Nearly 40% of mortality in the United States is linked to social and behavioral factors such as smoking, diet and sedentary lifestyle. Autonomous self-regulation of health-related behaviors is thus ...an important aspect of human behavior to assess. In 1997, the Behavior Change Consortium (BCC) was formed. Within the BCC, seven health behaviors, 18 theoretical models, five intervention settings and 26 mediating variables were studied across diverse populations. One of the measures included across settings and health behaviors was the Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire (TSRQ). The purpose of the present study was to examine the validity of the TSRQ across settings and health behaviors (tobacco, diet and exercise). The TSRQ is composed of subscales assessing different forms of motivation: amotivation, external, introjection, identification and integration. Data were obtained from four different sites and a total of 2731 participants completed the TSRQ. Invariance analyses support the validity of the TSRQ across all four sites and all three health behaviors. Overall, the internal consistency of each subscale was acceptable (most α values >0.73). The present study provides further evidence of the validity of the TSRQ and its usefulness as an assessment tool across various settings and for different health behaviors.
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BFBNIB, NMLJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
BackgroundCoeliac disease (CD) is common. Response to a gluten-free diet is assessed through serial measurement of tissue transglutaminase (TTG) antibody titre. However, the relationship of TTG ...titres to symptoms and the speed of normalisation is poorly understood.MethodsPatients seen in 2020, and under follow-up in the Southampton CD clinic, had blood results, growth measures and symptom data collated. Time to normalisation, predictors of normalisation and relationship of TTG to growth/symptoms were assessed.Results57 patients were included. All had TTG results from the time of diagnosis and follow-up. All families reported dietary compliance.Median TTG at diagnosis was 100 μ/L (range 0.3–4360), 94.7% of the patients had symptoms compatible with CD. At 6–12 months after diagnosis, the median TTG was 3.8 μ/mL (range 0.3–133). In terms of response, 29 of the 57 patients (50.9%) had a TTG below 4 μ/mL (upper normal limit). A further 25 patients (43.9%) had a TTG<10 times the upper limit of normal. Ten patients (17.5%) had a persistently high TTG (median=8.55 μ/mL, range 4.1–303) after >12 months.TTG at diagnosis was correlated with TTG at 6–12 months, β=0.542, p=0.000016. Patients with TTG<10 times the upper limit of normal at diagnosis group were more likely to have normalised at 6–12 months compared with >10 times normal (85% vs 32.4%, p=0.0015). TTG titres did not correlate with growth measures (Z-scores) at diagnosis or at follow-up.ConclusionsNormalisation of TTG levels occurs within 6–12 months for around half of patients. Higher TTG levels at diagnosis take longer to normalise. The role of compliance is unclear.
The purpose of this study was to examine evidence of
reliability, validity, and equity, for the Romanian version of The Screen for
Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED), the 41-item ...child- (1,106
children and adolescents ranging from 9 to 16 years old) and parent-ratings (485
parents). Both versions of the instrument showed moderate to high internal
consistency, with most subscales reaching acceptable levels. Results showed
support for the original five-factor structure of the scale. Positive
correlations with other measures of anxiety symptoms, such as The Penn State
Worry Questionnaire, The Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents, The
Children's Automatic Thoughts Scale, whereas weak correlations with the
syndrome scales for rule-breaking and aggressive behavior of the Youth
Self-Report, respectively, Child Behavioral Checklist have demonstrated similar
construct validity for the Romanian version of the scale as compared to the
original one. Also, strict measurement invariance across age, gender, and
clinical status was established. The current research provides evidence of
reliability, validity, and equity for SCARED, arguing for its utility as a
screening instrument for anxiety symptoms. Implications for theory, assessment,
and future research are discussed.
