Maternal and grandmaternal obesity and environmental factors as determinants of daughter's obesity

Obesity may be the consequence of various environmental or genetic factors, which may be highly correlated with each other. We aimed to examine whether grandmaternal and maternal obesity and environmental risk factors are related to obesity in daughters. Daughters (n = 182) recruited from female students, their mothers (n = 147) and their grandmothers (n = 67) were included in this study. Multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze the association between the daughter''s obesity and maternal, grandmaternal, and environmental factors. Maternal heights of 161-175cm (OD: 8.48, 95% CI: 3.61-19.93) and 156-160 cm (2.37, 1.14-4.91) showed positive associations with a higher height of daughter, compared to those of 149-155 cm. Mothers receiving a university or a higher education had a significant OR (3.82, 1.27-11.50) for a higher height of daughter compared to those having a low education (elementary school). Mother having the heaviest weight at current time (59-80 kg, 3.78, 1.73-8.28) and the heaviest weight at 20 years of age (51-65 kg, 3.17, 1.53-6.55) had significant associations with a higher height of daughters, compared to those having the lightest weight at the same times. There was no association between the height, weight, and BMI of daughters and the characteristics and education of her grandmothers. In conclusion, although genetic factors appear to influence the daughter''s height more than environmental factors, the daughter''s weight appears to be more strongly associated with individual factors than the genetic factors.     

Parental posttraumatic stress and child behavioral problems in world trade center responders

Background

We investigated trans‐generational associations between Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms in World Trade Center (WTC) responders and behavioral problems in their children.

Methods

Participants were WTC responders—8034 police and 8352 non‐traditional (eg, construction workers)—with one or more children at the time of their first visit to the World Trade Center Health Program (WTC‐HP). Self‐report questionnaires were administered approximately 4 years after the 9/11 WTC attack.

Results

A total of 31.4% of non‐traditional and 20.0% of police responders reported behavioral problems in their children. Non‐traditional responder status, female sex, Hispanic ethnicity, more life stressors, more WTC‐related PTSD symptoms, and dysphoric arousal symptoms were significant correlates of behavioral problems in responders’ children.

Conclusions

Specific parental sociodemographic, psychosocial and clinical characteristics, as well as PTSD symptom severity, were significant correlates of child behavior problems. Findings encourage monitoring and early intervention for children of disaster responders, particularly those at highest risk.

     

Hearing of 75-year old persons over three decades: Has hearing changed?

Abstract

Objective: The state of hearing in 75-year old persons was measured in a population based epidemiological study with the aim of studying if hearing had changed during a time span of 29 years. Design: An epidemiological study of generational effects in three age cohorts. Study sample: Three age cohorts were included: cohort 1 (n: 267) born in 1976–77, cohort 4 (n: 197) in 1990–91, and cohort 6 (n: 570) in 2005. The same test procedures using pure-tone audiometry and a short questionnaire were applied to the three cohorts of 75-year old residents in the same city. Results: The hearing was essentially unchanged during the span of the investigation—almost three decades. Low-frequency hearing was up to about 10 dB poorer in the most recently studied cohort compared to the previously studied cohorts. The reason for this difference is considered to depend on methodological factors. Self-assessed hearing and tinnitus was mainly unchanged, or had minor changes both to the better and to the worse. Conclusions: The hearing, both measured with pure-tone audiometry and with a short questionnaire, of 75-year old persons has not changed at all, or only marginally, over three decades.     

Parent‐of‐origin and trans‐generational germline influences on behavioral development: The interacting roles of mothers,fathers, and grandparents

Mothers and fathers do not contribute equally to the development of their offspring. In addition to the differential investment of mothers versus fathers in the rearing of offspring, there are also a number of germline factors that are transmitted unequally from one parent or the other that contribute significantly to offspring development. This article shall review four major sources of such parent‐of‐origin effects. Firstly, there is increasing evidence that genes inherited on the sex chromosomes including the nonpseudoautosomal part of the Y chromosome that is only inherited from fathers to sons, contribute to brain development and behavior independently of the organizing effects of sex hormones. Secondly, recent work has demonstrated that mitochondrial DNA that is primarily inherited only from mothers may play a much greater than anticipated role in neurobehavioral development. Thirdly, there exists a class of genes known as imprinted genes that are epigenetically silenced when passed on in a parent‐of‐origin specific manner and have been shown to regulate brain development and a variety of behaviors. Finally, there is converging evidence from several disciplines that environmental variations experienced by mothers and fathers may lead to plasticity in the development and behavior of offspring and that this phenotypic inheritance can be solely transmitted through the germline. Mechanistically, this may be achieved through altered programming within germ cells of the epigenetic status of particular genes such as retrotransposons and imprinted genes or potentially through altered expression of RNAs within gametes. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 52: 312–330, 2010.     

