W Alex Mason1, Stacy-Ann A January2, Mary B Chmelka3, Gilbert R Parra4, Jukka Savolainen5, Jouko Miettunen6, Marjo-Riitta Järvelin7, Anja Taanila8, Irma Moilanen9. 1. Boys Town National Research Institute for Child and Family Studies, 14100 Crawford Street, Boys Town, NE 68010, USA. Electronic address: walter.mason@boystown.org. 2. Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 204 Barkley Memorial Center, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA. Electronic address: sjanuary2@unl.edu. 3. Boys Town National Research Institute for Child and Family Studies, 14100 Crawford Street, Boys Town, NE 68010, USA. Electronic address: mary.chmelka@boystown.org. 4. University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies, 135 Mabel Lee Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA. Electronic address: gparra2@unl.edu. 5. Institute for Social Research, ICPSR, University of Michigan, P.O. Box 1248, Ann Arbor, MI 48106, USA. Electronic address: jsavolai@umich.edu. 6. Center for Life Course Health Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, Fin-90014, Oulu, Finland; Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland; Department of Psychiatry, Unit for Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland. Electronic address: jouko.miettunen@oulu.fi. 7. Center for Life Course Health Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, Fin-90014, Oulu, Finland; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, MRC PHE Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College, One Kemble Street, London WC2B 4AN, UK; Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Unit of Primary Care, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland. Electronic address: m.jarvelin@imperial.ac.uk. 8. Center for Life Course Health Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, Fin-90014, Oulu, Finland; Unit of Primary Care, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland. Electronic address: anja.taanila@oulu.fi. 9. Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland; PEDEGO Research Center, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 20, Fin-90029 OYS Oulu, Finland. Electronic address: irma.moilanen@oulu.fi.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Research indicates that risk factors cluster in the most vulnerable youth, increasing their susceptibility for adverse developmental outcomes. However, most studies of cumulative risk are cross-sectional or short-term longitudinal, and have been based on data from the United States or the United Kingdom. Using data from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 Study (NFBC1986), we examined cumulative contextual risk (CCR) at birth as a predictor of adolescent substance use and co-occurring conduct problems and risky sex to determine the degree to which CCR predicts specific outcomes over-and-above its effect on general problem behavior, while testing for moderation of associations by gender. METHODS: Analyses of survey data from 6963 participants of the NFBC1986 followed from the prenatal/birth period into adolescence were conducted using structural equation modeling. RESULTS: CCR had long-term positive associations with first-order substance use, conduct problems, and risky sex factors, and, in a separate analysis, with a second-order general problem behavior factor. Further analyses showed that there was a positive specific effect of CCR on risky sex, over-and-above general problem behavior, for girls only. CONCLUSIONS: This study, conducted within the Finnish context, showed that CCR at birth had long-term general and specific predictive associations with substance use and co-occurring problem behaviors in adolescence; effects on risky sex were stronger for girls. Results are consistent with the hypothesis that early exposure to CCR can have lasting adverse consequences, suggesting the need for early identification and intervention efforts for vulnerable children.
BACKGROUND: Research indicates that risk factors cluster in the most vulnerable youth, increasing their susceptibility for adverse developmental outcomes. However, most studies of cumulative risk are cross-sectional or short-term longitudinal, and have been based on data from the United States or the United Kingdom. Using data from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 Study (NFBC1986), we examined cumulative contextual risk (CCR) at birth as a predictor of adolescent substance use and co-occurring conduct problems and risky sex to determine the degree to which CCR predicts specific outcomes over-and-above its effect on general problem behavior, while testing for moderation of associations by gender. METHODS: Analyses of survey data from 6963 participants of the NFBC1986 followed from the prenatal/birth period into adolescence were conducted using structural equation modeling. RESULTS: CCR had long-term positive associations with first-order substance use, conduct problems, and risky sex factors, and, in a separate analysis, with a second-order general problem behavior factor. Further analyses showed that there was a positive specific effect of CCR on risky sex, over-and-above general problem behavior, for girls only. CONCLUSIONS: This study, conducted within the Finnish context, showed that CCR at birth had long-term general and specific predictive associations with substance use and co-occurring problem behaviors in adolescence; effects on risky sex were stronger for girls. Results are consistent with the hypothesis that early exposure to CCR can have lasting adverse consequences, suggesting the need for early identification and intervention efforts for vulnerable children.
Authors: Tuula Hurtig; Hanna Ebeling; Anja Taanila; Jouko Miettunen; Susan L Smalley; James J McGough; Sandra K Loo; Marjo-Riitta Järvelin; Irma K Moilanen Journal: J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry Date: 2007-12 Impact factor: 8.829
Authors: V J Felitti; R F Anda; D Nordenberg; D F Williamson; A M Spitz; V Edwards; M P Koss; J S Marks Journal: Am J Prev Med Date: 1998-05 Impact factor: 5.043
Authors: J Miettunen; G K Murray; P B Jones; P Mäki; H Ebeling; A Taanila; M Joukamaa; J Savolainen; S Törmänen; M-R Järvelin; J Veijola; I Moilanen Journal: Psychol Med Date: 2013-09-13 Impact factor: 7.723
Authors: Gilbert R Parra; Gail L Smith; W Alex Mason; Jukka Savolainen; Mary B Chmelka; Jouko Miettunen; Marjo-Riitta Järvelin Journal: J Adolesc Date: 2017-07-26
Authors: W Alex Mason; Mary B Chmelka; Irina Patwardhan; Stacy-Ann A January; Charles B Fleming; Jukka Savolainen; Jouko Miettunen; Marjo-Riitta Järvelin Journal: Subst Use Misuse Date: 2019-04-30 Impact factor: 2.164
Authors: Stacy-Ann A January; W Alex Mason; Jukka Savolainen; Starr Solomon; Mary B Chmelka; Jouko Miettunen; Juha Veijola; Irma Moilanen; Anja Taanila; Marjo-Riitta Järvelin Journal: J Youth Adolesc Date: 2016-09-24
Authors: W Alex Mason; Irina Patwardhan; Gail L Smith; Mary B Chmelka; Jukka Savolainen; Stacy-Ann A January; Jouko Miettunen; Marjo-Riitta Järvelin Journal: Drug Alcohol Depend Date: 2017-06-08 Impact factor: 4.492
Authors: Starr J Solomon; Jukka Savolainen; W Alex Mason; Jouko Miettunen; Stacy-Ann A January; Marjo-Riitta Järvelin Journal: J Dev Life Course Criminol Date: 2017-06-27
Authors: Jordan P Davis; Daniel S Lee; Shaddy Saba; Reagan E Fitzke; Colin Ring; Carl C Castro; Eric R Pedersen Journal: Psychol Addict Behav Date: 2021-09-16