The unequal distribution of sibling and parent deaths by race and its effect on attaining a college degree.

PURPOSE: Examine (1) the distribution of experiencing the death of a parent or sibling (family death) by race/ethnicity and (2) how a family death affects attaining a college degree. METHODS: Participants (n = 8984) were from National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 aged 13-17 at baseline in 1997 and 29-32 in 2013. We examined the prevalence of family deaths by age group and race/ethnicity and used covariate-adjusted logistic regression to assess the relationship between a family death and college degree attainment. RESULTS: A total of 4.2% of white youth experienced a family death, as did 5.0% of Hispanics, 8.3% of Blacks, 9.1% of Asians, and 13.8% of American Indians (group test P < .001). A family death from ages 13-22 was associated with lower odds of obtaining a bachelor's degree by ages 29-32 (OR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.50, 0.84), compared with no family death. The effect of a death was largest during college years (age 19-22) (OR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.39, 0.82). CONCLUSIONS: Young people of color are more likely to have a sibling or parent die; and family death during college years is associated with reduced odds of obtaining a college degree. Racial disparities in mortality might affect social determinants of health of surviving relatives, and college policies are a potential intervention point.

Maternal prepregnancy BMI and size at birth: race/ethnicity-stratified, within-family associations in over 500,000 siblings.

PURPOSE: To estimate racial/ethnic-stratified effects of maternal prepregnancy BMI on size for gestational age at birth, by comparing siblings within families. METHODS: This study examined linked vital statistics and patient discharge data from 580,960 infants born to 278,770 women in the State of California (2007-2012). To control for family-level confounding, we used fixed effects multinomial regression, modeling size for gestational age (small [SGA], appropriate, large [LGA]) as a function of maternal BMI (underweight, normal weight, overweight, obesity class I, II, III) and time-varying covariates. We conducted overall and race/ethnicity-stratified (non-Hispanic white, black, Asian; Hispanic) analyses. For comparison, we fit analogous random effects models, which do not control for family-level confounding. RESULTS: In fixed effects models, maternal BMI was most strongly associated with LGA in non-Hispanic white women, reaching 6.7 times greater for class III obesity (OR [95% CI]: 6.7 [5.1, 8.7]); and weakest in black women (OR [95% CI]: 3.0 [1.5, 5.7]). Associations with SGA were similar across race/ethnicity. Compared with random effects estimates, fixed effects were most attenuated for LGA associations among racial/ethnic minority women. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal prepregnancy BMI was differentially associated with size for gestational age across racial/ethnic groups, with the strongest family-level confounding in racial/ethnic minority women.

College Expectations Promote College Attendance: Evidence From a Quasiexperimental Sibling Study.

When adolescents are asked how likely they think it is that they will go to college, does their answer influence what they will actually do? Typically, it is difficult to determine whether college expectations promote academic achievement or just reflect a reasonable forecast of what is likely to happen to them. We used a sample of siblings from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (N = 1,766) to test whether associations between college expectations and educational attainment remained after accounting for unobserved family factors that may shape both educational expectations and attainment. Compared with their siblings, adolescents with higher college expectations were also 43% more likely to attend college, even when analyses controlled for grades and IQ. The effect of college expectations on college attendance was strongest among youths living in higher-socioeconomic-status families.

Developmental Precursors of Relational Aggression From Late Childhood Through Adolescence.

Relational aggression-a psychological form of aggression-has numerous negative consequences for physical and emotional health. However, little is known about the risk factors that lead youth to engage in relational aggression. Using multimethod data from a longitudinal research of 674 Mexican-origin youth, this study examined the influence of parents, siblings, and peers on the development of relational aggression. Increases in relational aggression from age 10 to 16 were associated with: (a) low levels of parental monitoring and (b) increased association with deviant peers and siblings. These results held across gender and nativity status. The findings suggest that multiple socialization agents contribute to the development of relational aggression. We discuss the practical implications for reducing relational aggression during adolescence.

