Browsing by Subject "Longitudinal study"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Adverse Childhood Experiences and Adult Well-Being: Impacts by Type, Timing, and Early Childhood Intervention
    (2018-06) Giovanelli, Alison
    Despite an extensive literature describing the detrimental effects of Conventional Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs-C) (e.g., abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction) on physical and mental health, large-scale studies have not assessed links to broader measures of well-being. Furthermore, the observed dose-response relationships in physical and mental health outcomes have been found for predominately middle-class Caucasian samples in relatively high-resource environments. The original ACE survey also neglected to assess experiences more common in high-risk contexts (“Expanded” ACEs; e.g., witnessing or victimization in a violent crime, family financial problems). Importantly, although effective preventive interventions like high-quality early education can reduce rates of child abuse and neglect, little is known about how participation affects the incidence and consequences of ACEs. Given the ACE literature’s clear policy and practice implications, these gaps warrant investigation.In light of these gaps, this study longitudinally evaluates 1) associations between ACEs and educational attainment, income, crime, depressive symptoms, smoking, and self-rated health in a primarily African-American sample 2) differential effects of timing and type of ACE, 3) the potential compensatory effects of early childhood intervention on ACEs, and 4) moderation of intervention effects on adult outcomes by sex and demographic risk. Follow-up data were analyzed for 88% of the original 1539 participants in the ChicagoLongitudinal Study (N = 1352), a prospective large-scale investigation of the impact of an early childhood intervention program and early experiences on life-course well-being. Born between 1979 and 1980 in high-poverty neighborhoods, retrospective report and administrative records were used to assess ACEs from birth to 18 and outcomes at age 37. Over two-thirds of the study sample experienced ≥1 Conventional or Expanded ACE (ACEs-CE), and over half experienced ≥1 Conventional ACE (ACEs-C). After controlling for demographic risk and intervention status, participants reporting ACEs were more likely to have poor outcomes than those without ACEs, and for several domains of adult well-being, the relations between ACEs and outcomes increased in a graded fashion. Participants with ≥4 ACEs-C from birth to 18 had a significantly increased likelihood of incarceration (OR = 3.71; p <.06), lifetime smoking history (OR = 3.40; p <.001) and current depressive symptoms (OR = 3.10; p <.05). High ACEs-C experienced only in the early childhood period (≥2 prior to age 5) were also associated with increased likelihood of lifetime incarceration (OR = 2.23; p <.05), smoking (OR = 3.46; p <.001), and current depressive symptoms (OR = 2.56; p <.05). It should be noted that, while Expanded ACEs may be an important and informative type of adversity, they did not substantially increase predictive power over ACEs-C for most outcomes. Child abuse and neglect from birth to 18 related to crime, education and income, whereas household dysfunction was associated with smoking and depression. Participants with any CAN completed, on average, .5 fewer grades than those without CAN (β = -.57; p < .01), and were about half as likely to obtain a BA or AA degree (OR = 0.51; p < .01). They were also about half as likely to make an income above the average entry wage (OR = 0.51; p < 01), and twice as likely to have been incarcerated or arrested for a felony (OR = 2.16; p <.01 and OR = 2.13; p <.001, respectively). Participants in the HD group had nearly twofold increased odds of smoking (OR = 1.79; p <.01) and were over twice as likely to report significant depressive symptoms (OR = 2.19; p <.05) compared to the group without HD. Furthermore, early intervention significantly moderated the association between ACEs-CE and highest grade completed (β = 0.59; p <.05) and attainment of a Bachelor’s or Associate’s Degree (OR = 2.17; p <.05). Overall, these findings suggest that ACEs exert detrimental effects on adult well-being in low-SES children above and beyond the effects of demographic risk and poverty, and speak to the need to continue to support underserved communities in active ways. Although ameliorating poverty and its negative impacts continues to be high priority, greater investments in interventions aimed at reducing the incidence and counteracting the effects of ACEs are also imperative.
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    Factors related to the development, maintenance, and/or resolution of unresolved/disorganized states of mind regarding abuse in a sample of maltreated individuals.
    (2010-05) Whaley, Gloria J. L.
