Longitudinal study of childhood sleep trajectories and adolescent mental health problems.

Study Objective: To investigate whether childhood sleep trajectories are associated with mental health symptoms such as social phobia, generalized anxiety, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct problems, and opposition at age 15. Methods: A total of 2120 children took part in the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. Childhood sleep trajectories were computed from maternal reports at 2.5, 3.5, 4, 6, 8, 10, and/or 12 years. At age 15, 1446 adolescents filled out mental health and sleep questions. A path analysis model was assessed in the full sample. Results: Four childhood nocturnal sleep duration trajectories were identified: (1) a short pattern (7.5%), (2) a short-increasing pattern (5.8%), (3) a 10 hours pattern (50.7%), and (4) an 11 hours pattern (36.0%). Three childhood sleep latency trajectories were found: (1) a short pattern (31.7%), (2) an intermediate pattern (59.9%), and (3) a long pattern (8.4%). Finally, two childhood wakefulness after sleep-onset trajectories were found: (1) a normative pattern (73.0%) and (2) a long pattern (27.0%). The path analysis model indicated that children following a long childhood sleep latency trajectory were more likely to experience symptoms of depression (ß = 0.06, 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.12), ADHD (ß = 0.07, 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.13), conduct problems (ß = 0.05, 95% CI: 0.00 to 0.10) and opposition (ß = 0.08, 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.13) at age 15. Conclusions: This longitudinal study revealed that children presenting a long sleep latency throughout childhood are at greater risk of symptoms of depression, ADHD, conduct problems, and opposition in adolescence.

Association of taurine intake with changes in physical fitness among community-dwelling middle-aged and older Japanese adults: an 8-year longitudinal study.

Introduction: Taurine has diverse valuable biological functions, including antioxidant activity and regulation of osmotic pressure. Maintaining physical fitness from middle age is important for healthy life expectancy. Although taurine administration improves muscle endurance and strength, its role in maintenance remains unclear. We aimed to clarify the longitudinal taurine intake association with fitness changes. Methods: Participants comprised men and women aged ≥40 years who participated in the third (2002-2004; Baseline) and seventh (2010-2012; Follow-up) waves of the National Institute for Longevity Sciences-Longitudinal Study of Aging (NILS-LSA) and completed a 3-day dietary weights recording survey at baseline. A table of taurine content was prepared for 751 foods (including five food groups: Seaweed; Fish and shellfish; Meat; Eggs; and Milk and dairy products) from the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan (1,878 foods) 2010. Four physical fitness items (knee extension muscle strength, sit-and-reach, one-leg standing with eyes closed, and maximum walking speed) were measured at baseline and follow-up. We analyzed the association of taurine intake with physical fitness change, employing a general linear model (GLM) and trend tests for baseline taurine intake and follow-up fitness change. Adjustments included baseline variables: sex, age, height, weight, educational level, self-rated health, smoking status, depressive symptoms, and clinical history. Results: The estimated average daily taurine intake (standard deviation) was 207.5 (145.6) mg/day at the baseline. When examining the association with the four physical fitness parameters, higher taurine intake positively increased the change in knee extension muscle strength (T1; 0.1, T2; 0.8, T3; 1.1 (kgf) GLM, p < 0.05; p for trend <0.05) and reduced the decline in knee extension muscle strength in the subgroup analysis of participants aged ≥65 years (T1: -1.9, T2: -1.7, T3: -0.4 kgf; GLM p < 0.05, p for trend <0.05). No relationship was found between taurine intake and the remaining three fitness factors. Conclusion: Estimation of taurine intake showed that dietary taurine intake potentially contributes to the maintenance of knee extension muscle strength over 8 years among Japanese community-dwelling middle-aged and older individuals. This is the first study to investigate the association of dietary taurine intake with muscle strength.