The Nature of the Shared Environment.

While a standard part of twin modeling, the magnitude of shared environment (c2) is rarely examined by comparing estimates obtained using other methods. To clarify these effects on familial resemblance, we estimated c2 for 20 diverse phenotypes in: (i) monozygotic and dizygotic twins, (ii) all step-siblings, and (iii) reared together and apart half-siblings, ascertained from the Swedish general population. The mean c2 estimates (± 95% CIs) differed across methods and were higher from twins (0.18; 0.13-0.23) than from the step (0.12; 0.09-0.14) and half-sibs (0.09; 0.06-0.13). c2 estimates correlated moderately across these three methods (ICC = + 0.28). When step-siblings from blended (each sib biologically related to one parent) and adoption-like families (one sib offspring of both parents and one of neither), were examined separately, resemblance was much lower in the latter. We need to clarify the range of environmental processes now considered together under the term "shared environment."

Sophisticated collaboration is common among Mexican-heritage US children.

In light of calls for improving people's skill in collaboration, this paper examines strengths in processes of collaboration of Mexican immigrant children. Sibling pairs (6-10 years old) in California were asked to collaborate in planning the shortest route through a model grocery store. On average, 14 sibling pairs with Mexican Indigenous-heritage backgrounds engaged together collaboratively as an ensemble, making decisions in common and fluidly building on each other's ideas, more often than 16 middle-class European American sibling pairs, who on average more often divided decision making into a solo activity (often ignoring the other or simply bossing the other). Siblings who spent more time collaborating fluidly as an ensemble in the shared planning task were also more likely to collaborate with initiative at home, according to their mothers, which suggests that family socialization practices may contribute to cultural differences in collaboration.

Conflict with Mothers and Siblings During Caregiving: Differential Costs for Black and White Adult Children.

Objectives: Family conflict has been found to play a role in caregivers' psychological well-being; however, few studies have considered race differences in the prevalence and consequences of caregiving conflict. In this paper, we use mixed-methods to examine differences in the experiences of conflict among Black and White adult children caring for mothers. Methods: Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 279 adult-child caregivers (213 White; 66 Black). Results: Multilevel modeling revealed that conflict with mothers predicted depressive symptoms among Black, but not White caregivers, whereas there were not statistically significant race differences in the effects of conflict with siblings. However within-model tests showed stronger effects of conflict with mothers than siblings for Black caregivers, and stronger effects of conflict with siblings than mothers for White caregivers. Qualitative data revealed that Black caregivers' conflict with mothers resulted from their inability to meet their mothers' needs, inducing concern and sadness. White children's conflict stemmed from mothers' resistance to unwanted assistance and requests for support that children considered excessive, evoking irritation and frustration. Discussion: This study highlights ways in which the experiences of caregivers reflect broader patterns of differences between Black and White families in both intergenerational cohesion and health disparities in midlife.

Well-being of Sibling Caregivers: Effects of Kinship Relationship and Race.

Purpose of the Study: This study examined whether caregiving has a differential effect on the well-being of sibling caregivers relative to other caregiving groups and whether race moderates this effect. Design and Methods: Using the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States, 631 family caregivers (including 61 sibling caregivers) and 4,944 noncaregivers were identified. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to estimate the effect of the caregiver-care recipient relationship and its interaction with race on caregivers' well-being (i.e., depressive symptoms, self-rated health, life satisfaction, and perceived control over life). Results: Caregivers in general reported poorer well-being than noncaregivers, but sibling caregivers were less affected by caregiving than parent or spouse caregivers. Among sibling caregivers, caregiving took a significantly greater toll on non-Hispanic White caregivers than those from minority groups with respect to depressive symptoms and life satisfaction. Implication: The findings suggest that the experience of sibling caregivers is significantly shaped by their cultural background.

