A cross-cultural examination of adverse childhood experiences in low-and middle-income countries and their relation with adolescent educational aspirations.

BACKGROUND: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that occur before the age of 18. Researchers have examined the negative associations between adversity and adolescent and adult outcomes, such as education and physical health. However, research on ACEs, and their association with other outcomes in non-western contexts is sparse. OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to increase our understanding of the prevalence of ACEs - and their association with educational aspirations - in low- and middle-income country contexts. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: We utilize data from the Family Migration and Early Life Outcomes (FAMELO) project, a multi-site survey project that collected data from families in historically high-migration contexts. ACEs and educational aspirations were measured in children aged 11 to17 years in Mexico (n = 853), Mozambique (n = 651), and Nepal (n = 1180). METHODS: We use Poisson regressions to examine the prevalence of ACEs in multiple cultures, and then use multinomial logistic regressions to examine whether ACEs are associated with educational aspirations, as a practical application of the utility of the ACEs framework in cross-cultural contexts. RESULTS: Our results suggest that adolescents in Mozambique have a higher average number of ACEs (2.7) than adolescents in Mexico (1.4) and Nepal (1.3). Female adolescents reported fewer ACEs, while socioeconomic vulnerabilities (low-income and low parental education) were associated with higher exposure to ACEs, with differences by country. Lastly, ACEs were associated with lower educational aspirations in Mexico and Nepal. CONCLUSIONS: Our study attempted to heed the call of many scholars who have pushed for an expansion of research on ACEs in non-western, low- and middle-income country contexts.

Migration Aspirations and Adolescents' Ideal age at Union Formation in Western Mexico.

Migration systems shape social life, including the timing and sequencing of key demographic behaviors such as marriage, childbearing, and household formation. Existing research has linked migration and marriage in Mexico through various mechanisms but provides less guidance on whether aspirations for migration and marriage are closely linked. Given that union formation is itself distinct within migration contexts, this article focuses on adolescents' plans for marriage and the extent to which migration aspirations shape the desired timing of their own union formation by examining how four distinct measures of migration aspirations are related to adolescents' ideal ages at marriage in rural Jalisco, Mexico. Drawing from data on adolescents (n=1,403 adolescents) from the Family Migration and Early Life Outcomes Project (collected in 2017-2018), it uses ordinary least squares regression to analyze how various types of adolescent migration aspirations - including permanent migration, temporary labor migration, leaving the community at any point in time, and expected migration location - are associated with adolescents' ideal age at marriage. As the article shows, all migration aspirations are associated with higher ideal ages at marriage in unconditional models. However, these associations are not always robust to the inclusion of other factors, including adolescent aspirations in other life domains, particularly education. Results highlight the ongoing transition from a "culture of migration" to a "culture of education" in Mexico. Given that Mexican migration has changed dramatically in recent years, the findings presented here provide a window for understanding how these changes in migration are reflected in adolescent goals and likely subsequent behavior.

Desired Fertility and Educational Aspirations: Adolescent Goals in Rapidly Changing Social Contexts.

Objective: This article analyzes the relationship between educational aspirations and fertility aspirations early in the life course in three different settings. Background: The negative relationship between women's educational attainment and childbearing is one of the most consistent associations in social science. Family scholars have a more limited understanding of the relationship between educational aspirations and fertility aspirations before childbearing or union formation. Method: The authors use data collected in Jalisco, Mexico; Gaza, Mozambique; and Chitwan Valley, Nepal as part of the Family Migration and Early Life Outcomes project. They estimate nested Poisson regressions to model the relationship between adolescent educational aspirations and desired family size, controlling for individual- and household-level sociodemographic variables as well as adolescent beliefs and values. Results: On average, adolescents who desire more education want fewer children in unadjusted models. In Mozambique and Nepal, this association is attenuated in models accounting for household characteristics. In Mexico, the association persists after incorporating these factors, but the inclusion of individual aspirations attenuates the relationship between educational aspirations and desired family size. In Mozambique, the association of educational aspirations with desired family size is moderated by gender. Conclusion: As young people enter adolescence, their desires for education and childbearing are inversely related, but the mechanisms driving this association vary across contexts. This variation may be related to linkages between education, social status, and family values.

Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of children with SARS-CoV-2 infection: a case series in Sinaloa.

Background: The SARS-CoV-2 virus may affect both adults and children. Although COVID-19 has a lower prevalence in infancy and has been described as mild, the clinical characteristics may vary, and there is a possibility of complications. The objectives of this study were to describe the clinical and epidemiological aspects of confirmed COVID-19 pediatric cases in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico, during the first 3 months of the pandemic, and children admitted with COVID-19 to a secondary hospital. Methods: This case series includes all patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test, identified in the state epidemiological surveillance system (SISVER) between March 1 and May 31, 2020. Confirmed patients admitted to the Sinaloa Pediatric Hospital (HPS) in the same period are also described. Results: Fifty-one children with SARS-CoV-2 were included, of which ten were admitted to the HPS. The median age was 10 years. The more frequent symptoms were fever (78%), cough (67%), and headache (57%). Most cases were mild or asymptomatic. Three patients with comorbidities died. Only four of ten patients identified in HPS were admitted with the diagnosis of possible COVID-19. Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 infection in children was mostly mild or asymptomatic, and the clinical presentation varied. There is a possibility of complications, especially in children with comorbidities.

