Adolescents born preterm have similar self-esteem/wellbeing levels to those born full-term
New research led by the universities of Kent and Warwick has found that, contrary to previous beliefs, adolescents born preterm have the same levels of self-esteem and overall wellbeing as those born full-term
2021-04-06
(Press-News.org) New research led by the universities of Kent and Warwick has found that, contrary to previous beliefs, adolescents born preterm have the same levels of self-esteem and overall wellbeing as those born full-term.
Preterm birth, defined as birth before 37 weeks of gestation, has been previously found to be associated with an increased risk for lower academic achievement, higher mental health problems and increased difficulties in social relationships compared to those born full-term. This new study, co-led by Dr Ayten Bilgin (Kent) alongside colleagues from Warwick, demonstrates that in contrast, preterm birth does not affect the development of subjective wellbeing and self-esteem, which are personal evaluations and thus different from school grades or psychiatric diagnoses.
The research paper, published by the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, reveals how adolescents born very preterm (28 to 32 weeks) or moderate-to-late preterm (32 to 37 weeks) are no different from those born full-term regarding general subjective wellbeing, and family, school and physical appearance related wellbeing, and global self-esteem.
However, the study found that adolescents born very preterm perceive their peer relationships as poorer than those born full-term. This would indicate that interventions to enhance wellbeing in very preterm adolescents may be focused around improving peer relationships in childhood and adolescence.
Dr Bilgin said: 'It is very encouraging to find that preterm born adolescents show the same levels of self-esteem and wellbeing as full-term born adolescents, despite the association between preterm birth and increased mental health problems. We hope our findings will impact the focus of future studies.'
Dieter Wolke, Professor of Developmental Psychology and Individual Differences at the University of Warwick's Department of Psychology, added: 'It is concerning that those born preterm perceive themselves to have poorer peer relationships. Together with our previous evidence that preterm children may be more often the subject of bullying, supporting friendships and peer relations in school and leisure activities should be a priority.'
INFORMATION:
For their study, the team utilised data from: The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC; United Kingdom); the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS; United Kingdom); the Basel Study of Preterm Children (BSPC; Switzerland); and the Bavarian Longitudinal Study (BLS; Germany). Using questionnaires, a total of 986 moderate-to-late preterm, 412 very preterm and 12,719 full-term born adolescents reported on wellbeing and 927 moderate-to-late preterm, 175 very preterm and 13,312 full-term born adolescents reported on self-esteem. The age of the participants ranged from 12-17 years.
'Subjective Well-Being and Self-Esteem in Preterm Born Adolescents: An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis' is published by the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics. (Dr Ayten Bilgin, Kent; Dr Asteria Brylka, Warwick; Professor Dieter Wolke, Warwick; Dr Hayley Trower; Warwick; Nicole Baumann, Warwick; Professor Sakari Lemola, University of Bielefeld). DOI: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000000947
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
2021-04-06
A total of 108 women participated in the research from the first weeks of pregnancy to delivery, having recorded their stress levels before, during, and after conception (via the concentration of cortisol in hair) and performed different psychological tests
A study carried out by scientists from the University of Granada (UGR) has revealed that women who experience stress both before becoming pregnant and during conception are almost twice as likely to have a girl as a boy.
Researchers from the Mind, Brain and Behaviour Research Centre (CIMCYC), the Department of Pharmacology (Faculty of Pharmacy), and the Faculty of Psychology have analysed the levels of cortisol (a steroid hormone that is released in response to stress) ...
2021-04-06
Cuckoo wasps - also called emerald wasps - are some of the most beautiful insects we have, with colourful exteriors that shine like jewels. However, these beauties have also created a lot of headaches.
"Normally we distinguish insects from each other by their appearance, but cuckoo wasps are so similar to each other that it makes it difficult," says Frode Ødegaard.
Ødegaard is an insect researcher at the NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology) University Museum and belongs to the European research group that has now ...
2021-04-06
New research suggests Ireland's increasing populations of Sika deer may be linked to local outbreaks of TB infection in cattle.
Although TB infection rates have decreased in general in recent decades, county-level data shows a correlation between higher Sika numbers and higher local TB infections - with County Wicklow a particular hotspot.
