Parenting Challenge
Associations between parenting characteristics and adolescent substance use: A genetically informed, longitudinal adoption study
Shelley Gresko et al.
Development and Psychopathology, forthcoming
Abstract:
The present study examined putative environmental predictors of adolescent substance use, using a prospective adoption design to distinguish between environmental mediation (i.e., parenting influencing adolescent substance use), passive gene–environment correlation (i.e., parental genetic predisposition influencing the association between parenting characteristics and adolescent substance use), and evocative gene–environment correlation (i.e., children’s genetic predisposition influencing parenting). Longitudinal data from the Colorado Adoption Project (395 adoptees, 491 nonadoptees, 485 adoptive parents, and 490 biological parents) were examined. Children (48% girls) were assessed at ages 1 to 17 years. Over 90% of the sample were non-Hispanic White. Associations between parenting and adolescent substance use were compared between adoptive and nonadoptive families. Positive, negative, and inconsistent parenting measures in early childhood through adolescence were not consistently associated with adolescent substance use, with only 6% of correlations being statistically significant (r = −0.152 to .207). However, parent–child relationship quality assessed from childhood to adolescence and orientation to parents assessed during adolescence were significantly, negatively associated with adolescent substance use, with 71% of correlations being statistically significant (r = −0.88 to −0.11). There was little evidence of sex differences in the associations. Environmental mediation, rather than passive or evocative gene–environment correlation, explained most associations.
Mental health around pregnancy and child development from early childhood to adolescence
Stephanie von Hinke, Nigel Rice & Emma Tominey
Labour Economics, forthcoming
Abstract:
Mental health problems during pregnancy affect around 20% of mothers and may have lasting impacts on children’s health, cognitive and socio-emotional skills, educational attainment, and future labour market outcomes. We identify the causal effect of mothers’ prenatal mental health on a range of child psychological, socio-emotional and cognitive outcomes. Our methodology exploits shocks to mothers’ mental health that are induced by illness of the mother’s friends or relatives, whilst accounting for the non-randomness of exposure to illness. We find that mothers’ mental health problems negatively affect children’s psychological and socio-emotional skills in early childhood, but these fade-out between the ages of 11-13. There is no effect on children’s cognitive outcomes. Hence, our findings suggest that maternal prenatal mental health may have a limited direct effect on children’s future labour market outcomes.
Racial Disparities in Pregnancy Options Counseling and Referral in the US South
Kristin Nobel, Alina Luke & Whitney Rice
Health Services Research, forthcoming
Data Source:
Primary data from patients at southern U.S. publicly funded family planning clinics, October 2018-June 2019.
Study Design:
Patients at 14 clinics completed a survey about their experience with pregnancy options counseling and referral following a positive pregnancy test. The primary predictor variable was patients’ self-reported racial identity. Outcomes included discussion of pregnancy options, referral for those options, and for support services.
Principal Findings:
Patients were largely Black (58%), uninsured (64%), and 18-29 years of age (80%). Intention to continue pregnancy and receipt of prenatal care referral did not differ significantly among Black as compared to non-Black patients. However, Black patients had higher likelihood of wanting abortion or adoption referral and not receiving one (abortion: marginal effect [ME]=7.68%, p=0.037; adjusted ME [aME]=9.02%, p=0.015; adoption: ME=7.06%, p=0.031; aME=8.42%, p=.011). Black patients intending to end their pregnancies had lower probability of receiving an abortion referral than non-Black patients (ME=-22.37%, p=.004; aME=-19.69%, p=0.023). In the fully adjusted model, Black patients also had higher probability of wanting access to care resources (including transportation, childcare, financial support) and not receiving them (aME=5.38%, p=0.019).
No Evidence That Siblings’ Gender Affects Personality Across Nine Countries
Thomas Dudek et al.
Psychological Science, forthcoming
Abstract:
Does growing up with a sister rather than a brother affect personality? In this article, we provide a comprehensive analysis of the effects of siblings’ gender on adults’ personality, using data from 85,887 people from 12 large representative surveys covering nine countries (United States, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, Mexico, China, and Indonesia). We investigated the personality traits of risk tolerance, trust, patience, locus of control, and the Big Five. We found no meaningful causal effects of the gender of the next younger sibling and no associations with the gender of the next older sibling. Given the high statistical power and consistent results in the overall sample and relevant subsamples, our results suggest that siblings’ gender does not systematically affect personality.
Toward a better understanding of the causal effects of role demands on work–family conflict: A genetic modeling approach
Tammy Allen et al.
