Sleep problems, tiredness, and psychological symptoms among healthy adolescents.

Objective: To examine the contribution of adolescents' sleep problems and tiredness to psychological symptoms after accounting for shared risk and psychological co-morbidity.

Methods: Secondary analyses of cross-sectional data on 12-16-year-old (N = 980) adolescents without chronic illness, functional limitation, or developmental delay. Adolescents rated sleep problems, tiredness, and psychological symptoms.

Concurrent associations among sleep problems, indicators of inadequate sleep, psychopathology, and shared risk factors in a population-based sample of healthy Ontario children.

Objectives: Examine the contribution of sleep problems and indicators of inadequate sleep to psychopathology among children after accounting for shared risk and comorbid psychopathology.

Methods: Secondary analyses of cross-sectional data on 4- to 11-year-old (N = 1,550) children without chronic illness or developmental delay or disability. Parents provided information about sleep problems, indicators of inadequate sleep, symptoms of psychopathology, and risk factors for psychopathology.

Community influences on intimate partner violence in India: Women's education, attitudes towards mistreatment and standards of living.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) directed towards women is a serious public health problem. Women's education may offer protection against IPV, but uncertainty exists over how it might reduce risk for IPV at the community and individual levels. The objectives of this study are to: (1) disentangle community from individual-level influences of women's education on risk for IPV; (2) quantify the moderating influence of communities on individual-level associations between women's education and IPV; (3) determine if women's attitudes towards mistreatment and living standards at the community and individual levels account for the protective influence of women's education; and (4) determine if the protective influence of education against IPV is muted among women living in communities exhibiting attitudes more accepting of mistreatment.

The Brief Child and Family Phone Interview (BCFPI): 2. Usefulness in screening for child and adolescent psychopatholog.

Background: This study examines the use of the Brief Child and Family Phone Interview (BCFPI) to screen for childhood psychiatric disorder based on Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children Version IV (DISC-IV) classifications of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), conduct disorder (CD), separation anxiety (SAD), generalized anxiety (GAD) and major depression (MDD).

Methods: Data for analysis come from a sample of 399 children and adolescents aged 5-17 years old referred to child mental health outpatient services in three Ontario cities. Mothers were administered the BCFPI on three occasions: baseline, 2 and 13 months; and the DISC-IV on two occasions: 1 and 12 months.

Hair dosimetry following neutron irradiation.

Use of hair as a biological dosimeter of neutron exposure was proposed a few years ago. To date, the (32)S(n,p)(32)P reaction in hair with a threshold of 2.5 MeV is the best choice to determine the fast neutron dose using body activation.

Neighborhood and family influences on educational attainment: results from the Ontario child health study follow-up 2001.

This study uses multilevel models to examine longitudinal associations between contextual influences (neighborhood and family) assessed in 1983 in a cohort of 2,355 children, 4-16 years of age, and educational attainment in 2001. Variation in educational attainment in 2001 attributable to between-neighborhood and between-family differences was 8.17% and 36.

HIV/AIDS knowledge, women's education, epidemic severity and protective sexual behaviour in low- and middle-income countries.

A fundamental public health strategy to reduce the risk of HIV/AIDS is to increase levels of awareness and knowledge about the disease. Although knowledge about HIV/AIDS and protective sexual behaviour are linked theoretically, relatively little is known about their empirical relationship. Using Demographic and Health Survey data from 23 low- and middle-income countries, this study used multilevel logistic regression models: to examine cross-national variability in the relationship between HIV/AIDS knowledge and protective behaviour (condom use and restricted sex); to investigate the moderating influences of women's educational attainment on this relationship; and to test the extent to which severity of the HIV/AIDS epidemic accounts for cross-national variability in the association between HIV/AIDS knowledge and protective behaviour.

The influence of economic development level, household wealth and maternal education on child health in the developing world.

This study estimates the relative importance to child health (indicated by weight and height for age) of economic development level [gross domestic product (GDP) converted to international dollars using purchasing power parity (PPP) rates: GDP-PPP], household wealth and maternal education and examines the modifying influence of national contexts on these estimates. It uses information collected from mothers aged 15-49-years participating in Demographic Health Surveys (DHS) conducted in 42 developing countries. In multilevel regression models, the three study variables exhibited strong independent associations with child health: GDP-PPP accounted for the largest amount of unique variation, followed by maternal education and household wealth.

Tobacco use among immigrant and nonimmigrant adolescents: individual and family level influences.

Purpose: To identify individual and family level characteristics that might explain differences in rates of tobacco use among immigrant and nonimmigrant adolescents.

Methods: Data for analysis come from a probability sample of 5401 adolescents aged 12-18 years participating in the Ontario Health Survey (OHS). Three groups were compared: (a) adolescents born in Canada to Canadian-born parents (n = 3886), (b) adolescents born in Canada to immigrant parents (n = 1233), and (c) adolescents born outside of Canada (n = 282).

Youth at risk of homelessness in an affluent Toronto suburb.

Background: This study examines the characteristics and needs of 69 youth who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness at Pathway's Home Base Youth Drop-In Centre in the affluent suburb of Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada.

Methods: A semi-structured interview examined demographics, characteristics, living arrangements, family characteristics, substance use, mental health, criminal activity and educational experiences of the youth in this sample.

Results: The majority of youth came from economically advantaged families and were currently residing with their parents, but were substantially more at risk than their mainstream peers in measures related to youth homelessness.

Single mothers and the use of professionals for mental health care reasons.

