Ramon Mendoza

Cadmium exposure and neuropsychological development in school children in southwestern Spain

This study assessed the association between cadmium exposure and neuropsychological development in children from a region with high industrial and mining activities in southwestern Spain. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 261 children aged 6-9 years between January and March 2012. Cadmium exposure was measured in urine and hair of children, and neuropsychological development was assessed with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) and with three computerized tests from the Behavioral Assessment and Research System (BARS): Reaction Time Test (RTT), Continuous Performance Test (CPT) and Selective Attention Test (SAT). Multivariate linear regression models, adjusted for potential confounders, were used to estimate the association between neuropsychological development and cadmium exposure measured in urine and hair samples. Geometric means of urine and hair cadmium levels were 0.75 μg/g creatinine and 0.01 μg/g, respectively. We observed that doubling of levels of cadmium in urine was associated with a reduction of two points (95% CI: -3.8 to -0.4) in the Full-Scale intelligence quotient (IQ) in boys. By domains, association was statistically significant for Verbal Comprehension (β=-2.0; p=0.04) and close to the significance level for Perceptual Reasoning (β=-1.8; p=0.06). Among girls, only Verbal Comprehension showed suggestive associations with cadmium exposure (β=-1.7; p=0.06). Cadmium exposure is associated with cognitive delays in boys in our region. Our results provide additional evidence of the neurotoxic effect of low-level postnatal cadmium exposure among children, and support the hypothesis of differences between sexes in the neurotoxic effect of metals on children.

Postnatal arsenic exposure and attention impairment in school children

Over the last few decades there has been an increased concern about the health risks from exposure to metallic trace elements, including arsenic, because of their potential neurotoxic effects on the developing brain. This study assessed whether urinary arsenic (UA) levels are associated with attention performance and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children living in an area with high industrial and mining activities in Southwestern Spain. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 261 children aged 6-9 years. Arsenic levels were determined in urine samples. Attention was measured by using 4 independent tools: a) tests from the Behavioral Assessment and Research System (BARS) designed to measure attention function: Simple Reaction Time Test (RTT), Continuous Performance Test (CPT) and Selective Attention Test (SAT); b) AULA Test, a virtual reality (VR)-based test that evaluates childrens response to several stimuli in an environment simulating a classroom; c) Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), administered to parents; and d) Teachers Report Form (TRF), administered to teachers. Multivariate linear and logistic regression models, adjusted for potential confounders, were used to estimate the magnitude of the association between UA levels and attention performance scores. Higher UA levels were associated with an increased latency of response in RTT (β = 12.3; 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.5-21.1) and SAT (β = 3.6; 95% CI: .4-6.8) as well as with worse performance on selective and focalized attention in the AULA test (β for impulsivity = .6; 95% CI: .1-1.1; β for inattention = .5; 95% CI: .03-1.0). A dose-response relationship was observed between UA levels and inattention and impulsivity scores. In contrast, results from the CBCL and TRF tests failed to show a significant association with UA levels. In conclusion, UA levels were associated with impaired attention/cognitive function, even at levels considered safe. These results provide additional evidence that postnatal arsenic exposure impairs neurological function in children.

A Two-Year Longitudinal Study Of Gender Differences In Responses To Positive Affect And Depressive Symptoms During Middle Adolescence

This study aimed to analyze the prospective associations during adolescence between depressive symptoms and response styles to positive affect and to examine gender differences. A longitudinal study was conducted with three waves separated by 1 year each to assess a non-clinical sample of 622 Spanish adolescents who were 13 and 14 years old (50.2% boys, 49.8% girls). The participants completed self-report measures of depressive symptoms and responses to positive affect (emotion-focused positive rumination, self-focused positive rumination and dampening of positive emotion). The results showed that the increase in depressive symptoms was associated with an increase in dampening and decreases in emotion-focused and self-focused positive rumination. Furthermore, girls presented more depressive symptoms, as well as higher dampening and lower self-focused positive rumination, than boys. The conclusions highlight the need to consider responses to positive affect in explaining gender differences in depressive symptoms during mid-adolescence, as well as in designing prevention programs.

