Concurrent and prospective associations between family socioeconomic status, social support and salivary diurnal and hair cortisol in adolescence.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to socioeconomic adversity is hypothesized to impact hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity and cortisol secretion, but existing evidence is inconsistent. Yet, few studies have investigated this association using a developmental approach that considers potential protective contextual factors. This study examined the role of stability and changes in family socioeconomic status (SES) in the prediction of multiple cortisol indicators and tested whether social support moderated these associations. METHODS: Participants were part of a population-based sample of twin pairs recruited at birth. Family SES was assessed in early childhood (ages 0-5) and mid-adolescence (age 14). Social support was assessed at ages 14 and 19. Diurnal cortisol (n = 569) was measured at age 14 at awakening, 30 min later, in the afternoon and evening over four non-consecutive days. Hair cortisol concentration (HCC, n = 704) was measured at age 19. All data were collected before the pandemic and multilevel regression models were conducted to account for the nested data structure. RESULTS: Youth exposed to lower family SES levels in childhood and mid-adolescence had a flatter diurnal slope and higher HCC compared with those who experienced upward socioeconomic mobility in mid-adolescence. Contrastingly, mid-adolescence SES showed no association with the diurnal slope or HCC for youth from higher-SES households in early childhood. Moreover, youth raised in higher-SES families in early childhood had a higher CAR in mid-adolescence if they reported greater social support in mid-adolescence. Social support also moderated the SES-cortisol association in mid-adolescence, with higher-SES youth showing higher awakening cortisol secretion when reporting more social support. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support the hypothesis that early socioeconomic adversity sensitizes HPA axis activity to later socioeconomic disadvantage, which may bear consequences for socioemotional and behavioral functioning.

Private supplementary education and Chinese adolescents' development: The moderating effects of family socioeconomic status.

Using the data from the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS), this study estimated the effects of two types of private supplementary education, namely, cram school and hobby class, on the development of Chinese junior high school students and the moderating effects of family socioeconomic status (SES). First, we found that cram schools and hobby classes both positively correlate with some dimensions of adolescents' development while negatively correlating with others. Attending cram schools is positively associated with students' academic achievement but negatively related to their noncognitive skills. Participating in hobby classes is positively associated with noncognitive abilities but negatively related to cognitive abilities. Second, the negative correlations between cram schools and noncognitive abilities and between hobby classes and cognitive abilities are stronger for low-SES students than their affluent counterparts. The current study's findings shed new light on the role of private supplementary education in educational inequality and social stratification in China.

The Impact of Family Socioeconomic Status (SES) on Adolescents' Learning Conformity: The Mediating Effect of Self-Esteem.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between family socioeconomic status (SES) and adolescents' learning conformity and self-esteem among a sample of 15-18 year-old high school students. METHODS: A survey was conducted on 339 adolescents using measures of family SES, self-esteem, and learning conformity. An intermediary effect model was constructed to examine the mediating mechanism of self-esteem in the impact of family SES on adolescents' learning conformity. RESULTS: In our study, we observed that male adolescents were more likely to come from families with higher socioeconomic status (SES) and exhibited relatively higher levels of self-esteem compared to female adolescents. However, this finding should be regarded as an observational outcome specific to our study sample and does not directly indicate a causal relationship between gender and family SES or self-esteem. Adolescents from rural areas were more likely to exhibit tendencies towards learning abidance and compliance. Family SES positively predicted self-esteem. The intermediary model indicated that family SES significantly positively influenced learning abidance and compliance, with self-esteem partially mediating the effects at 33.49% and 33.33%, respectively. Family SES negatively affected learning obedience, with self-esteem partially mediating the effect at 39.77%. CONCLUSION: Among the 15-18 year-old high school student population, family SES not only directly affects learning abidance, compliance, and obedience but also generates an indirect mediating effect through self-esteem.

Effects of outdoor activity time, screen time, and family socioeconomic status on physical health of preschool children.

Objective: Experienced 3 years of pandemic-induced home life, in the post-epidemic period, preschoolers in China are falling short of the World Health Organization's standards for screen time and outdoor activities. This notably impacts their physical well-being. The study aims to probe the associations between screen time, outdoor activities, and the physical health of preschoolers, offering insights to shape interventions targeting myopia and obesity prevention in children. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Guangdong Province, involving a representative sample of 23,992 preschoolers and their caregivers recruited through proportional stratified cluster sampling. Data collection utilized the Chinese Early Human Capability Index (CHeHCI, eHCi), a questionnaire on children's media use in daily family life, and Body Mass Index (BMI). Linear regression and binary logistic regression models were employed to analyze the impact of screen time and outdoor activity duration on the physical health of preschoolers. Results: In the high family socioeconomic status (SES) group, children had significantly less screen time compared to those in the medium and low SES groups. Outdoor activity time varied significantly based on SES, with higher SES linked to extended outdoor engagement. Additionally, children's eHCi health dimension score exhibited significant SES-related differences, showcasing higher scores for children in higher SES groups. In terms of gender differences, boys dedicated significantly more time to outdoor activities than girls, yet boys had a notably higher overweight rate. Furthermore, girls demonstrated better health outcomes based on eHCi health scores. A significant association emerged between overweight and screen time in children with high SES, indicating that prolonged screen time was linked to a higher likelihood of overweight based on BMI. Additionally, a substantial negative correlation was observed between children's eHCi health dimension score and screen time. Furthermore, children's outdoor activity time exhibited a significant positive correlation with eHCi health dimension score. Regression analysis revealed that screen time could significantly negatively predict children's physical health score, while outdoor activity time could significantly positively predict children's eHCi physical health score. Conclusion: The current study highlights that family SES, age, and gender play pivotal roles in influencing preschoolers' screen time and outdoor activity duration, with family SES being particularly influential. Higher family SES correlates with reduced screen time, increased outdoor activity, and elevated health levels among children. Importantly, children's screen time negatively predicts their health status, while outdoor time positively predicts their health status.

Longitudinal Relation between Family Socio-Economic Status and Problem Behaviors in Chinese Children: The Roles of Sense of Coherence and Maternal Warmth.

Literature has well-documented the relation of family socio-economic status (SES) to children's problem behaviors, yet the complex mechanisms underlying the relation are not well understood. Therefore, the primary goal of this one-year longitudinal study was to explore the mediating role of children's sense of coherence and the moderating role of perceived maternal warmth in the association between family SES and externalizing and internalizing problems in Chinese children. The sample consisted of 913 children (493 boys; Mage = 11.50 years, SD = 1.04) in fourth to sixth grades in an urban area in mainland China. Data were obtained from multiple sources, including child self-reports, parental reports, and teacher ratings. The results indicated that children's sense of coherence mediated the association between family SES and internalizing problem behaviors, but not externalizing problem behaviors. This mediating role was also moderated by maternal warmth and specifically, family SES was negatively associated with internalizing problem behaviors via the sense of coherence for children who perceived high maternal warmth. Generally, these results highlighted the possible roles of a sense of coherence and maternal warmth in the longitudinal implications of family SES for Chinese children's internalizing problems.