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PubMed2004

Quality of life and psychological adaptation in siblings of paediatric cancer patients, 2 years after diagnosis.

UNLABELLED: Several studies have been conducted on sibling psychosocial adaptation to cancer in a brother or sister, but little is known on how the long-term adaptation of siblings to the illness develops. The concept quality of life has primarily been applied in research on the effects of chronic illness on the affected patient, but has not yet been studied in siblings. AIMS: To investigate the prevalence of self-reported psychosocial problems in siblings of pediatric cancer patients, 2 years after the onset of the illness. MEASUREMENTS: Two Dutch quality of life questionnaires, the TACQOL and the DUCATQOL are used, as well as generic non-health-related measures of emotional and behaviour problems (CBCL-YSR) and anxiety (STAI-C). PARTICIPANTS: Participants were 103 siblings aged 7-18 years old. Fifty seven Siblings participated in a prospective and 46 in a retrospective study group. RESULTS: Siblings aged 7-11 report lower overall quality of life than children in the norm group. No differences in mean scores were found on any of the other domains that were investigated. When the prevalence of problems was investigated, however, relatively more siblings compared to normative data had scores in the impaired group based on the 20th percentile norm. A relatively high number of siblings aged 7-11 reported impaired emotional (42%), social (34%) and total quality of life (47%) (DUCATQOL) and physical problems (26%) (TACQOL). Relatively many adolescent siblings (26%) reported significant internalising problems on the CBCL-YSR. CONCLUSIONS: Although acute emotional distress reactions seem to have normalised in most siblings as has been suggested in the literature, emotional distress of having a brother or sister with cancer may continue beyond diagnosis for a subgroup of children. Young siblings seem to be affected in their quality of life, whereas a subgroup of adolescent siblings experience clinically relevant internalising problems. The results support the use of quality of life measures for siblings. Predictors of long-term adaptation in siblings need to be investigated.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2004

Screening for vesicoureteral reflux and renal scars in siblings of children with known reflux.

The incidence of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) in the general population is less than 1%, but it is high in families with reflux. The reported prevalence of VUR among siblings of index patients with reflux has ranged from 4.7% to 51%. Reflux carries an increased risk of pyelonephritis and long-term renal impairment. The purpose of this study was to identify the age-related incidence and severity of reflux, and the frequency of associated renal parenchymal damage in siblings of children with reflux in order to assess the use of screening at different ages. Between October 1994 and February 2003, 40 siblings of 34 index patients were screened with direct voiding cystography. 99( m ) technetium (Tc)-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) nuclear renal scans were performed in siblings with VUR to detect renal scarring. The cystograms were interpreted as showing the presence or absence of VUR and the DMSA scan as symmetrical or asymmetrical differential function, with or without renal scarring. Of 40 siblings, 17 had VUR, representing an incidence of 42.5%. The mean age at study entry of the 15 boys and 25 girls was 63 months (range 6 months to 12 years). The majority of siblings with abnormal DMSA scans were asymptomatic. Reflux was unilateral in 12 siblings and bilateral in 5. Of the 17 refluxing siblings (22 refluxing ureters), 7 (41.17%) had a history of symptomatic urinary tract infection (UTI). The frequency of VUR was nearly equal in siblings over 6 years and those younger than 6 years. Of the 17 siblings with VUR, 16 had DMSA scintigraphy. Of these, 5 were normal and 11 (68.75%) showed abnormalities (7 asymmetrical differential function and 4 parenchymal defect), which was bilateral in 7 and unilateral in 4. In conclusion, this study confirms a significant overall incidence of VUR and renal parenchymal damage in the siblings of patients with known reflux. The prevalence of reflux in older siblings is similar to that in younger siblings. Our review suggests that all siblings over 6 years should undergo a screening cystogram, even in the absence of urinary tract infection. DMSA scintigraphy of asymptomatic siblings appears to be beneficial in preventing renal injury.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2004

The role of emotional social support in the psychological adjustment of siblings of children with cancer.