Journal of Applied Psychology, forthcoming
Abstract:
Over the past several decades, there has been considerable interest in the theoretical causes of work–family conflict (WFC). Most studies have focused on situational determinants, often ignoring the role of personal factors such as disposition and heritable elements. We increase understanding of person versus situation influences on WFC through estimation of the relationship between role demands and WFC after controlling for genetic confounding, measured personality traits, family confounds, and other stable dispositions. Based on twin data from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS), we examine the role of genetic factors in explaining variation in WFC (both work interference with family [WIF] and family interference with work [FIW]). Results support WFC has an additive genetic component, accounting for 31% [95% CI 18%, 45%] and 16% [95% CI 2%, 30%] of the variance in WIF and FIW, respectively. In addition, we test two competing hypotheses with regard to the relationship between role demands and WFC. Results support the phenotypic causal relationship for WIF, consistent with the notion the relationship between work demands and WIF reflect situational processes. However, results support the genetic confounding hypothesis for FIW, indicating observed relationships between family demands and FIW are primarily due to genetic factors. Our results provide new insights into the nature of WFC relationships and underscore that ignoring the influence of heritability can bias estimates of role demand effects in WFC research.
Exploring the possibility of parents’ broad internalizing phenotype acting through passive gene–environment correlations on daughters’ disordered eating
Shannon O’Connor et al.
Development and Psychopathology, forthcoming
Abstract:
Twin studies demonstrate significant environmental influences and a lack of genetic effects on disordered eating before puberty in girls. However, genetic factors could act indirectly through passive gene–environment correlations (rGE; correlations between parents’ genes and an environment shaped by those genes) that inflate environmental (but not genetic) estimates. The only study to explore passive rGE did not find significant effects, but the full range of parental phenotypes (e.g., internalizing symptoms) that could impact daughters’ disordered eating was not examined. We addressed this gap by exploring whether parents’ internalizing symptoms (e.g., anxiety, depressive symptoms) contribute to daughters’ eating pathology through passive rGE. Participants were female twin pairs (aged 8–14 years; M = 10.44) in pre-early puberty and their biological parents (n = 279 families) from the Michigan State University Twin Registry. Nuclear twin family models explored passive rGE for parents’ internalizing traits/symptoms and twins’ overall eating disorder symptoms. No evidence for passive rGE was found. Instead, environmental factors that create similarities between co-twins (but not with their parents) and unique environmental factors were important. In pre-early puberty, genetic factors do not influence daughters’ disordered eating, even indirectly through passive rGE. Future research should explore sibling-specific and unique environmental factors during this critical developmental period.
Associations between parenting characteristics and adolescent substance use: A genetically informed, longitudinal adoption study
Shelley Gresko et al.
Development and Psychopathology, forthcoming
Abstract:
The present study examined putative environmental predictors of adolescent substance use, using a prospective adoption design to distinguish between environmental mediation (i.e., parenting influencing adolescent substance use), passive gene–environment correlation (i.e., parental genetic predisposition influencing the association between parenting characteristics and adolescent substance use), and evocative gene–environment correlation (i.e., children’s genetic predisposition influencing parenting). Longitudinal data from the Colorado Adoption Project (395 adoptees, 491 nonadoptees, 485 adoptive parents, and 490 biological parents) were examined. Children (48% girls) were assessed at ages 1 to 17 years. Over 90% of the sample were non-Hispanic White. Associations between parenting and adolescent substance use were compared between adoptive and nonadoptive families. Positive, negative, and inconsistent parenting measures in early childhood through adolescence were not consistently associated with adolescent substance use, with only 6% of correlations being statistically significant (r = −0.152 to .207). However, parent–child relationship quality assessed from childhood to adolescence and orientation to parents assessed during adolescence were significantly, negatively associated with adolescent substance use, with 71% of correlations being statistically significant (r = −0.88 to −0.11). There was little evidence of sex differences in the associations. Environmental mediation, rather than passive or evocative gene–environment correlation, explained most associations.
Mental health around pregnancy and child development from early childhood to adolescence
Stephanie von Hinke, Nigel Rice & Emma Tominey
Labour Economics, forthcoming
Abstract:
Mental health problems during pregnancy affect around 20% of mothers and may have lasting impacts on children’s health, cognitive and socio-emotional skills, educational attainment, and future labour market outcomes. We identify the causal effect of mothers’ prenatal mental health on a range of child psychological, socio-emotional and cognitive outcomes. Our methodology exploits shocks to mothers’ mental health that are induced by illness of the mother’s friends or relatives, whilst accounting for the non-randomness of exposure to illness. We find that mothers’ mental health problems negatively affect children’s psychological and socio-emotional skills in early childhood, but these fade-out between the ages of 11-13. There is no effect on children’s cognitive outcomes. Hence, our findings suggest that maternal prenatal mental health may have a limited direct effect on children’s future labour market outcomes.
