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Compared with working-class parents, middle-class parents increasingly promote sports performance for their children as part of a larger strategy of ensuring that their children are upwardly mobile and likely to attend and graduate from college. However, we need to learn more about the distribution of youth sports performance in specific sports and whether it relates to social class. In this study, we test for a relationship between social class and performance in girls soccer by examining the success of high school girls soccer teams in 16,091 contests. We find that schools with more working-class youth consistently lose by many goals. The relationship between performance and social class is weaker in predominantly Latinx schools than in predominantly Black and predominantly White ones, likely reflecting the community cultural wealth in soccer in Latinx immigrant communities. We discuss the practical and theoretical implications of these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: School recess provides a valuable opportunity for children's daily moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA). This study aimed to quantify MVPA during school recess in a representative sample of Scottish children and examine whether recess MVPA varied by gender, socioeconomic status, season, urban/rural residency, and recess length. Method: Five-day accelerometry MVPA data were analyzed from 773 children (53.9% girls, 46.1% boys, 10- to 11-y-olds) from 471 schools. Binary logistic regression explored associations between meeting/not meeting the recommendation to spend 40% of recess time in MVPA and the aforementioned risk factors. Descriptive recess data were also analyzed. Results: Participants spent an average of 3.2 minutes (SD 2.1) in MVPA during recess. Girls engaged in 2.5 minutes (SD 1.7) of MVPA compared with 4.0 minutes (SD 2.2) for boys. Only 6% of children met the recess MVPA recommendation. The odds of girls (odds ratio 0.09; 95% confidence interval, 0.04–0.25) meeting the recommendation was lower (P <.001) compared with boys. No statistically significant differences were observed in meeting the recommendation for the other risk factors. Conclusion: Levels of MVPA during school recess are very low in Scottish children, and interventions aimed at increasing MVPA during recess are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess the effect of Community Water Fluoridation (CWF) in the prevalence of dental caries and dental fluorosis in 12-year-old children living in Israel. Considering that CWF is important in the prevention of dental caries. Between 2002 and 2014, the water in communities of at least 5,000 individuals was fluoridated. In 2014, CWF in Israel stopped. Method and materials: Data on 12-year-old children from all areas in Israel from the national cross-sectional epidemiological survey conducted in 2011 to 2012 were stratified by city water fluoridation and by city and school socioeconomic status. Two dependent variables were defined: (1) DMFT index of caries experience in the permanent dentition; (2) dental fluorosis in central incisors using the Thylstrup-Fejerskov classification of fluorosis. Results: Data from 2,181 12-year-olds were analyzed. The average DMFT was 1.17 ± 1.72, and 49% were caries-free. Based on DMFT, the caries experience was significantly higher in nonfluoridated cities (1.38 vs 0.98 in fluoridated cities) and there were more caries-free children in fluoridated cities (56.4% vs 40.6% in nonfluoridated). DMFT was higher in cities with lower socioeconomic status than high socioeconomic status (1.29 vs 1.05, respectively, P < .001) and there were fewer caries-free children in low socioeconomic status cities (44.5% vs 53.0% in high socioeconomic status cities, P < .0001). Almost all the 10.3% of children with signs of fluorosis (scoring at least 1 in the Thylstrup-Fejerskov index), had questionable to mild fluorosis (9.3%). Conclusions: CWF is a cheap, simple method of dental health protection that reaches all socioeconomic levels, and cessation of water fluoridation reduced the health of Israel's children. Clinical significance: Water fluoridation provides substantial caries prevention, by reaching a substantial number of people. The relevance of this work is for policymakers to consider CWF as clinically proven method for reducing health inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We theorize that ally work (actions by employees belonging to advantaged social groups to support employees belonging to disadvantaged social groups) can be organized into three modalities: self ally work that is oriented toward developing skills and capabilities, relational ally work that is focused on building positive work relationships, and organizational ally work aimed at changing organizational practices to support disadvantaged coworkers. Drawing from the theory of political ideology as motivated cognition, across multiple pre-registered field studies we found that employees who were more liberal-leaning (vs. conservative-leaning) reported higher engagement in all three modalities. We also examined whether contextual affordances amplified the liberalism effect. Specifically, we tested whether personal accountability for diversity, colleague diversity, and organizational ideology directed liberals toward greater engagement