Publications
All peer reviewed publications are listed below.
Displaying page 9 of 24.
Associations between respiratory symptoms, lung function and gastro-oesophageal reflux symptoms in a population-based birth cohort | 2006
Hancox, R. J. , Poulton, R., Taylor,
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Respiratory Research, 2006, 7(7), 142.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17147826
Our ref: RO520
ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Several studies have reported an association between asthma and gastro-oesophageal reflux, but it is unclear which condition develops first. The role of obesity in mediating this association is also unclear. We explored the associations between respiratory symptoms, lung function, and gastro-oesophageal reflux symptoms in a birth cohort of approximately 1000 individuals. METHODS: Information on respiratory symptoms, asthma, atopy, lung function and airway responsiveness was obtained at multiple assessments from childhood to adulthood in an unselected birth cohort of 1037 individuals followed to age 26. Symptoms of gastro-oesophageal reflux and irritable bowel syndrome were recorded at age 26. RESULTS: Heartburn and acid regurgitation symptoms that were at least moderately bothersome at age 26 were significantly associated with asthma (odds ratio = 3.2; 95% confidence interval = 1.6-6.4), wheeze (OR = 3.5; 95% CI = 1.7-7.2), and nocturnal cough (OR = 4.3; 95% CI = 2.1-8.7) independently of body mass index. In women reflux symptoms were also associated with airflow obstruction and a bronchodilator response to salbutamol. Persistent wheezing since childhood, persistence of asthma since teenage years, and airway hyperresponsiveness since age 11 were associated with a significantly increased risk of heartburn and acid regurgitation at age 26. There was no association between irritable bowel syndrome and respiratory symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Reflux symptoms are associated with respiratory symptoms in young adults independently of body mass index. The mechanism of these associations remains unclear.
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The impact of xerostomia on oral-health-related quality of life among younger adults | 2006
Thomson, W. M. , Lawrence, H. P. , Broadbent,
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Health & Quality of Life Outcomes, 2006, 4(4), 86.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17090332
Our ref: RO519
BACKGROUND: Recent research has suggested that chronic dry mouth affects the day-to-day lives of older people living in institutions. The condition has usually been considered to be a feature of old age, but recent work by our team produced the somewhat surprising finding that 10% of people in their early thirties are affected. This raises the issue of whether dry mouth is a trivial condition or a more substantial threat to quality of life among younger people. The objective of this study was to examine the association between xerostomia and oral-health-related quality of life among young adults while controlling for clinical oral health status and other potential confounding factors. METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of data from a longstanding prospective observational study of a Dunedin (New Zealand) birth cohort: clinical dental examinations and questionnaires were used at age 32. The main measures were xerostomia (the subjective feeling of dry mouth, measured with a single question) and oral-health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) measured using the short-form Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14). RESULTS: Of the 923 participants (48.9% female), one in ten were categorised as 'xerostomic', with no apparent gender difference. There was a strong association between xerostomia and OHRQoL (across all OHIP-14 domains) which persisted after multivariate analysis to control for clinical characteristics, gender, smoking status and personality characteristics (negative emotionality and positive emotionality). CONCLUSION: Xerostomia is not a trivial condition; it appears to have marked and consistent effects on sufferers' day-to-day lives.
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The Role of Low Expectations in Health and Education investment and Hazardous Consumption | 2006
Clarke, J., Kim, B., Poulton,
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Canadian Journal of Economics, 2006, 39(39), 1151-1172.
Our ref: RO518
Young people with little "social or health capital" may be more likely to take up hazardous consumption and shun investments in human capital, raising their likelihood of a "rags to rags" sequence. First, diminishing marginal utility could raise the marginal benefit of hazardous consumption, and the cost of investment. But poor youths may also have lower expectations of future success, independent of the choices they make. Lower expectations of success could reduce the future cost of hazardous consumption and benefit of investment. We test the effect of expectations on decisions to smoke, drink hazardously, exercise, and complete high school, using a longitudinal study of youth in New Zealand. We find that 15 year olds' expectations of success predict the subsequent onset of smoking, lack of exercise and failure to complete high school, but not hazardous drinking. While some of the influence of expectations can be explained by low social and health capital, IQ and other factors, expectations retain a direct effect on smoking and exercise once these other factors are controlled for.
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Parental tobacco smoking behaviour and their children's smoking and cessation in adulthood | 2006
McGee, R. , Williams, S.M. , Reeder,
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Addiction, 2006, 101(101), 1193-201.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16869849
Our ref: RO517
AIMS: To examine the extent to which childhood exposure to parental tobacco smoking, smoking cessation and parental disapproval of smoking predicts daily smoking and attempts to quit in adulthood. DESIGN: A longitudinal prospective design was used to examine the possible association between parental smoking variables in childhood and adolescence and subsequent smoking and cessation by age 26 years. PARTICIPANTS: Interview data were collected as part of a longitudinal study of some 950 individuals followed from birth to age 26 years. Outcome measures were daily smoking and self-reported attempts to quit smoking. FINDINGS: Less daily smoking among the participants at age 26 was related more strongly to parental smoking cessation in the adolescent years than the childhood years. By contrast, inconsistent advice about smoking in childhood and adolescence predicted later daily smoking. Cessation attempts to age 26 were unrelated to earlier parental quitting but were related to consistent advice in adolescence from both parents about smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Encouraging parents to voice consistent messages about their disapproval of smoking has a significant role to play in discouraging smoking in their adult children and promoting attempt to quit where their children are smokers.
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Neuropsychological performance at the age of 13 years and adult schizophreniform disorder: prospective birth cohort study. Short Report. | 2006
Cannon, M., Moffitt, T.E., Caspi,
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British Journal of Psychiatry, 2006, 189(189), 463-464.
Link to full publication »
Our ref: RO516
We examined neuropsychological functioning at age 13 years in adolescents who later developed schizophreniform disorder, compared with healthy controls and with adolescents diagnosed as having had a manic episode or depression or anxiety disorder. Participants were from an unselected birth cohort. Attentional, executive and motor impairments at age 13 were found in those who later fulfilled diagnostic criteria for schizophreniform disorder, suggesting that these impairments may be the earliest emerging neuropsychological impairments in schizophrenia-related disorders.