Birth characteristics and all-cause mortality: a sibling analysis using the Uppsala birth cohort multigenerational study.

This paper investigates the association between perinatal health and all-cause mortality for specific age intervals, assessing the contribution of maternal socioeconomic characteristics and the presence of maternal-level confounding. Our study is based on a cohort of 12,564 singletons born between 1915 and 1929 at the Uppsala University Hospital. We fitted Cox regression models to estimate age-varying hazard ratios of all-cause mortality for absolute and relative birth weight and for gestational age. We found that associations with mortality vary by age and according to the measure under scrutiny, with effects being concentrated in infancy, childhood or early adult life. For example, the effect of low birth weight was greatest in the first year of life and then continued up to 44 years of age (HR between 2.82 and 1.51). These associations were confirmed in within-family analyses, which provided no evidence of residual confounding by maternal characteristics. Our findings support the interpretation that policies oriented towards improving population health should invest in birth outcomes and hence in maternal health.

High use of complementary and alternative medicine among a large cohort of women with a family history of breast cancer: the Sister Study.

Use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is high among U.S. women, yet information is limited on use among women at increased breast cancer risk. We analyzed CAM use among women with a family history of breast cancer. CAM use was analyzed among women enrolled 2003-2009 in the Sister Study cohort. Eligible women were aged 35-74, U.S. or Puerto Rican residents, no personal history of breast cancer, and had ≥1 sister with breast cancer. Baseline data on CAM use in the past year were available for 49,734 women. Logistic regression models examined the association between CAM use and Gail Model breast cancer risk score. Results were compared to female participants in the 2007 National Health Interview Survey (n = 7965). Among Sister Study participants, there was high use of vitamin/mineral supplements (79 %), mind-body practices (41 %), manipulative/body-based practices (32 %), and botanicals (23 %). Overall use was higher than the U.S. female population. No association was observed between familial breast cancer risk and CAM use. Black women were more likely to use spirituality/meditation-based CAM modalities, while non-Hispanic white and Asian women were high users of dietary supplements. In a cohort of women with increased breast cancer risk due to family history, CAM use is higher than women in the general U.S. population and is associated with race/ethnicity. Use was not associated with breast cancer risk. Given the high prevalence of CAM use among women at risk for breast caner, research on the effectiveness of CAM use for disease prevention is needed.

Romantic Relationship Experiences from Late Adolescence to Young Adulthood: The Role of Older Siblings in Mexican-Origin Families.

Youth's experiences with romantic relationships during adolescence and young adulthood have far reaching implications for future relationships, health, and well-being; yet, although scholars have examined potential peer and parent influences, we know little about the role of siblings in youth's romantic relationships. Accordingly, this study examined the prospective longitudinal links between Mexican-origin older and younger siblings' romantic relationship experiences and variation by sibling structural and relationship characteristics (i.e., sibling age and gender similarity, younger siblings' modeling) and cultural values (i.e., younger siblings' familism values). Data from 246 Mexican-origin families with older (M = 20.65 years; SD = 1.57; 50 % female) and younger (M = 17.72 years; SD = .57; 51 % female) siblings were used to examine the likelihood of younger siblings' involvement in dating relationships, sexual relations, cohabitation, and engagement/marriage with probit path analyses. Findings revealed older siblings' reports of involvement in a dating relationship, cohabitation, and engagement/marriage predicted younger siblings' relationship experiences over a 2-year period. These links were moderated by sibling age spacing, younger siblings' reports of modeling and familism values. Our findings suggest the significance of social learning dynamics as well as relational and cultural contexts in understanding the links between older and younger siblings' romantic relationship experiences among Mexican-origin youth.

THE APPARENT NON-SIGNIFICANCE OF SEX IN CHILD UNDERNUTRITION IN INDIA.