In the present study, we examine whether higher rates of mental health service use observed among single-parent mothers is due to greater need (psychopathology) or other factors (predisposing and enabling characteristics) using a socio-behavioural model of health care use. We use data from two large surveys in Canada (the 1994-95 National Population Health Survey and the 1990 Ontario Mental Health Supplement). The bivariate results from both surveys revealed that single-parent mothers were two to three times more likely than married mothers to have sought professional help for mental health reasons over a 12-month period.

Differential-maternal parenting behavior: estimating within- and between-family effects on children.

This study examined the impact of differential-maternal parenting behavior, evaluated as a family-level experience, on children's emotional-behavioral problems. Data come from 3 child development studies: 2,128 four- to sixteen-year-olds (Ontario Child Health Study), 7,392 four- to eleven-year-olds (National Longitudinal Study of Children and Youth), and 1,992 three- to fourteen-year-olds (National Longitudinal Study of Youth). In 2 of 3 studies, there was consistent evidence that differential-maternal parenting behavior had an adverse impact on all siblings as a group, over and above parenting directed at individual siblings.

Stress, social support and depression in single and married mothers.

Background: This study examined the effect of stress and social support on the relationship between single-parent status and depression.

Method: A secondary data analysis of the 1994-95 National Population Health Survey was conducted. Single and married mothers who participated in the survey were derived from the general sample (N = 2,921).

DSM-IV internal construct validity: when a taxonomy meets data.

The use of DSM-IV based questionnaires in child psychopathology is on the increase. The internal construct validity of a DSM-IV based model of ADHD, CD, ODD, Generalised Anxiety, and Depression was investigated in 11 samples by confirmatory factor analysis. The factorial structure of these syndrome dimensions was supported by the data.

Tri-ministry study: correlates of school-based parenting course utilization.

This study examined factors associated with the utilization of universally available school-based parent training. In a randomly selected, prospectively screened, unreferred community sample of 1,498 5- to 8-year-olds, 28% to 46% of families of children with high parent-reported externalizing problems enrolled. Externalizing problems, first-child status, and a high school education were associated with increased enrollment.

Helping children adjust--a Tri-Ministry Study: II. Program effects.

This report describes program effects of the Tri-Ministry Study a school-based, longitudinal trial carried out over a 5-year period to assess the effectiveness of classwide social skills training (SS), partner reading (RE), and a combination of both (SS & RE) to reduce maladjustment among children in the primary division (up to grade 3) of Ontario schools. It also places these effects in the context of other school-based prevention studies and discusses them in view of important methodological and programmatic issues. The incremental effects attributable to the intervention programs were small and sporadic.

Helping children adjust--a Tri-Ministry Study: I. Evaluation methodology.

This report describes the evaluation methodology of the Tri-Ministry Study--a school-based trial evaluating the effectiveness of three universal programs: (a) a classwide social skills program (SS), (b) a partner reading program (RE); and, (c) a combination of both (SS & RE), to reduce and prevent behavioural maladjustment among children in the primary division (up to grade 3) of Ontario schools. The trial was done between 1991 and 1995. Sixty schools in 11 boards of education took part and were assigned randomly to program(s) during the study.

Predicting conduct problems: can high-risk children be identified in kindergarten and grade 1?

Externalizing behavior symptoms (EBS) in childhood are a strong predictor of future conduct problems. This study evaluated their predictive accuracy using logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curve techniques. EBS, alone and in combination with other child and familial risk factors, were used to predict conduct problems 30 months later in a nonclinic population of kindergartners and Grade 1 children.

What does early antisocial behaviour predict? A follow-up of 4- and 5-year-olds from the Ontario Child Health Study.

Objective: To examine the predictive accuracy of antisocial behaviours among 4- and 5-year-old children for problem behaviours 4 years later (ages 8 and 9 years).

Method: Data from the Ontario Child Health Study (1983) and Follow-up (1987) are used. Predictive accuracy is conceptualized using positive predictive value (PPV) and sensitivity.

Adequacy of interviews vs checklists for classifying childhood psychiatric disorder based on parent reports.

Background: The advantages and disadvantages of lay-administered structured interviews and self-administered problem checklists for estimating prevalence and associated features of childhood psychiatric disorder have attracted little comment. This article compares the scientific adequacy of these 2 instruments for classifying DSM-III-R categories of childhood psychiatric disorder in general population samples.

Methods: Study data are from parental assessments of 251 children aged 6 to 16 years participating in a 2-stage measurement evaluation study.

Prevalence of child physical and sexual abuse in the community. Results from the Ontario Health Supplement.

Context: Although child maltreatment is considered common, few community surveys have examined the prevalence of more than 1 type of maltreatment among both males and females.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of a history of physical and sexual abuse during childhood among the general population.

Design: General population survey.

One-year prevalence of psychiatric disorder in Ontarians 15 to 64 years of age.

Objective: To present the one-year prevalence of 14 psychiatric disorders in a community sample of Ontarians aged 15 to 64 years.

Method: Data on psychiatric disorders were collected on 9953 respondents using the University of Michigan revision of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (UM-CIDI). DSM-III-R criteria were used to define the psychiatric disorders.

Mental health supplement to the Ontario Health Survey: methodology.

Objective: To describe the methodology of a province-wide, cross-sectional, epidemiologic study of psychiatric disorder among those aged 15 years and over living in household dwellings in Ontario.

Method: Respondents for the survey were drawn from households (N = 13002) participating in a province-wide health survey. One person per household was selected, and 9953 (76.