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Progression of dental caries and tooth loss between the third and fourth decades of life: a birth cohort study | 2006
Broadbent, J. M. , Thomson, W. M. , Poulton,
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Caries Research, 2006, 40(40), 459-465.
Our ref: RO515
The majority of what is known of the experience of dental caries among adults is from cross-sectional studies, and there are surprisingly few population-level longitudinal studies of dental caries among adults. Dental examinations were conducted at age 26 and again at age 32 among participants in a longstanding prospective study of a birth cohort born in Dunedin (New Zealand) in 1972/1973. Some 901 individuals (88.8%) were dentally examined at both ages. The mean number of remaining teeth and tooth surfaces fell between 26 and 32, reflecting ongoing tooth loss. The overall prevalence of caries rose from 94.9 to 96.8%, while there were greater increases in the proportion with caries-associated tooth loss (from 10.8 to 22.8%). Caries experience was greatest in the molar teeth and upper premolars, and was lowest in the lower anterior teeth. The mean crude caries increment (CCI) was 5.0 surfaces (SD 6.6); 681 (75.5%) experienced 1+ CCI, and the mean CCI among those individuals was 6.6 surfaces (SD 6.9). Substantial dental caries and tooth loss experience occur as people move from the third into the fourth decade of life.
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Dental restorations: a risk factor for periodontal attachment loss? | 2006
Broadbent, J. M. , Williams, K. B. , Thomson,
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Journal of Clinical Periodontology, 2006, 33(33), 803-10.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16970623
Our ref: RO514
Background: Dental caries and restorations in proximal tooth surfaces often impinge upon the periodontal biological width. Aim: This study examines whether these factors may contribute to risk for periodontal attachment loss at these sites. Methods: The study is based upon data from the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, a long-standing cohort study. Approximal tooth surfaces of 884 study members were evaluated for restorations and caries at age 26 and again at 32 years, and probing depth and gingival recession were recorded in millimetres at age 32. Attachment loss was computed as the sum of pocket depth and gingival recession. Data were analysed using generalized estimating equations. Results: Where a caries/restorative event had occurred on an inter-proximal tooth surface before age 26, the age-32 attachment loss at the corresponding periodontal site was approximately twice more likely to be >/=3 mm than if the adjacent tooth surface had remained sound to age 32. This was also true where a caries/restorative event had occurred subsequent to age 26. The association remained after controlling for potential confounders, including smoking. Conclusions: Site-specific periodontal attachment loss due to dental caries or restorative events occurs in adults in their third and fourth decades of life.
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Predictors of persistent smoking and quitting among women smokers | 2006
McGee, R. , Williams, S. M.
Addictive Behaviors, 2006, 31(31), 1711-1715.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16457962
Our ref: RO513
This study examined predictors of persistent tobacco smoking and smoking cessation in a longitudinal study of women's health. The sample consisted of 575 women, with an average age of 34 years at baseline. Follow-up occurred some 13 years later. Two models of smoking behavior were examined, the first identifying correlates of daily smoking at baseline and the second identifying predictors of subsequent quitting at follow-up among those smoking at baseline. Poor maternal education, being young at birth of first child, high level of anxiety, having a partner who smoked, and high tea/coffee consumption were all associated with smoking at baseline. Being a young mother and number of cigarettes smoked at baseline predicted subsequent persistent smoking while high levels of anxiety significantly predicted subsequent quitting.
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Socially isolated children 20 years later: risk of cardiovascular disease | 2006
Caspi, A. , Harrington, H. L., Moffitt,
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Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 2006, 160(160), 805-11.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16894079
Our ref: RO512
OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that children who occupy peripheral or isolated roles in their peer groups (isolated children) are at risk of poor adult health. DESIGN: Longitudinal study of an entire birth cohort. SETTING: Dunedin, New Zealand. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1037 children who were followed up from birth to age 26 years. INTERVENTIONS: Measurement of social isolation in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: When study members were 26 years old, we measured adult cardiovascular multifactorial risk status (overweight, elevated blood pressure, elevated total cholesterol level, low high-density lipoprotein level, elevated glycated hemoglobin concentration, and low maximum oxygen consumption). RESULTS: Socially isolated children were at significant risk of poor adult health compared with nonisolated children (risk ratio, 1.37; 95% confidence interval, 1.17-1.61). This association was independent of other well-established childhood risk factors for poor adult health (low childhood socioeconomic status, low childhood IQ, childhood overweight), was not accounted for by health-damaging behaviors (lack of exercise, smoking, alcohol misuse), and was not attributable to greater exposure to stressful life events. In addition, longitudinal findings showed that chronic social isolation across multiple developmental periods had a cumulative, dose-response relationship to poor adult health (risk ratio, 2.58; 95% confidence interval, 1.46-4.56). CONCLUSIONS: Longitudinal findings about children followed up to adulthood suggest that social isolation has persistent and cumulative detrimental effects on adult health. The findings underscore the usefulness of a life-course approach to health research, by focusing attention on the effect of the timing of psychosocial risk factors in relation to adult health.
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Family conflict in childhood: A predictor of later insomnia | 2006
Gregory, A. M. , Caspi, A., Moffitt,
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Sleep, 2006, 29(29), 1063-1067.
Our ref: RO511
Study Objectives: To examine the association between childhood exposure to family conflict and insomnia at 18 years. Design: Longitudinal prospective data on an entire birth cohort were obtained. Parents completed the Conflict subscale of the Moos Family Environment Scale when the study members were 7, 9, 13 and 15 years of age. Insomnia was examined in a standardized interview when the participants were aged 18 years. Setting: Participants were born in Dunedin, New Zealand and were interviewed at this location. Patients or Participants: 1,037 children born between April 1, 1972 and March 31, 1973 enrolled in the study (52% male). At age 18 years, 993 (97% of living cohort members) provided data. Measurements and Results: Mean level of family conflict at 7 to 15 years predicted insomnia at 18 years after controlling for sex, SES, sleep problems at 9 years and self-reported health (OR(95%CI) = 1.42 (1.17-1.73), p <.001). There was a dose-response relationship, whereby the more assessments at which families scored in the top 25% for conflict, the greater the young person's likelihood of developing insomnia at 18 years. This association was present even after controlling for depression at 18 years. Conclusions: This study demonstrates a modest but robust longitudinal link between family conflict during childhood and insomnia experienced at 18 years. Future work needs to replicate this finding in different populations and to elucidate the mechanisms underlying this association.