Neuropsychological functioning and its correlates at 1 year follow-up of severe COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Short-term cognitive impairment is associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection but the long-term impact is yet to be examined in detail. We aim to study the evolution of these symptoms in severe COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) between April and December 2020 1 year after hospital discharge and to analyze its clinical correlates. METHOD: A total of 58 patients agreed to participate in the 6 months follow-up and 30 at 1 year after hospital discharge. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were collected and a comprehensive neuropsychological battery including validated tests for the main cognitive domains was administered. To test the magnitude of neurocognitive sequelae, two standard deviations below normative group were considered. To compare the neuropsychological performance at 6 and 12 months follow-up we used repeated measures tests. Finally, regression analyses were performed to test the main effects of medical and psychological factors on multiple cognition. RESULTS: Almost half of the sample continued to have impaired performance on neuropsychological tests at 12 months follow-up. In comparison with the results obtained at 6 months, significant improvements were found in immediate recall (d = 0.49), delayed recall (d = 0.45), and inhibitory control (d = 0.53). Medical variables predicted cognitive performance at 6 months but not at 12 months follow-up, while anxiety and depression predicted cognitive deficits in the long-term. CONCLUSIONS: A generalised improvement was observed in severe COVID-19 patients at follow-up. This improvement was particularly notable in verbal memory and executive functioning. However, a considerable proportion of the sample continued to present deficits at 1 year follow-up.

Longitudinal study of personal space in autism.

The size and regulation of personal space are reportedly atypical in autistic individuals. As personal space regulates social interaction, its developmental change is essential for understanding the nature of social difficulties that autistic individuals face. Adolescence is an important developmental period in which social relationships become complex. We conducted a three-year longitudinal study of interpersonal distances in autistic and typically developing (TD) individuals aged 12-18 years at Time 1 and 15-21 years at Time 2. Their preferred interpersonal distances were measured when an experimenter approached the participants with and without eye contact. The interpersonal distances of autistic individuals were shorter than those of TD individuals at both Time 1 and Time 2. Furthermore, the interpersonal distances of autistic individuals at Time 1 and Time 2 were highly correlated, but no such correlation was found in TD individuals. The results suggest that the interpersonal distances of autistic individuals are stable and that the shorter preferred interpersonal distances in autistic individuals compared to those of TD individuals are maintained during adolescence.

Systematic Review of Longitudinal Evidence and Methodologies for Research on Neighborhood Characteristics and Brain Health.

Objective: Synthesize longitudinal research evaluating neighborhood environments and cognition to identify methodological approaches, findings, and gaps. Methods: Included studies evaluated associations between neighborhood and cognition longitudinally among adults >45 years (or mean age of 65 years) living in developed nations. We extracted data on sample characteristics, exposures, outcomes, methods, overall findings, and assessment of disparities. Results: Forty studies met our inclusion criteria. Most (65%) measured exposure only once and a majority focused on green space and/or blue space (water), neighborhood socioeconomic status, and recreation/physical activity facilities. Similarly, over half studied incident impairment, cognitive function or decline (70%), with one examining MRI (2.5%) or Alzheimer's disease (7.5%). While most studies used repeated measures analysis to evaluate changes in the brain health outcome (51%), many studies did not account for any type of correlation within neighborhoods (35%). Less than half evaluated effect modification by race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and/or sex/gender. Evidence was mixed and dependent on exposure or outcome assessed. Conclusion: Although longitudinal research evaluating neighborhood and cognitive decline has expanded, gaps remain in types of exposures, outcomes, analytic approaches, and sample diversity.

