Estudos longitudinais sobre desenvolvimento moral de adolescentes: uma revisão sistemática / Longitudinal studies about adolescents’ moral development: a systematic review

O objetivo deste estudo foi realizar uma revisão sistemática da literatura para verificar como o método longitudinal tem sido aplicado em estudos sobre o desenvolvimento moral de adolescentes. Foram realizadas buscas nas bases de dados PsycINFO e Periódicos Capes, utilizando termos como moralidade, adolescente e desenvolvimento moral. Foram identificados 6.229 artigos, dos quais 13 foram selecionados considerando critérios de inclusão e exclusão. Todos os artigos foram publicados entre os anos de 2008 e 2015. Os estudos apresentaram perspectivas teóricas diversas, abordando temas como formação da identidade, socialização, empatia, comprometimento religioso, e o julgamento moral. Ainda, identificou-se que os estudos analisaram um grande número de variáveis operacionalizadas. Observou-se que os estudos tiveram duração curta, utilizando de duas a três medidas, com pequeno intervalo de tempo entre elas. Todos os estudos efetuaram análises estatísticas avançadas. Concluiu-se que existe a necessidade de aperfeiçoar e incentivar o uso de estudos longitudinais sobre a moralidade.(AU)

The objective of this study was to systematically review the literature for checking how the longitudinal method has been applied in studies of moral development of adolescents. Searches were conducted in PsycINFO and Periodicos Capes databases, using terms like morality, adolescent and moral development. 6,229 articles were identified, of which 13 were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. All articles were published between the years 2008 and 2015. The studies presented various theoretical perspectives, covering topics such as identity formation, socialization, empathy, religious commitment, and moral judgment. Also, it was identified that the studies analyzed a large number of variables operationalized. It was observed that the studies had short duration, using two or three steps, with a small interval between them. All studies effected advanced statistical analyzes. It was concluded that there is a need to improveand encourage the use of longitudinal studies on morality.(AU)

Ethical issues arising from the INTERGROWTH-21st Fetal Growth Longitudinal Study.

The INTERGROWTH-21st Project presented a complex set of ethical challenges given the involvement of health institutions in geographically and culturally diverse areas of the world, with differing attitudes to pregnancy. This paper addresses how the research team dealt with some of those issues.

Challenges of measuring diurnal cortisol concentrations in a large population-based field study.

OBJECTIVES: Longitudinal examinations of associations between daily stress, diurnal cortisol concentrations, and physiological parameters in population-based studies are needed. This study evaluates issues related to consent, collection, and protocol adherence for a low-burden saliva collection protocol. METHODS: In the 2007 pretest (n=193) for Wave IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) a three-sample, one-day, unsupervised saliva collection protocol was pilot tested. Embedded experiments allowed for examination of adherence and effects of monetary incentives. RESULTS: Although most (97%) study participants consented to collection, only about 80% actually mailed back samples. Use of a time-stamping TrackCap allowed comparison of self-reported and stamp-recorded collection times. Of returned samples, self-report of collection time was missing for about a quarter, and only about one in three respondents (of those for whom adherence was calculable) fully adhered to the collection protocol, indicating significant potential for bias. Consent, return, and protocol adherence were unrelated to key sociodemographic characteristics, and did not improve with higher monetary incentives or knowledge of being monitored. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the relatively low-burden collection protocol and use of multiple strategies thought to improve collection and protocol adherence, response and adherence were poor, leading to a decision to drop cortisol measurement from the Wave IV Add Health protocol. Large field studies should carefully evaluate the feasibility of collection and protocol adherence for unsupervised collection protocols before implementing costly, and potentially unusable, biological measurements.

Translational and clinical research in Singapore: ethical issues in a longitudinal study of the prodromal phase of schizophrenia.

AIMS: This paper aims to provide an overview of the ethical issues that have been raised by The Longitudinal Youth at Risk Study, which is being led by the Institute of Mental Health in Singapore as part of a multi-centre and multinational study in translational and clinical research in psychosis. This project is designed to identify the biomarkers of the trajectory to psychosis. As well as providing insights into the psychopathology and psychophysiology of the disease, the study will prospectively identify those in the Singaporean population with an ultra-high risk of developing psychosis. The project will collect both observational and clinically relevant data from an at-risk group: adolescents and young adults. METHODS: A normative analysis was used to consider the ethical issues that arise as a result of this study, its methods, sample population and clinical management policy. RESULTS: The project was found to raise particular and sensitive ethical and legal issues relating to the conduct of research with vulnerable populations who may be entering the prodromal phase of psychosis. Issues raised included notions of consent, privacy, confidentiality, stigmatization, duty of care and therapeutic misconception. CONCLUSION: Whereas some of the issues raised by this study present with manageable solutions, others may be justifiable within the cultural context of Singapore and warrant further discussion.

Response to written feedback of clinical data within a longitudinal study: a qualitative study exploring the ethical implications.

BACKGROUND: There is a growing ethical imperative to feedback research results to participants but there remains a striking lack of empirical research on how people respond to individualised feedback. We sought to explore longitudinal study participants' response to receiving individual written feedback of weight-related and blood results, and to consider the balance of harms against benefits. METHODS: A qualitative study with face-to-face and telephone interviews conducted with 50 men and women who had participated in the fifth and most recent wave of the cohort study 'West of Scotland Twenty-07' and received a feedback letter containing body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, cholesterol and glycated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) results. RESULTS: Expectations of, and response to, the feedback of their individual results varied. Whilst half of the participants were on the whole 'pleased' with their results or held neutral views, half reported negative responses such as 'shock' or 'concern', particularly in relation to the weight-related results. Participants who were overweight and obese used the most negative language about their results, with some being quite distressed and reporting feelings of powerlessness, low self-image and anxiety over future health. Nevertheless, some people reported having implemented lifestyle changes in direct response to the feedback, resulting in significant weight-loss and/or dietary improvements. Others reported being motivated to change their behaviour. Age and gender differences were apparent in these narratives of behaviour change. CONCLUSIONS: The potential harm caused to some participants may be balanced against the benefit to others. More evaluation of the impact of the format, content and means of individualised feedback of research findings in non-trial studies is required given the growing ethical imperative to offer participants a choice of receiving their results, and the likelihood that a high percentage will choose to receive them.