in self, relational, and organizational work, respectively. As hypothesized, more liberal-leaning employees reported higher engagement in organizational ally work in more ideologically liberal organizations. However, the hypothesized effects of personal accountability were not supported. Notably, personal accountability had a positive effect on self ally work among more conservative-leaning employees. The moderating effects of colleague diversity were also mixed across studies. Highlighting both the plurality and politics of ally work, we discuss theoretical and practical implications of our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The current study aimed at investigating the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and basic auditory processing in young adults with normal hearing. Specifically, we sought to determine whether SES metrics, including parental education, parental occupation, and individual education attainment, influenced performance on tasks of basic auditory processing. Secondarily, we also aimed at understanding the interactive effects of SES and working memory on basic auditory processing. Method: A total of 38 young adults were included in the study. Self-reported SES measures were recorded through Likert scales, and auditory processing measures included tests for temporal fine structure (TFS) and spectrotemporal sensitivity (STS). Pearson correlation analyses were conducted to probe the relationships between SES indicators and auditory processing performance. Multiple linear regressions were conducted to understand the interactive effects of SES and working memory on auditory processing performance. Results: The analysis revealed no significant correlation between SES measures and basic auditory processing performance across TFS and STS tasks. Furthermore, analysis investigating the interaction between SES and working memory also yielded nonsignificant results. These findings indicate that, within this specific age cohort, SES information may not be indispensable for assessing basic auditory processing. Conclusions: Our study suggests that SES may not significantly influence basic auditory processing in young adults with normal hearing. However, further research with larger sample sizes and longitudinal designs is warranted to confirm these findings and explore potential age-related differences in the impact of SES on auditory processing across the lifespan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nearly half of all pregnancies in the United States are considered unintended (mistimed or unwanted), and this rate is even higher among younger and lower income women. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) dependent coverage provision may have influenced the frequency of unintended pregnancies by increasing accessibility to and affordability of family planning services among young adults. Furthermore, the impact of this provision may differ by young adult income level as those with lower income are less likely to be insured and thus more likely to benefit from this provision. Our objective was to estimate the association between the ACA dependent coverage provision and unintended pregnancy, overall, and by young adult income level. Methods: We applied a difference-in-differences approach to data from multiple cycles of the National Survey of Family Growth (n = 10,104) and compared trends in unintended pregnancy between those who were eligible to benefit (ages 18–25 years) and those who were ineligible to benefit (ages 26–33 years) from the provision, overall, and among income subgroups. Results: We found evidence that the dependent coverage provision was associated with a −7.4 percentage point reduction (95% CI: −13.5, −1.3) in the prevalence of unintended pregnancy among young adults with lower income (<100% of the federal poverty level). There was limited evidence, however, that the provision was associated with unintended pregnancy among young adults with higher income levels. Conclusions: These findings suggest the ACA dependent coverage provision may have reduced unintended pregnancy among a particularly high-risk group (i.e., young adults with lower income). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Diet quality has improved over time for US adults and youth aged $2 years. Trends over time and disparities in the diet quality of toddlers 12 through 23 months old have not been documented. Our objective was to investigate the direction and magnitude of toddler diet quality trends from 1999 to 2018 overall and by household socioeconomic status. METHODS: This serial cross-sectional analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data was performed with 2541 toddlers from 10 NHANES cycles from 1999 to 2018. Dietary intake was measured by NHANES study staff using proxy-reported 24-hour recalls. Healthy Eating Index-Toddlers-2020 total scores (0-100 points, higher scores indicate healthier diets) and component scores were calculated from the 24-hour dietary recalls using the population ratio method. Multivariable linear regression was used to evaluate the association between time in years (measured as the midpoint of each NHANES cycle) and diet quality. RESULTS: Toddler diet quality improved significantly from 1999 to 2018 (P < .001), from 63.7 points on average in 1999-2000 to 67.7 points in 2017-2018. A significant positive linear trend in