Longitudinal Associations Between Food Insecurity and Mental Health in Aging Adults in South Africa.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess the longitudinal unidirectional and bidirectional associations between food insecurity and mental health among aging adults in South Africa. METHODS: The analysis utilized data from the South African 7-year longitudinal Health and Ageing in Africa (HAALSI) study. RESULTS: The proportion of food insecurity was 20.2% in 2015, 24.1% in 2019 and 18.4% in 2021/2022. Food insecurity was positively associated depressive symptoms, poor life satisfaction, poor sleep quality, PTSD, loneliness, impaired cognition, and current tobacco use. Compared to without food insecurity in all three study waves, having food insecurity in one wave and/or two to three waves was positively associated with incident depressive symptoms, incident poor life satisfaction, incident poor sleep quality, incident PTSD, incident loneliness, incident current tobacco use, and incident current heavy alcohol use. PTSD, impaired cognition, current tobacco use and current heavy alcohol use were positively associated with incident food insecurity. CONCLUSION: We found that food insecurity was unidirectionally associated with depressive symptoms, poor life satisfaction, poor sleep quality and loneliness, and bidirectionally associated with PTSD, impaired cognition, current tobacco use and current heavy alcohol use. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Enhanced screening and management of food insecurity may reduce mental ill-health in South Africa.

Activity Limitations and Depression Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in China: The Moderating Impact of Assistance Adequacy.

This study aimed to examine the risk and protective factors associated with depression in middle-aged and older Chinese adults with activity limitations. Data were obtained from the 2018 Wave 4 Survey of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. In the logistic regression analysis, health and functioning, losing a child, and a perceived lack of future assistance with daily activities increased the odds of depression. Conversely, receiving adequate assistance with daily activities lessened the depressive impacts of activity limitations, as indicated by a significant interaction effect. Enhanced long-term support for individuals with disabilities is necessary to improve mental health.

Using the theory of planned behavior to predict parents' disclosure of donor conception to their children: a longitudinal study.

STUDY QUESTION: Can the application of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) help predict heterosexual parents' disclosure of donor conception to their children? SUMMARY ANSWER: Parents with a stronger will to act in accordance with social norms favoring disclosure were more likely to start the disclosure process within the next 5-9 years. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: In contrast to single mothers by choice and same-sex couples, heterosexual couples need to make an active decision to disclose their use of donor conception to their child. While disclosure at an early age is encouraged by international guidelines, many heterosexual-couple parents struggle with this. A previous study has found an association between parental scores of TPB factors and disclosure intention, but so far, no study has applied the TPB to predict parents' disclosure behavior. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: The present study is based on the fourth and fifth waves of data collection (T4 and T5) in a nation-wide longitudinal study. Participating parents had conceived through identity-release oocyte donation (n = 68, response rate 65%) and sperm donation (n = 62, response rate 56%) as part of a heterosexual couple. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: The present study is part of the prospective longitudinal Swedish Study on Gamete Donation (SSGD). Consecutive recruitment of couples starting oocyte or sperm donation treatment was conducted at all seven fertility clinics providing gamete donation in Sweden during a 3-year period (2005-2008). Participants were requested to complete postal surveys at five time points. The present study includes heterosexual-couple parents following oocyte or sperm donation who participated at the two latest time points when their children were 7-8 years old (T4), and 13-17 years old (T5). At T4, participants completed the study-specific TPB Disclosure Questionnaire (TPB-DQ) measuring attitudes and intentions to disclose the donor conception to the child, and disclosure behavior was assessed at both T4 and T5. Data from those participants who had not yet disclosed at T4 were analyzed using survival analysis with Cox regressions. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: Forty participants had not disclosed the donor conception to their children at T4 and, out of these, 13 had still not disclosed at T5. We found a significant association between scores of the TPB factor Subjective norms at T4 and their subsequent disclosure behavior at T5 (HR = 2.019; 95% CI: 1.36-3.01). None of the other factors were significantly associated with disclosure behavior. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: The present study concerns heterosexual-couple parents with children conceived following treatment with gametes from open-identity donors, which limits the generalizability of our findings to other groups and contexts. Other limitations include the risk of systematic attrition due to the longitudinal study design and decreased statistical power due to few participants. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: Our findings highlight the importance of perceived subjective norms for parents' disclosure behavior and indicate that the co-parent's opinion about disclosure is of particular relevance in this regard. Counselors should focus on supporting prospective parents to initiate and maintain a healthy and open dialogue about concerns around building a family with donor conception. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): The study was funded by the Swedish Research Council. The authors have no competing interests to declare. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: N/A.

