Paediatrics (RCH) - Research Publications

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Is Neighborhood Nature an Ecological Precursor of Parenting Practices, Infant-Parent Bonding, and Infant Socioemotional Function?

Mygind, L ; Greenwood, C ; Letcher, P ; Mavoa, S ; Lycett, K ; Wang, Y ; Flensborg-Madsen, T ; Bentsen, P ; Macdonald, JA ; Thomson, K ; Hutchinson, D ; Olsson, CA ; Enticott, PG (SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC, 2023-05)

Nurturing relationships are crucial for adaptive child development. The objectives of the study were to investigate whether nature availability was associated with early nurturing parenting practices, mother-infant bonding, and infant socioemotional function. Data were from the Australian Temperament Project ( n = 809 infants to 515 parents residing in Victoria, Australia) and were linked cross-sectionally to residential greenness (i.e., Normalized Difference in Vegetation Index). There were no observable associations between residential greenness within a 1,600 m network radius and parenting practices, mother-infant bonding, or infant socioemotional function. The findings were largely corroborated by sensitivity analyses (i.e., NDVI within 100, 250, 500, and 1,000 m and distance to park). Shorter distances to a park were associated with less hostile parenting. More residential greenness (1,000 and 1,600 m) was associated with stronger father-infant bonding and more hostile parenting amongst the most stressed parents in exploratory analyses. Residential greenness might be a socioecological precursor for father-infant bonding.
Infant and preschool attachment, continuity and relationship to caregiving sensitivity: findings from a new population-based Australian cohort

Mcintosh, JE ; Opie, J ; Greenwood, CJ ; Booth, A ; Tan, E ; Painter, F ; Messer, M ; Macdonald, JA ; Letcher, P ; Olsson, CA (WILEY, 2024-01)

BACKGROUND: Here, we report new prevalence and temporal stability data for child attachment and parental caregiving behaviour, from infancy (1 year) to preschool (4 years). METHODS: Attachment (SSP) and caregiving data (MBQS) were from observations of parents and their infants and preschoolers, who represent the third generation of participants within an Australian longitudinal cohort. RESULTS: At 1 year (n = 314 dyads) and at 4 years (n = 368 dyads), proportions assessed secure were 59% and 71%, respectively. Proportions assessed avoidant were 15% and 11%; ambivalent 9% and 6%, and disorganised 17% and 12%, at 1 and 4 years. Continuity of attachment pattern was highest for the infant secure group. Of dyads initially classified disorganised in infancy, 36% remained so at the preschool assessment. Attachment and caregiving continuities across the infancy-preschool period were highest for the stable secure attachment group and lowest for the stable insecure attachment group. Loss of secure attachment to mother by age 4 years correlated with decreased maternal caregiving sensitivity, and acquisition of secure status by age 4 was associated with increased maternal sensitivity. We found no difference in caregiving sensitivity scores for mothers and fathers for female and male preschool children. CONCLUSIONS: The contemporary infant and preschool attachment proportions we report here closely mirror the patterns of those reported in prior decades, with an inclination towards secure base relationships. Our findings alert practitioners anew to the responsiveness of early attachment status to change in caregiving responsiveness and support ongoing investment in early identification of disorganised attachment.
Continuities in maternal substance use from early adolescence to parenthood: findings from the intergenerational cohort consortium

Thomson, KC ; Greenwood, CJ ; Letcher, P ; Spry, EA ; Macdonald, JA ; McAnally, HM ; Hines, LA ; Youssef, GJ ; McIntosh, JE ; Hutchinson, D ; Hancox, RJ ; Patton, GC ; Olsson, CA (CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS, 2023-04-08)

