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Wolfsberger W, Chhugani K, Shchubelka K, Frolova A, Salyha Y, Zlenko O, Arych M, Dziuba D, Parkhomenko A, Smolanka V, Gümüş ZH, Sezgin E, Diaz-Lameiro A, Toth VR, Maci M, Bortz E, Kondrashov F, Morton PM, Łabaj PP, Romero V, Hlávka J, Mangul S, Oleksyk TK. Scientists without borders: lessons from Ukraine. Gigascience 2022; 12:giad045. [PMID: 37496156 PMCID: PMC10372202 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giad045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Conflicts and natural disasters affect entire populations of the countries involved and, in addition to the thousands of lives destroyed, have a substantial negative impact on the scientific advances these countries provide. The unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria, and the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East are just a few examples. Millions of people have been killed or displaced, their futures uncertain. These events have resulted in extensive infrastructure collapse, with loss of electricity, transportation, and access to services. Schools, universities, and research centers have been destroyed along with decades' worth of data, samples, and findings. Scholars in disaster areas face short- and long-term problems in terms of what they can accomplish now for obtaining grants and for employment in the long run. In our interconnected world, conflicts and disasters are no longer a local problem but have wide-ranging impacts on the entire world, both now and in the future. Here, we focus on the current and ongoing impact of war on the scientific community within Ukraine and from this draw lessons that can be applied to all affected countries where scientists at risk are facing hardship. We present and classify examples of effective and feasible mechanisms used to support researchers in countries facing hardship and discuss how these can be implemented with help from the international scientific community and what more is desperately needed. Reaching out, providing accessible training opportunities, and developing collaborations should increase inclusion and connectivity, support scientific advancements within affected communities, and expedite postwar and disaster recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter Wolfsberger
- Department of Biological Sciences, Oakland University,
Rochester, MI 48309-4479, USA
| | - Karishma Chhugani
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, USC Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and
Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California,
Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Khrystyna Shchubelka
- Department of Biological Sciences, Oakland University,
Rochester, MI 48309-4479, USA
| | - Alina Frolova
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics of National Academy of Sciences
of Ukraine, Kyiv Academic University, Kyiv 03143,
Ukraine
| | - Yuriy Salyha
- Institute of Animal Biology, National Academy of Agrarian Sciences (NAAS)
of Ukraine, Lviv 79034, Ukraine
| | - Oksana Zlenko
- National Scientific Center “Institute of Experimental and Clinical
Veterinary Medicine,” Kharkiv 61023, Ukraine
| | - Mykhailo Arych
- Institute of Economics and Management, National University of Food
Technologies (NUFT) of Ukraine, Kyiv 01601,
Ukraine
| | - Dmytro Dziuba
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, P.L. Shpyk
NUHC Ukraine, Kyiv 04112, Ukraine
| | - Andrii Parkhomenko
- Department of Finance and Business Economics, Marshall School
of Business, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Volodymyr Smolanka
- Department of Medicine, Uzhhorod National University,
Uzhhorod 88000, Ukraine
| | - Zeynep H Gümüş
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at
Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Efe Sezgin
- Department of Food Engineering, Izmir Institute of
Technology, Urla, Izmir 35430, Turkey
| | - Alondra Diaz-Lameiro
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez,
Mayagüez 00681, Puerto
Rico
| | - Viktor R Toth
- Aquatic Botany and Microbial Ecology Research Group, Balaton Limnological
Research Institute, Tihany 8237, Hungary
| | - Megi Maci
- Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago,
Maywood, IL 60153, USA
| | - Eric Bortz
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska,
Anchorage, AK 99508, USA
| | - Fyodor Kondrashov
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria,
Klosterneuburg 3400, Austria
| | - Patricia M Morton
- Department of Sociology, Department of Public Health, Wayne State
University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Paweł P Łabaj
- Małopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University,
Kraków 30-348, Poland
| | - Veronika Romero
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake
City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Jakub Hlávka
- Price School of Public Policy, University of Southern
California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-3333, USA
- Masaryk University, Brno 6017, Czech Republic
| | - Serghei Mangul
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, USC Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and
Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California,
Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
- Department of Computational Biology, University of Southern
California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Taras K Oleksyk
- Department of Biological Sciences, Oakland University,
Rochester, MI 48309-4479, USA
- Department of Biology, Uzhhorod National University, Uzhhorod
88000, Ukraine