Validation of a Behavioral Activation Model Including Self-Compassion: A Longitudinal Study at Three Time Points.

INTRODUCTION: Depression is highly prevalent among university students. While behavioral activation has been shown to be an effective psychotherapy for depression, there is a lack of research regarding the behavioral activation mechanism. Furthermore, although self-compassion seems to be a factor in promoting behavioral activation, no studies have attempted to validate a behavioral activation model that includes positive self-compassion. In addition, mechanistic studies have lacked consideration in longitudinal studies of behavioral activation. Thus, in this longitudinal study, we constructed and validated an exploratory model of behavioral activation. METHODS: A total of 300 undergraduate students completed online surveys in 2019, 2020, and 2021. We examined the longitudinal effects of five factors (value-based behavior, goal-oriented and scheduled activities, positive reinforcement, self-compassion, and depressive symptoms) using structural equation modeling based on maximum likelihood estimation using bootstrapping. RESULTS: The exploratory model was found to be valid and to have a good fit with the data. The results indicate that value-based behaviors increase the frequency of goal-oriented and scheduled activities, which in turn increases the frequency of positive reinforcement in everyday life. Additionally, when self-compassion, value-based behavior, goal-oriented and scheduled activities, and positive reinforcement are considered together, self-compassion may be indirectly related to activation via value-based behavior. CONCLUSION: From the perspective of preventing depressive symptoms, it is important to increase the frequency of value-based activities. Furthermore, adding self-compassion is effective in behavioral activation to increase value-based activities. However, to address the limitations of this study, future studies should investigate the relationship among behavioral characteristics during interventions.

Insights into child abuse and neglect: Findings from the Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Risk and Adaptation.

The Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Risk and Adaptation (MLSRA) is a landmark prospective, longitudinal study of human development focused on a sample of mothers experiencing poverty and their firstborn children. Although the MLSRA pioneered a number of important topics in the area of social and emotional development, it began with the more specific goal of examining the antecedents of child maltreatment. From that foundation and for more than 40 years, the study has produced a significant body of research on the origins, sequelae, and measurement of childhood abuse and neglect. The principal objectives of this report are to document the early history of the MLSRA and its contributions to the study of child maltreatment and to review and summarize results from the recently updated childhood abuse and neglect coding of the cohort, with particular emphasis on findings related to adult adjustment. While doing so, we highlight key themes and contributions from Dr Dante Cicchetti's body of research and developmental psychopathology perspective to the MLSRA, a project launched during his tenure as a graduate student at the University of Minnesota.

The longitudinal relationship between levels of leisure-time physical activity and positive and negative affect among older foreign-born adults with mild cognitive impairment.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the longitudinal impact of different levels of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) participation on positive and negative affect among older foreign-born adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). METHODS: This study used 2012 to 2020 data from the Health and Retirement Study data (n = 1206) that was analyzed using repeated measured multivariate analysis of covariance. RESULTS: The high-level participation LTPA group reported higher positive affect and lower negative affect than the mid and low-level participation groups. The mid-level LTPA group also reported higher positive and lower negative affect than the low-level LTPA group. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that high levels of LTPA participation contribute to an increase in positive affect and a reduction of negative affect among older foreign-born adults with MCI. The findings of this study will help fill the gap in research on the longitudinal relationship between levels of LTPA participation and positive and negative affect among older foreign-born adults.

Unraveling the longitudinal relationships between connectedness to nature, depressive symptoms, and learning burnout in adolescents.