total diet quality was observed for all socioeconomic status groups (P < .05). Several dietary component scores improved, as follows: Whole Fruits (P < .001), Whole Grains (P = .016), Fatty Acids (P = .002), Refined Grains (P = .009), and Added Sugars (P < .001). Scores did not significantly change for Total Fruit, Total Vegetables, Greens and Beans, Dairy, Total Protein Foods, Seafood and Plant Proteins, Sodium, or Saturated Fats. CONCLUSIONS: From 1999 to 2018, toddler diet quality improved significantly, but mean scores still fell short of dietary guidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we explore the United Kingdom context of apprenticeships and the history of development of the use of the term apprentice in medicine. We describe the development of the Medical Doctor Degree Apprenticeship (MDDA) in England and how Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) has approached the development of the MDDA. We explore the rationale for developing the MDDA in Essex, the structure of the apprenticeship at ARU (which comprises 20% of employed time in NHS work and 80% in education undertaking the medical degree), the challenges and issues we encountered and mitigations we put in place. We describe the importance of stakeholder engagement (especially with direct entry medical students, medical professionals, and members of the university staff). The role of the employer is critical to the development and delivery of MDDA. The important role of regulators in developing and monitoring MDDA is the complexity of funding arrangements. Finally, we offer reflections on the development journey thus far. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The place of mothers is respected in all societies irrespective of their social, cultural, and geographical differences. The mother‐child relationship is considered one of the most sacred in the world. This article explores the age‐old customary 'child selling' prevalent in Western Odisha, a voluntary and non‐remunerative practice of childcare during infancy to save children from illness and Yama, the Hindu god of death, where the 'caring mother' belongs to the bottom of the social hierarchy, mainly from the (ex‐)untouchable castes. According to popular belief, Yama does not visit the untouchables because of their 'filthy' environment and their gods. Hence, it is considered a safer place for children, especially weak ones or those with the chronic illnesses of the upper castes, to conceal themselves from the evil eyes of Yama. The epistemology of this article aims to explore the hegemonic nature of the caste systems, which overwhelms the revered mother‐child relationship. Further, it tries to understand the (re)production of caste and legitimization of sociopsychological conditions for the marginalization and backwardness of 'caring mothers'. Despite the sacred and intimate relationship between the 'caring mother' and child, the institution of 'ritual selling' reproduces caste inequalities, and again the former becomes an 'untouchable'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is often assumed that Epicurean happiness can be achieved by everyone alike. This paper offers a corrective to this view. While it is true that the Epicureans abolish traditional differences among people like those between the sexes, social classes, and so on, they also maintain that there are people who are incapable of achieving happiness because they lack a certain bodily make-up or because they do not have the right ethnic or cultural origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging adulthood is a critical period of development as individuals explore their identities and embark on developmental trajectories. Emerging adulthood may be an especially important period for sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals as they explore, learn, and seek out communities related to their sexuality and gender identity. College is a unique setting in which SGM students may have access to physical and mental healthcare, secure food and housing, and affirming spaces and community related to their identity. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted or ended many of the services and resources provided by colleges and universities, potentially exacerbating challenges faced by sexual and gender minority students. This article provides recommendations for colleges and universities to improve access to and mitigate potentially negative outcomes among SGM students during and in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Understanding how individuals currently perceive healthy eating is essential for developing food policies and dietary recommendations that improve the health and well-being of populations. The purpose of this qualitative evidence synthesis was to systematically outline the views and understandings of healthy eating, focusing on how foods are classified as healthy and unhealthy and what meanings are attached to food and eating by the general adult population in high-income countries. Methods: A systematic search of four electronic databases was conducted and yielded 24 relevant primary qualitative studies of generally healthy, community-dwelling adults. Results: Thematic synthesis of the included studies identified three analytic themes: constructions of healthy and unhealthy eating, considerations on dietary recommendations, and