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Xerostomia and medications among 32-year-olds | 2006
Thomson, W. M. , Poulton, R., Broadbent,
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Acta Odontologica Scandinavica, 2006, 64(64), 249-254.
Our ref: RO510
Objective. To describe the prevalence and associations of xerostomia among adults in their early thirties, with particular attention to medication exposure as a putative risk factor. Material and Methods. The prevalence and associations of xerostomia were investigated among 32-year-old participants in a long-standing prospective cohort study. Some 950 individuals were assessed at ages 26 and 32 years, with medications being recorded on both occasions. Results. The prevalence of xerostomia was 10.0% (with no apparent gender difference), and was significantly higher among those taking antidepressants (odds ratio/4.7), iron supplements (OR/4.1) or narcotic analgesics (OR/2.4). Those taking antidepressants at both ages 26 and 32 years had 22 times the odds of reporting xerostomia. Conclusion. Xerostomia may be a problem for a sizeable minority of young adults.
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Changes in periodontal disease experience from age 26 to 32 years of age in abirth cohort | 2006
Thomson, W. M. , Broadbent, J. M. , Poulton,
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Journal of Periodontology, 2006, 77(77), 947-54.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16734567
Our ref: RO509
BACKGROUND: Information is lacking on the natural history of periodontitis through the third and fourth decades of life. METHODS: Periodontal examinations were conducted at 26 and 32 years of age in a longstanding prospective study of a birth cohort born in Dunedin, New Zealand, in 1972 and 1973. At each age, gingival recession (GR) and probing depth (PD) were recorded at three sites per tooth using a diagonal half-mouth design (measurements were made in all four quadrants at 32 years of age, but longitudinal comparisons were made using only the half-mouth data). RESULTS: A total of 882 individuals were examined at both ages. The mean number of measured sites fell between 26 and 32 years of age. The overall prevalence of one or more sites with >or=4 mm combined attachment loss (CAL) rose from 18.6% to 21.8%, whereas there were greater increases in the proportion with two or more sites with >or=4 mm CAL (from 8.0% to 12.6%) and one or more sites with >or=5 mm CAL (from 3.6% to 8.0%). The extent and severity of CAL also increased. A total of 403 individuals (45.7%) had an increase in CAL >or=2 mm at one or more sites, whereas 110 (12.5%) had a CAL increase >or=3 mm at one or more sites. Seen in approximately 4% of sites, negative GR (i.e., gingival enlargement) had a substantial effect on PD-based estimates. An increase in PD >or=2 mm at one or more sites was experienced by 345 individuals (39.1%), whereas 88 people (10.0%) had an increase in PD >or=3 mm at one or more sites. The greatest mean attachment loss was experienced at disto-lingual sites on molars, and most manifested as PD increases. Notable increases in GR were seen with lower incisors and canines. CONCLUSIONS: Periodontal loss of attachment continues among a sizable proportion of people from the third to the fourth decade of life; however, contrary to patterns in older adults, changes in the PD component are greater than the changes in the recession component. Incident attachment loss is most frequently observed at proximal sites on posterior teeth.
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The effects of childhood otitis media on the acoustic reflex threshold at age 15 | 2006
Welch, D. , Dawes, P. J.
International Journal of Audiology, 2006, 45(45), 353-9.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16777782
Our ref: RO508
Previous research has found that childhood otitis media leads to elevated adulthood acoustic reflex thresholds because of worsened audiometric thresholds in the stimulation ear, and abnormality of the tympanic membrane in the ear from which acoustic reflexes were measured. To confirm and expand this finding, our research utilized longitudinal data from 631 general-population-sampled children assessed between ages 5 and 15. Otitis media was assessed to age 9, audiometric thresholds were measured at age 11, and otoscopy and acoustic reflex thresholds testing were performed at age 15. Our findings support the earlier research, in that acoustic reflex threshold was higher in those with the worst experience of childhood otitis media. However, this was directly mediated not by audiometric threshold in the ear to which the stimulus was delivered, but by the amount of tympanic membrane abnormality in both the stimulus and probe ears. This appeared to have an effect independent of audiometric threshold. Furthermore, only those who suffered the worst, persistent, binaural childhood otitis media showed raised acoustic reflex thresholds.
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When parents have a history of conduct disorder: how is the caregiving environment affected? | 2006
Jaffee, S.R., Belsky, J., Harrington,
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Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 2006, 115(115), 309-319.
Link to full publication »
Our ref: RO507
Individuals with early-emerging conduct problems are likely to become parents who expose their children to considerable adversity. The current study tested the specificity of and alternative explanations for this trajectory. The sample included 246 members of a prospective, 30-year cohort study and their 3-year-old children. Parents who had a history of conduct disorder were specifically at elevated risk for socioeconomic disadvantage and relationship violence, but suboptimal parenting and offspring temperament problems were common to parents with any history of disorder. Recurrent disorder, comorbidity, and adversity in the family of origin did not fully account for these findings. The cumulative consequences of early-onset conduct disorder and assortative mating for antisocial behavior may explain the long-term effects of conduct disorder on young adult functioning.
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Low self-esteem during adolescence predicts poor health, criminal behavior, and limited economic prospects during adulthood | 2006
Trzesniewski, K. H. , Donnellan, M. B. , Moffitt,
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Developmental Psychology, 2006, 42(42), 381-90.
Link to full publication »
Our ref: RO506
Using prospective data from the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study birth cohort, the authors found that adolescents with low self-esteem had poorer mental and physical health, worse economic prospects, and higher levels of criminal behavior during adulthood, compared with adolescents with high self-esteem. The long-term consequences of self-esteem could not be explained by adolescent depression, gender, or socioeconomic status. Moreover, the findings held when the outcome variables were assessed using objective measures and informant reports; therefore, the findings cannot be explained by shared method variance in self-report data. The findings suggest that low self-esteem during adolescence predicts negative real-world consequences during adulthood.