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES To examine whether childhood disadvantage is associated with later-life functional status and identify mediating factors. METHODS Unique and additive effects of five childhood domains on functional status were assessed at baseline (2006) and over time (2006-2016) in a sample of 13,894 adults from the Health and Retirement Study (>50 years). Adult health behaviors and socioeconomic status (SES) were tested as mediators. RESULTS Respondents exposed to multiple childhood disadvantages (OR = .694) as well as low childhood SES (OR = .615), chronic diseases (OR = .694), impairments (OR = .599), and risky adolescent behaviors (OR = .608) were less likely to be free of functional disability by baseline. Over time, these unique and additive effects of childhood disadvantage increased the hazard odds of eventually developing functional disability (e.g., additive effect: hOR = 1.261). Adult health behaviors and SES mediated some of these effects. DISCUSSION Given the enduring effects of childhood disadvantage, policies to promote healthy aging should reduce exposure to childhood disadvantage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia M Morton
- Department of Sociology, 2954Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Public Health, 2954Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
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3
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Kemp BR, Ferraro KF, Morton PM, Thomas PA, Mustillo SA, Crimmins EM. Do Early-Life Social, Behavioral, and Health Exposures Increase Later-Life Arthritis Incidence? Res Aging 2021; 44:479-493. [PMID: 34664538 DOI: 10.1177/01640275211044979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study investigates direct and indirect influences of childhood social, behavioral, and health exposures on later-life osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis development. METHODS Drawing from cumulative inequality theory and six waves of the Health and Retirement Study (2004-2014), we estimate structural equation modeling-based discrete-time survival analysis of the association between six childhood exposure domains and both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis incidence for men (n = 2720) and women (n = 2974). Using the delta method to test for mediation, we examine indirect effects via selected health-related risks and resources. RESULTS Risky adolescent behavior is associated with rheumatoid arthritis incidence for women (h.O.R. = 1.883, 95% C.I. [1.016, 3.490]), whereas several types of childhood exposures are associated with later-life osteoarthritis development for both men and women. Experiencing two or more childhood socioeconomic disadvantages is indirectly associated with osteoarthritis (men: coef. = 0.024, 95% C.I. [0.003, 0.045]; women: coef. = 0.111, 95% C.I. [0.071, 0.150]) and rheumatoid arthritis (men: coef. = 0.037, 95% C.I. [0.000, 0.074]; women: coef. = 0.097, 95% C.I. [0.035, 0.159]) development through adult body mass index. DISCUSSION Findings highlight the importance of childhood contexts in understanding the development of later-life osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blakelee R Kemp
- Department of Sociology, 14719University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Kenneth F Ferraro
- Center on Aging and the Life Course, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.,Department of Sociology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Patricia M Morton
- Department of Sociology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Public Health, 2954Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Patricia A Thomas
- Center on Aging and the Life Course, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.,Department of Sociology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Sarah A Mustillo
- Department of Sociology, 6111University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN, USA
| | - Eileen M Crimmins
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, 5116University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Abstract
We investigate whether childhood exposures influence adult chronic inflammation and mortality risk via adult health characteristics and socioeconomic status (SES) and whether gender moderates these relationships. Analyzing a longitudinal national sample of 9,310 men and women over age 50, we found that childhood SES, parental behaviors, and adolescent behaviors were associated with adult chronic inflammation via health characteristics and SES in adulthood. The process of disadvantage initiated by low childhood SES (i.e., adult health risk factors, socioeconomic disadvantage, and chronic inflammation) subsequently raised mortality risk. In addition, gender moderated the mediating influence of childhood SES via unhealthy behaviors and parental behaviors via adult SES. Demonstrating how social forces shape biological health through multiple mechanisms informs health policies by identifying multiple points of intervention in an effort to reduce the lasting consequences of childhood disadvantage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia M. Morton
- Department of Sociology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Public Health, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Kenneth F. Ferraro
- Department of Sociology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Center on Aging and the Life Course, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
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5
