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Results for “Structural Equation Modelling”

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PubMed1997

Genetic factors in the aetiology of mouth ulcers.

The aetiology of mouth ulcers is uncertain, and prior research has indicated both environmental and genetic factors. In this study, information on mouth ulcer incidence was collected for 290 twin pairs--127 monozygous (MZ) and 163 dizygous (DZ)--and their parents, a total of 1,160 people. Self-reported data on mouth ulcer incidence were available for the twins, and in each family the mother also reported on the mouth ulcer incidence in the twins, the twins' father, and herself. A structural equation model--combining a measurement model, a rater bias model, and a model including genetic and environmental influences--was used to explain variation in mouth ulcers. The fitted model explained the variation in a latent phenotype of mouth ulcer incidence for the twins in terms of an additive genetic factor (64%), a common environment factor (26%), and a specific environment factor (10%). The mothers' ratings showed a significant positive bias.

Bias↗

PubMed1997

The utility of locus of control for predicting adolescent substance use.

Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to examine the utility of locus of control (LOC) for predicting adolescent substance use. As part of a larger three-wave cohort-sequential study (1983-1989), 155 secondary school-based adolescents completed questionnaires on substance use, personality characteristics, family/peer influences, and health behaviors. Latent variable indicators were developed from the Nowicki-Strickland Personal Reaction Survey and substance use survey items. LOC was a weak predictor of substance use. In two instances were relationships significant: (a) 7th grade LOC predicted 11th grade alcohol use; and, (b) 9th grade LOC correlated with 11th grade cannabis use. Small samples precluded analysis of gender and social class effects. SEM with panel data offers a methodological approach for examining the explanatory capability of LOC.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1995

Genetic, environmental, and phenotypic links between body mass index and blood pressure among women.

Greater relative weight is associated with higher blood pressure, but the reasons are unknown. The inability of current technology to induce sustained weight loss among overweight persons precludes experimental tests of whether this association is causal. We evaluated the degree to which the covariation between body mass index (BMI; kg/m2) and blood pressure (BP) among women is due to pleiotropic genetic factors, environmental factors, or phenotypic causation. The sample included 75 monozygotic (MZ) and 39 dizygotic (DZ) pairs of adult female twins. "BP" was calculated as the unit-weighted mean of systolic and diastolic. Data were analyzed through structural equation modeling. A model was specified stipulating that additive genetic effects (A) and unique environmental effects (E) each contributed to the covariance between BMI and BP, thus allowing for both pleiotropic and unique environmental influences on the covariance between BMI and BP. Dropping the pleiotropic influences significantly worsened the model (chi 2 = 4.62, df = 1, P = .032), suggesting significant pleiotropic effects. Dropping the environmental influences on the cross-phenotype covariance did not significantly worsen the model (chi 2 = 1.42, df = 1, P = .233). This indicates no significant effect of the environment on the covariance between BMI and BP. Finally, a model of phenotypic causation in which BMI directly influenced BP was fitted. This model provided the best single parameter explanation of the BP-BMI covariation. These data suggest that, among women, regardless of the source of variation, changes in BMI should lead to long-standing changes in BP.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Genetic and environmental contributions to the variance of body height in a sample of first and second degree relatives.

Height was measured in a health screening of the population in Nord-Trøndelag, Norway. Correlations were computed for 24,281 pairs of spouses, 43,613 pairs of parents and offspring, 19,168 pairs of siblings, 1,318 pairs of grandparents and grandchildren, 1,218 cognate avuncular pairs, 849 noncognate avuncular pairs, 175 pairs of same-sexed twins, and smaller groups of other types of relatives. Fitting of structural equation models showed proportions of additive genetic variance of approximately 0.8 for both sexes and small sex-specific effects that probably reflect genetic dominance or environmental sibling effects. The correlations between parents and offspring were significantly lower in old than young cohorts, seeming to imply some kind of interaction effect between genes and environment.

Age Factors↗

PubMed1992

Psychological factors, immunologic activation, and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis.