INTRODUCTION: Following the conservation of resource theory and natural stress reduction theory, the current study investigated mediated pathways, reverse mediated pathways, and reciprocal pathways between connectedness to nature, depressive symptoms, and adolescent learning burnout via a half-longitudinal analysis, and discussed gender differences in the three models. METHODS: Two waves of data were collected in December 2022 (T1) and June 2023 (T2) for this study. The sample consisted of 1092 Chinese adolescents (52.20% girls, Mage = 13.03, SD = 1.43). Semi-longitudinal analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between connectedness to nature, depressive symptoms, and adolescent academic burnout. RESULTS: The results indicated that connectedness to nature can serve as a positive resource to alleviate the levels of depressive symptoms among adolescents and thereby decrease learning burnout. However, the protective effect of connectedness to nature was smaller, and the decreasing effect of learning burnout on connectedness to nature was stronger than the alleviating effect of connectedness to nature on learning burnout. Additionally, the study found that depressive symptoms and academic burnout have a mutually reinforcing effect over time and that the effects of this interaction are more pronounced in females. CONCLUSIONS: The present study emphasizes the protective role of nature connectedness and the detrimental effects of learning burnout in adolescents.

The association between memory, COVID-19 testing, and COVID-19 incidence in middle-aged and older adults: a prospective analysis of the CLSA.

We investigated the association between pre-COVID-19 memory function and (a) receipt of a COVID-19 test and (b) incidence of COVID-19 using the COVID-19 Questionnaire Study (CQS) of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). The CQS included 28,565 middle-aged and older adults. We regressed receipt of a COVID-19 test on participants' immediate and delayed recall memory scores and re-ran the regression models with COVID-19 incidence as the outcome. All regression models were adjusted for sociodemographic, lifestyle, and health covariates. In the analytical sample (n = 21,930), higher delayed recall memory (better memory) was significantly associated with lower COVID-19 incidence. However, this association was not significant for immediate recall memory. Immediate and delayed recall memory were not associated with receipt of a COVID-19 test. Health policymakers and practitioners may viewmemory status as a potential risk for COVID-19. Memory status may not be a barrier to COVID-19 testing.

Prenatal maternal negative life events associated with child emotional and behavioral problems in the French EDEN cohort.

INTRODUCTION: Prenatal negative life events (NLEs) have been linked to adverse health outcomes in children. However, few studies examine this relationship during late childhood using trajectory analyses. Additionally, the impact of specific NLEs domains on child development remains unclear. This study aims to longitudinally explore the association between NLEs (cumulative score and specific NLEs domains) and child outcomes from birth to late childhood. METHODS: 1135 mother-child pairs from the French EDEN cohort were followed from 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy up to 11 years of age. Maternal self-reports of prenatal NLEs were collected immediately after birth, then analyzed as a cumulative score and by NLEs domain. Children's emotional and behavioral symptoms were assessed at 4 timepoints through the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. RESULTS: Children of mothers exposed to ≥3 NLEs were more likely to follow trajectories of high levels of peer relationship problems (aOR [95 % CI] = 5.69 [1.74-18.69]), emotional symptoms (aOR [95 % CI] = 3.05 [1.08-8.63]), and conduct problems (aOR [95 %] = 3.53 [1.20-10.42]). Among the domains of NLEs, only events related to housing, finance, and living conditions were significantly associated with high emotional and behavioral difficulties trajectories (aOR [95%CI] = 2.71[1.26-5.81]). LIMITATIONS: Potential attrition bias due to a higher dropout rate for children experiencing early indications of emotional and behavioral difficulties. CONCLUSION: Findings support the relationship between prenatal NLEs and child outcomes, underscoring the importance of assessing prenatal stressors across life domains to identify mothers who might be in need of support.

Substance use and adolescent mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil: a longitudinal approach.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the changes in alcohol and drug use by Brazilian adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic (April-August 2021), and to analyze the relationship between alcohol use changes and psychiatric symptomatology. METHODS: A secondary analysis with a longitudinal approach was performed with data from a cluster-randomized controlled trial, conducted in 73 public middle schools in three Brazilian cities, to evaluate the effectiveness of a drug use prevention program. The sample included 535 students (61% girls; Mage = 15.2 years). Data were collected pre-intervention (February-March 2019), after 9 months (November-December 2019), and after 26 months (April-August 2021), when the students were in their first year of high school. The authors analyzed drug use prevalence (alcohol, binge drinking, tobacco, inhalants, marijuana, cocaine, and crack) in a lifetime, past year, and past month periods, and the association between alcohol use change subsamples with psychiatric symptoms. Logistic regressions were adjusted by sex, age, socioeconomic status, city, and group (control and intervention). RESULTS: The present findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic led to a decrease in past-year substance use and in past-month substance use frequency, despite the gradually increased (but decelerating) prevalence of lifetime use. However, some adolescents initiated, maintained, or increased the frequency of their alcohol use. Mainly, they were more likely to present behavioral problems, as well as symptoms of inattentive hyperactivity, and peer and emotional problems. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the extensive decline in substance use during the pandemic period, these results suggest an association between previous mental health conditions and behavioral risk factors, leading to increased alcohol consumption and behavioral disorders manifestations.

