relevant among higher SES adolescents. The utility of implicit psychosocial measures in cardiovascular health studies, particularly for higher SES samples, is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

Implicit measures of early-life family conditions: relationships to psychosocial characteristics and cardiovascular disease risk in adulthood.

OBJECTIVES: An implicit measure of early-life family conditions was created to help address potential biases in responses to self-reported questionnaires of early-life family environments. We investigated whether a computerized affect attribution paradigm designed to capture implicit, affective responses (anger, fear, warmth) regarding early-life family environments was (a) stable over time, (b) associated with self-reports of childhood family environments, (c) able to predict adult psychosocial profiles (perceived social support, heightened vigilance), and (d) able to predict adult cardiovascular risk (blood pressure) either alone or in conjunction with a measure of early-life socioeconomic status. METHOD: Two studies were conducted to examine reliability and validity of the affect attribution paradigm (Study 1, N = 94) and associated adult psychosocial outcomes and cardiovascular risk (Study 2, N = 122). RESULTS: Responses on the affect attribution paradigm showed significant correlations over a 6-month period, and were moderately associated with self-reports of childhood family environments. Greater attributed negative affect about early-life family conditions predicted lower levels of current perceived social support and heightened vigilance in adulthood. Attributed negative affect also interacted with early-life socioeconomic status (SES) to marginally predict resting systolic blood pressure (SBP), such that those individuals high in early-life SES but who had implicit negative affect attributed to early-life family conditions had SBP levels that were as high as individuals low in early-life SES. CONCLUSION: Implicit measures of early-life family conditions are a useful approach for assessing the psychosocial nature of early-life environments and linking them to adult psychosocial and physiological health profiles.