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Biomedical subjects

D M Fergusson

Publications and source records attributed to D M Fergusson.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Maternal depressive symptoms and depressive symptoms in adolescents.

The relationship between maternal depressive symptoms and rates of adolescent (15-16 years) depressive symptoms was studied in a birth cohort of 934 New Zealand children. There was a clear correlation between maternal depressive symptoms and subsequent depressive symptoms in adolescent females (r = .44) but no association (r = -.01) between maternal depressive symptoms and depressive symptoms in adolescent males. Subsequent analysis suggested that the correlation between maternal depression and depressive symptoms in adolescent females was largely explained by the associations of both measures with a series of social and contextual factors including social disadvantage, marital discord and family adversity. It is concluded that maternal depression is only associated with depression in adolescence insofar as maternal depression is associated with social disadvantage, marital discord or family adversity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

The adolescent outcomes of adoption: a 16-year longitudinal study.

The childhood history and adolescent adjustment of children placed in adoptive, biological two parent and single parent families were examined in a birth cohort of 1265 New Zealand children studied to the age of 16 years. This study suggested that children who entered adoptive families were advantaged throughout childhood in a number of areas including childhood experiences, standards of health care, family material conditions, family stability and mother/child interaction. However, the environmental advantages experienced by children who entered adoptive families were not directly reflected in the pattern of adolescent adjustment of this group. In particular, children placed in adoptive families had rates of externalising behaviours (including conduct disorders, juvenile offending and substance use behaviours) that were significantly higher than children reared in biological two parent families but somewhat lower than those of children who entered single parent families at birth.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1995

Predictive validity of categorically and dimensionally scored measures of disruptive childhood behaviors.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the predictive validity of categorical and dimensional methods of representing variation in disruptive childhood behaviors. METHOD: A birth cohort comprising 935 New Zealand children was assessed at age 15 years on measures based on DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria for oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. These symptom measures were scored in two ways: (1) as cases or noncases using DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria and (2) as dimensional variables in which the severity of disturbance ranged from none to severe. At age 16 years the cohort was reassessed on a series of measures including substance use behaviors, juvenile offending, and school dropout. RESULTS: The analysis compared the efficacy of the categorically and dimensionally scored measures at age 15 years as predictors of outcomes observed at age 16 years. This comparison showed evidence of continuous and generally linear dose-response functions between symptom severity and outcome risks and that dimensionally scored variables were considerably better predictors of outcome than measures based on a diagnostic classification. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the view that disruptive behavior problems have dimensional properties in which the severity of disturbance ranges from none to severe. While DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria may have considerable value and utility as a means of diagnosing in young people behavior disturbances that merit clinical attention, the routine use of these criteria as a means of describing behavioral variability may result in a system of measurement that produces variables that have less than optimal predictive validity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

AIDS knowledge and condom use in a birth cohort of 16 year olds.

AIMS: The aims of this study were to examine levels of AIDS knowledge and contraceptive practices in a birth cohort of 16 year old Christchurch born children. METHODS: The study was based on the birth cohort of young people participating in the Christchurch Health and Development Study. At age 16 years 953 subjects were questioned about: (a) levels of AIDS knowledge using a 16 item AIDS knowledge questionnaire; (b) rates of sexual activity; (c) patterns of contraceptive use. RESULTS: Members of this cohort had a generally very high knowledge of AIDS with 92% of the sample responding correctly to 14 or more of the 16 AIDS knowledge questions. Just over a quarter of this sample were sexually active during their 16th year and it was estimated that condoms were used in 59% of all sexual acts reported by sample members. There was a clear tendency for rates of condom use to decline with increasing sexual experience with this decline being due to the fact that as teenagers become more sexually experienced condoms were progressively replaced by other contraceptive methods. Those with high levels of AIDS knowledge used condoms at a higher rate of those with low levels of AIDS knowledge even when due allowance was made for the frequency of sexual activity and other potentially confounding factors. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that publicity and education about AIDS has been successful in producing high levels of knowledge about this condition in this cohort. However, this knowledge was not directly translated into high levels of condom use largely as a result of the fact that as teenagers became increasingly sexually experienced there was a tendency for condom use to be replaced by other methods of contraception and notably the contraceptive pill.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1994

Alcohol consumption and associated problems in a birth cohort of 15 year olds.