Background This study assessed the extent to which women's preconception binge drinking, tobacco use and cannabis use, reported prospectively in adolescence and young adulthood, predicted use of these substances during pregnancy and at 1 year postpartum. Methods Data were pooled from two intergenerational cohort studies: the Australian Temperament Project Generation 3 Study (395 mothers, 691 pregnancies) and the Victorian Intergenerational Health Cohort Study (398 mothers, 609 pregnancies). Alcohol, tobacco and cannabis use were assessed in adolescence (13-18 years), young adulthood (19-29 years) and at ages 29-35 years for those transitioning to parenthood. Exposures were weekly or more frequent preconception binge drinking (5 + drinks in one session), tobacco use and cannabis use. Outcomes were any alcohol, tobacco and cannabis use prior to awareness of the pregnancy, after awareness of pregnancy (up to and including the third trimester pregnancy) and at 1 year postpartum. Results Frequent preconception binge drinking, tobacco use and cannabis use across both adolescence and young adulthood were strong predictors of continued use post-conception, before and after awareness of the pregnancy and at 1 year postpartum. Substance use limited to young adulthood also predicted continued use post-conception. Conclusions Persistent alcohol, tobacco use and cannabis use that starts in adolescence has a strong continuity into parenthood. Reducing substance use in the perinatal period requires action well before pregnancy, commencing in adolescence and continuing into the years before conception and throughout the perinatal period.
Illicit Substance Use and Harm in Young Adulthood: the Role of Substance Use in Close Relationships and Individual Social Skills

Greenwood, CJ ; Letcher, P ; Macdonald, JA ; Hutchinson, DM ; Youssef, GJ ; Toumbourou, JW ; Spry, E ; Sanson, A ; Cleary, J ; Olsson, CA (Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2023-01-01)

Abstract To examine illicit substance use across young adulthood and explore the extent to which social skills moderate the relationship between use and harm. 1,404 (761 women) from the Australian Temperament Project (est. 1983) participated across young adulthood (age 19–20, 23–24, and 27–28 years). Measures included self-reported illicit substance use/harm and social skills (i.e., assertion, empathy, responsibility, and self-control). The number and type of illicit substances used changed across young adulthood. Greater illicit substance use was associated with peer (OR = 4.96) and partner use (OR = 3.60). Moderation analyses suggested the risk relationship between the number of illicit substances used and harm was lower in those with high levels of assertion/self-control (ORassertion = 2.34, ORself-control = 2.60) compared to low levels (ORassertion = 4.43, ORself-control = 3.72). Evidence based programmes designed to strengthen individual social skills for young adults may play a role in protecting against the adverse effects of illicit substance use.
Factor structure of the Mini-Maternal Behavior Q-Sort and associations with infant attachment: Informing precision in research and intervention

Booth, AT ; Greenwood, CJ ; Youssef, GJ ; McIntosh, JE ; Nguyen, T ; Letcher, P ; Edwards, B ; Hutchinson, DM ; Sanson, A ; Olsson, CA ; Macdonald, JA (WILEY, 2023-03)

We examined the factor structure of parental sensitivity to infants as assessed by the Mini-Maternal Behavior Q-Sort (Mini-MBQS), a 25-item short-form of the original 90-item MBQS. We aimed to: (1) identify latent factors of the Mini-MBQS; and (2) validate each factor by testing associations with infant attachment classifications. Data on parent-infant dyads (n = 313; 222 mothers with 281 children, 29 fathers with 32 children) were drawn from a three-generation Australian cohort study. Exploratory Factor Analysis and Exploratory Structural Equation Modelling examined the structure of the Mini-MBQS. Two latent Mini-MBQS factors were identified, requiring 8 of 25 original items: (1) Attention and Responsiveness and (2) Contingency in Interactions. Infants with insecure attachment classifications had parents with lower sensitivity across both factors relative to infants classified secure. In particular, infants with resistant attachment classifications had parents with notably low Contingency in Interactions scores. Infants with disorganised attachment classifications had parents with the lowest relative sensitivity across both factors, and in these dyads Attention and Responsiveness scores were especially low. Results provide an empirically derived factor structure for the Mini-MBQS. Two subscales, each with significant infant attachment associations, may improve precision in clinical intervention and research translation.
Parental history of positive development and child behavior in next generation offspring: A two-cohort prospective intergenerational study