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Oral health beliefs in adolescence and oral health in young adulthood | 2006
Broadbent, J. M. , Thomson, W. M. , Poulton,
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Journal of Dental Research, 2006, 85(85), 339-43.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16567555
Our ref: RO505
According to theory, health beliefs are related to health behaviors. We investigated whether individuals who hold favorable oral-health-related beliefs over time have better adult oral health than those who do not. Beliefs about the efficacy of water fluoridation, keeping the mouth clean, avoiding sweet foods, visiting the dentist, using dental floss, and using fluoridated toothpaste were assessed in a birth cohort at ages 15, 18, and 26 years. At each age, the majority of participants endorsed the importance of each practice. However, there was also evidence of instability across time. Individuals who held stable favorable dental beliefs from adolescence through adulthood had fewer teeth missing due to caries, less periodontal disease, better oral hygiene, better self-rated oral health, and more restorations. Dental beliefs can change between adolescence and young adulthood, and these changes are related to oral health. In particular, unfavorable dental health beliefs are related to poorer oral health.
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Is domestic violence followed by an increased risk of psychiatric disorders among women but not among men? A longitudinal cohort study | 2006
Ehrensaft, M. K. , Moffitt, T. E. , Caspi,
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American Journal of Psychiatry, 2006, 163(163), 885-92.
Link to full publication »
Our ref: RO504
OBJECTIVE: The association between violence between intimate partners and psychiatric disorders is assumed to reflect a causal link. This assumption is now questioned because several longitudinal studies have documented that adolescents with psychiatric disorders grow up to be overrepresented among adults involved in partner violence. METHOD: The study followed a representative birth cohort prospectively. Adolescent mental disorders were diagnosed at age 18 years. Between ages 24 and 26 years, the authors identified individuals involved in nonabusive relationships versus those involved in clinically abusive relationships (i.e., resulting in injury and/or official intervention). At age 26 years, mental disorders were again diagnosed. RESULTS: Male and female adolescents with psychiatric disorders were at greatest risk of becoming involved in abusive adult relationships. After the authors controlled for earlier psychiatric history, women who were involved in abusive relationships, but not men, had an increased risk of adult psychiatric morbidity. CONCLUSIONS: 1) Psychiatric disorders pose risk for involvement in abusive relationships for both sexes; 2) partner abuse is a contributing source of psychiatric disorders among women but not among men.
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Prediction of heterogeneity in intelligence and adult prognosis by genetic polymorphisms in the dopamine system among children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: evidence from 2 birth cohorts | 2006
Mill, J. S., Caspi, A. , Williams,
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Archives of General Psychiatry, 2006, 63(63), 462-9.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16585476
Our ref: RO503
CONTEXT: The study and treatment of psychiatric disorders is made difficult by the fact that patients with identical symptoms often differ markedly in their clinical features and presumably in their etiology. A principal aim of genetic research is to provide new information that can resolve such clinical heterogeneity and that can be incorporated into diagnostic practice. OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that the DRD4 seven-repeat allele and DAT1 ten-repeat allele would prove useful in identifying a subset of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who have compromised intellectual functions. DESIGN: Longitudinal epidemiologic investigation of 2 independent birth cohorts. SETTING: Britain and New Zealand. PARTICIPANTS: The first cohort was born in Britain in 1994-1995 and includes 2232 children; the second cohort was born in New Zealand in 1972-1973 and includes 1037 children. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Evaluation of ADHD, IQ, and adult psychosocial adjustment. RESULTS: We present replicated evidence that polymorphisms in the DRD4 and DAT1 genes were associated with variation in intellectual functioning among children diagnosed as having ADHD, apart from severity of their symptoms. We further show longitudinal evidence that these polymorphisms predicted which children with ADHD were at greatest risk for poor adult prognosis. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that genetic information of this nature may prove useful for etiology-based psychiatric nosologies.
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Cannabis and psychosis: a summary and synthesis of the evidence | 2006
Fergusson, D.M., Poulton, R., Smith,
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BMJ, 2006, 332(332), 172-175.
Our ref: RO502
The link between cannabis and psychosis has been extensively investigated in both epidemiological and neuroscientific studies. Epidemiological studies focus on the association between use of cannabis and development of psychosis (box), whereas neuroscientific studies have looked at how cannabis affects neurochemical functioning. However, these two lines of research have been poorly integrated, with little disciplinary cross fertilisation. We have brought together both strands of evidence to give a broader picture.
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Participation in clubs and groups from childhood to adolescence and its effects on attachment and self-esteem | 2006
McGee, R. , Williams, S.M. , Howden-Chapman,
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Journal of Adolescence, 2006, 29(29), 1-17.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16338427
Our ref: RO501
We examined social participation in organized clubs and groups from childhood to adolescence in a sample of young people from Dunedin, New Zealand. Groups were broadly categorized as sports and cultural/youth groups. While the results indicated high levels of participation in childhood with a decline over the ensuing adolescent years, path analyses suggested strong continuities in participation over time. Both family active-recreational orientation (ARO) and intellectual-cultural orientation (ICO) predicted participation, and mediated the effects of disadvantage on participation. Participation was significantly related to adolescent attachment to parents, friends and school/workplace, as well as self-perceived strengths, after controlling for early family disadvantage and social support, peer attachment and literacy. The effect of participation in adolescence is to widen the social convoy to which young people are exposed as well as strengthening relationships within that convoy.
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Breast feeding is related to C reactive protein concentration in adult women | 2006
Williams, M. J. A., Williams, S. M. , Poulton,
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Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 2006, 60(60), 146-148.
doi: 10.1136/jech.2005.039222
Our ref: RO500
Objective: To assess the influence of infant breast feeding on C reactive protein (CRP), a marker of low grade inflammation associated with cardiovascular mortality independent of serum cholesterol concentrations. Design: Serum CRP, total cholesterol, anthropometric, and blood pressure measurements were performed along with assessment of infant breast feeding duration, birth weight, smoking status, adult socioeconomic status, number of health problems, and hormonal contraceptive use. Setting: A New Zealand predominantly European descent community birth cohort. Participants: 822 men and women aged 26 years. Main results: There was a significant linear relation (p<0.001) between duration of breast feeding and adult CRP level in women. The geometric means (IQR) for CRP were 2.22 (1, 4) mg/l for women breast fed for six months or more and 3.95 (2, 8) mg/l for women not breast fed (ratio, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.69 (0.55 to 0.87). The linear association between cholesterol and breast feeding was also significant (p = 0.01), the geometric mean (IQR) total cholesterol levels being 4.62 (4.10, 5.10) for those breast fed for six months or more and 5.04 (4.5, 5.80) for those not breast fed (ratio, 95% CI: 0.92 (0.87, 0.98). There was no relation between CRP or total cholesterol and duration of breast feeding in men. Conclusions: The findings of lower CRP with an increased duration of breast feeding in women suggest early postnatal nutrition may influence long term cardiovascular risk.