AIMS: This study documents patterns of alcohol consumption and alcohol abuse in a birth cohort of 965 Christchurch born children studied to the age of 15 years. Additionally, the study documents the associations between measures of alcohol consumption and a range of other aspects of adolescent development. METHOD: Data on patterns of alcohol use, alcohol related problems and other aspects of adolescent development were collected at age 15 years on the basis of self report, parental reports and official records. RESULTS: For most sample members the consumption of alcohol was both infrequent (28.4% were classified as nondrinkers and 23.9% had drunk alcohol only once or twice in the preceding year) and moderate. However, 6.7% reported weekly drinking and 3.3%-6.8% of the sample reported drinking the equivalent of at least 90 mL of pure alcohol on the last or typical drinking occasion. 19.1% of the sample reported experiencing problems as a result of their drinking and 4.9% of the sample met criteria for alcohol abuse. Measures of alcohol consumption were found to be highly associated with measures of daily cigarette smoking, cannabis use, sexual activity, police contact and depression. CONCLUSIONS: While overall levels of alcohol consumption in this cohort were moderate there was evidence of a minority of adolescents who consumed alcohol frequently, in large amounts or who experienced alcohol related problems. Measures of frequent, heavy or problem alcohol use were found to be highly associated with a range of other aspects of adolescent development.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

The comorbidities of adolescent problem behaviors: a latent class model.

The correlations and comorbidities of a series of adolescent problem behaviors were studied in a sample of 739 New Zealand 15-year-olds. This analysis revealed the presence of strong comorbidities between different problem behaviors. The data were modeled using methods of unrestricted latent class analysis and this suggested that the best fitting model to describe the data was one which assumed that adolescent problem behaviors were described by four general classes of children. While the same general four-class model applied to males and females, there were marked gender differences in the rates of problems. Specifically, the predominant problem behaviors in females were those relating to an accelerated transition to adulthood marked by early sexual activity, alcohol abuse, and cannabis use whereas the predominant problems for boys were related to antisocial and law-breaking behaviors. Rates of children with no problems (85%) and with multiple problems (3%) were similar for boys and girls.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Parental separation, adolescent psychopathology, and problem behaviors.

OBJECTIVE: This paper examines the effects of parental separation on the occurrence of adolescent psychopathology and problem behaviors at age 15 years. METHODS: Data collected during the course of a 15-year longitudinal study were used to examine a sample of 935 children with respect to exposure to parental separation during childhood, measures of adolescent psychopathology and problem behaviors at age 15 years, and prospectively collected confounding factors. RESULTS: Children exposed to parental separation during childhood had elevated risks of a range of adolescent problems, including substance abuse or dependence, conduct or oppositional disorders, mood and anxiety disorders, and early-onset sexual activity. However, adjustment for confounding factors explained a large amount of the increased risks of adolescent disorder, and after adjustment for confounders the odds ratios between exposure to parental separation and adolescent outcomes ranged from 1.07 to 3.32 with a median value of 1.46. The ways in which boys and girls responded to parental separation were similar. CONCLUSIONS: While the results suggested that children exposed to parental separation had increased risks of adolescent problems, much of this association appeared to be spurious and arose from confounding social and contextual factors that were present in the child's family before parental separation. However, even after such control, the results suggested that exposure to parental separation during childhood was associated with small but detectable increases in risks of adolescent conduct disorder, mood disorder, and substance abuse disorders.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Structure of DSM-III-R criteria for disruptive childhood behaviors: confirmatory factor models.

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this analysis were to examine the extent to which DSM-III-R criteria for disruptive behavior patterns were consistent with the system of diagnoses proposed. Particular attention was paid to (1) whether oppositional defiant disorder is factorially distinct from conduct disorder (CD) and (2) the extent to which CD can be further classified into overt and covert CD behaviors. METHOD: Data were gathered on DSM-III-R criteria for disruptive behavior patterns for a sample of 739 New Zealand 15-year-olds using data provided by parental and self-report. These data were supplemented by officially recorded police contact data. RESULTS: Application of methods of confirmatory factor analysis suggested that the diagnostic criteria in DSM-III-R reflected a constellation of distinct but highly correlated behavioral domains, with these domains corresponding to oppositional defiant disorder, overt CD (aggression, violence), covert CD (theft, dishonesty), and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder behavior. Results of second-order factor analysis methods suggested that these dimensions reflected two general higher-order factors, with the first factor reflecting the extent to which the individual displayed behavioral symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and the second reflecting the extent to which the individual expressed antisocial, conduct-disordered behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: The results of confirmatory factor analysis generally support and validate the diagnostic classifications proposed in DSM-III-R but suggest possible refinements that draw distinctions between overt and covert expressions of CD.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

The effect of parental alcohol problems on rates of adolescent psychiatric disorders.