The research, conducted by researchers from Trinity College Dublin and the National Parks and Wildlife Service and supported by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, has major implications for controlling TB. It has ...
2021-04-06
Is there a way to chemically manipulate small, confined areas on cellular surfaces? Scientists have developed a microfluidic probe to send a flow of free radicals on live cells and track the outcome using fluorescence imaging. As outlined in the journal Angewandte Chemie, this approach makes it possible for the first time to generate a reaction zone of free radicals with controlled size and concentration for subcellular research.
Free radicals are important stimulants for cells. When live cells are exposed to radicals, they develop intense reactions that can lead to cell ...
2021-04-06
Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) have experimentally demonstrated a novel cancer diagnosis technique based on the scattering of circularly polarized light. Computational studies revealed that this technique can detect the progression of precancerous lesions and early cancer. This method can be implemented using an endoscope equipped with spin-LEDs--devices that emit circularly polarized light.
Most cancers of the digestive system emerge in the surface layer first and then progress into deeper layers. While surface layer carcinomas can be readily treated using an endoscope, carcinomas that have advanced onto deeper layers need surgical intervention to prevent them from metastasizing to lymph nodes or other organs. Thus, accurate measurements of the depth of cancer ...
2021-04-06
Amsterdam, April 6, 2021 - The rarity of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) means that promising new treatments may be tested in only a limited spectrum of patients before approval. Investigators evaluated a newly approved drug, onasemnogene abeparvovec, in a broader spectrum of patients in order to obtain expanded data on its side effects profile. They report in the Journal of Neuromuscular Diseases that the drug is associated with an immune response against the adeno-associated viral vector and needs careful monitoring, but showed no long-term adverse effects.
In recent years, the availability of a growing number of drug treatments has significantly ...
2021-04-06
New Orleans, LA - A study led by Edward Wojcik, PhD, Associate Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, identified how microcephaly (abnormally small heads) and blindness may develop in Zika-infected fetuses, as well as a new way to potentially prevent these neurodevelopmental defects. The results are published online in iScience, available here.
The mechanism by which Zika virus disrupts neuronal development and results in congenital Zika syndrome was unknown. Because of similarities between Zika syndrome and a recognized congenital genetic disease (Kinesin-5) known to cause microcephaly and retinopathies in developing infants, the research team studied both, looking for similarities. They discovered a direct link, the first ...
2021-04-06
Comparison of coda waves, the scattered waves that arrive after the direct waves of a seismic event, can be used to determine the relative locations of two underground explosions, according to a new study published in the open-access journal The Seismic Record.
The technique, called coda wave interferometry, was tested on explosions conducted as part of the Source Physics Experiment (SPE). Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory researchers Sean Ford and Bill Walter report that coda wave interferometry can also put a limit on the extent of damage caused by an explosion.
The findings suggest the technique could be used to improve the estimates of the relative locations ...
2021-04-06
Using samples of small cell lung tumours, a research team led by biologist Dr Silvia von Karstedt has discovered two new ways to induce tumour cell death. One of two subsets of tumour cells can be targeted by activating ferroptosis: iron-dependent cell death caused by oxidative stress. In the second subtype, oxidative stress - and hence cell death - can also be induced in a different way. Both types of cell death must be triggered simultaneously by drugs to kill the majority of the tumour mass. The results of the study have been published in Nature Communications.
Despite many advances in treatment, a diagnosis of small cell lung cancer means a particularly poor prognosis. In Germany, up to 8000 new cases ...
2021-04-06
DURHAM, N.C. -- Some guys have it all: the muscle, the power, the high social status, the accelerated aging.
But wait. Faster aging? Who wants that? For male baboons, it's the price they pay to be at the top.
New research appearing April 6 in eLife by Jenny Tung, associate professor of evolutionary anthropology and biology at Duke University, and her colleagues shows that male baboons that climb the social ladder age faster than males with lower social standing. If a male drops in social status, his estimated rate of aging drops as well.
Using blood samples from 245 wild baboons in the ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
[Press-News.org] Adolescents born preterm have similar self-esteem/wellbeing levels to those born full-term
New research led by the universities of Kent and Warwick has found that, contrary to previous beliefs, adolescents born preterm have the same levels of self-esteem and overall wellbeing as those born full-term