Letcher, P ; Greenwood, CJ ; McAnally, H ; Belsky, J ; Macdonald, JA ; Spry, EA ; Thomson, KC ; O'Connor, M ; Sligo, J ; Youssef, G ; McIntosh, JE ; Iosua, E ; Hutchinson, D ; Cleary, J ; Sanson, A ; Patton, GC ; Hancox, RJ ; Olsson, CA (WILEY, 2023-01)

This study examined whether positive development (PD) in adolescence and young adulthood predicts offspring behavior in two Australasian intergenerational cohorts. The Australian Temperament Project Generation 3 Study assessed PD at age 19-28 (years 2002-2010) and behavior in 1165 infants (12-18 months; 608 girls) of 694 Australian-born parents (age 29-35; 2012-2019; 399 mothers). The Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Parenting Study assessed PD at age 15-18 (years 1987-1991) and behavior in 695 preschoolers (3-5 years; 349 girls) and their New Zealand born parents (age 21-46; 1994-2018; 363 mothers; 89% European ethnicity). In both cohorts, PD before parenthood predicted more positive offspring behavior (βrange = .11-.16) and fewer behavior problems (βrange = -.09 to -.11). Promoting strengths may secure a healthy start to life.
Parenting Orientations in Young Adulthood: Predicting Timing of Parenthood and Quality of Postpartum Caregiving

Macdonald, JAA ; Collins, S ; Greenwood, CJJ ; Youssef, GJJ ; Thomson, KCC ; Letcher, P ; Spry, EAA ; Olsson, CAA (AMER PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOC, 2023-04)

Most but not all adults become parents, yet it remains unclear which characteristics indicate an orientation toward parenting. The aims of this study were to (a) distinguish profiles of individual and interpersonal resources in young adults that may orient them toward parenthood and (b) investigate whether profiles predicted timing of entering parenthood, postpartum parenting behavior, and parent-infant bonding. Participants were 1,429 young people (53% female) enrolled in an Australian 39-year longitudinal study. Predictor data for latent profile analysis were collected at 23-24 and 27-28 years. Parenthood timing was designated as "early" ≤ 25 years, "on-time" > 25 years, and "not a parent" by age 37 years. Parenting outcomes were assessed at 12 months postpartum in 684 parents of 1,144 children. Four-profile classes were identified: "connected" (n = 463, 32.4%), "constricted empathy" (n = 461, 32.3%), "insecure" (n = 343, 24%), and "disconnected" (n = 162, 11.3%). Connected young adults were characterized by close ties to family of origin and peers and by identity clarity and empathy. Connected participants were more likely than those in insecure and disconnected classes to be parents by 37 years and more likely to enter parenthood "on-time" compared to "early" parenthood in the constricted empathy class. Among those who became parents, the connected class reported the strongest bonds and warmest parenting and was least anxious or hostile in parenting their infants. Findings provide insights into preconception patterns among variables that together predict reproductive timing, postpartum bonding, and quality of parenting. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
Eating and Body Image Disturbances in Adolescence and Substance Use Throughout Young Adulthood: Findings from the Australian Temperament Project

Linardon, J ; Greenwood, CJJ ; Macdonald, JAA ; Spry, EAA ; Wertheim, EHH ; Le Grange, D ; Letcher, P ; Olsson, CAA (SPRINGER, 2023-01-01)

Abstract We investigated whether eating and body image disturbances in mid-adolescence were associated with substance use in young adulthood. Participants (n = 1566) completed the drive for thinness, bulimic behavior, and body dissatisfaction subscales from the Eating Disorder Inventory during adolescence (15–16 years), and reported frequencies of substance use (tobacco, cannabis, binge drinking, other illicit substances) across young adulthood (19–20, 23–24, and 27–28 years). Adolescent body dissatisfaction was associated with a 10% increase in the rate of binge drinking and tobacco smoking, with effects being of similar magnitude in men and women, and across young adulthood. The association between bulimic behavior and tobacco smoking was strongest in the earlier years of young adulthood (19–20 years). Relationships between cannabis use, bulimic behavior, and body dissatisfaction were evident in men only. Findings highlight important targets for prevention programs, as well as focused monitoring efforts to identify individuals at risk of later substance use.
From adolescence to parenthood: a multi-decade study of preconception mental health problems and postpartum parent-infant bonds

