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Biomedical subjects

Jake M Najman

Publications and source records attributed to Jake M Najman.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Effect of body mass index changes between ages 5 and 14 on blood pressure at age 14: findings from a birth cohort study.

Weight reduction in clinical populations of severely obese children has been shown to have beneficial effects on blood pressure, but little is known about the effect of weight gain among children in the general population. This study compares the mean blood pressure at 14 years of age with the change in overweight status between ages 5 and 14. Information from 2794 children born in Brisbane, Australia, and who were followed up since birth and had body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure measurements at ages 5 and 14 were used. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure at age 14 was the main outcomes and different patterns of change in BMI from age 5 to 14 were the main exposure. Those who changed from being overweight at age 5 to having normal BMI at age 14 had similar mean blood pressures to those who had a normal BMI at both time points: age- and sex-adjusted mean difference in systolic blood pressure 1.54 (-0.38, 3.45) mm Hg and in diastolic blood pressure 0.43 (-0.95, 1.81) mm Hg. In contrast, those who were overweight at both ages or who had a normal BMI at age 5 and were overweight at age 14 had higher blood pressure at age 14 than those who had a normal BMI at both times. These effects were independent of a range of potential confounding factors. Our findings suggest that programs that successfully result in children changing from overweight to normal-BMI status for their age may have important beneficial effects on subsequent blood pressure.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Predictors of depression in very young children--a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: There have been only a few previous population-based studies of symptoms of depression in young children. There are no previous population-based studies which examine the factors which might be casually associated with depression in very young children. METHODS: Data are from a cohort study of pregnant women who gave birth to a live singleton baby in a large public hospital in Brisbane, Australia. The Mater-University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy (MUSP) involves a 5-year follow-up, with mothers completing a short form of Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) describing the mental health of their child. Five groups of variables (socio-demographic, pre- and perinatal, maternal mental health, maternal lifestyle and maternal attitude to the child) were used to predict CBCL depression scores at the 5-year follow-up. RESULTS: There are many factors associated with maternal reports of symptoms of depression in 5-year-old children. These include marital partner changes, mother's health problems in pregnancy, child health over the first six months of life, maternal anxiety and marital satisfaction early in the child's development and the mother's attitude towards caregiving. A multiple risk factor model indicates higher rates of depression for children experiencing multiple exposures to risk. While a number of exposures are associated with increased risk, many of those children perceived to be depressed appear to lack any measured exposures. CONCLUSION: Many children as young as 5 years of age are observed to experience multiple symptoms of depression. The majority of children exposed to high levels of risk do not appear to become depressed; they appear to be resilient. The majority of children who experience multiple symptoms of depression appear to lack any known exposures to risk.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2005

Sexual abuse in childhood and sexual dysfunction in adulthood: an Australian population-based study.

This study examined self-reported adult sexual functioning in individuals reporting a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) in a representative sample of the Australian population. A sample of 1793 persons, aged 18-59 years, were randomly selected from the electoral roll for Australian states and territories in April 2000. Respondents were interviewed about their health status and sexual experiences, including unwanted sexual experiences before the age of 16 years. More than one-third of women and approximately one-sixth of men reported a history of CSA. Women were more likely than men to report both non-penetrative and penetrative experiences of CSA. For both sexes, there was a significant association between CSA and symptoms of sexual dysfunction. In assessing the specific nature of the relationship between sexual abuse and sexual dysfunction, statistically significant associations were, in general, evident for women only. CSA was not associated with the level of physical or emotional satisfaction respondents experienced with their sexual activity. The total number of lifetime sexual partners was significantly and positively associated with CSA for females, but not for males; however, the number of sexual partners in the last year was not related to CSA. CSA in the Australian population is common and contributes to significant impairment in the sexual functioning of adults, especially women. These consequences appear not to extend to the other areas of sexual activity considered in this study.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2005

Early adversity and the prospective prediction of depressive and anxiety disorders in adolescents.