La cooperación de los adolescentes en las tareas domésticas: diferencias de género y características asociadas

Resumen Se estudia el grado de implantación de la cooperación en las tareas domésticas entre el alumnado de 10 a 18 años y se explora con qué características están asociadas tanto la ayuda diaria en casa como la nula ayuda. Los datos han sido recogidos en el seno del proyecto EVAE, un estudio de ámbito estatal sobre los estilos de vida de los adolescentes escolarizados (n = 8.956). Se constatan notables diferencias de género en la frecuencia de la cooperación en el hogar (los chicos, menos que las chicas). En ambos géneros, el no ayudar nunca en casa está significativamente asociado a la no lectura de libros, la no escritura voluntaria, la inadaptación escolar, el aislamiento en la familia y la búsqueda de sensaciones de riesgo, así como otras características estudiadas en el cuestionario. A su vez, la cooperación diaria en casa está asociada a características antagónicas a las anteriores. Los resultados resaltan la relevancia de la cooperación en las tareas domésticas para el desarrollo adolescente y la necesidad de profundizar en la investigación de este fenómeno.

Sport participation, body satisfaction and depressive symptoms in adolescence: a moderated-mediation analysis of gender differences

Abstract This research aimed to analyse the partial mediating role of body satisfaction in the relationship between sport participation and depressive symptoms, as well as to examine the moderating role of gender in these associations. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 1810 adolescents aged 13–18 years old who completed self-report measures regarding sport participation, body satisfaction and depressive symptoms. The results indicated that a higher frequency of sport participation was associated with a lower presence of depressive symptoms, both directly and through greater body satisfaction, although gender differences were found in this partial mediation model. It was detected that sport participation had a greater effect on positive body satisfaction among boys, whereas body dissatisfaction indicated a greater presence of depressive symptoms among girls. The results emphasize the need to implement gender-specific programmes to improve psychological adjustment in adolescents by promoting sport practice and body acceptance.

Responses to positive affect, life satisfaction and self-esteem: A cross-lagged panel analysis during middle adolescence

During middle adolescence, elevated stress and a greater presence of psychological disorders have been documented. The research has paid little attention to the regulation of positive affective states. Fredricksons broaden-and-build theory suggests that cultivating positive emotions helps to build resources that boost well-being. The current research aimed to examine the longitudinal associations between responses to positive affect (emotion-focused positive rumination, self-focused positive rumination, and dampening) and psychological adjustment (self-esteem and life satisfaction) during middle adolescence. A longitudinal study with two waves separated by one year was conducted, assessing 977 adolescents (M = 13.81, SD = 0.79; 51.5% boys) with self-report measures. A cross-lagged panel analysis was performed by including within the same model the relationships between all of the variables in the two assessment points. The results indicated cross-lagged positive relationships of self-focused positive rumination with both self-esteem and life satisfaction, while dampening showed a negative cross-lagged relationship with self-esteem. Moreover, higher self-esteem predicted more emotion-focused positive rumination, and more dampening predicted lower life satisfaction. Thus, the use of adaptive responses to positive affect and a better psychological adjustment were found to be prospectively interrelated at the one-year follow-up during middle adolescence. The discussion argues for the need to implement programmes to promote more adaptive responses to positive affect to enhance psychological adjustment in the adolescent transition to adulthood.

Adolescent drunkenness and street drinking as predictors of increased participation in bullying

ABSTRACT Numerous studies have provided evidence of disorders associated with experiencing bullying at school and the current level of bullying among schoolchildren. However, little is known about the extent to which frequent binge drinking in adolescence might prove to be a predictor of increased participation in bullying at school. To cast light on this subject, the data from two waves (one year apart) of a longitudinal study using a sample of 714 adolescents between 13 and 16 years old from Andalusia (Southern Spain) were analyzed. Transversally, a clear association was detected in wave 1 between the frequency of being drunk 7and participation in the Spanish botellon phenomenon (groups of young people binge drinking outdoors) and the frequency of actively bullying others. Longitudinally, reporting getting drunk frequently or taking part in street drinking on a weekly basis in wave 1 prove to be predictors of increased active bullying in wave 2. Furthermore, the predictor that presents the greatest effect is participation in street drinking. These results suggest that both frequent binge drinking in adolescence and frequent participation in street drinking may contribute to active bullying.