The lack of significance of sex in the determination of child nutrition in India, as revealed from the analysis of data from the entire population, is misleading and perplexing. Given that child nutrition is affected by all channels through which sex bias operates, scholars have sought to explain its inconclusive evidence, looking at child-specific household-level factors such as birth order and sex composition of surviving older siblings. The paper points out that sex inequality needs to be examined in the context of its intersection with other consequential social identities such as religious membership, economic status and caste group affiliation. Sex disparity in child stunting is found to be prevalent particularly among upper caste Hindus. However, the relative advantage that poor tribal girls enjoy is reversed with improvement in wealth status. Thus, children in different social settings need customized policy focus.

Novel LIPA mutations in Mexican siblings with lysosomal acid lipase deficiency.

Lysosomal acid lipase (LAL) deficiency is an under-recognized lysosomal disease caused by deficient enzymatic activity of LAL. In this report we describe two affected female Mexican siblings with early hepatic complications. At two months of age, the first sibling presented with alternating episodes of diarrhea and constipation, and later with hepatomegaly, elevated transaminases, high levels of total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low levels of high-density lipoprotein. Portal hypertension and grade 2 esophageal varices were detected at four years of age. The second sibling presented with hepatomegaly, elevated transaminases and mildly elevated low-density lipoprotein and low high-density lipoprotein at six months of age. LAL activity was deficient in both patients. Sequencing of LIPA revealed two previously unreported heterozygous mutations in exon 4: c.253C>A and c.294C>G. These cases highlight the clinical continuum between the so-called Wolman disease and cholesteryl ester storage disease, and underscore that LAL deficiency represents a single disease with a degree of clinical heterogeneity.

Mexican-American Adolescents' Gender-Typed Characteristics: The Role of Sibling and Friend Characteristics.

This study examined the role of sibling and friend characteristics in Mexican-American youth's gender-typed characteristics (i.e., attitudes, interests, and leisure activities) in early versus middle adolescence using a sibling design. Mexican-American 7th graders (M = 12.51 years; SD = .58) and their older siblings (M = 15.48 years; SD = 1.57) from 246 families participated in home interviews and a series of seven nightly phone calls. Results revealed that younger/early adolescent siblings reported more traditional gender role attitudes than their older/middle adolescent siblings and older brothers were more traditional in their attitudes than older sisters. When comparing siblings' gender-typed interests and leisure activities, boys reported more masculine orientations than girls and girls reported more feminine orientations than boys. Older brothers' gender-typed characteristics were associated with the amount of time spent with and gender characteristics of their friendship group, but for younger brothers, sibling characteristics were associated with their gender-typed characteristics. In contrast, both sibling and friendship characteristics were significantly associated with older and younger sisters' gender-typed characteristics. The discussion addressed the different correlates of older and younger sisters' and brothers' gender-typed characteristics.

Sibling influence on mexican-origin adolescents' deviant and sexual risk behaviors: the role of sibling modeling.

PURPOSE: A growing body of research indicates that siblings uniquely influence each other's health risk behaviors during adolescence and young adulthood. Mechanisms underlying these associations, however, are largely unknown because they are rarely tested directly. The present study addressed this gap by examining the role of sibling modeling in explaining changes in Mexican-origin youths' deviant and sexual risk behaviors over time. METHODS: The sample included 380 Mexican-origin siblings (older sibling age: M = 21.18, SD = 1.59; younger sibling age: M = 18.19, SD = .46) from (N = 190) families. Participants provided self-reports of their sibling relationship qualities, including modeling, as well as their engagement in deviant and sexual risk-taking behaviors in two home interviews across a 2-year span. RESULTS: A series of residualized regression models revealed that younger siblings' perceptions of modeling moderated the links between older siblings' deviant and sexual risk behaviors and younger siblings' subsequent behaviors in those same domains. Specifically, high levels of modeling predicted stronger associations between older siblings' earlier and younger siblings' later risk behaviors controlling for younger siblings' earlier behaviors as well as variables that have been used as proxies for social learning in previous research. CONCLUSIONS: Social learning mechanisms, especially modeling, are salient processes through which older siblings transmit norms and expectations regarding participation in health risk behaviors. Future research should continue to explore the ways in which siblings influence each other because such processes are emerging targets for intervention and prevention.