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Watching television is associated with childhood obesity - but is it clinically important? | 2006
Hancox, R. J. , Poulton, R.
International Journal of Obesity, 2006, 30(30), 171-175.
10.1038/sj.ijo.0803071
Our ref: RO490
Objective: To assess the impact of television viewing during childhood and adolescence on body mass index (BMI) in children up to the age of 15 years. Design: Unselected birth cohort, assessed at birth and every 2 years from age 3 to 15 years. Subjects: In all, 1037 individuals were assessed at age 3 years. At age 15 years, 976 (95% of living cohort) continued to participate. Measurements: Parental estimates of weekday television viewing between age 5 and 11 years. Self-reports of television viewing at age 13 and 15 years. Weight and height were measured at each age to calculate BMI. Results: BMI and prevalence of overweight at all ages were significantly associated with mean hours of television viewing reported in the assessments up to that age. These associations were stronger in girls than boys. The associations remained significant after adjusting for parental body mass indices and socio-economic status. Conclusion: Time spent watching television is a significant predictor of BMI and overweight in childhood. Although the effect size appears small, it is larger than the effect sizes commonly reported for nutritional intake and physical activity. Television viewing should be regarded as an important contributing factor to childhood obesity.
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For debate: problems with the DMF index pertinent to dental caries data analysis | 2005
Broadbent, J. M. , Thomson, W. M.
Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, 2005, 33(6), 400-409.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1600-0528.2005.00259.x/full
Our ref: RO488.2
Abstract – The Decayed, Missing, Filled (DMF) index has been used for over 50 years and is well established as the key measure of caries experience in dental epidemiology. Despite its long history of use, there is debate about the most appropriate number of surfaces to include for a missing tooth. Assigning the maximum possible value for the ‘M’ component of DMFS (Surfaces) leads to overestimation of an individual's caries experience, and in any associated comparisons of in-caries experience, whereas assigning the minimum possible value for the ‘M’ component has the opposite effect. Alternative methods of assigning the number of caries-affected surfaces for an extracted tooth are considered. The net caries increment and adjusted caries increment (common methods of correction of the crude increment measure for reversals) are discussed, along with incidence density, a measure of caries extent. Problems exist with the adjusted caries increment, particularly among cohorts with low mean baseline caries experience. Development of an alternative method of estimating the relationship of ‘true’ and ‘examiner’ reversals is advocated, as well as greater utilization of incidence density in dental epidemiology.
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Personality traits in adolescence and satisfaction with orthodontic treatment in young adulthood | 2005
Barker, M.J., Thomson, W. M. , Poulton,
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Australian Orthodontic Journal, 2005, 21(21), 87-93.
Our ref: RO498
Objective: This study aimed to determine whether personality traits are associated with satisfaction with orthodontic treatment by age 26. Methods: A prospective observational cohort study was conducted with 1,037 individuals, one-third of whom had received orthodontic treatment by age 26. A comprehensive personality assessment was conducted at age 18 using the multidimensional personality questionnaire. At age 26, orthodontic outcome was rated as either ‘Excellent’, ‘Pretty good’, ‘Fair’ or ‘Poor’. Results: Those who were less satisfied (rating their treatment outcome as ‘Fair’ or ‘Poor’) scored lower on the personality traits of control and social closeness, and higher on stress reactivity. Individuals with low scores on social closeness were twice as likely (Odds ratio: 2.07) to be less satisfied with their orthodontic result. Conclusions: Individuals who are impulsive, stress-reactive or socially isolated are more likely to be disappointed with their orthodontic outcome. Pretreatment knowledge about certain aspects of personality might be useful to practising orthodontists.
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Lifetime risk of depression: restricted to a minority or waiting for most? Editorial | 2005
Andrews, G., Poulton, R., Skoog,
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British Journal of Psychiatry, 2005, 187(187), 495-496.
Our ref: RO497
Depression remits and recurs, but among what proportion of the population? Retrospective surveys report the lifetime risk to be around 10%. A modelling study and two prospective studies concur that close to half the population can expect one or more episodes of depression in their lifetime.
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Extending the study of continuity and change: gender differences in the linkage between adolescent and adult offending | 2005
Piquero, A.R., Brame, B., Moffitt,
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Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 2005, 21(21), 219-243.
Our ref: RO496
Recently, Paternoster et al. used data from the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development, a longitudinal study of 411 South London boys mostly born in 1953, to investigate the linkage between adolescent and adult offending and found that variations in adult offending were consistent with a random process after conditioning on adolescent offending. In this paper, we test the robustness of this early study across data sources and genders. Here, we use data from the Dunedin New Zealand 1972 birth cohort study to replicate previous findings regarding stability and change in criminal offending between the adolescent and adult years. In particular, our interest centers on the stochastic properties of the adolescent and adult conviction distribution in the cohort and whether the structure of this distribution is similar for males and females. This replication and extension of prior work is especially important since criminologists have little understanding of the pattern of female adolescent offending or how the patterns are linked to adult offending for women. The analysis reveals that variation in adult offending after conditioning on adolescent offending is consistent with a random (Poisson) process. Furthermore, this pattern is evident for both the males and the females in the Dunedin New Zealand 1972 birth cohort.
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Sex differences in factors associated with childhood- and adolescent-onset wheeze | 2005
Mandhane, P. J. , Greene, J. M. , Cowan,
... Show all »
American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 2005, 172(172), 45-54.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15805179
Our ref: RO495
RATIONALE: Factors predicting the development of wheeze may differ between sexes and between childhood and adolescence. METHODS: A New Zealand birth cohort of 1,037 children was followed to age 26. For this analysis, those reporting recurrent wheezing at two or more assessments were classified as wheezers. We examined risk factors for development of wheeze before age 10 (childhood) and subsequently (adolescent-onset) for males and for females separately using Cox regression modeling. RESULTS: Males more often developed childhood wheeze (p = 0.002) and females adolescent-onset wheeze (p < 0.001). Maternal atopy (asthma or hay fever) was a risk factor for childhood wheeze in both sexes (hazard ratio [HR], 1.48, p < 0.05 for males; HR, 2.37, p < 0.001 for females). Paternal atopy also influenced childhood wheeze, significantly for males (HR, 1.72; p = 0.01), and similarly but not significantly for females (HR, 1.70; p = 0.08). For adolescent-onset wheeze, neither maternal (HR, 1.41; p = 0.19) nor paternal history (HR, 0.73; p = 0.42) was a risk factor in males, but maternal history (HR, 2.08; p < 0.01) was a significant risk factor for females. When both age ranges were combined, providing greater power for analysis, paternal history was a stronger risk factor for wheeze in females (HR, 1.62; p = 0.02) than in males (HR, 1.35; p = 0.12). CONCLUSION: The influence of parental atopy on the development for wheeze differs between males and females and between childhood- and adolescent-onset wheeze.