The purpose of this study was to use structural equation modeling techniques to examine potential interrelationships among psychological factors, immunologic activation, and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The subjects were 80 male patients with a diagnosis of classic or definite RA. Measures included the Beck Depression Inventory, the Arthritis Helplessness Index, and the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales (AIMS) pain score. Joint counts and immunophenotypic analyses of peripheral blood lymphocytes also were collected. Path analysis showed that percentage of HLA-DR+ cells in the peripheral blood and helplessness were related to join count. In addition, joint count had an effect upon depression. Depression had an effect upon pain, but there was no reciprocal effect of pain upon depression. This study describes a preliminary path model of interrelationships among psychological factors, immunologic activation, and disease activity in RA.

Aged↗

PubMed1997

Item-Specific Efficacy Judgments in Mathematical Problem Solving: The Downside of Standing Too Close to Trees in a Forest

Educational researchers assess self-efficacy by asking students to rate their capability of succeeding at specific target tasks (e.g., math test items) and then testing their performance to actually solve similar test items. Pajares and colleagues (Pajares & Kranzler, 1995; Pajares & Miller, 1994, 1995, in press) argued for the use of identical items to assess self-efficacy and performance in order to maximize self-efficacy's predictive power. In two studies, structural equation models (SEM) demonstrated that this variation led to positively biased estimates of paths from self-efficacy to performance and negatively biased estimates of paths from self-concept to performance. Whereas corrections for this bias did not substantially alter the size of effects or substantive interpretations, results from both studies were consistent with a priori predictions about the nature of this bias. Researchers are encouraged to use similar but not identical items to assess self-efficacy and performance, a construct validity approach to interrogate their interpretations, more diverse outcome measures, and SEM approaches like those demonstrated here.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1997

Pathways of lead exposure in urban children.

A linear structural equation modeling procedure was used to explore the mechanisms and pathways for lead intake among urban children and the relative contribution of various lead sources to lead-contaminated house dust. Dust lead levels were significantly associated with children's blood lead levels, both indirectly and directly via hand lead. Both soil and paint lead contributed to dust lead levels, but paint contributed significantly more lead to house dust than soil (P < 0.001). Black race and income level both directly affected children's blood lead levels. Finally, time spent outdoors was associated with children putting soil or dirt in their mouths which was, in turn, associated with children's blood lead levels. These data indicate that mouthing behaviors are an important mechanism of exposure among urban children with low-level elevations in blood lead and that lead-based paint is a more important contributor of lead to house dust than is lead-contaminated soil.

Dust↗

PubMed1996

Family influences on self-reported delinquency among high school students

We investigated the links between perceived family relationships, parental discipline style, locus of control, self-esteem and self-reported delinquency among 177 Australian teenagers. The prediction that locus of control and self-esteem would mediate the effects of family process on delinquency was tested using structural equation modelling. Although there appeared to be a good fit between the data and the proposed model, the amount of variance explained by the predictor variables was not large. Among females, the best predictor of low levels of self-reported delinquency was an inductive discipline style, whilst for males high levels of self-reported delinquency were best predicted by a punitive discipline style. Among males, positive family relations was a significant predictor of high self-esteem. No mediating effects of self-esteem and locus of control were observed. The findings are discussed with reference to previous research, and some implications for clinical practice are also noted.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1997

Processing time, imagery, and spatial memory.

Measures of cognitive processing time, imagery skill, and spatial memory span were administered to 128 8- to 20-year-olds. Age correlated positively with spatial memory span and accuracy on the imagery tasks but negatively with times on the cognitive processing and imagery tasks. Results of path analyses and structural-equation modeling were consistent with a causal model in which age-related change in speed of processing is associated with more effective imagery. In turn, imagery is associated with spatial memory span. Age was also associated with imagery and spatial span, indicating that other age-related variables need to be incorporated into the causal model.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1992

Determinants of isometric muscle strength in men of different ages.