BACKGROUND: Siblings of children with cancer are at risk for reduced emotional support. The role of emotional social support in the psychological adjustment of siblings of paediatric cancer patients was examined, in the context of age and gender. METHODS: The sample consisted of two groups of siblings of children being treated for cancer: siblings referred for behaviour problems (n = 47) and a comparison group of non-referred siblings (n = 25). Forty-two were female, and 30 were male. The mean age was 10.31 years (SD = 2.71). Siblings completed measures of depression, anxiety, behaviour, and emotional social support. One parent of each sibling completed measures of sibling's behaviour and anxiety. RESULTS: Siblings who reported more social support endorsed significantly fewer symptoms of depression, anxiety, and fewer behaviour problems, and their parents reported less anxiety and fewer behaviour problems than siblings who reported lower social support. Parents of referred siblings reported significantly more behaviour problems than parents of non-referred siblings. Referred adolescent females reported significantly higher depression scores and were perceived as more anxious than referred adolescent males and non-referred adolescent females. Non-referred younger siblings with high social support were perceived by their parents as having the fewest behaviour problems. CONCLUSIONS: High level of social support appears to play a protective role in psychological adjustment of siblings of paediatric cancer patients, with age and gender as modifying factors. Although not all siblings develop behaviour or emotional problems, it is critical to identify those who do in order to intervene accordingly.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1993

Sibling temperaments, conflict, warmth, and role asymmetry.

The association between sibling temperament combinations (activity and adaptability) and qualitative aspects of the sibling relationship were examined, including in-home observations of sibling positivity/warmth, negativity/conflict, social engagement, and role asymmetry and older sibling perceptions of warmth/closeness, conflict, and status/power. The sample consisted of 67 same-gender, school-aged sibling pairs. Highest levels of negativity/conflict occurred when both siblings were high in activity and when the older sibling was rated as more active than the younger. Conflict was lowest when both siblings were low in activity. Warmth/positivity was greatest when both children were similar in activity level. Siblings were more socially engaged when the older sibling was more adaptable than the younger. Perceived status/power was greatest when younger siblings were low in adaptability. When between-temperament-dimension relationships were examined, observed conflict was greatest when older siblings were high in activity and younger siblings were nonadaptable. Gender and age-related findings are also reported. Findings highlight the importance of identifying the complex ways in which varying dimensions of sibling temperaments combine to influence specific aspects of the sibling relationship.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Intrauterine growth and intelligence within sibling pairs: findings from the Aberdeen children of the 1950s cohort.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine whether the established positive association between birth weight and childhood psychometric intelligence is seen within singleton sibling pairs from the same family as well as between nonsiblings. METHODS: We examined the association of intrauterine growth (measured as birth weight standardized for gender and gestational age) with psychometric intelligence (measured using the Moray House picture test) at 7 years old in a birth cohort of 9792 individuals who were singleton births occurring in Aberdeen, Scotland, between 1950 and 1956. We further compared this association within siblings with that between nonsiblings in the cohort; this family-based analysis included 1645 sibling pairs (N = 3290 individuals). RESULTS: There was a positive linear association between birth weight and childhood psychometric intelligence at age 7 in the whole cohort, which remained with adjustment for a range of potential confounding factors. A one standard deviation increase in birth weight for gestational age z score was associated with a greater intelligence score in a regression model adjusting for sex, year of birth, paternal social class, maternal height, age, gravidity, and birth outside of marriage. The mean age difference between the siblings within each family pair was 2.2 years. In the family-based analysis there was no strong association between birth weight for gestation age z score and intelligence within sibling pairs from the same family, but there was a positive association between nonsiblings; the difference in these effects being unlikely to be due to chance. With additional adjustment for social class, maternal height, age, gravidity, and birth outside of marriage, the within-sibling pair effect was unaltered and the nonsibling effect attenuated, although an apparently robust positive association remained. In these adjusted analyses there was still evidence that the within-sibling effect differed from that between nonsiblings. We found no evidence that the main effects or the family-based analyses differed between males and females. DISCUSSION: Our family-based analyses are consistent with one previous large family-based study that included >2500 sibling pairs and found no within-sibling-pairs association between birth weight and childhood intelligence, but did not make a direct statistical comparison between the within-sibling-pairs association and that between nonsiblings. In a second large study that included only sibling pairs of the same sex, in males there was a within-sibling-pairs association between birth weight and childhood intelligence. However, for females there was no within-sibling-pairs association. The authors commented that this sex difference was puzzling and needed replication. Although we had less power than this earlier study to assess sex differences, the point estimates and statistical tests in our study suggested that there was no sex difference. CONCLUSIONS: The lack of any association within sibling pairs from the same family suggests that the association between birth weight and childhood intelligence in the general population of singletons is largely explained by fixed family factors that are closely matched in siblings of a similar age. These factors include family socioeconomic characteristics, parental education and intelligence, genetic factors and fixed maternal factors, such as her behaviors, size, and metabolic and cardiovascular health that are constant from one pregnancy to the next and could therefore affect her offspring growth and intelligence across all pregnancies.