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Smith NR, Ferraro KF, Kemp BR, Morton PM, Mustillo SA, Angel JL. Childhood Misfortune and Handgrip Strength Among Black, White, and Hispanic Americans. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2020; 74:526-535. [PMID: 27927743 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbw147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2016] [Accepted: 10/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Although early-life insults may affect health, few studies use objective physical measures of adult health. This study investigated whether experiencing misfortune during childhood is associated with handgrip strength (HGS) in later life. METHOD Data on childhood misfortune and adult characteristics from the Health and Retirement Study were used to predict baseline and longitudinal change in HGS among White, Black, and Hispanic American men and women. RESULTS Regression analyses revealed that multiple indicators of childhood misfortune were related to HGS at baseline, but the relationships were distinct for men and women. Over the study, having one childhood impairment predicted steeper declines in HGS for men, but childhood misfortune was unrelated to HGS change among women. Hispanic Americans had lower baseline HGS than their non-Hispanic counterparts and manifested steeper declines in HGS. DISCUSSION The relationship between childhood exposures and adult HGS varied by the type of misfortune, but there was no evidence that the relationship varied by race/ethnicity. The significant and enduring Hispanic disadvantage in HGS warrants greater attention in gerontology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie R Smith
- Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill
| | - Kenneth F Ferraro
- Center on Aging and the Life Course, West Lafayette, Indiana.,Department of Sociology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
| | - Blakelee R Kemp
- Center on Aging and the Life Course, West Lafayette, Indiana.,Department of Sociology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
| | - Patricia M Morton
- Children's Environmental Health Initiative, Houston, Texas.,Department of Statistics, Houston, Texas.,Department of Sociology, Rice University, Houston, Texas
| | - Sarah A Mustillo
- Department of Sociology, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana
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Morton PM, Kemp B, Ahmed F. CHILD ABUSE AND ADULT MENTAL HEALTH: DOES GENDER MATTER? Innov Aging 2019. [PMCID: PMC6846394 DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igz038.3399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Numerous studies have demonstrated that child abuse is associated with poor adult mental health, but few have investigated the extent to which the frequency of different types of abuse increase mental health conditions, especially at the nexus of gender. The present study examines whether parental abuse frequency and abuse perpetrator have distinct effects for men and women on three mental health outcomes—depressive symptoms, generalized anxiety, and global self-reported mental health. Data came from three waves of the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS), comprising a baseline sample of 3,032 adults aged 25-74. Estimating a series of mixed effects models revealed that maternal abuse and frequent abuse during childhood were associated with poorer adult mental health during our 20-year observation period, net of childhood and adult risk factors. Specifically, maternal emotional abuse raised the risk of depression, anxiety, and lower self-rated mental health, and was more strongly associated with depression and anxiety for women than men. Compared to adults who did not experience parental abuse during childhood, adults who experienced frequent emotional and physical abuse by either parent were more likely to experience depression and anxiety and report lower ratings of mental health in adulthood. Frequent child abuse was more strongly associated with anxiety for women than men. These results demonstrate that gender differences in adult mental health have early-life antecedents. Future research investigating the long-term mental health consequences of child abuse should consider the type and magnitude of abuse as well as the perpetrator.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Blakelee Kemp
- Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, United States
| | - Frass Ahmed
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
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Morton PM, Kemp B, Ahmed F. CHILD ABUSE AND ADULT MENTAL HEALTH: DOES GENDER MATTER? Innov Aging 2019. [PMCID: PMC6845349 DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igz038.3401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous studies have demonstrated that child abuse is associated with poor adult mental health, but few have investigated the extent to which the frequency of different types of abuse increase mental health conditions, especially at the nexus of gender. The present study examines whether parental abuse frequency and abuse perpetrator have distinct effects for men and women on three mental health outcomes—depressive symptoms, generalized anxiety, and global self-reported mental health. Data came from three waves of the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS), comprising a baseline sample of 3,032 adults aged 25-74. Estimating a series of mixed effects models revealed that maternal abuse and frequent abuse during childhood were associated with poorer adult mental health during our 20-year observation period, net of childhood and adult risk factors. Specifically, maternal emotional abuse raised the risk of depression, anxiety, and lower self-rated mental health, and was more strongly associated with depression and anxiety for women than men. Compared to adults who did not experience parental abuse during childhood, adults who experienced frequent emotional and physical abuse by either parent were more likely to experience depression and anxiety and report lower ratings of mental health in adulthood. Frequent child abuse was more strongly associated with anxiety for women than men. These results demonstrate that gender differences in adult mental health have early-life antecedents. Future research investigating the long-term mental health consequences of child abuse should consider the type and magnitude of abuse as well as the perpetrator.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Blakelee Kemp
- Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, United States
| | - Frass Ahmed
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
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8
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Hood GR, Comerford M, Weaver AK, Morton PM, Egan SP. Human-mediated disturbance in multitrophic interactions results in outbreak levels of North America's most venomous caterpillar. Biol Lett 2019; 15:20190470. [PMID: 31480937 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic environmental change is predicted to disrupt multitrophic interactions, which may have drastic consequences for population-level processes. Here, we investigate how a large-scale human-mediated disturbance affects the abundance of North America's most venomous caterpillar species, Megalopyge opercularis. Specifically, we used a natural experiment where netting was deployed to cover the entire canopies of a subset of mature southern live oak trees (Quercus virginiana) to exclude urban pest birds (grackles and pigeons), throughout an 8.1 km2 area encompassing a medical centre in Houston, Texas. We used this experimental exclusion to test the following hypothesis: release from avian predators increases caterpillar abundance to outbreak levels, which increases the risk to human health. Results from a multi-year survey show that caterpillar abundance increased, on average, more than 7300% on netted versus non-netted trees. Thus, increases in caterpillar abundance due to anthropogenic enemy release increase human exposure to this venomous pest, and should be considered a health threat in the area. This study emphasizes the unforeseen consequences of ecological disturbance for species interactions and highlights the importance of considering ecology in urban planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glen R Hood
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA.,Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | | | - Amanda K Weaver
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Patricia M Morton
- Department of Sociology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Scott P Egan
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
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9
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Ferraro KF, Morton PM. What Do We Mean by Accumulation? Advancing Conceptual Precision for a Core Idea in Gerontology. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2019; 73:269-278. [PMID: 26883805 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbv094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2015] [Accepted: 09/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, the concept of accumulation has gained prominence in research on aging, health, and social stratification. Accumulation is now studied in multiple disciplines, revealing that cumulative processes are crucial to understanding patterns of differentiation over the life course. Although this research has demonstrated the empirical value of studying accumulation, the concept has taken on different and sometimes inconsistent meanings. To address these inconsistencies, we propose an interdisciplinary conceptual framework of accumulation that focuses on objects, timing, thresholds, de-accumulation, and the levels and consequences of accumulation. Providing a coherent framework of accumulation will aid conceptual precision, guide future research, and inform public policies related to aging and the life course.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth F Ferraro
- Department of Sociology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana.,Center on Aging and the Life Course, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
| | - Patricia M Morton
- Department of Sociology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana.,Center on Aging and the Life Course, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
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10
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Morton PM, Turiano NA, Mroczek DK, Ferraro KF. Childhood Misfortune, Personality, and Heart Attack: Does Personality Mediate Risk of Myocardial Infarction? J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2018; 73:825-835. [PMID: 26970524 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbw021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2015] [Accepted: 02/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Previous research has revealed a link between childhood experiences and adult health, but the mechanisms underlying this relationship are less clear. To elucidate this relationship, we investigated the pathway from childhood misfortune to nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI) via individual differences in personality. Method Longitudinal data were drawn from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States, which sampled 3,032 men and women aged 25-74 years at baseline. Big 5 personality traits and multiple measures of childhood misfortune were used to assess whether personality mediated the effect of childhood misfortune on MI risk. Results A series of proportional hazards models revealed that neuroticism mediated the effect of additive childhood misfortune on adult MI risk. Discussion Childhood misfortune may be formative in the development of personality, which, subsequently, can be consequential to health. These findings highlight the salient roles of early-life experiences and personality to shape health and aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia M Morton