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CEKLJ, FFLJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PEFLJ, UPUK
ObjectivesTo assess public awareness of the risks and symptoms of cancer in children, teenagers, and young adults (CTYA) aged <18 years in Great Britain.MethodsA face-to-face computer-assisted ...opinion survey was conducted by Ipsos MORI. Participants were a population-based sample of 1000 adults (475 men, 525 women) aged >18 years, with 26% having children aged 6–15 in their households. Questions covered perception about cumulative cancer risk, confidence in recognising signs and symptoms, recognition and perceived urgency of classical signs and symptoms.ResultsOnly 32% of respondents felt confident in recognising CTYA cancer signs and symptoms. Symptoms deemed to require medical assessment within 48 hours by over 50% of participants included seizures/fits, blood in urine or stool, and persistent vomiting. All symptoms except one were selected for assessment within 3 months. On average, respondents identified 10.6 out of 42 classical signs and symptoms. The most recognised symptoms included lump, swelling in pelvis, testicle or breast (46%), blood in urine or stool (44%), changes to moles (43%), lump/swelling in the chest wall or armpits (41%) and weight loss (40%). The least recognised symptoms were early/late puberty (10%), developmental delay in children aged <2 years (11%) and slow growth (13%), with 8%, 2% and 6%, respectively, perceiving no need to discuss them with a doctor.ConclusionsPublic awareness of childhood cancer risks and symptoms is substantially lower compared with adult cancer awareness in Great Britain. These findings indicate knowledge and awareness gaps among the general public, highlighting the need for a child cancer awareness campaign.
There exist reliable and stable trait differences in the ability to control phenomenology in response to imaginative suggestion. Hypnotizability scales measure response to imaginative suggestion ...within a hypnotic context. Because hypnotizability has recently been shown to predict measures of experiential change in psychological experiments (e.g., the rubber hand illusion), there is a need for easy-to-use screening tools which are accessible to researchers with little or no background in hypnosis or imaginative suggestion research. The SWASH is a time-efficient group hypnotizability scale which can be administered to up to 50 participants simultaneously. Here we present norms from an undergraduate sample for a recorded version delivered by a computer program alongside norms for a live presentation. Reliability, validity, and mean scores are similar across the two presentations. Computer delivery of a prerecorded script provides a simple tool to rapidly screen for hypnotizability in large groups for researchers with no prior experience of hypnosis research.
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CEKLJ, FFLJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PEFLJ, UPUK
Universal screening is a critical prerequisite to providing early school-based prevention and intervention services for students at risk for or with academic, behavioral, or emotional difficulties. ...Although use of academic and behavioral screening has become more prevalent, criteria for making informed decisions about appropriate screening tools are not readily available to those who work in educational settings. The purpose of this article is to (a) highlight several considerations about the appropriateness, technical adequacy, and usability of academic or behavioral screeners and (b) provide a general assessment of the current state of science pertaining to universal screening. The article concludes with considerations for policy and practice. The framework presented may be useful in guiding those interested in evaluating, selecting, and researching school-based universal screening assessments.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Obesity is a heritable trait and a risk factor for many common diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension. We used a dense whole-genome scan of DNA samples from the Framingham ...Heart Study participants to identify a common genetic variant near the INSIG2 gene associated with obesity. We have replicated the finding in four separate samples composed of individuals of Western European ancestry, African Americans, and children. The obesity-predisposing genotype is present in 10% of individuals. Our study suggests that common genetic polymorphisms are important determinants of obesity.
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BFBNIB, NMLJ, NUK, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Suicidal thoughts and behaviors and nonsuicidal self-injury are more common in autistic adolescents than non-autistic adolescents, per parent- and self-report. Clinician-rated measures of suicide ...risk (e.g. Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale) have not been investigated with autistic youth despite high parent–child rating discrepancies. In the present study, the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale was employed to assess suicidal thoughts and behaviors and nonsuicidal self-injury in 239 early adolescents (10:0–13:9 years old) without intellectual disability, of whom 138 youth were autistic. Analyses tested diagnostic- and sex-based differences in suicidal thoughts and behaviors and nonsuicidal self-injury, and youth consistency in reporting across self- and clinician-rated measures. A greater proportion of autistic youth reported lifetime suicidal ideation (33 of 138, 23.9%) and nonsuicidal self-injury (12 of 138, 8.7%) than non-autistic youth (7 of 101, 6.9% suicidal ideation; 2 of 101, 2.0% nonsuicidal self-injury); however, there were no sex-based differences. Non-autistic youth were consistent in reporting suicidal thoughts across measures, but nearly one in five autistic youth disclosed suicidal thoughts on a self-report measure, but not on the clinician-rated Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale. Findings suggest that autism diagnostic status, but not sex, confers significant risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors and nonsuicidal self-injury in early adolescents and that the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale may be a useful measure of suicide risk for some autistic youth, but it may not detect all autistic youth experiencing suicidal thoughts.
