The neurocognitive correlates of academic diligence in adolescent girls.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Fuhrmann D
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6373776 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan - Apr
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Purpose:To examine the associations between objective measures of sleep during the school week and academic achievement in mathematics and languages in typically developing adolescent girls. Methods:Eighty adolescent girls aged 12-17 years (M=14.74, SD=1.3) participated. For five consecutive weeknights, sleep was assessed in the home environment using an actigraph. Academic achievement was assessed using report card grades. Results:Girls who obtained on average less sleep than the recommended amount of 8 to 10 hrs per night had significantly lower grades in mathematics compared to girls who obtained the recommended amount (77.61 vs 86.16, respectively; ?p 2=0.11). Hierarchical regression analyses adjusted for age, pubertal status, and socioeconomic status revealed that longer average sleep time was significantly associated with higher grades in mathematics (B=4.78, 95% CI [2.03,7.53]). No significant associations were found between sleep variables and grades in languages. Conclusion:Longer average weekday sleep duration is associated with academic achievement of adolescent girls in mathematics.
| S-EPMC7047980 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Context:Growth in healthy children is associated with changes in bone density and microarchitecture. Trabecular morphology is an additional important determinant of bone strength, but little is currently known about trabecular morphology in healthy young people. Objective:To investigate associations of trabecular morphology with increasing maturity and with body composition in healthy girls. Design:Cross-sectional study. Setting:Academic research center. Participants:Eighty-six healthy girls aged 9 to 18 years. Main Outcome Measures:High-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography and individual trabecula segmentation were used to assess volumetric bone density, microarchitecture, and trabecular morphology (plate-like vs rod-like) at the distal radius and tibia. Results:Plate-like bone volume divided by total volume (pBV/TV) increased statistically significantly at the tibia (R = 0.41, P < 0.001), whereas rod-like BV/TV (rBV/TV) decreased statistically significantly at both the radius and tibia (R = -0.34, P = 0.003 and R = -0.28, P = 0.008, respectively) with increasing bone age. In multivariable models, lean mass positively correlated with pBV/TV and plate number at the radius and with plate thickness at both sites. In contrast, fat mass negatively correlated with plate thickness at the tibia and plate surface at both sites. In addition, fat mass positively correlated with rBV/TV and number at the tibia. pBV/TV at both the distal radius and tibia was positively correlated with spine bone mineral density. Conclusions:Increasing maturity across late childhood and adolescence is associated with changes in trabecular morphology anticipated to contribute to bone strength. Body composition correlates with trabecular morphology, suggesting that muscle mass and adiposity in youth may contribute to long-term skeletal health.
| S-EPMC5761494 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundAdolescent girls in Nigeria are at heightened risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. However, there are limited studies on psychosocial factors that are associated with safe sex intentions among this population. Self-efficacy has been established as an important correlate of behavioral intentions and the actual behavior. The objective of this research was to examine how key psychosocial factors such as social support, parental monitoring, and future orientation influence perceived safe sex self-efficacy among in-school adolescent girls in Nigeria. Furthermore, we assessed the associations between these psychosocial factors and HIV-related knowledge and safe sex self-efficacy.MethodsA self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 426 adolescent girls attending public and private school systems in Lagos, Nigeria. Multiple linear regression was used to evaluate the influence of psychosocial and demographic factors on safe sex self-efficacy. Further, stratified analysis was conducted to compare the estimates between participants attending public schools (n = 272) and those attending private schools (n = 154).FindingsResults from the study show that future orientation (β = 0.17; p < 0.05), participants age (β = 0.14; p < 0.05), and HIV knowledge accuracy (β = 0.17; p < 0.05) were associated with safe sex self-efficacy. Future orientation remained statistically significant in the sub-group analysis among participants attending public (β = 0.13; p < 0.05) and private schools (β = 0.24; p < 0.05). Among participants attending public schools, HIV accuracy (β = 0.2; p < 0.05) remained a significant correlate of safe sex self-efficacy while this association dissipated among private school attendees.ConclusionsThese findings point to the importance of including future orientation strategies in interventions developed for in-school adolescent girls in Nigeria. School-based interventions that increase positive future orientation outcomes may be beneficial to improve safe sex intentions among adolescent girls in Nigeria.
| S-EPMC7310695 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Early adolescence is marked by puberty, and is also a time of flux in self-perception. However, there is limited research on the neural correlates of self-evaluation in relation to pubertal development. The current study examined relationships between neural activation during self-evaluation of social traits and maturation (age and pubertal development) in a community sample of female adolescents. Participants (N?=?143; age M?=?11.65, range?=?10.0-13.0) completed a functional MRI task in which they judged the self-descriptiveness of adjectives for prosocial, antisocial and social status-related traits. Pubertal development was based on self-report, and was also examined using morning salivary testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, and estradiol. Contrary to preregistered hypotheses, neither age nor pubertal development were related to neural activation during self-evaluation. We further examined whether activation in two regions-of-interest, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and perigenual anterior cingulate (pgACC), was associated with trial-level self-evaluative behavior. In line with preregistered hypotheses, higher vmPFC and pgACC activation during self-evaluation were both associated with a higher probability of endorsing negative adjectives, and a lower probability of endorsing positive adjectives. Future studies should examine neural trajectories of self-evaluation longitudinally, and investigate the predictive value of the neural correlates of self-evaluation for adolescent mental health.