Association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction: A 7-year retrospective cohort study of 3,380 adults using serial echocardiography.

AIM: Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) has been observed in people with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in cross-sectional studies but the causal relationship is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the impact of NAFLD and the fibrotic progression of the disease on the development of LVDD, assessed by serial echocardiography, in a large population over a 7-year longitudinal setting. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included the data of 3,380 subjects from a medical health check-up program. We defined subjects having NAFLD by abdominal ultrasonography and assessed significant liver fibrosis by the aspartate transaminase (AST) to platelet ratio index (APRI), the NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS), and the fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index. LVDD was defined using serial echocardiography. A parametric Cox proportional hazards model was used. RESULTS: During 11,327 person-years of follow-up, there were 560 (16.0 %) incident cases of LVDD. After adjustment for multiple risk factors, subjects with NAFLD showed an increased adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of 1.21 (95 % confidence interval [CI]=1.02-1.43) for incident LVDD compared to those without. The risk of LV diastolic dysfunction increased progressively with increasing degree of hepatic steatosis (P< 0.001). Compared to subjects without NAFLD, the multivariable-aHR (95 % CI) for LVDD in subjects with APRI < 0.5 and APRI ≥ 0.5 were 1.20 (1.01-1.42) and 1.36 (0.90-2.06), respectively (P= 0.036), while other fibrosis prediction models (NFS and FIB-4 index) showed insignificant results. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that NAFLD was associated with an increased risk of LVDD in a large cohort. More severe forms of hepatic steatosis and/or significant liver fibrosis may increase the risk of developing LVDD.

New Frontiers in Newborn Hearing Screening: Understanding Auditory Neuropathy and its Predictive Trajectory.

Auditory Neuropathy (AN) poses a substantial challenge in neonatal auditory screenings due to its complex course and potential for delayed onset. Early identification and intervention are important for optimizing developmental outcomes. This study aimed to explore the prevalence, determinants, and temporal progression of AN in neonates, and assess the therapeutic benefit of amplification devices on their communication skills. The study utilized a longitudinal cohort design to analyze a cohort of 200 neonates from a tertiary care center over the duration from January 2021 to December 2022. Auditory evaluations were conducted at specified intervals, utilizing a comprehensive battery of auditory assessments. Statistical analyses, including regression models, were employed to identify associations between various determinants and the progression of AN. The results of the study revealed a significant correlation between low birth weight and familial history with onset of AN. The data also revealed a gradual rise in AN prevalence over the study duration. However, a negative correlation was observed between AN severity and communication skills. The utilization of hearing aids was associated with enhanced communication outcomes. The study highlights the importance of comprehensive auditory screenings in newborns, particularly emphasizing the early detection and intervention of AN. Based on empirical findings, it emerged that amplification devices, particularly hearing aids, have the potential to mitigate the detrimental effects of auditory neuropathy (AN) on communication skills. This study provides a valuable contribution to the academic debate by highlighting the need for strengthening neonatal auditory screening protocols. The findings have profound implications for clinical practices, highlighting the role of early interventions in optimizing developmental prospects for neonates diagnosed with AN. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12070-023-04386-w.