    This is the first prospective study of male and female child abuse survivors to investigate the rates of unresolved/disorganized states of mind with respect to abuse (U/d abuse) classifications and factors that increase or decrease the risk of being classified as U/d abuse during late adolescence and/or adulthood. Participants were drawn from an ongoing longitudinal study of families from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The present sample (n = 42; 19 males, 23 females) includes only individuals who were identified prospectively as having experienced childhood physical and/or sexual abuse by a caregiver and for whom scores from the Adult Attachment Interview for U/d abuse were available at age 19 and/or 26 years. The following constructs were included in analyses: infant attachment representations; maltreatment circumstances; dissociative symptoms across childhood and adolescence; relationships with parents, friends, and romantic partners over time. Based on findings from previous longitudinal studies and attachment theory, it was hypothesized that disorganized/disoriented (D/d) attachment classifications in infancy would relate significantly to U/d abuse classifications, but that the circumstances of abuse (type, chronicity, or age of onset) would not relate significantly to U/d abuse status. Dissociative symptoms over time were anticipated to predict U/d abuse classifications. Positive and supportive relationships with others over time were expected to predict lower rates of U/d abuse classifications. Finally, following a cumulative risk perspective, it was expected that the added influence of severe trauma, a history of D/d infant attachment, high degrees of dissociation, poor relationships over time, and insecure states of mind would significantly predict U/d abuse status. Results revealed that approximately 36 percent of participants received U/d abuse classifications at age 19 and 41 percent at age 26, with little stability between the two assessments. Cumulative risk was significantly predictive of U/d abuse classifications. D/d infant attachment was a strong predictor of U/d abuse at age 19 but not at age 26 years. The circumstances of abuse, dissociative symptoms, secure infant attachment status, or the quality of important relationships by themselves were not significantly related to U/d abuse status at either age. Findings and needed future areas of research are discussed.
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    Longitudinal adjustment trajectories of international students and their predictors
    (2013-08) Hirai, Reiko
    Despite the increasing number of international students in U.S. universities, the course of adjustment of international students has not been adequately tested and only one study to date has examined multiple trajectories of international students' adjustment. Therefore, the first goal of the current study was to explore multiple trajectories of international student adjustment, using four types of adjustment outcomes (i.e., psychological distress, positive psychological adjustment, acculturative stress, and functional adjustment). The second goal was to identify important predictors of trajectories. A wide range of predictor variables were examined including individual, interpersonal, and contextual factors. Undergraduate and graduate international students who started their first semester at a large Midwestern university participated in this five-wave longitudinal study (N = 211) that spanned a period of six months. Multiple trajectories emerged and the trajectories varied across four adjustment outcomes. Contrary to the popular notion, the U-shape adjustment trajectory only emerged for one of four outcomes (psychological distress). Significant predictors of adjustment trajectories included perceived present control over reactions to academic stress, neuroticism, openness, social connectedness with Americans, and self-rated English proficiency. Limitations, implications for practice, and future directions are discussed
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    A longitudinal study of family process influences on socioeconomic status achievement among Southeast Asian immigrant adolescents: implications for parent education and K-12 education
    (2014-05) Kim, Heeran
    Based on Bronfenbrenner's Process-Person-Context-Time research model, this study explores individual factor effects of family context (i.e., parents' acculturation), family processes (i.e., parental involvement and parent-child conflict), and adolescents' individual characteristics (i.e., self-esteem and gender) on adolescent children's SES achievement (i.e., highest education and annual income) in adulthood. In addition, this study explores the interplay effect of those family and individual factors on adolescents' SES achievement in adulthood. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) procedures were used because this study aims to test the conceptual model of Southeast Asian immigrant adolescents' long-term SES achievement using the Children of Immigrant Longitudinal Study, a ten-year national panel data. The hypothesized relationships in the model include the followings: (a) positive effect of parents' acculturation on parental involvement and on adolescents' SES achievement in adulthood and negative effect on parent-child conflict (b) negative effect of parental involvement on parent-child conflict and positive effect on adolescents' self-esteem and on SES achievement (c) negative effect of parent-child conflict on adolescents' self-esteem (d) positive effect of adolescents' self-esteem on SES achievement. This study reveals the individual effects of family processes and adolescent individual characteristics on Southeast Asian immigrant adolescents' long-term SES achievement. More essentially, the interplay effect of family processes and adolescent individual characteristics takes a critical role in the adolescents' SES achievement by potentially mediating or moderating the parents' SES effect. Implications for parent education and K-12 education for Southeast Asian immigrant families were discussed in the way to help immigrant adolescents succeed in the host society socioeconomically.