Dietary fat reduction behaviors in college students: relationship to dieting status, gender and key psychosocial variables.

The primary objectives were to assess dietary fat reduction/avoidance behaviors within a sample of college students, and to assess the strength of the relationship between self reported fat avoidance and a number of variables including body mass index (BMI), self-esteem, and responses to the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) and Eating Attitudes Test (EAT). A total of 210 female and 114 male undergraduate students were administered a food habits questionnaire (which assessed four dietary fat reduction behaviors), the EDI, the dieting subscale of the EAT, and the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory. Measured heights and weights were used to compute BMI. Thirty-eight percent of the females and 13% of the males reported that they had dieted with the express purpose of losing weight in the past 12 months. The finding that females in general and female dieters in particular, scored higher on the EAT dieting subscale, and relied on three of the four dietary fat reduction behaviors to a greater extent than did males, supports the assertion that women rely heavily on dietary fat avoidance as a method to reduce caloric intakes. In females, the finding that a greater degree of fat avoidance was associated with significantly lower levels of self-esteem and higher scores on the EAT and on six of the eight EDI subscales suggested that fat avoidance may be a predictor of eating pathology and/or psychosocial problems in college-aged women.

Improving the positive predictive value of screening for developmental language disorder.

In a previous study, we reported the results of an early language screening program in which 306 children were screened using a parent-report questionnaire sent through the mail (Klee et al., 1998). A sample of the children screened were given clinical evaluations within a month of screening (n = 64) and again 1 year later (n = 36). Although the screening program correctly identified 91% of 2-year-olds with language delay, it produced a large number of over-referrals. In the present study we examine a revised screening criterion designed to reduce the number of false positives. The revised criterion generated fewer positive screens overall than the original and resulted in improved specificity (96% vs. 87%) and positive predictive value (77% vs. 51%), while maintaining the high sensitivity (91%) and negative predictive value (98%) of the original criterion. We also propose a screening score based on the new criterion, designed to inform the process of deciding which children to bring in for further evaluation.

Concurrent and predictive validity of an early language screening program.

The efficacy of screening 2-year-old children for language delay using a parent-report questionnaire was investigated in three studies. The Language Development Survey (Rescorla, 1989) was mailed to 650 families at the time of their child's second birthday. Fifty-three percent of the surveys received by parents were completed and returned. Screening outcomes were then compared, in double-blind fashion, with the results of comprehensive clinical evaluations at ages 2 (N = 64) and 3 (N = 36). Parents' report of the size of their children's expressive vocabularies was highly correlated with clinical language measures at age 2. Children who screened positive performed significantly poorer than children who screened negative on standardized language tests and on measures taken from spontaneous conversation. The screening program demonstrated excellent sensitivity and specificity for identifying language delay at age 2 but somewhat lower levels for predicting developmental status one year later.

Measures of language proficiency as predictors of behavioral difficulties, social and cognitive development in 2-year-old children.

An exploratory study of the relation of language proficiency, behavioral difficulties, and various areas of development was conducted with 64 children ranging from 24 to 29 months of age (M = 25.7 mo.). Data were obtained through language sampling, direct developmental assessment, and maternal reports of children's development and behavior. While scores on measures of expressive language abilities were moderately predictive of scores on measures of behavior problems, a stronger association was found between indices of delayed speech and lower scores on both social and cognitive development. The results point to the centrality of language development to other developmental and behavioral milestones. Further, findings support the importance of identifying late-talking children at an early age so that remedial help may be considered.

Temperament and school-aged children's coping abilities and responses to stress.

To measure children's temperament and coping abilities, we administered the Stress Impact Scale to sixty 9- to 12-year-old children. Trained observers also completed an observational rating scale of coping behavior, the Coping Inventory, for each of the participants. The Stress Response Scale and Middle Childhood Temperament Questionnaire were completed by the mothers of the participants. Results showed that activity level was most predictive of effective coping as observed in the school environment. Dimensions of temperament that were most closely associated with less difficult responses to stress, fewer behavior problems, and a lower perceived stress impact were the following: predictability of behavior, positive mood, adaptability to change, higher approach, lower intensity of reaction, and lower responsiveness threshold. Age was also strongly associated with coping abilities observed in the school environment. The results have implications for therapists, teachers, and other professionals who work with children.

Children's creative thinking and color discrimination.

60 children in Grades 3 through 6 from two schools were administered the Farnsworth Munsell 100-Hue Test and teachers provided a measure of different aspects of each child's creative thinking on the Williams Scale of Children's Divergent Thinking. Fluency and imagination scores were positively associated with color discrimination. While other dimensions of creative thinking did not correlate with color discrimination, some correlations suggested thematic connections between color discrimination and other manifestations of creative thinking as evaluated by teachers. Color discrimination was also positively associated with age, as older children differentiated between small differences in colors better than younger children. As intelligence or other variables may be relevant, further study is needed.

Mothers of children with asthma: perceptions of parenting stress and the mother-child relationship.

In a study of 41 mothers of asthmatic children ranging from 8 to 13 years of age, perceived parenting stress was greater and the quality of the mother-child relationship more problematic than for a comparison group of mothers with healthy children. These mothers also perceived certain areas of behavioral difficulty in their asthmatic children that were greater than those of children in a comparative sample of mothers. The findings suggested that mothers and their asthmatic children may be at risk for a variety of individual and relational problems.