Macdonald, JA ; Greenwood, C ; Letcher, P ; Spry, EA ; McAnally, HM ; Thomson, K ; Hutchinson, D ; Youssef, GJ ; McIntosh, J ; Hancox, RJ ; Patton, GC ; Olsson, CA (SPRINGER HEIDELBERG, 2022-03)

PURPOSE: To examine associations between anxiety and depressive symptoms across adolescence and young adulthood with subsequent maternal- and paternal-infant bonding at 1 year postpartum. METHODS: The data were from a prospective, intergenerational cohort study. Participants (381 mothers of 648 infants; 277 fathers of 421 infants) self-reported depression and anxiety at three adolescent waves (ages 13, 15 and 17 years) and three young adult waves (ages 19, 23 and 27 years). Subsequent parent-infant bonds with infants were reported at 1 year postpartum (parent age 29-35 years). Generalised estimating equations (GEE) separately assessed associations for mothers and fathers. RESULTS: Mean postpartum bonding scores were approximately half a standard deviation lower in parents with a history of persistent adolescent and young adult depressive symptoms (maternal βadj = - 0.45, 95% CI - 0.69, - 0.21; paternal βadj = - 0.55, 95% CI - 0.90, 0.20) or anxiety (maternal βadj = - 0.42, 95% CI - 0.66, - 0.18; paternal βadj = - 0.49, 95% CI - 0.95, 0.03). Associations were still mostly evident, but attenuated after further adjustment for postpartum mental health concurrent with measurement of bonding. CONCLUSIONS: Persistent symptoms of depression or anxiety spanning adolescence and young adulthood predict poorer emotional bonding with infants 1-year postbirth for both mothers and fathers.
Life course psychosocial precursors of parent mental health resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic: A three-decade prospective cohort study

Letcher, P ; Greenwood, CJ ; Macdonald, JA ; McIntosh, J ; Spry, EA ; Hutchinson, D ; O'Connor, M ; Biden, EJ ; Painter, FL ; Olsson, CM ; Cleary, J ; Thomson, KC ; Olsson, CA (ELSEVIER, 2023-08-15)

BACKGROUND: There has been widespread interest in the implications of COVID-19 containment measures on the mental health of parents. Most of this research has focused on risk. Much less is known about resilience; yet such studies are key to protecting populations during major crises. Here we map precursors of resilience using life course data spanning three decades. METHODS: The Australian Temperament Project commenced in 1983 and now follows three generations. Parents (N = 574, 59 % mothers) raising young children completed a COVID-19 specific module in the early (May-September 2020) and/or later (October-December, 2021) phases of the pandemic. Decades prior, parents had been assessed across a broad range of individual, relational and contextual risk and promotive factors during childhood (7-8 years to 11-12 years), adolescence (13-14 years to 17-18 years) and young adulthood (19-20 years to 27-28 years). Regressions examined the extent to which these factors predicted mental health resilience, operationalised as lower than expected anxiety and depressive symptoms during the pandemic relative to pre-pandemic symptoms. RESULTS: Parent mental health resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic was consistently predicted by several factors assessed decades before the pandemic. These included lower ratings of internalizing difficulties, less difficult temperament/personality traits and stressful life events, and higher ratings of relational health. LIMITATIONS: The study included 37-39-year-old Australian parents with children age between 1 and 10 years. DISCUSSION: Results identified psychosocial indicators across the early life course that, if replicated, could constitute targets for long-term investment to maximise mental health resilience during future pandemics and crises.

Paediatrics (RCH) - Research Publications

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