News – Page 6 – Add Health

Can Parental Communication Influence HIV Testing?

Add Health data collection began 25 years ago, yet new research is still being published using Wave I data which adds to the scientific knowledge of adolescent health. A recent study by Boyd, Quinn, and Aquino titled The Inescapable Effects of Parent Support on Black Males and HIV Testing sought to understand what factors influence HIV testing in adolescence.

The study applied the ecodevelopmental theory to understand whether family context, including parent support and parent relationships, impacted HIV testing for Black adolescent males. Waves I and III Add Health data allowed researchers to account for self-efficacy, peers’ knowledge and influence of sexual behaviors, the participants’ perception of risk of contracting the AIDS virus, and parental support.

The findings support the hypothesis that parental communication positively influences HIV-related behaviors including getting tested for HIV. Results also showed that if parents had positive attitudes about sex, adolescents were twice as likely to get tested for HIV. Other associated factors of HIV testing among Black males included self-efficacy, peer knowledge, and participant attitudes of sex. The authors suggest that future HIV-related interventions among Black adolescents should promote positive communication skills. You can read more about the findings and discussion here.

Authors:

Donte T. Boyd, University of Houston

Camille R. Quinn, Ohio State University

Gabrielle A. Aquino, University of Houston

Citation:

Boyd, Donte T., Quinn, Camille R., & Aquino, Gabrielle A. (2020). The Inescapable Effects of Parent Support on Black Males and HIV Testing. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities.

Add Health data used to study eating disorder behaviors in adolescence and adulthood

Add Health collected information on nutrition, eating habits and weight perception during the Wave I interview when respondents were in middle and high school. These questions were repeated during four waves of data collection, allowing researchers to explore pathways involving eating disorders. Four Add Health based studies published in 2019 focus on mechanisms of eating disorders that can inform programs and interventions.

Fergus, Copp, Tabler, & Nagata evaluated the association between eating disorders and sexual risk in young women – specifically sexually active, unmarried women. Results shows that young women with eating disorders have an increased number of new sexual partners and unprotected sex when compared to non-eating disordered peers. However, there was not an association with STI. These results may inform future screening and clinical management.

Hazzard, Bauer, Mukherjee, Miller, & Sonneville investigated the associations between types of childhood maltreatment and eating disorder symptoms in young adulthood. Researchers found that different eating disorder behaviors were associated with different categories of maltreatment. For example, participants labeled as “multi-type maltreatment” were more likely to report binge eating and fasting. Authors advocate for accurately developing childhood maltreatment profiles in order to identify high-risk groups for eating disorders.

Nagata, Braudt, Domingue, Bibbins-Domingo, Garber, Griffiths, & Murray used the polygenic score (PGS) for BMI to assess the genetic risk for BMI and weight control behaviors in young adults. Their study found that actual BMI mediated the relationship between BMI genetic risk and weight loss behaviors. Though this study did not specifically focus on eating disorders, their work may provide some insight for clinical interventions to prevent unhealthy weight loss behaviors.

Arduini, Iorio, & Patacchini explored whether the development of eating disorders are influenced by peers’ body size. Their study showed that teenage girls with thinner female friends have misperceptions of their own weight. The authors comment how these results can influence eating disorder programs and anti-obesity messages.

Citation:

Fergus, K., Copp, H., Tabler, J.l and Nagata, J. (2019) Eating disorders and disordered eating behaviors among women: Association with sexual risk. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 52(11). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31267548/

Hazzard, V., Bauer, K., Mukherjee, B., Miller, A., and Sonneville, K. (2019) Associations between childhood maltreatment latent classes and eating disorder symptoms in a nationally representative sample of young adults in the United States. Child Abuse and Neglect, 98. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0145213419303485

Nagata, H., Braudt, D., Domingue, B., Bibbins-Domingo, K., Garber, A., Griffiths, S., and Murray, S. (2019) Genetic risk, body mass index, and weight control behaviors: unlocking the triad. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 52(7). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30994932/

Arduini, T., Iorio, D., and Patacchini, E. (2019) Weight, reference points, and the onset of eating disorders. Journal of Health Economics, 65. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31030114/

Suicide Ideation and Behaviors in Adolescents and Young Adults (Suicide Prevention Week)

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death in adolescents and young adults, ages 10 to 34 years old. Add Health provides data resources for researchers determining commonalities in suicidal ideations and behaviors, along with possible suicide prevention methods.