The current study was a prospective exploration of the specificity of early childhood adversities as predictors of anxiety and depressive disorders in adolescents. Participants were 816 adolescents (414 males, 402 females) with diagnostic information collected at age 15; information on early adversities had been collected from the mothers during pregnancy, at birth, age 6 months, and age 5 years for a related study. Adolescents with "pure" anxiety disorders were compared with adolescents with "pure" depressive disorders (major depressive disorder, dysthymia), and these groups were compared to never-ill controls. Analyses controlled for gender and maternal depression and anxiety disorders. Results indicated that adolescents with anxiety disorders were more likely than depressed youth to have been exposed to various early stressors, such as maternal prenatal stress, multiple maternal partner changes, and more total adversities, whereas few early childhood variables predicted depressive disorders. Even when current family stressors at age 15 were controlled, early adversity variables again significantly predicted anxiety disorders. Results suggest that anxiety disorders may be more strongly related to early stress exposure, while depressive disorders may be related to more proximal stressors or to early stressors not assessed in the current study.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Positive maternal attitude to the family eating together decreases the risk of adolescent overweight.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether maternal attitude towards the family regularly eating together and maternal report of how often the family eat together are associated with adolescent offspring overweight. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: A cross-sectional mother-child-linked analysis was carried out using 14-year follow-up data from a population-based prospective birth cohort of 3795 children (52% males) who were participants in the Mater-University study of pregnancy, Brisbane, Australia. Maternal reports on family eating pattern reported at age 14 were used. RESULTS: The prevalence of overweight at age 14 was 24.1% (95% confidence interval (CI), 22.3, 26.1) for males and 27.1% (CI, 25.1, 29.2) for females. The majority of mothers (78%) reported that the family ate together at least once a day, but only 43% reported that they felt that family eating together was important. The offspring of women who felt that the family eating together was not important had increased odds of being overweight at age 14 (odds ratio, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.05, 1.53) in age- and sex-adjusted models. Adjustment for potential confounding factors had no substantive effect on the association. There was no association between maternal reports of how often the family actually did eat together and overweight at age 14 in the offspring. DISCUSSION: These findings suggest that maternal attitude towards family eating patterns, but not maternal report of how often the family do eat together, are associated with childhood overweight status. Maternal attitude towards family eating (as opposed to a report of actual frequency at one time-point) may reflect broader maternal influences (beyond family eating pattern) on their child's diet and eating patterns over a long time course.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Is there really a 'J-shaped' curve in the association between alcohol consumption and symptoms of depression and anxiety? Findings from the Mater-University Study of Pregnancy and its outcomes.

AIMS: To determine the nature of the association between alcohol consumption and symptoms of anxiety and depression in women. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study of women (n = 4527) who received antenatal care at a major public hospital (Mater Misericordiae Hospital) in South Brisbane between 1981 and 1984 and who have follow-up data on alcohol use, depressive and anxiety symptoms over a 14-year period. FINDINGS: At the 5-year follow-up there was a 'J-shaped' association between alcohol consumption and both symptoms of depression and of anxiety. However, at the baseline assessment and the 14-year follow-up alcohol consumption was linearly and positively associated with depressive symptoms with increasing prevalence of symptoms with greater consumption. At the 5-year follow-up the prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms among those who were abstainers at both baseline and 5-year follow-up was similar to that among those who had been previous drinkers and then become abstainers (P = 0.67). Similarly, the prevalence of these symptoms was the same at the 14-year follow-up comparing those who had been abstainers at baseline, 5-year and 14-year follow-up to those who had previously consumed alcohol but were then abstainers. CONCLUSIONS: The nature of the association between alcohol consumption and symptoms of depression and anxiety may vary across their life course in women. Previous drinkers who become abstainers do not appear to be at any higher risk of symptoms of depression or anxiety compared to those who always abstained, suggesting that increased symptoms in abstainers at age 30 is not due to 'sick quitters'. The association of high alcohol consumption with symptoms of depression and anxiety may be confounded by low income and smoking.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Early life predictors of adolescent smoking: findings from the Mater-University study of pregnancy and its outcomes.

