Disentangling the effects of race and SES on arthritis-related symptoms, coping, and well-being in African American and White women

This study examined both unique and interactive effects of race and socioeconomic status (SES) on arthritis-related symptoms, coping, and well-being in African American and White women. Participants included 77 African American and 98 White women, aged 45 to 90, who completed structured, face-to-face interviews. A series of 2 x 2 MANCOVAs examined race (African American, White) and SES (high/low education or high/low occupational status) differences in arthritis-related symptoms, coping, and well-being. African Americans used more religious coping, wishful-thinking, seeking social support, and emotional expression than Whites. Individuals with low SES reported worse arthritis-related symptoms, poorer well-being, and greater use of coping strategies that tend to be maladaptive. Race x SES interactions revealed higher depressive symptoms in African Americans with low versus high education and coping differences in African Americans with low versus high occupational status; however differences in depressive symptoms and coping based on SES were not evident for Whites. Results demonstrate unique and interactive race and SES differences for arthritis-related symptoms, coping, and well-being showing the complexity of race and SES in the realm of physical and mental health.     

Children and disaster: age, gender, and parental effects on PTSD symptoms.

Psychiatric reports of 179 children aged 2 to 15 who were exposed to the Buffalo Creek dam collapse in 1972 were rated for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms 2 years after the disaster. Age and gender effects and the impact of the level of exposure and parental functioning were examined according to a conceptual model addressing factors contributing to adaptation to a traumatic event. Results showed fewer PTSD symptoms in the youngest age group and higher symptom levels for girls than boys. Approximately 37% of the children were given a "probable" diagnosis of PTSD. Multiple regression analysis showed that life threat, gender, parental psychopathology, and an irritable and/or depressed family atmosphere all contributed to the prediction of PTSD symptomatology in the children.     

儿童焦虑症状与性别、年龄的关系

目的 探讨儿童焦虑症状随性别、年龄的变化趋势及焦虑症状与性别、年龄之间的关系.方法 在小学和初中随机抽取4 200名7～15岁的儿童,进行儿童焦虑障碍自评量表（SCARED）的测量,并按年龄分组,分析性别和年龄与自评量表得分之间的关系.结果 各焦虑维度评分及焦虑总分在性别与年龄之间均有交互作用（P＜0.05）;男、女儿童不同年龄组的各焦虑维度评分及焦虑总分差异均有统计学意义（P＜0.01）;10～11岁年龄组分离性维度（t=-2.591,P=0.010）、社交维度（t=-3.573,P=0.00）、焦虑总分（t=-2.288,P=0.022）,以及14 ～ 15岁年龄组躯体化维度（t=-2.349,P=0.019）、广泛性维度（t=-4.65,P=0.00）、分离性维度（t=-4.513,P=0.00）、社交维度（t=-5.25,P=0.00）、学校维度（t=-2.073,P=0.039）、焦虑总分（t=-5.057,P=0.00）均女生高于男生.结论 性别、年龄对儿童焦虑症状的交互作用明显;男、女儿童焦虑症状均随年龄发生变化,但呈现不同变化趋势,随年龄增长男生的焦虑症状减轻而女生的焦虑症状增多;女生焦虑症状明显于男生,尤其在14～15年龄段.     

Autistic features in school age children: IQ and gender effects in a population-based cohort

Level and characteristics of intellectual function (IQ) have been associated with symptom presentation in children with autism spectrum disorder. The present study examined associations between IQ and autistic features in a sample of school aged boys and girls selected from a population-based cohort. The study included detailed examinations of 325 children aged 8–12 years, selected from the sample of the Bergen Child Study. IQ was assessed using the third version of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-III) and autistic features by parent reports on the Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ). Boys obtained higher ASSQ scores than girls. Gender and FSIQ had main effects on ASSQ scores, with the ASSQ scores showing a gradual decline with higher FSIQ for both genders. Discrepancies between verbal and performance IQ were relatively unrelated to ASSQ scores. The findings emphasize the importance of conducting careful assessments of children before reaching conclusions about cognitive function and autistic features.     