Parent‐offspring transmission of drug abuse and alcohol use disorder: Application of the multiple parenting relationships design

With complete genealogical and cohabitation information, new genetic‐epidemiological designs can be developed to clarify causes of parent‐offspring transmission. We propose the Multiple Parenting Relationships (MPR) Design and apply it to drug abuse (DA) and alcohol use disorder (AUD). Using national Swedish registries, we identified four kinds of informative parents with multiple children with whom they had different genetic and/or rearing relationships. These types had children for whom they provided: (a) genes (G) plus rearing (R), G only and R only; (b) G + R and G only; (c) G only and R only; and (d) G + R and R only. We identified DA and AUD cases from national registries in over 475,000 informative parent‐offspring pairs. Controlling for parental resemblance for DA or AUD, all estimates were statistically homogeneous across family types. The weighted average tetrachoric correlation (SE) for DA for G + R, R only and G only relationships were, respectively, +0.21 (0.01), +0.10 (0.02), and +0.16 (0.02). Parallel results for AUD were +0.16 (0.01), +0.04 (0.02), and +0.14 (0.01). Analyses within families with affected parents showed significantly higher disorder risks in offspring with a G + R versus an R only relationship. The MPR design is complementary to other methods, especially adoption and triparental designs, in clarifying the sources of cross‐generational transmission. Consistent with results from these other designs applied to the Swedish population, we find that for DA and AUD, parent‐offspring resemblance was strongest for G + R relationships, intermediate for G only relationships and weakest but significant for R only relationships.     

“全面两孩”政策下“80后”父母的再生育动机及其影响因素调查

目的:调查"全面两孩"政策下,1980年以后出生(简称"80后")父母的再生育动机及其影响因素。方法:采用多阶段抽样方法于重庆市抽取626名"80后"父母,以自编《"80后"父母再生育动机及影响因素问卷》为工具进行调查。结果:(1)城市与农村人口的再生育动机得分在是否为独生子女、一胎性别、受教育程度、家庭年收入上存在统计学差异(P0.001);(2)"打算再生育"组在传宗接代、养儿防老、促进家庭和睦、利于孩子成长与教育、提高家庭地位、寄托理想这6类再生育动机得分上高于"不打算再生育"组(P0.001);(3)经逐步多元回归分析得出,儿时孤独感、赡养老人压力感、长辈催促程度、对教育资源的乐观度均正向影响再生育动机得分(β=0.313、0.261、0.158、0.093,均P0.001),儿时父母精力分散程度负向影响再生育动机得分(β=-0.250,P0.001)。结论:"80后"父母再生育决策动机包括传宗接代、养儿防老、促进家庭和睦、利于孩子成长与教育、提高家庭地位以及寄托理想;再生育动机主要受儿时孤独感、赡养老人压力感、儿时父母精力分散程度、长辈催促程度、对教育资源的乐观度等因素的影响。     

Nurse competence between three generational nurse cohorts: A cross‐sectional study

Research indicates significant differences between nurse cohorts in many work‐related factors. This study compared nurse competence between three generational cohorts comprising the current nursing workforce. The Nurse Competence Scale was used to collect data for this cross‐sectional study from 2052 nurses in a university hospital in Finland. Data were analysed statistically. Significant differences were found between nurse cohorts in their competence. The length of work experience had a significant impact on the development of competence. The oldest cohort, with the longest work experience, had the highest competence scores (70.1 on a visual analogue scale), and the youngest had the lowest (59.0). All cohorts were most competent in patient‐related nursing tasks, in maintenance of professional competence and in ethical care. Nurses were weakest in the development of nursing practice and the use of evidence‐based knowledge. Targeted interventions in teaching–coaching for different nurse generations are needed to ensure the maintenance of nurse competence and high‐quality patient care.     

Generational Cohorts Hold the Key to Understanding Patients and Health Care Providers: Coming-of-Age Experiences Influence Health Care Behaviors for a Lifetime

The health care landscape is ever changing. Medical groups are experiencing challenges in recruiting staff, dealing with managing effective clinical teams, and tempering the growing tensions among partnerships and medical groups. Additionally, all clinicians report many patients are now approaching them differently than in the past. They come armed with medical information from the Internet and a more questioning attitude toward the clinician's directive for care. What accounts for these behavioral changes and management challenges within health care organizations? These issues may be best understood and addressed through generational cohort analysis.     

Family obligations and individuation among immigrant youth: Do generational status and age at immigration matter?

Immigrant children and adolescents often assume parental roles in their families and may feel guilty about psychologically separating and individuating from the family. However, little is known about this phenomenon and youth' generational status and age at immigration. We investigated various aspects of family obligations (instrumental and emotional roles, language and culture brokering, perceived unfairness) and individuation among 302 immigrants from the former Soviet Union in Israel: first-generation (n = 44) and second-generation immigrant adolescents (n = 56); young adults who had arrived in Israel before the age of nine (n = 72) and from this age onward (n = 130). Immigrants who had arrived at age nine and older reported adopting more family obligations than other groups. Among the second-generation immigrants, family obligations were related to lower individuation compared to the first-generation immigrants. Possible explanations for the relations between family obligations and individuation according to generational status are suggested.