In this study we have examined the early life predictors of smoking at age 14 in a birth cohort of individuals born in Brisbane, Australia between 1981 and 1984. In stratified and multivariable analyses maternal smoking throughout pregnancy and when the child was aged 14 were both associated with the child smoking: fully adjusted odds ratio [95% confidence interval] comparing maternal smoking throughout pregnancy with never smoking was 1.40 [1.25, 1.65] and that comparing maternal smoking when the child was aged 14 with not smoking was 1.57 [1.19, 2.06]. The association of maternal smoking throughout pregnancy was specific for adolescent smoking and was not associated with alcohol consumption, TV viewing or self-report of poor school performance at age 14. Maternal and paternal educational attainment were also associated with smoking at age 14, with these associations attenuating towards the null with adjustment for childhood behavioural problems and cognitive function. There was no association of family income with smoking at age 14 once other explanatory variables were taken into account.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Substance misuse, anxiety and depression and urgency of presentation to a public emergency department in Australia.

OBJECTIVES: To establish the prevalence and comorbidity of substance-related problems and anxiety and depression, among ED presentations, and to compare the prevalence of these conditions among more and less urgent presentations. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional survey of ED presentations over a 14 day period (24 h/day) at the Gold Coast Hospital Emergency Department in south-east Queensland, Australia, in October 2002. MEASURES: Usual level of alcohol consumption (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test), acute alcohol and illicit drug use (during 24 h prior to interview), symptoms of anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) and triage category (Australasian Triage Scale). RESULTS: Thirty-one per cent of the sample reported usually consuming alcohol at a hazardous or harmful level. Twenty per cent of participants reported clinically significant levels of anxiety and/or depression, which were in turn significantly associated with hazardous and harmful levels of alcohol use. Hazardous/harmful alcohol consumption was over-represented among less urgent ED presentations, whereas anxiety and depression were more prevalent among more urgent ED presentations. CONCLUSIONS: Emergency departments in Australia are appropriate settings for the detection of both substance use and mental health problems in the wider community. The prevalence of these problems in ED settings is high and there is a need for the development of systematic screening and referral processes. The evidence of a link between urgency of presentation and these problems needs to be further explored.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Intrauterine growth and intelligence within sibling pairs: findings from the Mater-University study of pregnancy and its outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between intrauterine growth and intelligence. DESIGN: Population based birth cohort study of sibling pairs born within a maximum of three years of each other. SETTING: Mater-University women and children's hospital, Brisbane, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: 235 (470 children) sibling pairs. RESULTS: Among one randomly selected sibling from each pair verbal comprehension at age 5, general intelligence at age 14, and reading ability at age 14 increased linearly with increasing gestational age and sex standardised birth weight z scores. With adjustment for maternal age, race, and smoking during pregnancy, birth order, family income, and parental education the associations with verbal comprehension at age 5 and general intelligence at age 14 remained, whereas the association with reading ability at age 14 was attenuated to the null. Within sibling pairs, differences in intrauterine growth were positively associated with differences in verbal comprehension at age 5 (test score difference per one unit difference in birth weight z score = 1.52 (0.11 to 3.26)) and general intelligence at age 14 (1.09 (0.01 to 2.18)), but not with reading ability at age 14. CONCLUSIONS: Socioeconomic position or other fixed maternal characteristics do not seem to explain the positive association between intrauterine growth and childhood intelligence.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Associations of parental, birth, and early life characteristics with systolic blood pressure at 5 years of age: findings from the Mater-University study of pregnancy and its outcomes.

BACKGROUND: We examined the associations of a range of parental and early life characteristics with systolic blood pressure at 5 years of age. METHODS AND RESULTS: Information from 3864 children who were followed up prospectively from their mother's first antenatal clinic assessment was used. Maternal age, body mass index, and smoking during pregnancy were all positively associated with offspring systolic blood pressure at 5 years of age. The systolic blood pressure of children whose mothers had smoked throughout pregnancy was on average 0.92 mm Hg (95% CI 0.17 to 1.68) greater than that of children whose mothers had never smoked, after full adjustment. Children who had been breast fed until at least 6 months had lower systolic blood pressure than those who were breast fed for a shorter duration. Paternal body mass index and child's weight, height, and body mass index were all positively associated with blood pressure at age 5. CONCLUSIONS: Because childhood blood pressure tracks into adulthood, interventions aimed at early life risk factors, such as quitting smoking during pregnancy, breast feeding, and prevention of obesity in all family members, may be important for reducing the population distribution of blood pressure and thus cardiovascular disease risk.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Gender differences in the relationships between alcohol, tobacco and mental health in patients attending an emergency department.