Contemporaneous and temporal network analysis of complex Posttraumatic stress disorder among Chinese college students with Childhood adversity: A longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE: To enhance understanding of the longitudinal progression of complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) symptoms, this longitudinal study examined how CPTSD symptoms interact over time in Chinese college students with childhood trauma. METHODS: From 18,933 college students who took part in two surveys 12 months apart, 4,006 participants who reported adverse childhood experiences were screened. Cross-sectional network comparisons and cross-lagged panel network (CLPN) analysis characterized interactions among CPTSD symptoms. RESULTS: In the cross-sectional networks, feeling like a failure and avoid activities reminiscent of the trauma were the central symptoms. Takes long time to calm down and exaggerated startle are important bridge symptoms in the two networks respectively. The comparison of cross-sectional networks indicates that the global network strength was stable. The findings of the CLPN model reveal that feel worthless and feel like a failure had the highest "out" expected influence; exaggerated startle and avoid thoughts and feelings about the trauma had the highest "in" expected influence. CONCLUSIONS: By conducting cross-sectional network analyses, the study illuminated the attributes of CPTSD networks across various time points. Additionally, the CLPN analysis uncovered the longitudinal patterns of CPTSD symptoms.

Longitudinal association between fitness and metabolic syndrome: a population-based study over 29 years follow-up.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the longitudinal associations between fitness and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in community-dwelling adults over 29 years of follow-up. DESIGN: Ongoing, population-based cohort study of adults aged ≥ 33 years at baseline residing in the city of Bad Schönborn, Germany. METHODS: The sample comprised 89 persons (41 females; mean age 40.1 years at baseline) who participated at baseline (in the year 1992) and 29-years follow-up (in the year 2021). Fitness (predictor variable) was assessed using 15 standardized and validated tests that measured strength, gross motor coordination, mobility/ flexibility and cardiorespiratory fitness/ endurance, and a z-transformed fitness score was calculated for analysis. MetS (outcome of interest) was assessed through five criteria related to waist circumference, blood glucose, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure, and a sum score was created for analysis. We ran partial correlations to examine the association between fitness score at baseline and MetS score at 29-years follow-up, adjusted for age, sex, socio-economic status, smoking status, sleep quality, and physical activity engagement in minutes/ week. RESULTS: A higher fitness score at baseline was significantly associated with a lower MetS score indicative of better metabolic health at 29-years follow-up (r=-0.29; p = 0.011). These associations were present in participants aged ≤ 40 years (r=-0.33; p = 0.025) as well as those aged > 40 years (r=-0.43; p = 0.045). CONCLUSIONS: Fitness may be a predictor of longitudinal metabolic health, and potentially also mediates previously reported longitudinal associations between physical activity and metabolic health. More research is needed to confirm these observations, and to also explore underlying mechanisms.

Analysis of trajectory changes and predictive factors of sense of coherence in patients after colorectal cancer surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the trajectories and potential categories of changes in the sense of coherence (SOC) in patients after colorectal cancer surgery and to analyze predictive factors. METHODS: From January to July 2023, 175 patients with colorectal cancer treated at a tertiary Grade A oncology hospital in Jiangsu Province were selected as the study subjects. Prior to surgery, SOC-13 scale, Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA), Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ), and Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) were used to survey the patients. SOC levels were measured multiple times at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months post-surgery. Growth Mixture Modeling (GMM) was applied to fit the trajectory changes of SOC in patients after colorectal cancer surgery. Multinomial logistic regression was used to analyze the predictive factors of SOC trajectory changes. RESULTS: The SOC scores of patients at points T1-T4 were (65.27 ± 9.20), (63.65 ± 10.41), (63.85 ± 11.84), and (61.56 ± 12.65), respectively. Multinomial logistic regression results indicated that gender, employment status, disease stage, household monthly income, intestinal stoma, nutritional status, illness perception, and social support were predictors of SOC trajectory changes (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: There is heterogeneity in the trajectory changes of SOC in patients after colorectal cancer surgery. Healthcare professionals should implement early precision interventions based on the patterns of changes and predictive factors in each trajectory category.