Caregiving,residence, race,and depressive symptoms

The objective of this study is to evaluate the psychological responses to caregiving between black and white dementia caregivers measured by self-reports of depressive symptoms evaluating the impact of sub-components of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and residential arrangements of the caregiving dyad. The method included 87 intergenerational family caregivers enrolled in the Duke Caregiver Study (50 white and 37 black). Total CES-D and the four sub-components were modeled as dependent measures in separate linear regressions. Three models were examined. The first model tested race, living arrangements, and their interaction. The second model adjusted for age, gender, education, income, health status, cultural justification for caregiving, crime concerns, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and glycosylated hemoglobin. A third model added adjustment for caregiver burden. The results showed that there was a significant race by residence interaction for CES-D, somatic symptoms and depressive affect such that when the dyads are living apart–with the care recipient in their own home or in an institutional setting–whites reported more depressive symptoms than blacks. When the dyads lived together, this was reversed, and blacks reported higher depressive symptoms than whites. To conclude, all the parameters such as race, living arrangements, and the components of depression need to be taken into account to understand the impact of caregiving on the emotional health of caregivers.     

Quality of Life in healthy old age: relationships with childhood IQ,minor psychological symptoms and optimism

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine relationships in old age between Quality of Life (QoL), childhood IQ, current cognitive performance and minor psychological symptoms, and to estimate possible contributions to these relationships made by sex, education, socioeconomic deprivation, current living group, sex, and balance and 6m walk time. METHODS: We conducted a follow-up study on 88 community residents without dementia who were survivors of the Aberdeen City 1921 birth cohort. QoL was measured by the Schedule for the Evaluation of Individual QoL-Direct Weighting (SEIQoL-DW), current cognition by MMSE and Raven's Progressive Matrices (RPM), childhood IQ, minor psychological symptoms as assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and optimism by the Life Orientation Test (LOT); we included balance, 6m walk time and demographic data. RESULTS: QoL was better in men than in women. Women reported more anxiety and depression. QoL correlated significantly with current cognition measured by RPM, childhood intelligence, anxiety and depressive symptoms, optimism and balance. The best model to predict QoL relied on childhood intelligence (13.4% of the variance) and was improved by addition of HADS (8.8 %) and LOT (4.8 %). Other variables did not contribute to the prediction of QoL. CONCLUSION: In the absence of dementia, childhood IQ, HADS and LOT explain 26.9% of the variance in QoL as reported by community-resident old people. The direction of association between current anxiety and depressive symptoms and lower QoL is uncertain. Lower childhood IQ may contribute to coping less well with later life. Lower QoL is not an invariable concomitant of mild cognitive decline.     

Association of serotonin concentration to behavior and IQ in autistic children

Twenty-five boys meeting DSM-III criteria for infantile autism were evaluated for IQ, age, and behavior score on the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC), in order to determine the ability to predic platelet-rich plasma (PRP) serotonin concentrations. Multiple regression techniques were used to adjust the PRP serotonin concentration for medication and whole blood platelet count to allow meaningful comparisons of serotonin concentrations among the autistic children. Though we found no significant correlation between the adjusted serotonin concentration and the IQ, or between the adjusted serotonin concentration and the various ABC scale scores, four individual items of the ABC did correlate with the adjusted serotonin concentration. Individuals with all of these items appear to be more severely affected with the disorder of autism and have a tendency to higher adjusted PRP serotonin concentration.     

Genetic and environmental influences on depressive symptoms by age and gender in African American twins

Depression is typically considered relative to individuals and thought to originate from both biological and environmental factors. However, the environmental constraints and insults that African Americans experience likely influence the concordance by age and gender for depression scores among adult African American twins. Monozygotic (MZ) (n = 102) and Dizygotic (DZ) (n = 110) twins, age 25-88 years in the Carolina African American Twin Study of Aging were examined using an 11-item version of the CES-D measure of depressive symptomatology. Those participants with scores above nine were considered depressed. Overall, the MZ pairs had a higher concordance than the DZ pairs implying genetic influence. Both MZ and DZ males had higher concordances than either female zygosity groups. The difference between the concordance rates for MZ and DZ twin pairs was greater in males than females. By age group, the difference between the concordance rates for younger MZ and DZ twin pairs was much larger than for older pairs. The results suggest that, even though African Americans may be at risk for depression due to contextual/environmental factors, genetic influences remain important.     