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Mental disorder and violent victimisation in a total birth cohort | 2005
Silver, E., Arseneault, L., Langley,
... Show all »
American Journal of Public Health, 2005, 95(95), 2015-2021.
Our ref: RO494
We examined the association between mental disorder and violent victimization in a general population sample. We performed a multivariate analysis of violent victimization in a 12-month period on a total birth cohort with follow-up data that assessed, during their 21st year, males and females born in Dunedin, New Zealand, in the early 1970s. Compared with people with no mental disorder, (1) people with anxiety disorders experienced more sexual assaults, (2) people with schizophreniform disorders experienced more threatened and completed physical assaults, (3) people with alcohol dependence disorders experienced more completed physical assaults, and (4) people with marijuana dependence disorders experienced more attempted physical assaults. These results held after control for psychiatric comorbidity, demographic characteristics, and the study participants' own violent behavior. Mentally disordered young adults tend to experience more violent victimization in the community than those without a mental disorder.
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Usual water-related behaviour and 'near-drowning' incidents in young adults | 2005
Gulliver, P. , Begg, D. J.
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 2005, 29(29), 238-243.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15991771
Our ref: RO493
OBJECTIVE: To describe usual water-related behaviour and 'near-drowning' incidents in a cohort of young New Zealand adults. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional study based on data collected as part of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, which is the study of a cohort (n = 1,037) born between 1 April 1972 and 31 March 1973 in Dunedin, New Zealand. The data analysed were collected at age 21 (1993/94). Each study member was given a face-to-face interview using a structured questionnaire. RESULTS: Males reported a higher level of water confidence, exposure to risk behaviours, and exposure to unsafe locations, and more 'near-drowning' incidents, than the females, but protective behaviour did not differ. Males and females who were 'confident' in the water were more likely to be exposed to unsafe water locations, and water-confident males were more likely to drink alcohol before water activities, but not boating. A total of 169 'near-drowning' incidents were reported by 141 study members (63% males). 'Near-drowning' incidents were associated with unsafe swimming environments for males (p < 0.001) and boating within two hours of consuming alcohol for females (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: This study described usual water-related behaviour and has provided preliminary evidence of the factors associated with 'near-drowning' incidents among a high-risk age group. Larger case-control studies are required to further investigate risk factors for 'near-drowning'. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTITIONERS: Further investigation is required to determine the effectiveness of providing water skills acquisition in both safe and unsafe environments on 'near-drowning' experience.
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The natural history of childhood abdominal pain and its association with adult irritable bowel syndrome: birth cohort | 2005
Howell, S., Poulton, R., Talley,
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American Journal of Gastroenterology, 2005, 100(100), 2071-2078.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16128954
Our ref: RO491
NTRODUCTION: The natural history of childhood abdominal pain (CAP) and its association with adult irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) remain poorly described. We aim to investigate the characteristics of CAP over the first 11 yr of life and evaluate the association of CAP to IBS at age 26 yr. METHOD: The data were collected from a 1972 birth cohort (Dunedin, NZ) who were re-assessed at ages 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 18, 21, and 26 yr. IBS was classified according to Manning Criteria, as assessed using symptom data collected at age 26 yr. A history of CAP was established by scrutinizing data for all assessments completed from birth to age 11 yr. Three measures were described: medical service encounters for CAP, parental (mainly maternal) report of stomach pain (frequency over the past year), and a composite measure which included both medical encounters and parent report: three childhood time frames were evaluated-ages 0-7, 7-9, and 9-11 yr. RESULTS: A history of CAP was reported by 18.1% of children. This was typically characterized by CAP on one assessment; complaints over two or more assessment were rare. CAP was slightly more common in females and appeared to peak at age 7-9 yr. IBS at age 26 yr was significantly more common among individuals with a history of CAP between ages 7 and 9 yr compared to those with no such history, as assessed by any history (OR = 1.85; p= 0.02), parental report (OR = 1.82; p= 0.03), and medical service encounters (OR = 3.75; p= 0.03). The association between CAP at age 7-9 yr and adult IBS was not altered by adjustment for sex, socio-economic status, psychiatric disorder at age 26 yr, childhood emotional distress, or mother's score on the Malaise Inventory. CONCLUSIONS: CAP is a common complaint, which can progress to adult IBS in some children.
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Herpes simplex virus type-2 status at age 26 is not related to early circumcision in a birth cohort | 2005
Dickson, N., van Roode, T., Paul,
... Show all »
Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 2005, 32(32), 517-519.
Our ref: RO489
Objectives: To determine if circumcision in early childhood affects the risk of acquiring herpes simplex virus type-2 (HSV-2) infection. Study Design: Study members were born in 1972/73 in Dunedin, New Zealand. Circumcision status was sought at age 3, when the cohort was established. Information about sexual behaviour was obtained at ages 21 and 26. Serum was tested for HSV-2 antibodies at age 26 for 435 men (82.9% of the surviving cohort). Results: Of eligible men, 40.2% had been circumcised. The prevalence of HSV-2 antibodies was 7.3% in uncircumcised men and 7.4% in circumcised men. Social and sexual factors were very similar between the two groups and adjustment had no effect on the association (odds ratio=1.1, 95% CI 0.46-2.5). Seroconversion rates according to years since first sexual intercourse were 0.85 and 0.86 per 100 person-years for uncircumcised and circumcised men. Conclusion: The results support a lack of association between circumcision status and HSV-2 acquisition, although a small effect cannot be ruled out.
