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About this paper symposium
| Panel information |
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| Panel 10. Health, Growth, Injury |
| Paper #1 | |
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| Unlocking Positive Health: Intra- and Interpersonal Risks and Strengths Shaping Childhood Positive Health Assets | |
| Author information | Role |
| Courtney King Blackwell, Ph.D., Northwestern University, United States | Presenting author |
| Maxwell Armand Mansolf, Northwestern University, United States | Non-presenting author |
| Jody M. Ganiban, George Washington University, United States | Non-presenting author |
| Abstract | |
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Introduction: Traditional medical models of healthcare and psychiatry are deficit-based, emphasizing disease and impairment (VanderWheele et al., 2020). Little attention is paid to positive health assets important to children and caregivers, such as being happy an having a purpose in life (Gregory et al., 2021; VanderWheele et al., 2020). These intra- and interpersonal strengths are essential resources that comprise one’s well-being and can promote important physical and mental health outcomes and mitigate negative effects of adverse exposures (Qureshi et al., 2023). Despite the significance of positive health assets to children’s healthy development, particularly in early childhood, there are limited epidemiological investigations of pediatric well-being in the US. The current study examines sociodemographic patterns of young children’s well-being in a nationally representative US sample to identify individual- and family-level risk and promotive factors of well-being. We hypothesize: (1) children in more disadvantaged contexts, with more adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and whose caregivers have mental health problems will have lower well-being compared to peers in more advantaged contexts, with caregivers without mental health problems, and those with fewer ACEs (Bethell, Gombojav, Whitaker, 2019; Bethell et al., 2022; Busse et al., 2022; Gregory et al., 2021) and (2) children living in higher quality caregiving environments will have higher well-being (Bethell et al., 2019). We also explore differences by child age, sex, race, ethnicity, and chronic condition, which are inconsistently in existing work (Bethell et al., 2019; Gregory et al., 2021; Linares, Kandasamy, Vladutiu, 2022; Patalay & Fitzsimons, 2018). Study Population: US parents (n=1,016) of 1-5-year-olds were recruited through Ipsos’ KnowledgePanel, which uses random address probability-based sampling methods, with sampling weights aligned to the US Census to reflect a nationally representative sample. See table 1 for sample characteristics. Methods: Parents completed PROMIS® Early Childhood (EC) surveys reflecting five positive health assets of their 1-5-year-old children: positive affect, curiosity, persistence, frustration tolerance, and flexibility (Blackwell, Kallen, et al., 2022; Blackwell, Lai, et al., 2022), and children were scored as having good to excellent positive health assets if T-scores were at or above average (i.e., t-score≥50). We conducted logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) describing associations between positive health assets and sociodemographic characteristics as well as a set of risk and promotive factors delineated in Table 1. Results and Conclusions: Few sociodemographic characteristics were associated with higher odds of having good positive health, and associations differed by asset, suggesting unique contributors to different components of young children’s well-being. Of note, Hispanic children had 2.24 (SE=0.73) higher odds of having good to excellent positive affect compared to non-Hispanic children. Risk factors were similarly inconsistent across assets, except for having parent with mental health problems, which was associated with slightly reduced odds of all assets (ORs=0.95-0.97) except flexibility. Alternatively, having high quality child-caregiver interactions was associated with 2-9.5 times higher odds of each positive health asset, suggesting warm and affectionate, trusting, dependable, and supportive caregivers are the most important contributors to early childhood well-being, above and beyond any sociodemographic characteristics and traditional risk factors. |
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| Paper #2 | |
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| The Beneficial Sequelae of Constructive Interparental Conflict: Children’s Effortful Control and Positive Affect as Mechanisms | |
| Author information | Role |
| Vanessa T. Cao, University of Rochester, United States | Presenting author |
| Patrick T. Davies, University of Rochester, United States | Non-presenting author |
| Alex Baker, University of Rochester, United States | Non-presenting author |
| Abstract | |
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Witnessing constructive interparental conflict (IPC) characterized by parental support, problem-solving, and cooperation has been identified as a distinctive precursor of better mental health outcomes for children even after controlling for possible confounding family and demographic factors (Davies et al., 2012; 2016; Cummings & Davies, 2010; Harold & Sellers, 2018; van Eldik et al., 2020). Prior research and theory support the notion that constructive IPC may confer health advantages for children by fostering positive affect and better self-regulation (Cummings et al., 2002; 2003). However, research has yet to systematically test whether these child attributes operate as mechanisms in links between constructive IPC and children’s psychological adjustment. To address this significant gap, this study examined whether children’s positive affect and effortful control mediate the prospective association between