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Biomedical subjects

B J Leadbeater

Publications and source records attributed to B J Leadbeater.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

Levels of interpersonal concerns and social functioning in early adolescent boys and girls.

Previous research has shown that the Interpersonal Concerns factor of the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ; Blatt, D'Affliti, & Quinlan, 1976, 1979; Depressive Experiences Questionnaire for Adolescent [DEQ-A]; Blatt, Schaffer, Bers, & Quinlan, 1992) assesses 2 levels of interpersonal relatedness in young adults and older adolescents: neediness and relatedness. However, studies investigating the relation of the DEQ and DEQ-A with social functioning have not used the Neediness and Relatedness subscales of the Interpersonal Concerns factor. This study investigated (a) whether the Neediness and Relatedness subscales can be differentiated in a sample of early adolescents and (b) how the 2 subscales are differentially associated with indexes of social functioning. Results indicate that this differentiation of Neediness and Relatedness, and their associations with social functioning, emerges in early adolescence, especially for girls.

Adolescent↗

Pathways toward educational achievement among African American and Puerto Rican adolescent mothers: reexamining the role of social support from families.

Although a majority of adolescent mothers are graduating from high school, the processes that enhance the educational attainment of adolescent mothers are not well understood. With a sample of 93 African American and Puerto Rican adolescent mothers, we assessed the effects of material support from family (i.e., child care assistance from grandmother and residence with grandmother) and emotional support from family over and above pre- and postpregnancy risk factors (i.e., maternal age at first birth, delayed grade placement before pregnancy, ethnicity, depressive symptoms, stressful life events, and repeat pregnancy) during the first year postpartum on educational attainment at 6 years postpartum. Significant contributors to the explained variance in educational attainment included: delayed grade placement before pregnancy, maternal age at first birth, depressive symptoms, emotional support from family, and residence with grandmother. Unexpectedly, higher perceived emotional support from family and living with grandmother predicted lower educational attainment. Post hoc analysis of qualitative data suggested reasons for these latter findings and point to the need to reconceptualize and broaden the elements of social support that constitute protective factors for adolescent mothers.

Black People↗

A multivariate model of gender differences in adolescents' internalizing and externalizing problems.

Gender differences observed in interpersonal and self-critical vulnerabilities, reactivity to stressful life events, quality of relationships, and self-concepts inform a multivariate theoretical model of the moderating effects of gender on internalizing and externalizing problems in adolescence. To test this model, data were collected in a 1-year prospective study from an ethnically diverse sample of 460 middle school students. Increases in girls' internalizing symptoms, compared with boys', were partly explained by greater stability in girls' interpersonal vulnerabilities and greater magnitude in coefficients linking girls' relationships with parents and peers and internalizing problems. Boys' risks for externalizing problems, compared with girls', were partly explained by the greater stability in boys' vulnerability to self-criticism. Coefficients for most pathways in the model are similar for boys and girls.

Adolescent↗

Maternal social support patterns and child maltreatment: comparison of maltreating and nonmaltreating mothers.

Compared to demographically matched mothers, maltreating mothers listed fewer friends in their social support networks, reported less contact with friends, and gave lower ratings of quality of support received from friends. Maternal depressive symptoms, quality of current relationships, and social support from friends were each independently associated with maltreatment status in logistic regression analysis. Implications for intervention and research are offered.

Adult↗

Predictors of behavior problems in preschool children of inner-city Afro-American and Puerto Rican adolescent mothers.

Maternal reports on the Child Behavior Checklist/2-3 (CBCL/2-3) were used to evaluate child, maternal, and environmental predictors of behavior problems in 83 preschool children of disadvantaged adolescent mothers. CBCL/2-3 scores correlated modestly with independent ratings of child difficult behaviors observed in videotaped mother-child play interactions. 13% of children had scores in the clinical range. Significant correlations were consistently found between CBCL/2-3 ratings and maternal depressive symptoms, social supports, and life stress--assessed 3 times during the first year postpartum. In hierarchical regression analyses, maternal depressive symptoms, residence with the adolescent's mother, and perceived emotional support from friends contributed most to the explained variance. A significant ethnicity x child gender interaction term also suggested that African American mothers of male children reported more behavioral problems. Findings evidence the heterogeneity of outcomes for children of disadvantaged adolescent mothers but also demonstrate how correlates of poverty negatively affect their socioemotional development.

Adolescent↗

Predictors of repeat pregnancy outcome among black and Puerto Rican adolescent mothers.

This prospective study investigated predictors of repeat pregnancies by 12 months after the delivery of a first child and their outcomes in inner-city adolescent mothers. The sample included four groups: those who had therapeutic abortions, miscarriages, full-term deliveries, and no repeat pregnancy. The therapeutic abortion group had more pregnancies before their first delivery (41%) than did full term (20%) and no repeat (15%), p less than .01. More delayed grade placement was found in therapeutic abortion -1.6 years (1.3) and full term -1.8 years (.9) than in no repeat pregnancy -.6 years (1.1), p less .001. Reading achievement scores were higher in no repeat 86.3 (17.1) than in full term 75.0 (16.5), p less than .05. School attendance was higher in no repeat (65%) than in therapeutic abortion (35%) and full-term (24%) p less than .01 groups. Depressive symptoms at baseline were higher among therapeutic aborters 18.9 (9.9) than among full term 10.2 (8.2) and no repeat pregnancy groups 12.2 (6.2). Logistic regression analyses identified delayed grade placement as the most important predictor of pregnancy outcome.

Achievement↗

Frequency of use, knowledge, and attitudes toward the contraceptive sponge among inner-city black and Hispanic adolescent females.

This study assessed the frequency of use, knowledge, and attitudes toward the contraceptive sponge in sexually active, inner-city, black and Hispanic adolescent females. A 54-item, self-administered questionnaire was completed by 208 adolescents (mean age 17.9 years) attending a gynecology/family planning clinic within a comprehensive adolescent health center. Twenty-nine (13.9%) had never used any birth control, and 49 (23.6%) had not used any form of birth control in the 3 months prior to the study. Fifty-three (25.5%) of the adolescents had used a less reliable method such as rhythm and/or withdrawal. The birth control method used least was the sponge. Only four (1.9%) of the adolescents had used the sponge in the 3 months prior to the study, and only ten (4.8%) had ever used it. Knowledge of the correct use of the sponge was poor. However, 69 (44.8%) of the 156 girls who knew about the sponge had a positive attitude toward it, and only 19% said they did not like it. The contraceptive sponge may be a viable option for adolescents, particularly those who are not using birth control or who are using a less reliable method.

Adolescent↗

Adolescent problem behaviors: the influence of attachment and autonomy.

This article reviews current literature on adolescent problem behaviors and suggests that a model based on attachment theory and theories of adolescent autonomy and relatedness can help explain the development of these behaviors. When adolescents hold models of relationships with parents that are characterized by anger and insecurity and face increased pressures to seek autonomy, a high risk of problem behaviors ensues. Treatment implications flowing from this model are discussed.

Adolescent↗