Lay abstract
Autistic adolescents are more likely to experience suicidal thoughts and behaviors and nonsuicidal self-injury than non-autistic adolescents, per caregiver- and self-report on single-item questionnaires. Comprehensive, clinician-rated measures of suicide risk have not been used to measure suicidal thoughts and behaviors and nonsuicidal self-injury in autistic youth despite greater parent–child rating discrepancies among autistic youth than their non-autistic peers. The Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale is a widely used, clinician-rated measure of suicide risk that has not been tested with autistic youth. In this study, the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale was employed to assess suicidal thoughts and behaviors and nonsuicidal self-injury in a community sample of 239 early adolescents (10:0–13:9 years old), of whom 138 youth were autistic and 101 were not autistic. Multiple analyses examined diagnostic (autistic vs non-autistic) and sex-based (male vs female) differences in suicidal thoughts and behaviors and nonsuicidal self-injury, as well as youth consistency in reporting across self- and clinician-rated measures. Findings show that a greater proportion of autistic youth reported lifetime suicidal thoughts and nonsuicidal self-injury than non-autistic youth; however, there were no sex-based differences. The majority of non-autistic youth were consistent in reporting suicidal thoughts on self- and clinician-rated measures; however, nearly one in five autistic youth disclosed suicidal thoughts on a self-report measure but not to a psychiatrist on the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale. Findings suggest that autism diagnostic status, but not sex, confers significant risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors and nonsuicidal self-injury in early adolescents and that the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale may be a useful measure of suicide risk for some autistic youth, but it may not detect all autistic youth experiencing suicidal thoughts.
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NUK, OILJ, SAZU, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Purpose: To describe the clinical presentation and prevalence of COVID-19 in a collegiate population at the time of initial recognition and testing. Methods: A retrospective chart review was ...performed of all students tested for COVID-19 at the University of Florida Student Health Care Center between March 9
th
and April 17
th
, 2020, comprising the first 6 weeks after spring break. Results: Twenty-five of 296 students (8.4%) tested positive for COVID-19. No significant differences were seen between positive and negative students regarding travel history or known exposures. Students who tested positive more commonly experienced fatigue, congestion, nausea, chest pain, anosmia, ageusia, anorexia, abdominal discomfort, and new problems sleeping over the course of illness. Conclusion: Initial symptoms unreliably clinically distinguish COVID-19 from other viral illnesses amongst college students. Providers should continue to have a low threshold for testing, especially as universities have seen large surges in cases related to students returning to campus.
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DOBA, FSPLJ, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
Weeland et al.
discuss the relationship between subregional thalamic volumes and obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) in children from the general population. The thalamus is the last relay node of ...the so-called corticostriatal-thalamocortical (CSTC) circuits before information reenters the cortex. There are different CSTC circuits involved in motor, cognitive, and affective/motivational processes whose information is conveyed in parallel through different thalamic nuclei.
Studies have shown that patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) show pervasive alterations in these circuits.
Indeed, such alterations are central to prevailing neurobiological models of OCD, which are largely based on the results from neuroimaging research conducted with clinical OCD samples over the last 3 decades.
This research includes magnetic resonance imaging studies identifying a range of structural changes in relay nodes within CSTC circuits. In one of the earliest reports, Gilbert et al.
identified enlarged thalamic volumes in a small sample of treatment-naïve children with OCD, which normalized after treatment with paroxetine. Although treatment effects have not been replicated, recent research with larger datasets from the ENIGMA international consortium confirmed these initial findings in unmedicated children with OCD.
Likewise, in a previous study conducted with children from the population-based birth cohort Generation R, the same sample used in the study by Weeland et al.,
total thalamic volume was also associated with OCS.
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