meanings attached to food and eating. Study participants generally understood what constitutes a healthy and unhealthy diet which was in line with dietary recommendations, but those of lower socioeconomic status exhibited gaps in nutrition knowledge. Participants expressed diverse opinions on dietary recommendations, including skepticism and a lack of trust. Food and eating were associated with various meanings, including pleasure, stress relief, and feelings of guilt. Moral, health, and sociocultural considerations also played a role in dietary behaviors. Conclusions: The findings suggest that improving population diet requires considering how dietary recommendations are phrased and communicated to ensure that healthy eating is associated with pleasure and immediate well-being. This review provides valuable insights for developing consumer-oriented, practicable, and acceptable food policies and dietary recommendations that effectively improve population health and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health agency refers to one's capacity to form health-related goals, experience control, and possess the means to pursue them. Low socioeconomic status (SES) is linked to impaired health agency and increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, potentially due to a reduced tendency to seek care. Better healthcare availability may not improve their pregnancy outcomes, and therefore improved understanding of maternal health agency is paramount. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 participants who either had children or desired to have them. Low SES was determined by neighborhood median income and educational attainment. A thematic content analyses was conducted. Results: Two themes emerged: 1) Origin and development of personal goals, and 2) Awareness and competence. Participant's goals stemmed from cultural norms, personal narratives, and intuition. Integrated goals were those participants valued highly, were aware of, and strived for. Four subthemes were identified in goal-awareness and competence. Internal conflict due to discrepancies between goals and behavior resulted in the need to balance the burdens and benefits of behavior change. Conclusion: Maternal health agency is a modifiable outcome dependent on goal-awareness and various factors. Impaired agency seemed to stem from lack of goal-awareness rather than an inability to meet established pillars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is a primary public health goal in Thailand, but information on the characteristics of SSB consumers remains limited. This study aims to gain knowledge about the characteristics of SSB consumers in Thailand. Secondary analysis of survey data. The study used data from the Health Behaviour of Population Survey conducted by Thailand's National Statistics Office between February and May 2021. SSB consumption was sourced from a survey question about the consumption of prepackaged sugar-sweetened non-alcoholic beverages. The influence of demographic, socioeconomic, behavioural, habitual, and health factors on mean daily intake and daily consumption was assessed using a two-part model and logistic regression analysis, respectively. Decomposition analysis was conducted to understand how the impact of these factors affecting SSB consumption varied across socioeconomic groups. Frequent SSB consumers exhibited various unhealthy behaviours, including smoking, unhealthy food consumption, low physical activity, and making food selections driven by appetitive motivations. Although higher socioeconomic status was associated with greater consumption of SSBs, it stabilised at elevated income levels. Increased SSB consumption in higher socioeconomic groups was linked to mixed eating habits, being overweight, and occasional drinking, while in lower socioeconomic groups, it was associated with unhealthy behaviours like smoking, regular alcohol drinking, appetitive food choices, and low physical activity. SSB consumption in Thailand is multifactorial, varying by socioeconomic status. These insights are crucial for policy formation aimed at reducing SSB consumption in the country. Policymakers should explore interventions that address overall unhealthy behaviours alongside those targeting overconsumption of SSBs. • A large, nationally representative dataset was analysed to explore the characteristics and determinants of those who consume sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) in Thailand. • Higher socioeconomic status and unhealthy behaviours like smoking, unhealthy food consumption, and low physical activity are linked to increased SSB consumption. • Food choices influenced by appetitive motivations are associated with higher SSB consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine changes and socioeconomic patterns in indicators of a poor indoor environment in 2000 and 2021. Cross-sectional data from the Danish Health and Morbidity Survey in 2000 and 2021. The study included 27,068 participants. Indicators of indoor environment (annoyances from mould, temperature, draught, traffic and neighbour noise, and presence of water damage) were obtained from questionnaires (2021) and partly by interview (2000). Socioeconomic status included home ownership, educational level, and household income. The degree of social inequality in the indoor environment was estimated using the