AIMS: There is evidence of a non-linear relationship between alcohol consumption and mental health status, and of an association between tobacco use and poor mental health. This paper examines the nature of the association between usual alcohol consumption, tobacco use and symptoms of anxiety and depression in Emergency Department patients in Queensland, Australia. METHODS: A cross sectional survey of patients aged 16-84 presenting for treatment over a 14 day period to Gold Coast Hospital Emergency Department using socio-demographic items, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) to measure moderate, hazardous and harmful alcohol consumption, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to measure state anxiety and depression. RESULTS: 812 patients were interviewed. Gender differences in results were evident. For men, there was a U-shaped relationship between alcohol consumption and anxiety/depression, and a linear association between smoking and anxiety. For women, alcohol consumption and anxiety/depression showed a more linear relationship, but there was no significant relationship between tobacco use and anxiety/depression. CONCLUSIONS: There may be important gender differences in the relationships between alcohol consumption, tobacco use and mental health status. This study supports previous evidence that mental health status of non-drinkers is worse than that of moderate drinkers, but only among males.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

The generational transmission of socioeconomic inequalities in child cognitive development and emotional health.

Socioeconomic inequalities in the health of adults have been largely attributed to lifestyle inequalities. The cognitive development (CD) and emotional health (EH) of the child provides a basis for many of the health-related behaviours which are observed in adulthood. There has been relatively little attention paid to the way CD and EH are transmitted in the foetal and childhood periods, even though these provide a foundation for subsequent socioeconomic inequalities in adult health. The Mater-University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy (MUSP) is a large, prospective, pre-birth cohort study which enrolled 8556 pregnant women at their first clinic visit over the period 1981-1983. These mothers (and their children) have been followed up at intervals until 14 years after the birth. The socioeconomic status of the child was measured using maternal age, family income, and marital status and the grandfathers' occupational status. Measures of child CD and child EH were obtained at 5 and 14 years of age. Child smoking at 14 years of age was also determined. Family income was related to all measures of child CD and EH and smoking, independently of all other indicators of the socioeconomic status of the child. In addition, the grandfathers' occupational status was independently related to child CD (at 5 and 14 years of age). Children from socioeconomically disadvantaged families (previous generations' socioeconomic status as well as current socioeconomic status) begin their lives with a poorer platform of health and a reduced capacity to benefit from the economic and social advances experienced by the rest of society.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Sibling influences on adolescent delinquent behaviour: an Australian longitudinal study.

This article examines sibling influences on adolescent delinquency at age 14, using data from an Australian longitudinal study of 374 same- and mixed-sex sibling pairs. Based on maternal and self-reports, a moderately strong association between siblings' delinquency is found. The relationship remains significant controlling for childhood aggression and family environment factors measured during childhood (age 5) and adolescence (age 14), using both standardized instruments and new scales. This effect varies according to the sex composition of the sibling pair and is stronger for males and those whose parents have been arrested. The need for increased attention to sibling influences by researchers and prevention practitioners is discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Is child sexual abuse declining? Evidence from a population-based survey of men and women in Australia.