The relationships between parental alcohol problems and risks of psychiatric disorders including substance abuse, conduct, attention deficit, mood and anxiety disorders were examined in a birth cohort of New Zealand children studied to the age of 15 years. This analysis showed that children exposed to alcoholic parents had risks of adolescent psychiatric disorders that were between 2.2 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.4; 3.3) to 3.9 (95% CI = 2.40; 6.0) times higher than children whose parents did not report alcohol problems. After adjustment for a range of confounding factors these associations tended to reduce but even after adjustment, children of alcoholic parents had rates of disorder that were between 1.6 (95% CI = 1.1; 2.6) to 3.0 (95% CI = 1.8; 4.5) times higher than the offspring of parents who did not have alcohol problems. The analysis suggested approximately linear relationships between the extent of reported parental alcohol problems and risks of disorder. There was no evidence to suggest that, in general, males responded to parental alcohol problems in a way that differed from the response of females.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Childhood exposure to alcohol and adolescent drinking patterns.

This paper examines the relationships between age at first exposure to alcohol and four measures of drinking behaviour (frequency of drinking, typical and most amount consumed, alcohol-related problems) at age 15 years in a birth cohort of New Zealand children. There were small but consistent correlations (r = -0.10 to -0.16) between self-reported age at first exposure to alcohol and the four measures of alcohol consumption. These associations remained statistically significant (p < 0.05) after control for a wide range of potentially confounding covariates including measures of family socio-demographic background, parental alcohol use and attitudes to alcohol use and early childhood behaviour. After control for these factors, children who had been introduced to alcohol before the age of 6 years were 1.9 to 2.4 times more likely to report frequent, heavy or problem drinking at age 15 years than children who did not drink alcohol before the age of 13. It is concluded that young people reared in home environments that have permissive attitudes to alcohol use and who are introduced to alcohol at an earlier age may be more vulnerable to alcohol-related problems in adolescence.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Early solid food diet and eczema in childhood: a 10-year longitudinal study.

The relationship between early solid feeding in the first four months and risks of eczema in childhood was examined in a birth cohort of 1265 children studied to the age of 10 years. The major findings of this analysis were: 1) children exposed to a diverse solid food diet during their first four months had risks of eczema in early childhood which were about 1.6 times those of children who were not introduced to solid food by age four months. These associations persisted when a range of confounding factors (including family history of atopic disease, infant milk diet (breast/bottle) and family social background factors) were taken into account. 2) Similar associations between early infant diet and risks of chronic and recurrent eczema up to the age of ten years were also found. It was estimated that after adjustment for confounding factors, children exposed to an early diverse solid food diet had risks of eczema which were over 2.5 times those of children not introduced to solid feeding. These results are generally consistent with the hypothesis that early exposure to a diverse solid food diet may increase risks of eczema in children who are susceptible to this condition.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1994

The effects of parental separation, the timing of separation and gender on children's performance on cognitive tests.

The relationship between exposure to parental separation and measures of cognitive ability and school achievement was examined in a birth cohort of New Zealand children studied to the age of 13 years. Children who were exposed to parental separation following the point of school entry had mean test scores that were between .1 and .3 standard deviations lower than children who had not been exposed to separation even when due allowance was made for potentially confounding variables. Separation prior to school entry was found to be unrelated to later outcomes after adjustment for confounding factors. There was no evidence to suggest that the effects of separation varied with the child's gender. The association between parental separation after school entry and cognitive test scores was similar for children whose custodial parents remarried and those who did not remarry.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

The childhoods of multiple problem adolescents: a 15-year longitudinal study.

This paper examines the life history of a small group of adolescents (3%) who were identified during the course of a longitudinal study of a birth cohort of New Zealand children as displaying multiple problem behaviours at the age of 15 years. This group was characterised by conduct disorder, police contact, substance abuse behaviours, early onset sexual activity, suicidal ideation, mood disorders and lowered self esteem. Statistical biographies of this group of young people showed that many were the offspring of seriously disadvantaged, dysfunctional and disorganised home environments. The implications of these findings for the understanding and treatment of multiple problem behaviours in adolescence are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Nocturnal enuresis and behavioral problems in adolescence: a 15-year longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines the relationships between nocturnal enuresis in childhood and measures of behavioral adjustment in adolescence using data collected during the course of a 15-year longitudinal study of a birth cohort of New Zealand children. METHOD: Data was collected on patterns of nocturnal bladder control at annual intervals to the age of 13 years. At ages 11, 13, and 15 years measures of conduct problems, attention deficit behaviors, and anxiety/withdrawal were gathered. RESULTS: The analysis showed that children who were bed-wetting after the age of 10 years as a result of either primary or secondary enuresis had increased rates of behavioral problems up to the age of 15 years with these children having mean behavior scores that were between .30 to .65 standard deviations higher than children who ceased bed-wetting before the age of 5 years. Regression analysis indicated that these associations were largely spurious and arose because the age of cessation of bedwetting was correlated with a series of factors (gender, social maturity, childhood IQ, family social background, family stress, and parental conflict) that were also associated with increased rates of adolescent behavior problems. However, even after adjusting for these factors, children who were bed-wetting after the age of 10 years showed slight increases in rates of conduct problems and attention deficit behaviors up to the age of 13 years and increases rates of anxiety/withdrawal up to the age of 15 years. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that bed-wetting after the age of 10 years is associated with small but detectable increases in risks of conduct problems, attention deficit behaviors, and anxiety/withdrawal in early adolescence. These results show that although it is not the case that children showing nocturnal enuresis are at markedly increased risks of serious psychiatric problems, it may be prudent to determine the extent to which children who are bed-wetting after the age of 10 years show increases in anxious or problem behaviors.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1993

Sexual activity and contraceptive use amongst teenagers under the age of 15 years.