- Department of Sociology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana.,Center on Aging and the Life Course, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
| | | | - Daniel K Mroczek
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois.,Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Kenneth F Ferraro
- Department of Sociology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana.,Center on Aging and the Life Course, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
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Abstract
Life-course research has linked childhood experiences to adult mental illness, but most studies focus on anxiety or depressive symptoms, which may be transient. Therefore, this study investigates whether childhood misfortune is associated with taking psychotropic medication, a measure reflecting an underlying chronic mental disorder. Data are from three waves of a national survey of 2,999 U.S. men and women aged 25-74 years. Four domains of childhood misfortune (childhood socioeconomic status, family structure, child maltreatment, and poor health) are considered-specified as separate domains and a single additive measure-as key predictors of psychotropic medication use. Findings reveal an association between additive childhood misfortune and adult psychotropic medication use, net of adult risk factors. Psychotropic medication use is also more likely during the 20-year study for adults who experienced maltreatment and poor health during childhood. These results reveal the importance of early intervention to reduce consumption of psychotropic medications and associated costs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kenneth F Ferraro
- 2 Department of Sociology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.,3 Center on Aging and the Life Course, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
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12
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine the effect of five childhood misfortune domains-parental behavior, socioeconomic status, infectious diseases, chronic diseases, and impairments-on all-site and selected site-specific cancer prevalence and all-site cancer incidence. METHOD Panel data from the Health and Retirement Study (2004-2012) were used to investigate cancer risk among adults above the age of 50. RESULTS Risky parental behavior and impairment in childhood were associated with higher odds of all-site cancer prevalence, and childhood chronic disease was associated with prostate cancer, even after adjusting for adult health and socioeconomic factors. Moreover, having one infectious disease in childhood lowered the odds of colon cancer. Cancer trends varied by race and ethnicity, most notably, higher prostate cancer prevalence among Black men and lower all-site cancer among Hispanic adults. DISCUSSION These findings underscore the importance of examining multiple domains of misfortune because the type and amount of misfortune influence cancer risk in different ways.
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13
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Schafer MH, Morton PM, Ferraro KF. Child maltreatment and adult health in a national sample: heterogeneous relational contexts, divergent effects? Child Abuse Negl 2014; 38:395-406. [PMID: 24011871 PMCID: PMC3942366 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2013.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2013] [Revised: 07/26/2013] [Accepted: 08/04/2013] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study considers the long-term health consequences of child maltreatment. Distinct from previous research, we examine the effects of maltreatment in the context of more general parental evaluations. METHOD Analyses used retrospective and current data from the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) study. RESULTS A considerable proportion of middle- and older-age adults who experienced frequent maltreatment nevertheless evaluated the relationship with their offending parent as "excellent", "very good", or "good" (e.g., 47% for physical and emotional maltreatment by mothers). Maltreated respondents generally evaluated their maltreating parents less favorably than non-maltreating parents, but there was considerable variation in these recollected relationships. Adults who experienced child maltreatment reported a greater number of chronic medical conditions and physical symptoms and lower self-rated health, but effects were smaller when they had positive relationships with their parents than when one or more of the relationships was perceived as negative. CONCLUSIONS These findings highlight a common and seemingly paradoxical pattern among MIDUS participants: the co-presence of harsh parental behavior and positive recollections of parental relationships during childhood. Moreover, these surprising patterns of retrospective interpretation predict very different experiences of adult health - health problems are most pronounced among maltreatment in cases where the respondent had a generally negative relationship with one or more of his or her parents.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Patricia M Morton
- Department of Sociology and Center on Aging and the Life Course, Purdue University, USA
| | - Kenneth F Ferraro
- Department of Sociology and Center on Aging and the Life Course, Purdue University, USA
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14