OBJECTIVE: Substantiated cases of child sexual abuse (CSA) in the United States have declined significantly over the past decade. This may, or may not, reflect change in the underlying rate in the general population. This study examines age-cohort differences in the prevalence of self-reported CSA experiences of men and women aged 18-59 years in a community-based sample from a comparable western nation. METHOD: In April 2000, we completed a cross-sectional, telephone-based survey of a randomly selected national sample of men and women in Australia. Volunteers (876 males, 908 females) answered a range of questions about health status and sexuality, including unwanted sexual experiences before the age of 16 years. Of selected adults with publicly-listed telephone numbers, 61% agreed to participate. There were few differences between the volunteers and the Australian population on demographic variables and health indicators. RESULTS: Non-penetrative CSA was twice as common among women (33.6%) than men (15.9%). Approximately 12% of women and 4% of men reported unwanted penetrative experiences. CSA was reported significantly less often by younger males, with a linear decline from the oldest to youngest men. Among all females who had intercourse before age 16, older women were much more likely than younger women to say they were an unwilling partner on the first occasion. If first intercourse occurred at age 16 or later, there were no age-cohort differences in risk of first-time abuse. Self-reported "openness" and "comfort" during the telephone interviews was not systematically related to prevalence of CSA. CONCLUSION: These population-based findings provide evidence of a decline in the underlying rate of CSA in Australia. Although every measure of CSA inevitably is flawed to some extent, these trends in self-report complement official statistics that show substantial decline in recent years.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy and physical outcomes up to 5 years of age: a longitudinal study.

AIM: To examine whether alcohol exposure in pregnancy affects weight and head circumference (HC) at birth and 5 years, and whether these effects are independent of cigarette exposure in pregnancy and social disadvantage. STUDY DESIGN: The Mater-University Study of Pregnancy (MUSP) involves a prospective cohort of 8556 mothers who were enrolled at first antenatal visit. The quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption in early and late pregnancy and a measure of binge drinking in early pregnancy were recorded. Weight and HC were measured on children seen at birth and at 5 years. Level of cigarette use in early pregnancy and maternal age and level of education and family income were also measured. RESULTS: Light and moderate alcohol consumption in early or later pregnancy had no independent effects on weight or HC at birth or 5 years. Binge drinking in early pregnancy was not associated with restricted HC, and there was no effect modification by concurrent cigarette use in early pregnancy. An apparent effect of alcohol in late pregnancy on birth weight was due to confounding by cigarette use, with social risk being an independent predictor. CONCLUSION: Alcohol ingestion up to moderate levels in pregnancy was not associated with deficits in either weight or HC at birth or at 5 years.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

A mother's attitude towards her infant and child behaviour five years later.

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between maternal attitude to the infant at 6 months of age and behavioural outcomes at 5 years is explored, controlling for numerous demographic, child and psychosocial family factors. METHOD: Data was used from the Mater-University Study of Pregnancy, an Australian longitudinal study of over 7000 mothers and children followed from pregnancy to when the children were 5 years. Measures ranging from the key variables of maternal attitude and child behaviour as well as numerous confounders were dichotomised. Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the relationship between maternal negative attitude toward the infant and clinically significant levels of child behaviour problems and other infant risks, early social risks, and concurrent social risks. RESULTS: The results suggest that maternal negative attitude towards the infant at 6 months is an independent predictor of child behaviour problems at 5 years. This association remained significant for boys' externalizing behaviours and girls' internalizing behaviours. CONCLUSIONS: The findings lend support to the concept of a sensitive period in early infancy; the need for a broad perspective in the assessment of the mother-infant relationship and the need for early intervention with dysfunctional mother-infant dyads.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Association between early childhood aggression and internalizing behavior for sibling pairs.

OBJECTIVE: This article investigates sibling similarity in early childhood problem behavior. METHOD: Analyses are based on an Australian longitudinal study of health and development that included sister, brother, and mixed-sex sibling pairs. Pregnant women were recruited into the study in 1981 to 1983 and provided information regarding family characteristics and child behavior from birth through the age of 5 years. The relationship between older and younger siblings' aggression and internalizing behavior at the age of 5 years is examined, based upon maternal reports on a shortened version of the Child Behavior Checklist for 414 sibling pairs (60% of the initial sibling sample). RESULTS: The results demonstrate a moderately strong association between sibling's aggression and internalizing behavior, for mixed- and same-sex siblings, with correlation coefficients of 0.26 to 0.39. The association between older and younger sibling's behavior remains significant, controlling for family characteristics such as mother's age, mental health, marital status, affection toward children, and family size and income. CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight the importance of including siblings in family-based intervention programs aimed at reducing child behavior problems.

Aggression↗