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Does caries in primary teeth predict enamel defects in permanent teeth? A longitudinal study | 2005
Broadbent, J. M. , Thomson, W. M. , Williams,
... Show all »
Journal of Dental Research, 2005, 84(84), 260-4.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15723867
Our ref: RO488
The notion that caries in primary teeth causes developmental defects of enamel in permanent teeth has been recently revived. The research objective was to test this hypothesis through analysis of data from the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, a longstanding prospective cohort study. The maxillary incisors of 663 children were assessed for existing restorations and dental caries at age five and for developmental defects of enamel at age nine. Where a primary tooth had been carious, the permanent successor was more likely to have a demarcated opacity after adjustment for gender, family socio-economic status, years of exposure to water fluoridation, trauma to primary teeth, and early loss of primary teeth (unadjusted OR = 2.3, 95% CI 1.3, 4.1; adjusted OR = 2.2, 95% CI 1.1, 4.3). These findings support a time-ordered association between dental caries in primary maxillary incisors and demarcated opacities in their permanent successors.
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Weight and height growth rate and the timing of adiposity rebound | 2005
Williams, S. M.
Obesity Research, 2005, 13(13), 1123-1130.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15976156
Our ref: RO487
OBJECTIVE: Adiposity rebound occurs when the ratio of the velocities of log(weight) to log(height) changes from <2 to >2. This study examined the timing of adiposity rebound in the context of the velocities of weight and height in early childhood because it is not known whether faster weight gain or slower gain in stature is the more important determinant. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: This was a longitudinal study of 406 boys and 397 girls born in Dunedin, New Zealand, in 1972 and 1973. Each child's height and weight were measured at 3 years of age and at least twice more as part of their two yearly assessments until 11 years of age. RESULTS: The mean age of adiposity rebound was 6.6 +1.10 years (SD) for boys and 6.0 + 1.21 years for girls. After adjusting for sex, the correlations between the timing of rebound and z-scores for BMI, weight, and height at rebound were -0.35, -0.30, and -0.14, respectively. Correlations between the timing of rebound and estimated values of weight and height velocities at 3 years were -0.48 and -0.00. The correlations with BMI and waist girth at 26 years were -0.39 and -0.35. DISCUSSION: Children with an earlier adiposity rebound were heavier and had above average BMIs. Early rebound is the result of higher rates of weight gain, measured in percentage terms, rather than slower than average accrual of stature. This suggests that restraining weight gain could delay adiposity rebound and prevent obesity in early adulthood.
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Personality and problem gambling: a prospective study of a birth cohort of young adults | 2005
Slutske, W., Caspi, A., Poulton,
... Show all »
Archives of General Psychiatry, 2005, 62(62), 769-775.
Link to full publication »
Our ref: RO486
Context Individual differences in dimensions of personality may play an important role in explaining risk for disordered gambling behavior as well as the comorbidity between disordered gambling behavior and other substance-related addictive disorders. Objectives To identify the personality correlates of problem gambling in a representative nontreatment-seeking sample, as well as to determine whether these are similar to the personality correlates of other substance-related addictive disorders and whether individual differences in personality might account for the comorbidity between disordered gambling behavior and other substance-related addictive disorders. Design Longitudinal population-based study. Participants A complete birth cohort of young adults born in Dunedin, New Zealand, between April 1, 1972, and March 31, 1973 (N=939; 475 men, 464 women). Main Outcome Measures Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire assessments of personality were obtained at age 18 years; structured interview-based diagnoses of past-year problem gambling and alcohol, cannabis, and nicotine dependence were obtained at age 21 years. Results Problem gambling at age 21 years was associated with higher scores on the higher-order personality dimension of negative emotionality (d=0.90) and with lower scores on the personality dimension of constraint (d=0.72) measured at age 18 years compared with control subjects who did not have a past-year addictive disorder at age 21 years. Problem gambling was also associated with Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire indicators of risk-taking (d=0.50) and impulsivity (d=0.56). The personality profile associated with problem gambling was similar to the profiles associated with alcohol, cannabis, and nicotine dependence. The relations between problem gambling and the substance-related addictive disorders (odds ratios=3.32-3.61) were reduced after controlling for individual differences in personality (odds ratios=1.90-2.32). Conclusions From the perspective of personality, problem gambling has much in common with the addictive disorders, as well as with the larger class of externalizing or disinhibitory disorders. Knowledge gained from the study of common personality underpinnings may be helpful in determining where disordered gambling behavior should reside in our diagnostic classification system.
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Association of television viewing during childhood with poor educational achievement | 2005
Hancox, R. J. , Milne, B.J., Poulton,
... Show all »
Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 2005, 159(159), 614-618.
Our ref: RO485
Background: Excessive television viewing in childhood has been associated with adverse effects on health and behavior. A common concern is that watching too much television may also have a negative impact on education. However, no long-term studies have measured childhood viewing and educational achievement. Objective: To explore these associations in a birth cohort followed up to adulthood. Design: Prospective birth cohort study. Setting: Dunedin, New Zealand. Participants: Approximately 1000 unselected individuals born between April 1, 1972, and March 31, 1973. Ninety-six percent of the living cohort participated at 26 years of age. Main Outcome Measures: Educational achievement by 26 years of age. Results: The mean time spent watching television during childhood and adolescence was significantly associated with leaving school without qualifications and negatively associated with attaining a university degree. Risk ratios for each hour of television viewing per weeknight, adjusted for IQ and sex, were 1.43 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.24-1.65) and 0.75 (95% CI, 0.67- 0.85), respectively (both, P<.001). The findings were similar in men and women and persisted after further adjustment for socioeconomic status and early childhood behavioral problems. Television viewing during childhood (ages 5-11 years) and adolescence (ages 13 and 15 years) had adverse associations with later educational achievement. However, adolescent viewing was a stronger predictor of leaving school without qualifications, whereas childhood viewing was a stronger predictor of non-attainment of a university degree. Conclusions: Television viewing in childhood and adolescence is associated with poor educational achievement by 26 years of age. Excessive television viewing in childhood may have long-lasting adverse consequences for educational achievement and subsequent socioeconomic status and well-being.
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Helicobacter pylori serology in a birth cohort of New Zealanders from age 11 to 26 | 2005
Fawcett, J. P. , Barbezat, G. O. , Poulton,
... Show all »
World Journal of Gastroenterology, 2005, 11(11), 3273-3276.