AIMS: The aims of this study were to document patterns of sexual activity and contraceptive use in a sample of 952 Christchurch born children studied to the age of 15 years. METHOD: Data on sexual activity and contraceptive use was collected on the basis of self report at ages 14 and 15 years. RESULTS: By the age of 15 years, 8.5% of this sample had engaged in sexual intercourse. Early sexual activity was more common amongst girls, amongst children of Maori or Pacific Island ethnicity and among children from families of unskilled or semi-skilled socioeconomic status. Of those who were sexually active just under half (49.4%) reported having intercourse with only one partner while 17.3% (1.5% of the total sample) reported sexual experience with more than three partners by the age of 15 years. There was a high rate of contraceptive usage in the sample with 88.9% of those who were sexually active having used a recognised form of contraception and it was estimated that approximately 87% of sexual acts reported by this sample involved the use of contraception. The high rate of contraceptive usage for the sample was accounted for largely by the use of the condom and over 80% of those who were sexually active reported using this method. Despite the high rate of contraceptive usage evident for the sample just under one third of those who were sexually active reported having unprotected intercourse on at least one occasion. CONCLUSIONS: Bearing in mind the possibility of under reporting of sexual activity, the results suggest that by the age of 15 years in the region of 1 in 10 teenagers were sexually active. The major finding to emerge from the study was a high rate of utilisation of contraceptive methods, particularly the condom. It seems likely that this high rate of condom usage is a reflection of the effects of publicity and public education campaigns about the risks of HIV infection, AIDS and the need for safe sex. Despite the high rate of contraceptive usage for this sample it is suggested that those engaging in early sexual behaviour are a high risk population in need of support, assistance and counselling.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Patterns of cannabis use among 13-14 year old New Zealanders.

AIMS: The aims of this study were to document the prevalence and frequency of use of cannabis, the sources of supply of cannabis and reactions to cannabis use in a sample of 949 Christchurch born children studied to the age of 15 years. METHOD: Data on cannabis use was collected on the basis of parental and self report at ages 14 and 15 years. RESULTS: By the age of 15 years, 9.8% of this cohort had used cannabis on one or more occasions and 2.2% of the cohort reported using cannabis on more than 10 occasions. Rates of cannabis use amongst boys and girls were identical. Most of those using cannabis had been provided with the drug by same aged or older teenagers and in most cases it was supplied free. In most cases cannabis was used in small informal groups of 2-8 young people. The majority of cannabis users (75.3%) reported positive reactions to cannabis use and many (58%) said that they would use cannabis again. However, just under one third (30.9%) of users reported some adverse reaction to cannabis use including feeling ill, dizzy or frightened. CONCLUSIONS: By the age of 15 years approximately 10% of young people reported using cannabis. This rate of utilisation appears to be supported by the presence of informal peer networks which provide a source of supply and support for young people experimenting with the use of cannabis. It is conjectured that the source of supply for these informal networks reflects a trickle down of the relatively large amounts of cannabis which circulate amongst adolescent and young adult populations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

The effects of maternal depression on child conduct disorder and attention deficit behaviours.

The relationships between maternal history of depressive symptoms during children's middle childhood (8-11 years) and/or concurrent maternal depressive symptoms on the one hand and teacher and self reports of conduct disorder and attention deficit behaviours when the children were 12 and 13 years old on the other were studied in a birth cohort of New Zealand children. Examination of the joint effects of maternal history of depression and concurrent depressive symptoms on child behavior showed consistent and statistically significant associations between maternal history of depression and behaviour reports. However, associations between maternal concurrent depressive symptoms and child behaviour were generally non-significant when the effects of maternal history of depression were controlled. These results persisted when errors of measurement in behaviour reports were taken into account. However, after adjustment for potentially confounding social and contextual factors the correlations between maternal history of depression and child behaviour reduced to the point of both practical and statistical non-significance. We concluded that, for this cohort, the association between maternal depressive symptoms and externalising behaviour in early adolescence arose largely from the effects of common contextual factors (principally social disadvantage and marital instability) that influenced both rates of maternal symptomatology and rates of childhood problem behaviours.

Adolescent↗