Birth Weight↗
PubMed2002

Replication of hepatitis B in HBsAg-positive siblings.

Persistent hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication is important for progression of chronic liver diseases. To understand whether there is a trend of HBV replication in siblings or not, 1850 relatives of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were examined prospectively for liver function test, viral markers and HBV DNA. The prevalence of HBsAg in the parents', siblings', children's and grandchildren's generations were 43.4%, 57.2%, 35.5% and 32.1%, respectively. The prevalence of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) in sibling's generation (mean age 44.4 years) was 19%, which is higher than that of asymptomatic HBsAg carriers. For siblings in the children's generation, the prevalence of HBeAg in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers declined from 40% in the eldest siblings to 19% in the youngest siblings. In 75 families clustered with three or more HBsAg carrier siblings, the mean age for seven families of which all siblings remained HBeAg + was younger, whereas the mean age for 35 families of which all siblings had cleared HBeAg was older. For the remaining 33 families, in only 10 families had the older siblings cleared the HBeAg earlier than the younger siblings. Twenty families showed that younger siblings cleared the HBeAg earlier than the older or middle siblings. We concluded that HBV replication in HCC relatives cannot be explained by familial tendency alone. A significant number of younger siblings appeared to have a shorter HBV replication phase than their older siblings. The possible role of this in maternal-fetal transmission is discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Renal parenchymal damage in sibling vesicoureteric reflux.

AIM: To compare the incidence of renal damage in siblings of patients with vesicoureteric reflux (VUR) who presented with a documented history of urinary tract infection (UTI) with asymptomatic siblings who were diagnosed with reflux during a screening programme for hereditary VUR. METHODS: Medical and radiological records of the VUR patients (1990-2000) were examined for age, gender, mode of presentation, reflux grade and renal damage. RESULTS: VUR was noted in 226 siblings (352 ureters) in 107 families. Of the 119 siblings of index patients, 64 were investigated for a documented UTI and 55 with no history of UTI were detected during screening for sibling reflux. Dimercaptosuccinic acid scan revealed reflux nephropathy in 25 (26%) of the 97 renal refluxing units (RRU) of siblings who presented with a UTI and in 6 (7%) of the 89 RRU of asymptomatic siblings who underwent screening voiding cystourethrography (p=0.0006). Mild renal damage was present in 20 (21%) RRU of siblings with UTI and in 2 (2%) RRU of the screened siblings (p < 0.001). Moderate to severe renal damage was present in 5 (5%) RRU of siblings with UTI and in 4 (4%) RRU of the screened siblings (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that the incidence of mild renal scarring was much higher in siblings who presented with UTI than in asymptomatic siblings. However, the incidence of moderate and severe renal scarring among asymptomatic siblings was comparable to that in siblings with VUR and UTI.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Risk and protective factors affecting the adjustment of siblings of children with chronic disabilities.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the adjustment of nondisabled siblings of handicapped children. METHOD: In a 3-year longitudinal study, 46 siblings of children with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), 45 siblings of children with Down syndrome, and 46 siblings of developmentally normal children (serving as controls) were examined at time 1 using the sibling, primary caretaker, and teacher as informants. Both direct and indirect variables related to sibling adjustment were considered. RESULTS: Significantly more difficulties were found in the siblings of children with PDD compared with the other two groups. Different correlates of adjustment were present in the siblings of the disabled compared with nondisabled children, and mediating factors differed in parent and teacher reports of internalizing difficulties in siblings of children with PDD. Marital satisfaction, lack of parental depression, a cohesive family, and a warm, nonconflictual sibling relationship were protective for normal control and Down syndrome siblings but not for PDD siblings. CONCLUSION: Findings underline the risks for the siblings of children with PDD and suggest the importance of a transactional mechanism rather than identification of single risk or protective factors in predicting sibling adjustment. Subsequent data analysis in this longitudinal study will assist in defining these mechanisms and allow for improved intervention strategies.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2005

Sibling cardiovascular disease as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease in middle-aged adults.

