ADHD and anger contexts: electronic diary mood reports from mothers and children.

Objective: Using electronic diaries (eDiaries), this study examined temporal links between child and maternal anger, as well as positive mood and perceived stress, in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) versus comparison peers.

Methods: Across 7 days, half-hourly eDiaries were completed independently by mothers and their 8-12-year-old children (51 receiving medication for ADHD and 58 comparison peers).

Results: Cross-informant analyses revealed systematic patterns of negative maternal moods in relation to child anger in both groups along with evidence of slower recovery in the ADHD group.

Association of atopy to asthma severity and medication use in children.

The importance of aeroallergens as triggers for asthma is well recognized, but the relationship between asthma severity and atopic profiles in childhood has not been elucidated. This study assessed the relationship of allergen sensitization to asthma severity in a study of 114 asthmatic children followed for 8 weeks in three Southern California areas. Increased controller medication and beta-agonist use were positively associated with number of positive skin tests and allergy to mold and pollens.

Toward mapping daily challenges of living with ADHD: maternal and child perspectives using electronic diaries.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has an impact on the family as well as the affected child. This study developed and tested an electronic diary for mapping the challenges of everyday family life in a sample of children with ADHD being treated with pharmacotherapy. Across 7 days, mothers and children (27 ADHD; 25 non-ADHD) independently reported their moods, behaviors, and social contexts every 30 min during nonschool hours.

An electronic diary study of contextual triggers and ADHD: get ready, get set, get mad.

Objective: This study was designed to examine context effects or provocation ecologies in the daily lives of children with ADHD.

Method: Across 7 days, mothers and children (27 children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD] taking stimulant medication; 25 children without ADHD; ages 7-12 years) provided electronic diary reports every 30 +/- 5 minutes during non-school hours. Child and maternal perceptions of behaviors, moods, and interaction quality during preparatory and transitional ("getting ready") activities were compared with those during other activities.

Evaluation and quality control of personal nephelometers in indoor, outdoor and personal environments.

Personal nephelometers provide useful real-time measurements of airborne particulate matter (PM). Recent studies have applied this tool to assess personal exposures and related health effects. However, a thorough quality control (QC) procedure for data collected from such a device in a large-scale exposure assessment study is lacking.