| S-EPMC7260676 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Physical activity (PA) declines sharply and rapidly during adolescence, especially among girls, posing a risk for inactivity and obesity in adulthood. This study identified personal, behavioral, and socioenvironmental correlates of concurrent and 6-month longitudinal PA among adolescent girls.Data were gathered from 356 adolescent girls (mean age 15.8 ± 1.2 years; > 75% racial/ethnic minorities) in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area in 2007-2009. Linear regression analyses controlling for age, race/ethnicity, and school were conducted predicting baseline and follow-up levels of total PA and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) assessed via 3-Day Physical Activity Recall. Models were fit for each correlate individually and for all correlates together, mutually adjusted.For concurrent PA, significant positive predictors when adjusting for the influence of all other variables included self-efficacy, support from friends and teachers, and friends' PA. Total screen time and distance from school to PA resources related inversely to concurrent PA. In mutually-adjusted models, 6-month PA was positively related to self-worth, family support, and parent PA and inversely related to total screen time.PA interventions with adolescent girls might be enhanced by involving adolescents' social networks and also by helping adolescents feel better about their self-worth and athletic abilities.
| S-EPMC4107657 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Numerous data demonstrate that distracting emotional stimuli cause behavioral slowing (i.e. emotional conflict) and that behavior dynamically adapts to such distractors. However, the cognitive and neural mechanisms that mediate these behavioral findings are poorly understood. Several theoretical models have been developed that attempt to explain these phenomena, but these models have not been directly tested on human behavior nor compared. A potential tool to overcome this limitation is Hidden Markov Modeling (HMM), which is a computational approach to modeling indirectly observed systems. Here, we administered an emotional Stroop task to a sample of healthy adolescent girls (N = 24) during fMRI and used HMM to implement theoretical behavioral models. We then compared the model fits and tested for neural representations of the hidden states of the most supported model. We found that a modified variant of the model posited by Mathews et al. (1998) was most concordant with observed behavior and that brain activity was related to the model-based hidden states. Particularly, while the valences of the stimuli themselves were encoded primarily in the ventral visual cortex, the model-based detection of threatening targets was associated with increased activity in the bilateral anterior insula, while task effort (i.e. adaptation) was associated with reduction in the activity of these areas. These findings suggest that emotional target detection and adaptation are accomplished partly through increases and decreases, respectively, in the perceived immediate relevance of threatening cues and also demonstrate the efficacy of using HMM to apply theoretical models to human behavior.
| S-EPMC5830311 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND:HIV acquisition remains high among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW, aged 15-24 years) in sub-Saharan Africa. We aimed to estimate prevalence and incidence of HIV in AGYW and to identify correlates of HIV infection by using data from the Lesotho Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (LePHIA). METHODS:LePHIA was a nationally representative survey of adults and children based on a multistage cluster sampling method with random selection of enumeration areas and households. All adults aged 15 years and older who had slept in the household the night before were eligible for participation; participants completed an interview and HIV testing. We estimated incidence with the HIV-1 limiting antigen avidity enzyme immunoassay combined with viral load and examined the association between demographic and behavioural variables (including characteristics of cohabitating mothers and sexual partners, when available) and prevalence and incidence among AGYW using logistic regression, incorporating survey weights. FINDINGS:We interviewed 8824 households, including 2358 AGYW who were tested for HIV infection. Weighted HIV prevalence was 11·1% (95% CI 9·7-12·5) in the overall population (273 of 2358 AGYW), 5·7% (4·1-7·2) in adolescent girls aged 15-19 years (64 of 1156), and 16·7% (14·4-19·0) in women aged 20-24 years (209 of 1212). Annualised HIV incidence was 1·8% (0·8-2·8). Correlates of prevalent infection include reporting a history of anal sex (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3·08, 1·11-8·57), having lived outside Lesotho in the past year (1·86, 1·01-3·42), having a partner suspected or known to be HIV positive (11·7, 6·0-22·5), and having two or more lifetime sexual partners (1·84, 1·21-2·78, for 2-3 lifetime sexual partners; 2·44, 1·45-4·08, for ?4 lifetime sexual partners). For the 570 AGYW living with their mothers, maternal education was negatively associated with HIV prevalence in their daughters (aOR 0·36, 0·15-0·82, per increase in level attended). For AGYW with a cohabitating partner, the factors associated with AGYW infection were partner age (OR 4·54, 1·30-15·80, for partners aged 35-49 years, although the OR was no longer significant when adjusted for HIV status of partner), HIV status (aOR 11·22, 4·05-31·05), lack of viral load suppression (OR 0·16, 0·04-0·66), and partner employment in the past year (aOR 3·41, 1·12-10·42). INTERPRETATION:The findings confirm the importance of improving the treatment cascade in male partners and targeting preventive interventions to AGYW who are at increased risk. A regional approach to prevention could mitigate the effect of migration on transnational spread of HIV. FUNDING:President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