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Morton PM, Mustillo SA, Ferraro KF. Does childhood misfortune raise the risk of acute myocardial infarction in adulthood? Soc Sci Med 2013; 104:133-41. [PMID: 24581071 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.11.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2013] [Revised: 11/04/2013] [Accepted: 11/12/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Whereas most research on acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has focused on more proximal influences, such as adult health behaviors, the present study examines the early origins of AMI. Longitudinal data were drawn from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (N = 3032), a nationally representative survey of men and women aged 25-74, which spans from 1995 to 2005. A series of event history analyses modeling age of first AMI investigated the direct effects of accumulated and separate domains of childhood misfortune as well as the mediating effects of adult health lifestyle and psychosocial factors. Findings reveal that accumulated childhood misfortune and child maltreatment increased AMI risk, net of several adult covariates, including family history of AMI. Smoking fully mediated the effects of both accumulated childhood misfortune and child maltreatment. These findings reveal the importance of the early origins of AMI and health behaviors as mediating factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia M Morton
- Department of Sociology, Purdue University, Stone Hall, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Center on Aging and the Life Course, Purdue University, Hanley Hall, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
| | - Sarah A Mustillo
- Department of Sociology, Purdue University, Stone Hall, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Center on Aging and the Life Course, Purdue University, Hanley Hall, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Kenneth F Ferraro
- Department of Sociology, Purdue University, Stone Hall, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Center on Aging and the Life Course, Purdue University, Hanley Hall, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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15
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE To address the inconsistent findings on whether childhood misfortune increases adult cancer occurrence. METHODS This study uses longitudinal data from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) that first sampled 3,032 respondents aged 25 to 74 during 1995-1996. A series of logistic regressions were estimated separately for men and women to test whether the effect of childhood misfortune on adult cancer was largely cumulative or specific to the type or profile of misfortune. RESULTS For men, additive childhood misfortune, physical abuse by father, and frequent abuse by either parent increased cancer risk. For women, physical abuse by mother and frequent abuse by either parent increased cancer risk. DISCUSSION Analyses revealed the importance of examining alternative specifications of childhood misfortune for men and women. Additive childhood misfortune predicted cancer for men only, whereas child abuse by parent of the same sex predicted cancer for men and women.
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Muscatello DJ, Morton PM, Evans I, Gilmour R. Prospective surveillance of excess mortality due to influenza in New South Wales: feasibility and statistical approach. Commun Dis Intell Q Rep 2008; 32:435-442. [PMID: 19374272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Influenza is a serious disease that seasonally causes varying but substantial morbidity and mortality. Therefore, strong, rapid influenza surveillance systems are a priority. Surveillance of the population mortality burden of influenza is difficult because few deaths have laboratory confirmation of infection. Serfling developed a statistical time series model to estimate excess deaths due to influenza. Based on this approach we trialled weekly monitoring of excess influenza mortality. Weekly, certified death information was loaded into a database and aggregated to provide a time series of the proportion of all deaths that mention pneumonia or influenza on the death certificate. A robust regression model was fitted to the time series up to the end of the previous calendar year and used to forecast the current year's mortality. True and false alarm rates were used to assess the sensitivity and specificity of alternative thresholds signifying excess mortality. Between 1 January 2002 and 9 November 2007, there were 279,968 deaths registered in New South Wales, of which 77% were among people aged 65 years or more. Over this period 33,213 (12%) deaths were classified as pneumonia and influenza. A threshold of 1.2 standard deviations highlighted excess mortality when influenza was circulating while providing an acceptable false alarm rate at other times of the year. Prospective and reasonably rapid monitoring of excess mortality due to influenza in an Australian setting is feasible. The modelling approach allows health departments to make a more objective assessment of the severity of seasonal influenza and the effectiveness of mitigation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Muscatello
- Population Health Information Branch, NSW Department of Health, North Sydney, New South Wales.
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Small JG, Saunders JE, Small IF, Morton PM. Awareness of illness as related to psychiatric diagnosis--clinical course and treatment setting. Am J Psychother 1967; 21:220-9. [PMID: 6032433 DOI: 10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.1967.21.2.220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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