Introducción: El SARS-CoV-2 puede afectar tanto a adultos como a niños. Aunque la COVID-19 presenta menor prevalencia en la infancia y se ha descrito como leve, las características clínicas pueden ser variables y existe la posibilidad de complicaciones. Los objetivos de este estudio fueron describir las características clínicas y epidemiológicas de los casos pediátricos confirmados en el Estado de Sinaloa, México, durante los primeros 3 meses de la pandemia, y de los niños con COVID-19 internados en un hospital de segundo nivel. Métodos: Esta serie de casos incluyó pacientes con infección por SARS-CoV-2 confirmados por prueba de reacción en cadena de la polimerasa (PCR), identificados en el Sistema de Vigilancia Epidemiológica de Enfermedades Respiratorias (SISVER) del 1 de marzo al 31 de mayo de 2020. Se describen también las características de todos los niños confirmados en el Hospital Pediátrico de Sinaloa (HPS) en las mismas fechas. Resultados: Se incluyeron 51 niños con infección por SARS-CoV-2, de los cuales 10 fueron internados en el HPS. La mediana de edad fue de 10 años. Los síntomas más frecuentes fueron fiebre (78%), tos (67%) y cefalea (57%). La mayoría de los casos fueron leves o asintomáticos. Tres pacientes con comorbilidad fallecieron. Solo cuatro de diez pacientes identificados en el HPS ingresaron bajo sospecha de COVID-19. Conclusiones: La infección por SARS-CoV-2 en los niños fue, en su mayoría, asintomática o leve, y la presentación fue variable. Existe la posibilidad de que se produzcan complicaciones, principalmente en niños con comorbilidad.

Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of children with SARS-CoV-2 infection: a case series in Sinaloa / Características clínicas y epidemiológicas de la infección por SARS-CoV-2 en niños: serie de casos en Sinaloa

Abstract Background: The SARS-CoV-2 virus may affect both adults and children. Although COVID-19 has a lower prevalence in infancy and has been described as mild, the clinical characteristics may vary, and there is a possibility of complications. The objectives of this study were to describe the clinical and epidemiological aspects of confirmed COVID-19 pediatric cases in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico, during the first 3 months of the pandemic, and children admitted with COVID-19 to a secondary hospital. Methods: This case series includes all patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test, identified in the state epidemiological surveillance system (SISVER) between March 1 and May 31, 2020. Confirmed patients admitted to the Sinaloa Pediatric Hospital (HPS) in the same period are also described. Results: Fifty-one children with SARS-CoV-2 were included, of which ten were admitted to the HPS. The median age was 10 years. The more frequent symptoms were fever (78%), cough (67%), and headache (57%). Most cases were mild or asymptomatic. Three patients with comorbidities died. Only four of ten patients identified in HPS were admitted with the diagnosis of possible COVID-19. Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 infection in children was mostly mild or asymptomatic, and the clinical presentation varied. There is a possibility of complications, especially in children with comorbidities.

Resumen Introducción: El SARS-CoV-2 puede afectar tanto a adultos como a niños. Aunque la COVID-19 presenta menor prevalencia en la infancia y se ha descrito como leve, las características clínicas pueden ser variables y existe la posibilidad de complicaciones. Los objetivos de este estudio fueron describir las características clínicas y epidemiológicas de los casos pediátricos confirmados en el Estado de Sinaloa, México, durante los primeros 3 meses de la pandemia, y de los niños con COVID-19 internados en un hospital de segundo nivel. Métodos: Esta serie de casos incluyó pacientes con infección por SARS-CoV-2 confirmados por prueba de reacción en cadena de la polimerasa (PCR), identificados en el Sistema de Vigilancia Epidemiológica de Enfermedades Respiratorias (SISVER) del 1 de marzo al 31 de mayo de 2020. Se describen también las características de todos los niños confirmados en el Hospital Pediátrico de Sinaloa (HPS) en las mismas fechas. Resultados: Se incluyeron 51 niños con infección por SARS-CoV-2, de los cuales 10 fueron internados en el HPS. La mediana de edad fue de 10 años. Los síntomas más frecuentes fueron fiebre (78%), tos (67%) y cefalea (57%). La mayoría de los casos fueron leves o asintomáticos. Tres pacientes con comorbilidad fallecieron. Solo cuatro de diez pacientes identificados en el HPS ingresaron bajo sospecha de COVID-19. Conclusiones: La infección por SARS-CoV-2 en los niños fue, en su mayoría, asintomática o leve, y la presentación fue variable. Existe la posibilidad de que se produzcan complicaciones, principalmente en niños con comorbilidad.

Non-Parental Family Members as Brokers of Family Social Capital: Compensatory Time Use in India.

Non-parental family members are understudied but important brokers of family social capital, especially in contexts without a nuclear-family norm. We used rich time diary data from a sample of 1568 South Indian adolescents to examine the relationships between any time spent with parents, parents' residency status, and the time spent with non-parental family members. We found that adolescents with at least one non-resident parent spent significantly more time with siblings, on average, when compared to adolescents with resident parents. We further found that adolescents spent more time with siblings in educational activities, such as studying, when they had at least one non-resident parent. These findings point to the importance of considering non-parental family members in studies of family social capital, especially in low- and middle-income contexts. Our findings challenge resource dilution theories by demonstrating that siblings themselves act as resources, rather than simply competitors for parental resources.