Values of maximal isometric strength of five muscle groups and associated factors including occupational status, life style and health were studied in three groups of men aged from 31 to 35, 51 to 55, and 71 to 75 years. The results indicated significant differences between the age groups in isometric handgrip, elbow flexion, knee extension, trunk extension and trunk flexion strength. In the youngest group, the manual workers tended to have higher strength values in all muscle groups than the lower and higher status white collar workers, whereas among the middle-aged and oldest men the manual workers tended to have the poorest performance. Good self-rated health and the intensity of physical exercise during leisure were positively associated with muscle strength in the youngest and middle-aged groups whereas in the oldest group the most important variable was home gymnastics. The multivariate structural equation models of isometric strength differed somewhat among the age groups and in these models the above-mentioned variables accounted for from 33% to 43% of the variance in isometric strength within the age groups. The results illustrated the most important factors associated with isometric strength in samples of men of different ages and also provided suggestions as to how these determinants might influence comparisons between different age groups in respect of muscle strength.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Social skills in schizophrenia: assessing the relationship between social skills, psychopathology and community functioning.

Social skills training (SST) has been widely used in attempts to rehabilitate chronic schizophrenic patients. The key assumption underlying SST is that social skills deficits are important determinants of the social isolation, poor social role functioning, and low quality of life characteristic of schizophrenic patients. To test this assumption, 89 patients meeting DSM-III-R criteria for schizophrenia were assessed on behavioural and self-report measures of social skills. A structured clinical interview, a self-report inventory of distress during social interaction, and self-monitoring of time in social interaction were used to assess social functioning. Positive psychotic symptoms were assessed in a standardised clinical interview. A structural equation modelling analysis showed that observed social skills predicted social functioning, and that this association was statistically independent of severity of psychotic symptoms. This finding is consistent with the hypothesis that social skills are important in the social functioning of patients with schizophrenia.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1991

AIDS-related health behavior: coping, protection motivation, and previous behavior.

The purpose of this study was to examine Rogers' protection motivation theory and aspects of Janis and Mann's conflict theory in the context of AIDS-related health behavior. Subjects were 84 heterosexual men and women and 147 homosexual men with multiple sexual partners; LISREL's path-analysis techniques were used to evaluate the goodness of fit of the structural equation models. Protection motivation theory did fit the data but had considerably more explanatory power for heterosexual than for homosexual subjects (49 vs. 22%, respectively). When coping styles were added, different patterns of findings were found among both groups. Adding variables such as social norms and previous behavior increased the explained variance to 73% for heterosexual subjects and to 44% for homosexual subjects. It was concluded that although protection motivation theory did fit the data fairly adequately, expanding the theory with other variables--especially those related to previous behavior--could improve our understanding of AIDS-related health behavior.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1993

The effect of maternal depression on maternal ratings of child behavior.

There have been continuing concerns about the extent to which maternal depression may influence maternal reports of child behavior. To examine this issue, a series of structural equation models of the relationships between maternal depression and errors in maternal reports of child behavior was proposed and tested. These models assumed that (a) maternal depression was unrelated to maternal reporting behavior; (b) maternal depression causally influenced maternal reporting accuracy; (c) maternal depression was correlated with reporting accuracy. These models were fitted to data on maternal depression and multiple-informant (mother, teacher, child) reports of conduct disorder and attention deficit behaviors for a birth cohort of 12- and 13-year-old New Zealand children. The results of model fitting suggested the presence of small to moderate correlations (r = +.13 to +.40) between maternal depression and maternal reporting errors, indicating the presence of a tendency for increasing maternal depression to be associated with a tendency for mothers to over-report child behavior problems. However, independently of any effects of maternal depression on maternal reporting errors there was evidence of small but significant associations (r = .10 to .17; p < .05) between maternal depression and child conduct disorder and attention deficit behaviors.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1996

The role of adolescent peer affiliations in the continuity between childhood behavioral adjustment and juvenile offending.