Longitudinal effects of sibling relationship quality on adolescent problem behavior: a cross-ethnic comparison.

The aim of the present study was to examine whether adolescents of Moroccan and Dutch origin differ concerning sibling relationship quality and to examine whether the associations between quality of the sibling relationship and level and change in externalizing and internalizing problem behavior are comparable for Moroccan and Dutch adolescents. Five annual waves of questionnaire data on sibling support and conflict as well as externalizing problems, anxiety and depression were collected from 159 ethnic Moroccan adolescents (Mage = 13.3 years) and from 159 ethnic Dutch adolescents (Mage = 13.0 years). Our findings demonstrated significant mean level differences between the Moroccan and Dutch sample in sibling relationship quality, externalizing problems, and depression, with Moroccan adolescents reporting higher sibling relationship quality and less problem behavior. However, effects of sibling relationship quality on externalizing problems, anxiety, and depression were similar for the Moroccan and Dutch samples. Sibling support was not related to level of externalizing problems, nor to changes in externalizing problems, anxiety, and depression. Additionally, more sibling conflict was related to a higher starting level of and faster decreases in problem behaviors. Our results support the ethnic equivalence model, which holds that the influence of family relationships is similar for different ethnic groups. Moreover, sibling support and conflict affect both the level and the fluctuations in problem behavior over time in specific ethnic groups similarly. Implications for future studies and interventions are subsequently discussed.

Parents' report of child's response to sibling's death in a neonatal or pediatric intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND: Research on sibling death in a pediatric/neonatal intensive care unit is limited, despite many qualitative differences from deaths at home or in hospitals' general care areas and has overlooked cultural differences. OBJECTIVES: To describe parents' reports of children's responses to a sibling's death in a neonatal or pediatric intensive care unit via qualitative interviews at 7 months after the death. Methods English-speaking (n = 19) and Spanish-speaking (n = 8) parents of 24 deceased infants/children described responses of their 44 surviving children: 10 preschool, 19 school-age, and 15 adolescent. Parents' race/ethnicity was 48% black, 37% Hispanic, 15% white. Ten siblings died in the neonatal unit and 14 in the pediatric intensive care unit. Semistructured interviews in parents' homes were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed with content analysis. RESULTS: Six themes about surviving children emerged. Changed behaviors were reported by parents of school-age children and adolescents. Not understand what was going on was reported primarily by parents of preschoolers. Numbers of comments in the 4 remaining themes are as follows: maintaining a connection (n = 9), not having enough time with their siblings before death and/or to say goodbye (n = 6), believing the sibling is in a good place (n = 6), not believing the sibling would die (n = 4). Comments about girls and boys were similar. White parents made few comments about their children compared with black and Hispanic parents. The pattern of comments differed by whether the sibling died in the neonatal or the pediatric intensive care unit. CONCLUSIONS: Children's responses following a sibling's death vary with the child's sex, parents' race/ethnicity, and the unit where the sibling died. Children, regardless of age, recognized their parents' grief and tried to comfort them.

Familial classic Kaposi sarcoma in two siblings: case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is a cutaneous endothelial vascular proliferation with four subtypes: iatrogenic, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) related, African, and classic. Familial cases of KS are rare, with 72 cases reported to date, and all were described with the classic variant. The occurrence of classic KS in the Jewish population is well documented, and most of the familial classic KS cases were also reported in Jewish families. OBJECTIVE: We briefly present the history, biopsies, laboratory data, diagnosis, and treatment of localized lower limb classic KS in two siblings of Jewish Eastern European ethnic descent with their response to different therapy modalities. One of our cases had the second longest reported period of follow-up for familial classic KS of 40 years.