Effects of autistic traits on social and school adjustment in children and adolescents: The moderating roles of age and gender

This study examined the associations between children's and adolescents' autistic-like social deficits and school and social adjustment as well as the moderating roles of age and gender in these associations. The sample consisted of 1321 students (48.7% boys) in Grade 1 to Grade 8 from northern Taiwan. Children's and adolescents' autistic-like social deficits were assessed using the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), and their school and social adjustment (i.e., academic performance, negative attitudes toward schoolwork/teachers/classmates, behavioral problems at schools, negative peer relationships, and problems with peers) were assessed using the Social Adjustment Inventory for Children and Adolescents (SAICA). Both measures were completed by the mothers of the participants. Results from the linear mixed models demonstrated that autistic-like social deficits were associated with poor academic performance, negative attitudes toward schoolwork, teachers, and classmates, behavioral problems at schools, negative peer relationships, and problematic peer interactions. Moreover, gender and/or age moderated the associations between autistic-like social deficits and school and social adjustment problems. For example, autistic-like social deficits were more strongly related to negative school attitude, school social problems, and negative peer relationships in boys than in girls. Further, autistic-like social deficits were more strongly related to problems with peers in older girls than in older boys or younger children (regardless of gender). In conclusion, the present study suggests that autistic-like social deficits may place children and adolescents at increased risk for social and school maladjustment and that the extent of maladjustment may vary with the child's age and gender and the domains of adjustment under discussion.     

Smoking, childhood IQ, and cognitive function in old age

ObjectivesTo examine the association between smoking history and cognitive function in old age, and whether it remains after controlling for childhood cognitive ability (IQ) and adult socioeconomic status (SES).MethodsIn the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 Study, 1080 men and women, who previously participated in a nationwide IQ-type test in childhood, were followed up at age 70. The associations between smoking history and age 70 IQ, general cognitive ability (g), processing speed, memory, and verbal ability were assessed.ResultsLower childhood IQ was associated with a higher risk of becoming a smoker and continuing to smoke in late life, and with reduced lung function (FEV1) in late life. Current smokers scored significantly lower than ex-smokers and never smokers on tests of age 70 IQ, general cognitive ability, and processing speed, but not memory or verbal ability. After controlling for childhood IQ and SES, current smoking at age 70 (but not pack years of smoking) was associated with impairments in general cognitive ability and processing speed.ConclusionSmoking in old age makes a small, independent contribution to cognitive performance in old age.     

Effects of autistic traits on social and school adjustment in children and adolescents: The moderating roles of age and gender

This study examined the associations between children's and adolescents’ autistic-like social deficits and school and social adjustment as well as the moderating roles of age and gender in these associations. The sample consisted of 1321 students (48.7% boys) in Grade 1 to Grade 8 from northern Taiwan. Children's and adolescents’ autistic-like social deficits were assessed using the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), and their school and social adjustment (i.e., academic performance, negative attitudes toward schoolwork/teachers/classmates, behavioral problems at schools, negative peer relationships, and problems with peers) were assessed using the Social Adjustment Inventory for Children and Adolescents (SAICA). Both measures were completed by the mothers of the participants. Results from the linear mixed models demonstrated that autistic-like social deficits were associated with poor academic performance, negative attitudes toward schoolwork, teachers, and classmates, behavioral problems at schools, negative peer relationships, and problematic peer interactions. Moreover, gender and/or age moderated the associations between autistic-like social deficits and school and social adjustment problems. For example, autistic-like social deficits were more strongly related to negative school attitude, school social problems, and negative peer relationships in boys than in girls. Further, autistic-like social deficits were more strongly related to problems with peers in older girls than in older boys or younger children (regardless of gender). In conclusion, the present study suggests that autistic-like social deficits may place children and adolescents at increased risk for social and school maladjustment and that the extent of maladjustment may vary with the child's age and gender and the domains of adjustment under discussion.     

Ictal affective symptoms in temporal lobe epilepsy are related to gender and age

Purpose: We systematically analyzed the video‐recorded and patient‐reported, as well as positive and negative ictal affective symptoms (IAS) in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Our aim was to assess (1) frequency, (2) gender effect, (3) lateralizing significance, (4) localizing value, and (5) prognostic significance in epilepsy surgery of IAS in patients with video‐registered seizures. Methods: We reviewed ictal video recordings of 184 patients (99 women, aged 16–63). All patients had surgery for intractable TLE with video‐recorded complex partial seizures (CPS) due to temporal lobe lesions visualized by high‐resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Affective auras (AAs) were categorized into two groups: positive or negative. Results: We registered AAs in 18% of patients: positive in 3%, negative in 15%. We saw ictal affective behavior (IAB) in 22% of patients; 10% had positive, whereas 14% had negative IAB. Two patients had both positive and negative IAB. AAs showed an association with IAB in case of fear expression versus fear auras (p = 0.018). IAB, especially negative IAB, occurred more often in women than in men. Patients with negative IAB were younger than others. We could not demonstrate an association between IAS and the localization, lateralization, or hemispheric dominance. Surgical outcome did not associate with IAS. Discussion: Patient‐reported and video‐recorded negative—but not positive—affective signs are related to each other. Video‐recorded negative AAs occur more often in women and young patients.     