This research reports on a structural equation model analysis of the relationships between childhood behavioral adjustment, adolescent peer affiliations, and adolescent offending using data gathered during the course of a 16-year longitudinal study of a birth cohort of New Zealand children. The model developed contained parameters that estimated (a) the continuities between early behavior and later offending, (b) the associations between early behavior and adolescent peer affiliations, and (c) the potentially reciprocal relationship between adolescent peer affiliations and adolescent offending behaviors. This analysis suggested that, when due allowance was made for reporting error, there was evidence of relatively strong continuity (r = .50) between early behavior and later offending. The model estimates suggested that these continuities arose from both direct continuities in behavior over time and from the effects of adolescent peer affiliations in reinforcing and sustaining earlier behavioral tendencies. The implications of the analysis for the understanding of the role of adolescent peer affiliations in behavioral continuities and discontinuities are discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1995

Early disruptive behavior, IQ, and later school achievement and delinquent behavior.

A series of structural equation model is developed to examine the relationship between early externalizing behaviors (conduct problems, attention deficit) and IQ measured at age 8 years, academic achievement over the period 10 to 13 years, and delinquent behavior to the age of 15 in a birth cohort of New Zealand children. These models indicated that early externalizing behaviors and IQ were related to later academic achievement and delinquent behavior by two quite distinct but highly correlated developmental sequences. In one sequence early conduct problems were predictive of later delinquency but were not directly related to later academic achievement. In the other sequence, attention deficit and IQ were prognostic of later school achievement but were not directly related to delinquency. Further, the apparent correlations between academic achievement and delinquency were adequately explained by the common and correlated effects of early behavior and IQ on later achievement and delinquency. These conclusions remained unchanged when the sample was stratified by gender, and when further explanatory factors were introduced into the model.

Achievement↗

PubMed1989

The relationships between neuroticism and depressive symptoms.

A structural equation model designed to estimate the reciprocal associations which may exist between mental state and personality trait variables is presented. This model is applied to measures of neuroticism and depression obtained for a sample of over 1000 women studied over a two year period. The fitted model suggests that while measures of neuroticism are contaminated by the effects of short term mental state on the reporting of personality, there is still a fairly substantial relationship between trait neuroticism (corrected for the effects of mental state contamination) and reports of depressive symptoms.

Depression↗

PubMed1996

The development of health protective behaviors among college students.

This study uses structural equation modeling and a panel design to explain participation in health protective behavior (HPB) among college students. The direct, indirect, and total effects of gender, social influences (parental and peer behavior), social attachments (activity involvement, social support, and romantic involvement), social triggers (personal health, acute illnesses, and personal or family health crisis), health value, and effort to improve health behavior on HPB are examined. A path model with a high goodness of fit and an R2 of .418 shows that gender; health value, and effort to change health behaviors are the most powerful predictors of HPB participation, while parents and peers influence HPB indirectly through influence on health value and effort to change. Neither the social attachment nor social trigger items influenced HPB in this sample. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Female↗

PubMed1996

Role of anxiety sensitivity in pain-related fear and avoidance.

Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is the fear of anxiety-related bodily sensations, arising from beliefs that the sensations have harmful consequences. There has been a good deal of research on the role of AS in anxiety disorders, and only recently have investigators begun to assess its role in other conditions. In a preliminary report, Asmundson and Norton (1995) found that chronic back-pain patients with high AS (n = 14), compared to those with lower AS (n = 56), reported greater pain-related fear, and tended to have greater avoidance. The present study further investigated the role of AS in pain-related fear and escape/avoidance. Patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain (N = 259) completed measures of AS, pain severity, and pain-related fear and escape/avoidance. Structural equation modeling supported the prediction that AS directly exacerbates fear of pain, even after controlling for the effects of pain severity on fear of pain. Support also was found for the prediction that AS indirectly promotes pain-related escape/avoidance via its influence on fear of pain. This indirect effect was significant even when controlling for the direct influence of pain severity on pain-related escape/avoidance. These results suggest that AS plays an important role in pain-related fear and escape/avoidance in people with chronic pain.

Adult↗