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Biomedical subjects

J Rierdan

Publications and source records attributed to J Rierdan.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Weight, weight-related aspects of body image, and depression in early adolescent girls.

This investigation assessed the hypothesis that early adolescent girls with more negative weight-related body images would report higher levels of depressive symptoms. The Beck Depression Inventory was administered, and measures of objective weight and four dimensions of weight-related body image were obtained: self-reported weight, subjective classification of weight from very underweight to very overweight, satisfaction with weight, and concerns about weight. The results indicated that the more subjective and personal measures of weight-related body image discontent--weight dissatisfaction and weight concerns--were associated with increased depressive symptoms, even controlling for objective weight status. These results are discussed in relation to the ontogenesis of body image and the place of body image in personality and the development of depression.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Premenarcheal expectations and postmenarcheal experiences of positive and negative menstrual related changes.

PURPOSE: Longitudinal examination of early adolescent girls' premenarcheal expectations and postmenarcheal experiences of positive and negative menstrual related changes. METHOD: Ratings of 14 positive and negative changes were made by 80 girls on three occasions: (1) in grade 6 when girls were premenarcheal, (2) at the test occasion within six months after each girls' own menarche, and (3) in grade 9 when girls were postmenarcheal. Premenarcheal girls rated expectations of changes, and postmenarcheal girls rated experiences of changes, for both premenstrual and menstrual phases. Girls also rated preparation for, and emotional response to, menarche and mothers' helpfulness on the first two occasions. RESULTS: Ratings for positive and negative changes were at similar levels premenarcheally and decreased at menarche; once menstruation became established, ratings of negative changes increased while those of positive changes decreased. Ratings for negative changes were higher in the menstrual phase, while ratings for positive changes were higher in the premenstrual phase. Premenarcheal expectations of changes contributed to the prediction of menarcheal experiences of changes. Premenarcheal expectations and menarcheal experiences, along with anticipated emotional response to menarche, contributed to the prediction of longer-term experience of negative changes; menarcheal experiences, along with preparation for and emotional response to menarche, contributed to the prediction of longer-term experience of positive changes. CONCLUSIONS: Both expectations about, and initial experiences of, menstrual cycle-related changes were associated with longer-term menstrual experiences. The different outcomes for positive and negative changes have implications for menstrual socialization, and provide the basis for some optimism about facilitating a more complex and multidimensional understanding of menstruation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Early adolescent girls' understanding of menstruation.

Sixth grade girls (N = 224) were queried about their preparation for and expectations about menarche, their parents' roles in preparation, and their understanding of the biological basis of menstruation, characteristics of the menstrual cycle, menstrual hygiene, and menstrual-related physical and psychological changes. Although girls viewed themselves as prepared for menarche, and claimed they had discussed it with their mothers, their explanations of menstruation reflected at best incomplete knowledge, and more typically a variety of misconceptions or ignorance. In attempting to explain menstruation, they tended to focus on one particular element of the process (e.g., eggs or blood or the uterus), and were not able to integrate the elements into a comprehensive whole. Girls' knowledge of the location and function of reproductive structures was faulty, and most did not understand how they were interrelated. Girls associated a variety of negative physical and psychological changes with menstruation, indicating that although they had not yet learned the biology of menstruation, they already had learned and internalized the cultural stereotypes and myths about menstrual symptomatology. In view of reports of high levels of sexual activity, often at very young ages, and without protection, and the high risk for acquiring sexually transmitted diseases, the failure to adequately educate girls about their own anatomy and physiology has serious implications.

Child↗
PubMed1995

Preparing girls for menstruation: recommendations from adolescent girls.

This study asked adolescent girls who had been menstruating for one to three years how they would prepare younger girls for the event, and how they would advise parents to prepare their daughters. To this end, 157 9th-grade girls rated their own experience of menarche (in terms of preparation, initial response, parents' roles, and sources of information) and answered four open-ended questions. The girls emphasized the need for emotional support and assurance that menstruation was normal and healthy--not bad, frightening, or embarrassing. They stressed the pragmatics of menstrual hygiene and the subjective experience of menstruation (how it would actually feel), while down-playing the biological aspects and the link between menstruation and self-definition as a woman. Most girls had talked about menstruation with their mothers, but few had discussed it with their fathers. They saw mothers as critically important but often unable to meet their needs. Many girls felt uncomfortable talking about menstruation with fathers, wanting them to be supportive but silent; others believed that fathers should be excluded completely. Responses suggested several ways early preparation could be revised, including a shift in focus from the biology of menstruation to the more personal, subjective, and immediate aspects of the experience. Responses also supported a conceptualization of menstrual education as a long-term, continuous process, beginning well before menarche and continuing long after.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Distress, suicidal thoughts, and social support among homeless adults.

Influences on psychological distress and suicidal thoughts are evaluated with a sample of 218 sheltered homeless adults. Levels of distress and suicidal thoughts are much higher than in the general population, and are comparable to those found by Rossi (1989). Perceived social support lessens distress and suicidal thoughts directly and also buffers homeless persons from the distress associated with traumatic experiences. There is little indication of a mediating (intervening) role of social support. Distress and suicidal thoughts are also associated with increased health problems; homeless history and sociodemographic characteristics are less important as predictors. Distress itself increases suicidal thoughts--directly, and also in interaction with low levels of social support. We conclude that distress among homeless persons is explained by the same types of influences as those that account for distress among the general population--the gravity of homeless persons' economic situation does not preclude sensitivity to the benefits of social support.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Advanced pubertal development and eating disturbance in early adolescent girls.