CONTEXT: While parental cardiovascular disease (CVD) doubles the risk for CVD in offspring, the extent of increased risk associated with sibling CVD is unclear. OBJECTIVE: To determine, using validated events, whether sibling CVD predicts outcome in middle-aged adults independent of other risk factors. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The Framingham Offspring Study, an inception cohort of the Framingham Heart Study, a prospective population-based cohort study initiated in 1948 with the offspring cohort initiated in 1971. Participants (n = 2475) were members of the offspring cohort aged 30 years or older, free of CVD, and with at least 1 sibling in the study; all were followed up for 8 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Association of sibling CVD with 8-year personal risk for CVD using pooled logistic regression. A secondary analysis restricted to offspring with both parents in the study assessed the joint impact of parental and sibling CVD occurrence. RESULTS: Among 973 person-examinations in the sibling CVD group (mean age, 57 years) and 4506 person-examinations in the no sibling CVD group (mean age, 47 years), 329 CVD events occurred during follow-up. Baseline risk factors were more prevalent in the sibling CVD group compared with the no sibling CVD group. Sibling CVD was associated with a significantly increased risk for incident CVD (age- and sex-adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.19-2.03). Adjustment for risk factors did not substantially attenuate the risk (adjusted OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.10-1.91). In the analysis restricted to persons with both parents in the study, in models adjusting for both sibling and parental CVD, the multivariable-adjusted OR for sibling CVD (1.99; 95% CI, 1.32-3.00) exceeded that for parental CVD (1.45; 95% CI, 1.02-2.05). CONCLUSION: Using validated events, sibling CVD conferred increased risk of future CVD events above and beyond established risk factors and parental CVD in middle-aged adults.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed2006

Sibling similarity for MDD: evidence for shared familial factors.

BACKGROUND: Sibling designs have the potential to identify familial factors that are shared and unshared between siblings. Unfortunately, this methodology has rarely been applied to mood disorders. METHODS: The current study uses the original participants from the Oregon Adolescent Depression Project (OADP) and their closest-aged sibling to investigate familial influences on sibling similarity and differences for psychopathology. Diagnostic interviews were conducted with the original participants on three occasions and with full siblings and biological parents at the time of the third assessment. RESULTS: Maternal major depressive disorder (MDD) was associated with sibling similarity for MDD and anxiety disorders, and maternal anxiety disorder was associated with sibling similarity for MDD. A number of maternal and paternal disorders were associated with sibling differences for psychopathology. The data suggest that maternal MDD and anxiety disorder have a greater influence than paternal MDD and anxiety disorder in influencing sibling similarity for MDD. LIMITATIONS: Original participants were assessed on up to three occasions while their siblings were assessed only once. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal MDD and anxiety disorder appear to act as shared familial risk factors with respect to sibling MDD. In addition, parental psychopathology has non-shared influences on sib-pairs. Future research should assess differential parental treatment and individual sibling characteristics as additional factors that may influence sibling similarity and differences in psychopathology.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Psychosocial adjustment, relationship and self-concept in siblings of children with idiopathic epilepsy syndromes].

BACKGROUND: Psychosocial adjustment, relationship and self-concept in siblings of children with idiopathic epilepsy was compared with healthy controls. PATIENTS: 173 persons--68 siblings, 62 mothers and 43 fathers--from the study group (children with idiopathic epilepsy) and matched controls were investigated. METHODS: Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL), Self-Description-Questionnaire I and II (SDQ) and Sibling Relationship Questionnaire (SRQ) were used. RESULTS: There were more somatic complaints of the siblings reported by the mothers of the study group. They also noted more nurturance of the sibling than mothers of healthy children did. The data of the fathers showed more dominance of the sibling. Siblings of children with epilepsy showed more prosocial action towards their classmates. In families with a new diagnosed epilepsy the fathers noticed more problems in school und somatic complaints of the siblings. The number of seizures, which were seen by the sibling, not the absolute number of seizures, had an influence on the behavior of the siblings; these siblings had more social problems than siblings, who had never seen a seizure. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest a close cooperation with the families and constant inclusion in the treatment as claimed by recent systemic family medicine. Resource-orientated and salutogenetic aspects should be given a greater focus in modern work with families and especially siblings.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2005