The influence of social support on depressive symptoms in cancer patients: age and gender differences

PURPOSE: The relationship between social support and depressive symptomatology in cancer patients is well established, yet the extent to which patient variables impact this relationship is not well known. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the relationship of social support to the severity of depressive symptoms varies by patient age and gender. DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY: A sample of 342 cancer outpatients were administered self-report measures of depressive symptoms, perceived adequacy of social support, satisfaction with family functioning, and the size of their social support network. RESULTS: There were no significant differences by gender or age in the relationship of the social support variables to depressive symptoms. Although not statistically significant, interesting differences did emerge: a larger social support network was associated with less severe depression for female patients and for younger patients but not for male patients or older patients. For the entire sample, greater perceived adequacy of support and more satisfaction with family functioning were related to less severe depression. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the study suggest that interventions to alleviate depressive symptoms in cancer patients may be designed with consideration of demographic characteristics such as age and gender to maximize the beneficial impact on quality of life.     

Effects of age, education and gender on verbal fluency

The objective was to study the effects of age, education and gender on verbal fluency in cognitively unimpaired, older individuals. The methods used were as follows: cognitively unimpaired elderly (55-84 years) subjects (n=153), were administered category (animal) (CF) and letter (/pa/) (LF) fluency tasks, in their native language of Malayalam. Results and conclusions were (1) Level of education, but not age or gender, significantly influence LF. (2) Level of education (directly) and in the elderly subjects, age (inversely) affect CF. (3) Age, but not education, has a differential effect on the tasks of verbal fluency, influencing CF more than LF.     

How the relationship of attitudes toward mental health treatment and service use differs by age,gender, ethnicity/race and education

Background  

Promoting help-seeking for mental health problems can result in improved treatment rates. For the most impact, social marketing interventions need to be tailored to targeted demographic subgroups. We investigated the influence of interactions between attitudes toward treatment and age, gender, ethnicity/race and education for both general medical and specialty care.     

The relationship of age, gender, and IQ with the brainstem and thalamus in healthy children and adolescents: a magnetic resonance imaging volumetric study

In healthy children, there is a paucity of information on the growth of the brainstem and thalamus measured anatomically magnetic resonance imaging. The relations of age, gender, and age by gender with brainstem and thalamus volumes were analyzed from magnetic resonance brain images of 122 healthy children and adolescents (62 males, 60 females; ages 4 to 17). Results showed that age is a significant predictor of brainstem and thalamus volumes. The volume of the brainstem increases with age, while thalamus volume declines with age. The volume of the right thalamus is significantly larger than that of the left in both genders, with greater rightward asymmetry and greater thalamus to grey matter ratio in females. Males have larger brainstems, but these differences are not significant when covarying for cerebral volume. Larger thalami were associated with higher Verbal IQ. These normative pediatric data are of value to researchers who study these regions in neurodevelopmental disorders.     

Humor processing in children: Influence of temperament,age and IQ

Emerging evidence from fMRI studies suggests that humor processing is a specific social cognitive–affective human function that comprises two stages. The first stage (cognitive humor component) involves the detection and resolution of incongruity, and is associated with activity in temporo-occipito-parietal brain areas. The second stage (emotional humor component) comprises positive feelings related to mirth/reward, and is linked with reward-related activity in mesocorticolimbic circuits.In healthy adults, humor processing was shown to be moderated by temperament traits like intro-/extraversion, neuroticism, or social anxiety, representing risk factors for psychopathology. However, comparable data from early developmental stages is crucially lacking. Here, we report for the first time data from 22 children (ages 6 to 13) revealing an influence of temperament on humor processing. Specifically, we assessed the effects of Emotionality, Shyness, and Sociability, which are analogous to neuroticism, behavioral inhibition/fear and extraversion in adults. We found Emotionality to be positively, but Shyness negatively associated with brain activity linked with both cognitive and emotional humor components. In addition, Shyness and Sociability were positively related to activity in the periaqueductal gray region during humor processing. These findings are of potential clinical relevance regarding the early detection of childhood psychopathology.Previous data on humor processing in both adults and children furthermore suggest that intelligence (IQ) supports incongruity detection and resolution, whereas mirth and associated brain activity diminishes with increasing age. Here, we found that increasing age and IQ were linked with stronger activity to humor in brain areas implicated in the cognitive component of humor. Such data suggest that humor processing undergoes developmental changes and is moderated by higher IQ scores, both factors likely improving incongruity detection and resolution.