Comparative analysis of general and pregnancy-related prenatal anxiety symptoms: progression throughout pregnancy and influence of maternal attachment.

Pregnancy-specific anxiety (PSA) has been differentiated from general anxiety (GA) to better account for the heterogeneity of prenatal anxiety and possible measurement bias. A longitudinal study was conducted to determine the evolution of maternal anxiety symptoms during pregnancy, distinguishing PSA and GA, and the influence of maternal attachment A sample of 155 women (mean age 32.5, SD 3.88) were enrolled in their first trimester of pregnancy (T1) in one center and follow throughout their pregnancy. The Relationship Scales Questionnaire (RSQ), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Questionnaire (PRAQ) were completed at T1, and, for the last two, at the second (T2) and third trimesters of pregnancy (T3). Multi-level model found significant decreases in the PRAQ total score and the STAI total score between T1 and T3, but only the PRAQ total score decreased from T1 to T2. Preoccupied maternal attachment was independently associated with higher PRAQ and STAI total scores at T1, T2, and T3. Considering the progressive decline of the levels of PSA and GA during pregnancy, interventions should focus on pregnant mothers with risk factors for a persisting course of anxiety such as preoccupied attachment.

Drinking motives supporting binge drinking of Inuit adolescents.

OBJECTIVES: Binge drinking has been identified as a public health concern among several Indigenous communities in Canada. Drinking motives have been shown to significantly influence drinking patterns among youth, but no research has been conducted among Inuit populations. This article assesses whether specific drinking motives are related to the number of binge drinking episodes among Inuit adolescents from Nunavik. METHODS: The data are drawn from the Nunavik Child Development Study, a longitudinal study conducted in the Canadian Arctic. Questions on alcohol use, binge drinking and drinking motives were asked to 174 adolescents (mean age of 18.5 years). Analyses of variance were used to test the relation between drinking motives and number of binge drinking episodes over the last year. RESULTS: Most Inuit participants mentioned drinking for enhancement reasons. A higher number of binge drinking episodes were reported among both adolescent males and adolescent females who frequently endorse enhancement motives, while social and coping motives have been exclusively related to binge drinking episodes among males. CONCLUSION: Findings highlight that motivational aspects supporting binge drinking among Inuit adolescents vary across sex and slightly contrast with studies conducted in non-Indigenous populations. Culturally relevant preventive interventions that target motivational aspects and take into account sex differences are needed.

Impact of Inuit customary adoption on behavioral problems in school-age Inuit children.

A large proportion of Inuit children in Arctic Quebec are adopted in accordance with traditional Inuit customs. In contrast to adoptions in Southern Canada and the United States, the child is adopted at birth and by a close family member; he or she knows who his or her biological parents are, and will typically have contact with them. Studies of other populations have reported an increased incidence of behavior problems in adopted compared with nonadopted children. This study examined the actual extent of the increase in the number of behavior problems seen in Inuit children adopted in accordance with traditional customs. In a prospective longitudinal study conducted in the Canadian Arctic (n = 46 adopted and 231 nonadopted children), prenatal and familial variables were documented at birth and at school age (M = 11.3 years). Behavior problems were assessed on the Teacher Report Form of the Child Behavior Checklist. Adopted children lived in more economically disadvantaged families, but their caregivers were less prone to depression, domestic violence, or alcohol abuse compared with those of the nonadopted children. The adoption status was not related to the teacher's report of attention problems, externalizing or internalizing behaviors, after controlling for confounders. Despite less favorable socioeconomic circumstances, a higher extent of behavioral problems was not seen at school age in Inuit children adopted at birth by a family member. Psychosocial stressors associated with adoption are more likely to be responsible for an association with higher levels of childhood behavior problems rather than adoption per se.