Brief report: family-based group intervention for young siblings of children with chronic illness and developmental disability.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of a family-based group intervention for young siblings of children with chronic illness and developmental disability (CI/DD). METHODS: Forty-three healthy siblings (ages 4-7 years) of children with CI/DD and their parents participated in an intervention designed to address sibling challenges that cut across types of diagnostic conditions. The intervention consisted of six sessions of collateral and integrated sibling-parent groups. Measures of sibling knowledge, sibling sense of connectedness with other children in similar family circumstances, and sibling global functioning were collected before and after intervention. A subsample of 17 families completed a 3-month follow-up. RESULTS: Siblings' knowledge of the child's disorder and sibling connectedness increased significantly from pre- to posttreatment for both boys and girls, regardless of the nature of the brother or sister's condition. Sibling perceptions of self-competence increased from pre- to posttreatment, whereas parent reports of sibling behavioral functioning remained within the normal range. Improvements in sibling knowledge and connectedness maintained at follow-up. Parent satisfaction with the program was high. CONCLUSIONS: Results support more controlled evaluations of family-based intervention to improve young sibling adaptation to CI/DD.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Sibling comparison of differential parental treatment in adolescence: gender, self-esteem, and emotionality as mediators of the parenting-adjustment association.

This study employs findings from social comparison research to investigate adolescents' comparisons with siblings with regard to parental treatment. The sibling comparison hypothesis was tested on a sample of 516 two-child families by examining whether gender, self-esteem, and emotionality-which have been found in previous research to moderate social comparison-also moderate sibling comparison as reflected by siblings' own evaluations of differential parental treatment. Results supported a moderating effect for self-esteem and emotionality but not gender. The sibling comparison process was further examined by using a structural equation model in which parenting toward each child was associated with the adjustment of that child and of the child's sibling. Evidence of the "sibling barricade" effect-that is, parenting toward one child being linked with opposite results on the child's sibling as on the target child-was found in a limited number of cases and interpreted as reflecting a sibling comparison process. For older siblings, emotionality and self-esteem moderated the sibling barricade effect but in the opposite direction as predicted. Results are discussed in terms of older siblings' increased sensitivity to parenting as well as the report of differential parenting reflecting the child's level of comfort and benign understanding of differential parenting, which buffers the child against environmental vicissitudes evoking sibling comparison processes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Language abilities of siblings of children with autism.

BACKGROUND: Language abilities of siblings of children with autism were examined to explore the possibility that language abilities are behavioral markers specific to the genetic liability for autism, as part of the broader phenotype. METHOD: Language abilities were compared among 27 siblings of children with autism, 23 siblings of children with mental retardation of unknown etiology (MR), and 22 siblings of children with developmental language disorders (DLD). Groups were matched by siblings' age, gender, birth order, family size, ethnicity, family income and by probands' gender and mental age. RESULTS: Siblings of children with autism achieved higher scores than siblings of children with DLD on receptive, expressive, and total language scales of the Children's Evaluation of Language Fundamentals and on verbal IQ. Moreover, within the DLD group, school problems in the domains of reading and arithmetic were more prevalent than within the other two groups. Only 2 siblings of children with autism received clinical diagnoses based on DSM-IV criteria compared to 3 siblings of children with MR and 7 siblings of children with DLD. CONCLUSIONS: After excluding data of the diagnosed siblings, no differences in language abilities could be discerned among the groups, except that more siblings in the DLD group were identified as having language difficulties. In summary, although language deficits characterize autism, siblings of children with autism were not found to demonstrate deficits in language skills assessed by formal language tests, IQ, or academic skills.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Sibling effects on smoking in adolescence: evidence for social influence from a genetically informative design.