While numerous studies are analyzing adolescent suicide ideation and behaviors, there is a lack of research investigating suicide-related outcomes during their transition into adulthood. In a study led by Dr. Jennifer Erausquin, the connections between race/ethnicity and suicide were evaluated using the longitudinal Add Health data. The study discovered that nonwhite racial/ethnic groups may be at higher risk for suicide than their white counterparts. Their analysis of Add Health data from Waves I through IV indicates African Americans are less likely to attempt suicide than Whites, while Asians and Pacific Islanders were significantly more likely to experience both suicidal thoughts and attempts. In their trajectory research, they found that African Americans were at lower odds to be in the sustained higher risk trajectory while Asians and Pacific Islanders had 5 times the odds of being in the higher risk trajectory. The authors argue that not only do adolescents need targeted interventions to diminish suicidal thoughts, but certain ethnic and racial minority groups would benefit from customized interventions focusing on racism and encouraging a more positive racial identity. They also note that Asian Americans deserve a special focus due to the increased risk of suicide within that group.

Add Health data was also used in the investigation of the role that parents and mental health service access play in the lives of suicidal adolescents. Drs. Mary LeCloux, Peter Maramaldi, Kristie Thomas, and Elizabeth Wharff measured perceived parental support from a residential “mother” or “father” figure and its correlation with mental health service use, finding that higher levels of parental support were linked to lower levels of mental health service usage, depression, and suicide attempts. Evaluating Add Health data from Waves I and II, the authors found most respondents who reported suicide ideation in Wave I did not report accessing mental health services in Wave II. They also found that low levels of parental support begat higher levels of symptom severity. Their research provides strong evidence for the need of additional family-based interventions in suicide prevention, both in neutralizing the stigma surrounding suicide and in recognizing key indicators of depression.

Dr. William Feigelman led a research team who studied the relationship between easy access to firearms and premature death through his analysis of Add Health data from Waves I, II, and III. It was found that males who reported easy access to firearms had a higher rate of suicide, homicide, and accidental death, although they did not experience higher levels of suicidal thoughts in comparison to those without easy access. This subgroup of males with easy access to firearms also shared other commonalities, including residence in the South and Midwest regions of the country, were more likely to fight and engage in risk-taking behaviors such as drug use, were white and less likely to be impoverished, came from a two-parent household, and had a stronger relationship with those parents. Add Health data also provided evidence of increased risk-taking behaviors such as substance use and motorcycle riding within this subgroup. Easy access to firearms during Waves I and II, when respondents were adolescents, indicates that weapons are not safely stored, perhaps due to the stronger relationship with parents. By Wave III, these same adolescents were more likely to be gun owners themselves, perpetuating the cycle of easy access and premature death. The authors acknowledge the difficulty in reducing firearm access, taking into account the perceived necessity of gun ownership within many U.S. households. Researchers advocate for parents to be better educated on the dangers of firearms and securing them properly as an additional prevention method.

Because of the rich datasets provided by Add Health, researchers can research preventative measures to lower both suicidal ideations and behaviors. Add Health is a longitudinal study of more than 20,000 adolescents evaluating their social, economic, psychological, and physical health with contextual data regarding their family, neighborhood, community, and relationships. Beginning in the mid-1990s with in-home and in-school interviews of youth grades 7 to 12 from all backgrounds, the study continues tracking these respondents as they transition into adulthood.

Suicide prevention week is September 8th to 14th. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or distress of any kind, please contact the suicide help line at 1-800-273-8255.

Citations:

Erausquin, J. T., McCoy, T. P., Bartlett, R., & Park, E. (2019). Trajectories of suicide ideation and attempts from early adolescence to mid-adulthood: Associations with Race/Ethnicity. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 1-10. doi:10.1007/s10964-019-01074-3
LeCloux, M., Maramaldi, P., Thomas, K., & Wharff, E. (2016). Family support and mental health service use among suicidal adolescents. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 25(8), 2597-2606. doi:10.1007/s10826-016-0417-6
Feigelman, W. , Rosen, Z. and Cerel, J. (2019), Unraveling the Complex Web of Associations Between Easy Access to Firearms and Premature Mortalities. Suicide Life Threat Behav. doi:10.1111/sltb.12580