constructive IPC and children’s social adjustment and lower internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Participants included 238 mothers, their partners, and preschool children (Mage = 4.38, 52% female; 68% White; 18% Black; 14% Multiracial or another race; and 16% Latinx) who completed three annual measurement occasions. Table 1 provides a summary of the multi-method (e.g., observations, q-sorts, interviews, surveys) and multi-informant (i.e., trained observers, trained experimenters, teachers, primary caregivers, partners) measurement battery for the longitudinal study. We conducted path analyses using a fully lagged longitudinal design to test our mediational hypotheses (see Figure 1). Cooperative IPC at Wave 1 was specified as a predictor of children’s effortful control and positive affect at Wave 2 and their social, emotional, and behavioral adjustment at Wave 3. In turn, children’s effortful control and positive affect at Wave 2 were estimated as predictors of their Wave 3 outcomes. Autoregressive paths for the endogenous variables were also specified using the Wave 1 assessments of the two mediators and three outcomes. Finally, to control for possible confounding role of family and demographic characteristics of constructive IPC and child functioning, four covariates were also included as predictors of the endogenous variables in the model. The final model provided a satisfactory fit with the data, χ2 (14, N = 238) = 32.37, p = .004, RMSEA = .07, CFI = 0.97, and χ2/df ratio = 2.31. Consistent with hypotheses, constructive IPC at Wave 1 predicted children’s greater effortful control at Wave 2, β = .21, p = .01. In turn, higher child effortful control, selectively predicted residualized decreases in children’s externalizing symptoms, β = -.26, p < .001, and residualized increases in their social adjustment, β = .20, p = .006, at Wave 3. Although constructive interparental conflict failed to significantly predict children’s positive affect one year later, Wave 2 positive affect was related to children’s better social adjustment and lower internalizing symptoms at Wave 3. Supporting the reproducibility of the results, the findings remained significant without the inclusion of covariates in the analyses. Findings will be discussed in relation to how they may (1) advance developmental conceptualizations of family conflict (Cummings & Davies, 2010; Davies et al., 2016) and (b) inform clinical and public policy initiatives focused on improving their welfare of children and families. |
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| Paper #3 | |
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| Parenting and Child Temperament in Mid-Childhood: Predicting Positive Health Outcomes in Adolescence | |
| Author information | Role |
| Zhaoying Chen, M.Ed., George Washington Univeristy, United States | Presenting author |
| Chang Liu, Washington State University, United States | Non-presenting author |
| Chia-li Yu, The Pennsylvania State University, United States | Non-presenting author |
| Leslie D. Leve, University of Oregon, United States | Non-presenting author |
| Daniel S. Shaw, University of Pittsburgh, United States | Non-presenting author |
| Misaki N. Natsuaki, University of California, Riverside, United States | Non-presenting author |
| Jenae M. Neiderhiser, The Pennsylvania State University, United States | Non-presenting author |
| Jody M. Ganiban, George Washington University, United States | Non-presenting author |
| Abstract | |
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Life satisfaction (LS) and a sense of meaning and purpose (MP) are central to well-being during adolescence: while LS reflects an individual's overall contentment, MP refers to perceiving life as understandable and purposeful. Few studies, however, have examined environmental and personal factors that contribute to LS and MP during adolescence. The Health Outcomes from Positive Experiences (HOPE) framework posits that positive parenting and parental involvement during early childhood form the foundation for better subjective well-being (Sege & Browne, 2017). In this study, we build upon the HOPE model by exploring if adolescence self-directedness influences associations between parenting during childhood and wellbeing during adolescence. Self-directedness, which reflects individual differences in self-regulation and determination, is moderately genetically influenced (Cloninger et al., 1993; Gillespie et al., 2003). We hypothesize that positive parenting and involvement will play a stronger role in the development of MP and LS amongst adolescents with lower levels of self-directedness, as these individuals may need more guidance and support than adolescents with high levels of self-directedness. Participants were 561 children (cohort 1 N = 361, cohort 2 N = 200) from the Early Growth and Development Study (Leve et al., 2019). EGDS is a longitudinal adoption study in which children were placed into adoptive homes at or near birth. The primary (CG1) and secondary (CG2) adoptive parent caregivers reported on their children's temperament characteristics at age 6 for cohort 2 or age 8 for cohort 1, using the Junior Temperament and Character Inventory for Self-Directedness. CG1 and CG2 from both cohorts also used the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire to report on their own positive parenting and parental involvement at 7 years. The children self-reported their LS and MP via PROMIS LS and MS measures at ages 11 and 15. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to assess the contributions of childhood self-directedness and parenting behaviors to life satisfaction (LS) and meaning and purpose (MP) in adolescence. A sample SEM model is shown in Figure 1, with interaction results in Figure 2. LS and MP at age 11 were significantly associated with LS and MP at age 15, respectively. Significant interactions were observed across all four models (p’s < .001). For LS, parental involvement and positive parenting were positively associated with life satisfaction among adolescents with lower self-directedness, while inverse associations were found for those with higher self-directedness. Similarly, parental involvement was positively linked to MP for children with low self-directedness but had no significant effect on those with higher levels. However, positive parenting was positively associated with MP among children with higher self-directedness but negatively associated with MP for those lower in self-directedness. The study expands the HOPE framework for child well-being by demonstrating that adolescents’ self-directedness moderates the relationship between early parenting behaviors and adolescent well-being. Our findings emphasize the necessity of tailoring parenting strategies to align with children's unique characteristics: While adolescents with lower self-directedness thrive most when parents are highly involved and positively reinforcing, adolescents with higher self-directedness may benefit most from low to moderate parental involvement. |
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| Paper #4 | |
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| Real-Time Promotive Factors Attenuate the Associations Between Stress and Well-Being Among Racially/Ethnically Minoritized Students | |
| Author information | Role |
| Mackenzie Murphy, Washington State University, United States | Presenting author |
| Joshua J. Underwood, Washington State University, United States | Non-presenting author |
| Diane J. Cook, Washington State University, United States | Non-presenting author |
| Chang Liu, Washington State University, United States | Non-presenting author |
| Abstract | |
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The transition to college is a highly vulnerable time for emerging adults (Conley et al., 2018), particularly for racially/ethnically minoritized students who must grapple with the complexities of racial/ethnic identity formation within predominantly White educational settings (Del Toro & Hughes, 2019). Navigating these stressors can lead to high levels of stress, which adversely impacts students’ psychological distress and increases the risks of mental health problems (Wei et al., 2010). Prior research has primarily focused on risk factors and susceptibilities, overlooking the critical role that real-time promotive factors play in protecting racially/ethnically minoritized students from the impact of real-time stress. This study examines real-time promotive factors (i.e., self-efficacy, social support) and investigates whether they disrupt the paths from real-time stress to students’ psychological distress and wellbeing, ultimately promoting resilience. Participants comprise a subsample (n = 20) from the College Transition Study, which uses an Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) design to repeatedly assess momentary experiences and health information via smartwatches during students’ first year of college. This ongoing data collection will include an additional 60 participants for the SRCD presentation, where we will also examine whether results differ by student gender and race/ethnicity. We assessed perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale short form), depressive symptoms (PROMIS Depression Short Form), anxiety symptoms (PROMIS Anxiety Short Form), positive affects (PANAS), self-efficacy (PROMIS Managing Emotions Short Form), social support, and positive social interactions four times daily for 14 days. Multilevel modeling with intensive longitudinal data was used to assess both lagged and contemporaneous associations, with stress, social support, social interactions, and self-efficacy as predictors and depressive and anxiety symptoms and positive affect as outcomes. All predictor variables were significantly associated with all outcome variables in the contemporaneous model. However, the effects attenuated or became nonsignificant in the lagged associations. At the contemporaneous level, social support, positive social interaction, and self-efficacy attenuated the positive associations between stress and depression (see Table 1). Similarly, social support, positive social interaction, and self-efficacy attenuated the positive associations between stress and anxiety (see Figure 1). Self-efficacy and positive social interaction also attenuated the negative associations between stress and positive affect. In the lagged model, under high social support, higher stress at the previous prompt predicted increased levels of anxiety and depression at the next prompt (see Figure 1). Results suggest that both individual-level (e.g., self-efficacy) and social-level (e.g., social support and positive social interactions) promotive factors can serve as protective mechanisms for minoritized students experiencing stress during the transition to college and that these associations primarily occur contemporaneously. However, students who experience higher social support during times of high stress may be at greater risk for future negative psychosocial outcomes, possibly due to worry about letting others down or increased pressure to succeed. These findings indicate that coping mechanisms and social support may be most effective at mitigating the negative impacts of stress in real time. Future research should consider contextual factors that influence the longer-term impact of social support on mental wellbeing for students experiencing stress. |
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Building Positive Health: Temperament, Family, and Social Context in Child Well-Being Across Developmental Stages
Submission Type
Paper Symposium
Description
| Session Title | Building Positive Health: Temperament, Family, and Social Context in Child Well-Being Across Developmental Stages |