Our ref: RO484
AIM: To determine seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) in the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study (DMHDS) at age 26 in order to investigate seroconversion and seroreversion from age 11 to 26 and the association of seropositivity with risk factors for H pylori infection. METHODS: Participants in the DMHDS at age 26 and retrospectively at age 21 were tested for H pylori antibodies using two commercially available ELISA kits. Gender, socioeconomic status (SES), smoking, educational attainment and employment at age 26 were tested for association with H pylori seropositivity. RESULTS: At ages 21 and 26, seroprevalence of H pylori using one or other kit was 4.2% (n = 795) and 6.3% (n = 871) respectively. Seroreversion rate was lower than seroconversion rate (0.11% vs 0.53% per person-year) in contrast to the period from age 11 to 21 when seroreversion rate exceeded seroconversion rate (0.35% vs 0.11% per person-year). Serology in those tested at ages 11, 21, and 26 remained unchanged in 93.6% of the sample. Seroprevalence at age 26 was lower among those with a secondary school qualification (P = 0.042) but was not associated with gender, SES, smoking or employment status. CONCLUSION: H pylori seroprevalence in a New Zealand birth cohort remains low between ages 11 and 26. H pylori infection remains stable from childhood to adulthood although seroreversion seems to be more common in the adolescent years than in young adults.
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C-reactive protein and cardiorespiratory fitness in young adults | 2005
Williams, M. J. A., Milne, B. J. , Hancox,
... Show all »
European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, 2005, 12(12), 216-20.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15942418
Our ref: RO483
BACKGROUND: Fitness and obesity are both independently associated with cardiovascular events and mortality. C-reactive protein (CRP), a predictor of cardiovascular events is associated with obesity; but its association with cardiorespiratory fitness in early adulthood is uncertain. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and CRP, controlling for obesity in an unselected cohort of young adults. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study in a representative birth cohort. METHODS: We measured CRP levels, cardiorespiratory fitness, anthropometric variables, blood pressure and smoking in 26-year-old men (n=400) and women (n=315). Log CRP levels were compared across cardiorespiratory fitness with adjustment for body mass index (BMI), sex, blood pressure, smoking and combined oral contraceptive use. RESULTS: Geometric mean CRP levels were higher in women (3.23 mg/l, 95% CI 2.85-3.64) compared with men (1.70 mg/l, 1.52-1.89). Regression analysis adjusting for sex and weight showed an inverse association between fitness and CRP (beta=-0.16, P<0.001). This association held after statistical controls were added for BMI, systolic blood pressure and smoking and combined oral contraceptive use (P
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Adolescents' intentions to smoke as a predictor of smoking | 2005
Stanton, W. R. , Barnett, A. G. , Silva,
... Show all »
Preventive Medicine, 2005, 40(40), 221-226.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15533533
Our ref: RO482
BACKGROUND: Adolescents' intentions to smoke are generally regarded as a valid and reliable predictor of subsequent smoking. This association is largely based on research with adults and needs a more detailed analysis for adolescents. METHODS: Data on intentions and smoking status were collected as part of a longitudinal, birth-cohort study when the study members were 9, 11, 13, 15, 18, and 21 years of age. RESULTS: The results showed that intention to smoke only had an important predictive power in the subgroup of previous nonsmokers. Among those already smoking (on a monthly basis or greater), previous level of smoking was a more important predictor of future behavior than intention to smoke. In addition, the effect of positive intention to smoke was nonlinear over age and had the greatest effect at age 15. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that in adolescence, measurement of intentions to smoke or not smoke cannot be assumed to be a general predictor of behavior at a later age for all groups of adolescents.
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Asthma in remission: can relapse in early adulthood be predicted at age 18 years of age | 2005
Taylor, D.R. , Cowan, J.O., Greene,
... Show all »
Chest, 2005, 127(127), 845-850.
Our ref: RO481
Study Objective: To determine the frequency of relapse of asthma in young adults in remission at age 18, during a follow-up period of 8 years, and to identify possible prognostic markers for relapse. Design: Longitudinal study of birth cohort (n=1037) born in New Zealand in 1972/3. Setting: University Hospital research clinic. Measurements: Participants were assessed at age 9, 11, 13, 15, 18, 21 and 26 using a respiratory questionnaire (all ages), spirometry (all ages), bronchodilator response (ages 18 and 26), methacholine challenge (ages 9, 11, 13, 15 and 21) and allergen skin prick testing (ages 13 and 21). Results: Approximately one third (35%) of study members whose asthma was in remission at age 18 experienced relapse by age 21 or 26. Atopy and lower FEV1/VC ratio at age 18 were significant independent prognostic factors for relapse in multiple logistic regression analyses. Increased responsiveness to methacholine (PC20 less than 8mg/ml) or bronchodilator (improvement in FEV1 of 10% or greater) at age 21 were more common among those who relapsed, but the positive and negative predictive values for a previous positive methacholine challenge test at age 15 were low. Asthma after relapse was generally mild (mean FEV1 97.1% predicted). Totally new adult asthma developed by age 26 in 9% of study members who had no asthma or wheezing at any time up to age 18. Conclusions: Subsequent relapse of previously diagnosed asthma which is in remission at age 18 occurs in one in three young adults. Such relapse is not easily predicted, especially by measurements of airway responsiveness. A history of asthma currently in remission should not be used to prejudice employment opportunities for young adults.
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Low self-esteem is related to aggression, antisocial behavior, and delinquency | 2005
Donnellan, M. B., Trzesniewski, K. H., Robins,
... Show all »
Psychological Science, 2005, 16(16), 328-35.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15828981
Our ref: RO480
The present research explored the controversial link between global self-esteem and externalizing problems such as aggression, antisocial behavior, and delinquency. In three studies, we found a robust relation between low self-esteem and externalizing problems. This relation held for measures of self-esteem and externalizing problems based on self-report, teachers' ratings, and parents' ratings, and for participants from different nationalities (United States and New Zealand) and age groups (adolescents and college students). Moreover, this relation held both cross-sectionally and longitudinally and after controlling for potential confounding variables such as supportive parenting, parent-child and peer relationships, achievement-test scores, socioeconomic status, and IQ. In addition, the effect of self-esteem on aggression was independent of narcissism, an important finding given recent claims that individuals who are narcissistic, not low in self-esteem, are aggressive. Discussion focuses on clarifying the relations among self-esteem, narcissism, and externalizing problems.
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