AIMS: Behavioral genetic research has suggested that sibling effects on smoking may reflect social rather than genetic processes. We utilize a genetically informative sample of adolescents to test this proposition, focusing on sibling relationship processes (social connectedness) shown to be influential in studies of deviancy. DESIGN: A combined twin-sibling design was employed to disentangle genetic and non-genetic effects. PARTICIPANTS: We utilized a sample of 1421 adolescent sibling pairs participating in the US National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). These sibling pairs represent a spectrum of genetic relatedness and include monozygotic twins, dizygotic twins, biological siblings, half-siblings and unrelated siblings. MEASUREMENTS: Participants completed self-report questionnaires on smoking behavior, quality of relationship with their sibling (social connectedness) and peer and parental smoking. FINDINGS: Main effects of both shared environment and genetics were found on adolescent smoking frequency. Social connectedness between siblings moderated shared environmental influences on smoking frequency at each time period, as well as on change in smoking frequency. Shared environmental effects were more pronounced when siblings reported high levels of social connectedness. These environmental sibling effects on smoking were significant after controlling for parent and peer smoking. CONCLUSIONS: This report extends prior research on sibling effects on smoking by identifying specific relationship dynamics that underlie transmission of risk within sibships and providing evidence that such relationship dynamics represent social rather than genetic processes.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Sibling response to childhood cancer: a new approach.

It is well recognized that serious illness in children can have important consequences for siblings who may manifest their concerns as behavioural difficulty. The aim of the present study was to explore sibling psychological response to childhood cancer and to observe the effects that sibling knowledge had on their response. Siblings and parents of patients at the Children's Hospital, Birmingham, were interviewed using the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist and semi-structured 'Illness Knowledge' questionnaires designed by the first author. Siblings were not experiencing significant behaviour problems. The level of sibling knowledge about cancer was related to the level of sibling social competence but not to the prevalence of behaviour problems. One-third of the siblings were talking to no one at all about their feelings, and sibling feedback yielded some important sibling needs. It was concluded that sibling response to childhood cancer may not necessarily be pathological and may also be mediated by the level of sibling social competence as well as sibling knowledge.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2004

Social and emotional adjustment of siblings of children with autism.

BACKGROUND: Social and emotional adjustment of siblings of children with autism was examined, to explore their risk or resilience to effects of genetic liability and environmental factors involved in having a sibling with autism. METHOD: Social-emotional adjustment, behavior problems, socialization skills, and siblings' relationships were compared among 30 siblings of children with autism, 28 siblings of children with mental retardation of unknown genetic etiology (MR), and 30 siblings of children with developmental language disorders (DLD). Groups were matched by probands' gender, siblings' chronological age, gender, IQ, and birth order, and by family size, ethnicity, and parental income, employment, and stress level. RESULTS: Four siblings of children with autism, three siblings of children with MR, and seven siblings of children with DLD received DSM-IV diagnoses. Nevertheless, most of the siblings were well adjusted. CONCLUSIONS: The adjustment of siblings of children with autism is in sharp contrast to the severe social and emotional disabilities characteristic of autism, and is noteworthy considering the stress involved in having a sibling with autism.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2006

Sibling influence on alcohol use in a young adult, high-risk sample.

OBJECTIVE: Previous research has found that siblings resemble each other in terms of alcohol use but has not examined sibling influence in young adult or high-risk siblings. The current study tested whether siblings prospectively influenced each other's alcohol use and how gender matching, age differences, and family conflict might moderate such effects. METHOD: Data from sibling pairs (n=169 pairs) in an ongoing longitudinal study of children of alcoholics and matched controls were collected at two time points 5 years apart. RESULTS: Older sibling alcohol use predicted younger sibling alcohol use, even after controlling for membership in a shared peer group and for parental alcoholism. However, moderator variables qualified this effect, such that older sibling influence was significant only among sibling pairs who were of the same gender, closer in age, and from higher conflict families. Younger sibling influence was significant only for sibling pairs close in age, suggesting the presence of reciprocal peer-like effects in this subgroup. CONCLUSIONS: The current study provides evidence for sibling influence on alcohol use into adulthood, but the extent of this influence depends on sibling similarity in age and gender and on levels of family conflict. Implications for family-based theory and intervention efforts are discussed.

Adolescent↗