Racial Disparities in Pregnancy Options Counseling and Referral in the US South
Kristin Nobel, Alina Luke & Whitney Rice
Health Services Research, forthcoming
Data Source:
Primary data from patients at southern U.S. publicly funded family planning clinics, October 2018-June 2019.
Study Design:
Patients at 14 clinics completed a survey about their experience with pregnancy options counseling and referral following a positive pregnancy test. The primary predictor variable was patients’ self-reported racial identity. Outcomes included discussion of pregnancy options, referral for those options, and for support services.
Principal Findings:
Patients were largely Black (58%), uninsured (64%), and 18-29 years of age (80%). Intention to continue pregnancy and receipt of prenatal care referral did not differ significantly among Black as compared to non-Black patients. However, Black patients had higher likelihood of wanting abortion or adoption referral and not receiving one (abortion: marginal effect [ME]=7.68%, p=0.037; adjusted ME [aME]=9.02%, p=0.015; adoption: ME=7.06%, p=0.031; aME=8.42%, p=.011). Black patients intending to end their pregnancies had lower probability of receiving an abortion referral than non-Black patients (ME=-22.37%, p=.004; aME=-19.69%, p=0.023). In the fully adjusted model, Black patients also had higher probability of wanting access to care resources (including transportation, childcare, financial support) and not receiving them (aME=5.38%, p=0.019).
No Evidence That Siblings’ Gender Affects Personality Across Nine Countries
Thomas Dudek et al.
Psychological Science, forthcoming
Abstract:
Does growing up with a sister rather than a brother affect personality? In this article, we provide a comprehensive analysis of the effects of siblings’ gender on adults’ personality, using data from 85,887 people from 12 large representative surveys covering nine countries (United States, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, Mexico, China, and Indonesia). We investigated the personality traits of risk tolerance, trust, patience, locus of control, and the Big Five. We found no meaningful causal effects of the gender of the next younger sibling and no associations with the gender of the next older sibling. Given the high statistical power and consistent results in the overall sample and relevant subsamples, our results suggest that siblings’ gender does not systematically affect personality.
Toward a better understanding of the causal effects of role demands on work–family conflict: A genetic modeling approach
Tammy Allen et al.
Journal of Applied Psychology, forthcoming
Abstract:
Over the past several decades, there has been considerable interest in the theoretical causes of work–family conflict (WFC). Most studies have focused on situational determinants, often ignoring the role of personal factors such as disposition and heritable elements. We increase understanding of person versus situation influences on WFC through estimation of the relationship between role demands and WFC after controlling for genetic confounding, measured personality traits, family confounds, and other stable dispositions. Based on twin data from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS), we examine the role of genetic factors in explaining variation in WFC (both work interference with family [WIF] and family interference with work [FIW]). Results support WFC has an additive genetic component, accounting for 31% [95% CI 18%, 45%] and 16% [95% CI 2%, 30%] of the variance in WIF and FIW, respectively. In addition, we test two competing hypotheses with regard to the relationship between role demands and WFC. Results support the phenotypic causal relationship for WIF, consistent with the notion the relationship between work demands and WIF reflect situational processes. However, results support the genetic confounding hypothesis for FIW, indicating observed relationships between family demands and FIW are primarily due to genetic factors. Our results provide new insights into the nature of WFC relationships and underscore that ignoring the influence of heritability can bias estimates of role demand effects in WFC research.
Exploring the possibility of parents’ broad internalizing phenotype acting through passive gene–environment correlations on daughters’ disordered eating
Shannon O’Connor et al.
Development and Psychopathology, forthcoming
Abstract:
Twin studies demonstrate significant environmental influences and a lack of genetic effects on disordered eating before puberty in girls. However, genetic factors could act indirectly through passive gene–environment correlations (rGE; correlations between parents’ genes and an environment shaped by those genes) that inflate environmental (but not genetic) estimates. The only study to explore passive rGE did not find significant effects, but the full range of parental phenotypes (e.g., internalizing symptoms) that could impact daughters’ disordered eating was not examined. We addressed this gap by exploring whether parents’ internalizing symptoms (e.g., anxiety, depressive symptoms) contribute to daughters’ eating pathology through passive rGE. Participants were female twin pairs (aged 8–14 years; M = 10.44) in pre-early puberty and their biological parents (n = 279 families) from the Michigan State University Twin Registry. Nuclear twin family models explored passive rGE for parents’ internalizing traits/symptoms and twins’ overall eating disorder symptoms. No evidence for passive rGE was found. Instead, environmental factors that create similarities between co-twins (but not with their parents) and unique environmental factors were important. In pre-early puberty, genetic factors do not influence daughters’ disordered eating, even indirectly through passive rGE. Future research should explore sibling-specific and unique environmental factors during this critical developmental period.