This study assessed the hypothesis that early adolescent girls with advanced pubertal development would be at increased risk for eating disturbance compared with less-advanced peers. Sixth-grade girls differing in levels of pubertal development responded to the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI); to questions about weight-related concerns and dieting; and to measures of body image and appearance satisfaction. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated from measured weights and heights, and used as a measure of body fatness. Also assessed were the relative contributions of physical variables (e.g., body fatness) and psychological variables (e.g., body image) to eating- and weight-related concerns. Results supported the hypothesis that more advanced pubertal development was associated with an elevated level of eating disturbance. Analyses suggested that although normal pubertal increases in fatness and weight initially might induce eating-related concerns, it is the psychological response to these changes, in the form of more negative body image, that ultimately becomes more important for promoting eating disturbance.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1991

Perceptions of weight and attitudes toward eating in early adolescent girls.

Sixth grade girls (n = 206) responded to questions about their weight, body image, dieting practices, and attitudes toward weight and eating. Results suggested that feeling too fat and wishing to lose weight were becoming normative for young adolescent girls in that the majority of girls wished to weigh less and said that they dieted at least occasionally. For most girls, weight concerns had emerged between the ages of 9 to 11. A sizeable proportion of girls seemed to have adopted a "dieting mentality," claiming to be avoiding fat, counting calories, thinking excessively about food, feeling guilty after eating and overeating, and exercising to lose weight. Such practices were common even among girls who did not describe themselves as overweight or who were satisfied with their appearance. The emergence of these attitudes and behaviors at increasingly younger ages is of grave concern, as several of them are risk factors for the development of serious eating disorders.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1990

Premenarcheal predictors of the experience of menarche: a prospective study.

The goals of this study were (1) to assess, with a prospective design, the impact of premenarcheal menstrual attitudes and personality attributes for menarcheal experience and (2) to assess the relative strength of these variables, in relation to menarcheal timing and preparation for menarche, for predicting menarcheal experience. The subjects were 92 girls, who changed from pre- to postmenarcheal between two test occasions, 6 months apart. When premenarcheal menstrual attitudes and personality attributes were examined independently, results revealed that affirmation, a menstrual attitude, and depression significantly predicted emotional response to menarche. When these two variables were examined, together with preparation and timing variables, the two significant predictors of menarcheal experience were preparation and affirmation. The results provide direction for, and optimism about, the potential efficacy of menstrual education in promoting more positive menarcheal experience.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Conceptions and misconceptions of the menstrual cycle.

Eighty college women were queried about their knowledge of three aspects of the menstrual cycle (menstruation, ovulation, and menopause). Questions concerned the biology of each event and the physical, emotional, and cognitive changes believed to be associated with them. Reasoning from the biases and limitations in the scientific and popular literature, it was predicted that: (1) women would be relatively uninformed about the menstrual cycle, but more informed about menstruation than about ovulation or menopause, and (2) negatively valued changes would be described more frequently than positively valued ones. Results indicated that basic knowledge of the menstrual cycle, even among well-educated women, is at times incorrect, generally incomplete, and negatively biased. These findings confirm the need for a more comprehensive approach to menstrual education that speaks both to the biology of the menstrual cycle and to norms and variability of associated physical and behavioral changes.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Flashbulb memories of menarche and adult menstrual distress.

Ninety-nine female college students completed a questionnaire in which they recounted their memories of menarche, described menarcheal circumstances, and completed the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ). Consistent with previous research, inadequate emotional preparation for menstruation was associated with negative feelings at menarche. However, menarcheal circumstances were not strongly predictive of adult MDQ scores. Consistent with memory theory, the amount of information in memories of menarche was negatively related to adequacy of prior knowledge about menstruation: Women who reported feeling less knowledgeable at menarche provided more information about the first episode. While memories of menarche contain information that is relevant to subsequent menstrual experiences, the relationship between menarcheal events and adult menstrual distress appears to be minor.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1982

Memories of menarche: age, preparation, and prior knowledge as determinants of initial menstrual experience.

The relationships between age at menarche, preparation for menarche, and initial experience of menarche, were assessed in a retrospective questionnaire administered to 97 college aged women. The more knowledgeable a girl was prior to menarche, the more adequate she perceived her preparation for menarche to have been; and the older she was at the time of menarche, the more likely she was to report a positive initial experience. These data support clinical anecdotes describing initial responses to menarche, and provide information about the factors which can moderate the extent to which menarche is experienced as a traumatic and disruptive event.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1982

Gender, anxiety, and human figure drawings.

Male and female human figure drawings (HFDs) produced by 340 males and females, from ages 9 yrs. 7 mos. to 22 yrs. 4 mos., and deriving from a normal population, were scored for anxiety related to aggression-hostility (A-H) and insecurity-lability (I-L). In general, male subjects evidenced more anxiety about A-H than females; additionally, both male and female subjects drew male figures with more A-H anxiety indices than female figures. The results are interpreted in terms of the impact of sex-role socialization. Further, the utility of obtaining HFDs of both sexes in personality assessment is noted.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Verbal conditioning of male and female schizophrenics as a function of experimenter proximity.

Verbal conditioning of male and female schizophrenics and nonschizophrenics was observed as Ss sat at different distances and orientations from an E who delivered a positive word/positive tone reinforcer ("Good"). Results indicated that the presence vs. absence of diagnostic differences in learning depended on (a) the sex of the Ss; and (b) the distance that Ss sat from the E. The absence of overall diagnostic group differences in learning and the finding that in some proxemic conditions schizophrenics learned more than nonschizophrenics are consistent with the view that under appropriate conditions schizophrenics emit behaviors that are incompatible with an assumption of schizophrenic deficit.

Conditioning, Classical↗