Children's prehospitalization conceptions of illness, cognitive development, and personal adjustment.

Although some empirical attention has focused on the predictors of children's reactions to surgery and hospitalization, few studies have examined the correlates of various dimensions of prehospital adjustment, even though there is some evidence that prehospital adjustment may be the best predictor of posthospital adjustment. This study included the investigation of several cognitive-related variables in association with the psychosocial adjustment of children 4 to 12 years of age who were scheduled for tonsillectomies and adenoidectomies at a Children's Hospital. Subjects were administered measures of illness conceptualizations, cognitive development, and adjustment a few days before hospitalization and surgery. The results indicated that illness concepts correlated highly with verbal receptive skills, conservation abilities, and age. Also, more sophisticated conceptualizations of illness, conservation skills, and age were associated with better prehospital adjustment, most noteably in the areas of lower levels of separation anxiety, anxiety about sleep, and apathy/withdrawal.

Intrafamilial sexual abuse: family-of-origin and family-of-procreation characteristics of female adult victims.

We examined connections between incest victims' family-of-origin and family-of-procreation characteristics in a sample of 40 American women who were in treatment for childhood or adolescent experiences of victimization. Retrospective data on their families-of-origin were collected along with their perceptions of current relationships with family members in the three-generational system. Results showed a close association between family-of-origin and family-of-procreation characteristics, especially in the areas of intergenerational intimacy, intergenerational fusion/individuation, and personal authority. A number of significant correlations were also found between subjects' past and present relationships with family-of-origin members and the dimensions of moral and religious orientation, achievement, and intellectual and cultural orientation, conflict, and control in their family-of-procreation. Some aspects of individual adjustment, including alienation, emotional discomfort, and defensiveness, were strongly related to various family-of-origin and family-of-procreation characteristics.

Temperament and family characteristics as predictors of children's reactions to hospitalization.

Findings from a study of 47 children 4 to 12 years old who received tonsillectomies at a children's hospital indicated that adjustment before hospitalization was the strongest predictor of postsurgical adjustment. However, certain temperamental and mother-child relationship factors also were strongly related to and predictive of posthospitalization outcomes. Children who displayed the most positive reactions were temperamentally more rhythmical (i.e., had regular, predictable behavior), more approaching to new experiences and people, more adaptable to change and positive in mood, and more responsive. Although family adaptability and cohesion were not significantly associated with children's reactions to hospitalization, maternal trait anxiety and maternal overprotection, rejection, and overindulgence of the child were correlated with poorer adjustment. The findings have practical implications to helping children adjust more effectively to surgery and hospitalization, and they contribute to our understanding of resiliency and vulnerability in children.

The effectiveness of a family asthma program for children and parents.

An evaluation of a Family Asthma Program revealed significant gains in relevant knowledge and management skills for parents, but not 4- to 12-year-old children with asthma. There were no significant differences between program group families and two other groups of families with asthmatic children at post-test time in regard to various characteristics of family stress and coping. Suggestions for the improvement of Family Asthma Programs are discussed.

Preclausal patterns in language acquisition: a study of Spanish-speaking children in Chile.

Language utterances were recorded in three groups of 1- to 3-yr.-old day care children in Valdivia, Chile. An analysis of the preclausal patterns of language development according to the model outlined by Hubbell (1988) indicated that 4 of 12 major utterances--experiencer-state, action-object, agent-action, and negation-X--accounted for 68% of the total number of utterances recorded. The results suggest that preclausal patterns in language development of Spanish-speaking children are similar to and yet different in some respects from those of children who acquire English as their first language.

Temperament as a predictor of psychological adjustment in female adult incest victims.

Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the relation between temperament and psychological adjustment in a sample of female adult incest victims (N = 57). Several dimensions of temperament, including activity level, mood, approach/withdrawal, flexibility (adaptability), and rhythmicity were significant predictors of various indicators of adjustment and self-esteem. The findings suggest that temperamental characteristics may moderate the effects of childhood incest on adult adjustment.

Temperament, adjustment, and alcoholism in adult female incest victims.

Female adult incest victims differing in history of alcoholism were compared to an alcoholism-only and a no incest/no alcoholism group on dimensions of temperament, psychological adjustment, and self-esteem. Incest victims with histories of alcoholism were more alienated and withdrawn, less rhythmical in their daily behavior, and evidenced lower self-esteem, more negative mood, greater social nonconformity, and more emotional discomfort than women in the other three groups. Women in the no incest/no alcohol group showed the best self-esteem and psychological adjustment and were generally more positive in the expression of various temperamental characteristics. The findings also suggested an association between incestuous victimization and an alcoholic family of origin.

Assessing child life programs: study model with a small number of subjects.

A child life program was found to be effective in reducing anxiety and enhancing the self-esteem of a small number (N = 5) of long-term pediatric patients. In contrast, the anxiety of a group of control subjects (N = 5) increased from pretest to posttest whereas their self-esteem remained stable. A moderately significant difference in anxiety level was noted between groups at posttest. The program received exceptionally high ratings from the experimental group subjects, their mothers, and head nurses. The study serves as a model for the evaluation of child life and related nonmedical therapeutic programs. Suggestions for future applied research are made.