| S-EPMC6829164 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Understanding factors related to girls' body image discrepancy, which is the difference between self-perceived current or actual and ideal body size, is important for addressing body-related issues and preventing adverse sequelae. Two aims were to: 1) examine demographic differences in body image discrepancy; and 2) determine the association of body image discrepancy with weight status, percent body fat, physical activity, sedentary behavior, and cardiovascular (CV) fitness among young adolescent girls.The cross-sectional study included a secondary analysis of baseline data from a group randomized controlled trial including 1519 5th-8th grade girls in 24 U.S. schools. Girls completed physical activity and sedentary behavior surveys. To indicate perceived current/actual and ideal body image, girls selected from nine body figures the one that represented how they look now and another showing how they want to look. Girls wore accelerometers measuring physical activity. Height, weight, and percent body fat were assessed. The Progressive Aerobic CV Endurance Run was used to estimate CV fitness. Independent t-test, one- and two-way ANOVA, correlational analyses, and hierarchical linear regressions were performed.The majority (67.5%; n?=?1023) chose a smaller ideal than current/actual figure. White girls had higher body image discrepancy than Black girls (p?=?.035). Body image discrepancy increased with increasing weight status (F3,1506?=?171.32, p?<?.001). Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and vigorous physical activity were negatively correlated with body image discrepancy (r?=?-.10, p?<?.001; r?=?-.14, p?<?.001, respectively), but correlations were not significant after adjusting for race and body mass index (BMI), respectively. Body image discrepancy was moderately correlated with CV fitness (r?=?-.55, p?<?.001). After adjusting for demographics, percent body fat, but not CV fitness or MVPA, influenced body image discrepancy. Girls with higher percent body fat had higher body image discrepancy (p?<?.001).This study provided important information to guide interventions for promoting a positive body image among girls.ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT01503333 , registration date: January 4, 2012.
| S-EPMC5717818 | biostudies-literature
Project description:About 20% of youth are obese with higher risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes (T2D). We have recently reported that in obese adolescents altered pattern of fat distribution is associated with insulin resistance and T2D. In particular, the high ratio of visceral AT depot (VAT) to abdominal subcutaneous AT depot (SAT) (high VAT/(VAT+SAT)) was associated with a metabolically unhealthy phenotype with high risk for insulin resistance and T2D. CIDEA (Cell death inducing DNA fragmentation factor-alpha-like A) is a member of CIDE family and it is not only involved in the promotion of cell death and DNA fragmentation but it also plays critical roles in the lipid droplets formation and growth. Here we demonstrated in abdominal SAT from adolescent obese girls with high VAT/(VAT+SAT) a significant reduction of CIDEA expression associated with an increase in fasting insulin, serum FFA and consequent insulin resistance. We also demonstrated a direct correlation between CIDEA expression and fraction of large cells and an inverse correlation with small adipocytes number and pre-adipocytes proliferation. After gaining weight, we observed an increase in adipocytes cell diameter but a decrease in CIDEA expression, and the transcriptomic analysis showed a gene profile linked to adipocyte dysfunction. Together, these data suggested that in subjects with high VAT/(VAT+SAT) decreased CIDEA expression is associated with an increase in adipocyte cell sizing and consecutive insulin resistance.
2021-12-01 | GSE159955 | GEO
Project description:Academic performance in adolescence strongly influences adult prospects. Intelligence quotient (IQ) has historically been considered a strong predictor of academic performance. Less objectively explored have been morphometric features. We analyzed brain MRI morphometry metrics in early adolescence (age 12-14 years) as quantitative predictors of academic performance over high school using a naïve Bayesian classifier approach with n?=?170 subjects. Based on the mean GPA, subjects were divided into high (GPA ?3.54; n?=?87) and low (GPA <3.54; n?=?83) academic performers. Covariance analysis was performed to look at the influence of subject demographics. We examined predictive features from the 343 available regions (surface areas, cortical thickness, and subcortical volumes) and applied 4 algorithms for selection and reduction of attributes using Weka. Cortical thickness measures performed better than surface areas or subcortical volumes as predictors of academic performance. We identified 15 cortical thickness regions most predictive of academic performance, three of which have not been described in the literature predictive of academic performance. These were in the left hemisphere fusiform, bilateral insula, and left hemisphere paracentral regions. Prediction had a sensitivity of 0.65 and specificity of 0.73 with independent validation. Follow-up independent t-test analyses between high and low academic achievers on 10 of 15 regions showed between-group significance at the p?<?0.05 level. High achievers demonstrated thicker cortices than low achievers. These newly identified regions may help pinpoint new targets for further study in understanding the developing adolescent brain in the classroom setting.
| S-EPMC6298856 | biostudies-literature