concentration index of inequality. The prevalence of annoyances due to draught, temperature, and noise increased significantly from 2000 to 2021 (e.g., temperature 5.9%–25.1%, odds ratio (OR) 6.72, 95% confidence interval (CI) 6.12–7.38), whereas the prevalence of water damage decreased (17.7%–13.8%, OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.76–0.96). No difference was seen in annoyances due to mould (3.1% in 2000 and 2.5% in 2021, OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.69–1.17). Social inequality was present for thermal conditions, annoyances due to noise and presence of water damage when assessed by income but not by educational level. Conditions were more prevalent among individuals with low income in both 2000 and 2021. The proportion of individuals reporting a poor indoor environment due to thermal conditions and noise increased in the period 2000–2021. Social inequality was observed in all indicators of a poor indoor environment for household income, whereas the inequality was less pronounced when assessed by educational level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geography scholarship examining Canadian colonialism often draws upon concepts and categories from the field of Settler Colonial Studies, including Patrick Wolfe's definition of settler colonialism as a "structure rather than an event." In this brief intervention, I argue that historical Marxist debates about structuralism and social class have important lessons for the way geographers characterize Canadian colonialism today. The definition of class as both relationship and process is especially relevant, because Indigenous intellectuals and activists tend to speak about (de)colonization in similar terms. By reframing Canadian colonialism as relationship and process rather than structure, we can better engage Indigenous criticisms of Settler Colonial Studies, understandings of (de)colonization, and epistemologies and ontologies. Key messages: Wolfe's definition of settler colonialism as a "structure rather than an event" has become politically and intellectually limiting.Analyses that emphasize colonial structures rather than Indigenous resistance leave limited room for human agency and risk presenting Indigenous peoples as passive victims.Reframing Canadian colonialism as both relationship and process allows us to combine different conceptual approaches to (de)colonization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dominance hierarchies are a key feature in the dynamics of animal social groups, playing a crucial role in fostering group stability. Despite often being viewed as static, persistent linear structures, hierarchies are fundamentally dynamic and can change over time due to ecological conditions, demographic changes and ontogenetic development. There are numerous methods used to construct hierarchies and quantify individual dominance rank, but methods to capture the dynamics of a hierarchy across time have only recently been developed. As such, relatively little is known about the longitudinal hierarchy dynamics in many social species, including nonhuman primates, and the timescale at which these hierarchy dynamics play out. Here we consider the longitudinal hierarchy dynamics across a 4-year period in a large group of rhesus macaques, Macaca mulatta. We investigated group and individual level predictors of active rank dynamics, or dynamics that arise from rank reversals. We found that, despite rhesus macaques being considered to have relatively stable hierarchies, there was significant active rank mobility in both males and females, even in the face of limited resource competition. Female rank change was not solely driven by matrilineal structure or demographic processes as females also opportunistically ascended in rank. Furthermore, we found strong links between rank certainty and hierarchy dynamics with periods of high hierarchy instability associated with low mean dominance certainty. Lastly, we found limited evidence of associations between periods of high active rank dynamics and social global network structure. This suggests more localized dynamics during hierarchy instability are at play rather than widescale network reorganization. Together, these results stress the importance of considering social context in rank dynamics, illustrate the dynamic nature of macaque dominance rank and further highlight the opportunistic nature of the species. • Male and female rhesus macaques showed significant active rank mobility. • Rank and dominance certainty were strong predictors of active rank dynamics. • High active rank mobility was associated with low dominance certainty. • Global network properties did not predict active rank dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Compare mental health, stress, and well-being in the Swedish population as measured before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Repeated cross-sectional design using data measured before (Jan-2019; n = 2791) and during (Oct/Nov-2020; n = 2926) COVID-19 pandemic in Swedish population-representative cohorts. Following constructs were measured: anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory), depression (Beck Depression Inventory-II), stress (Perceived Stress Scale-10 items), health-related quality of life (HRQOL[Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–General Population]) and self-rated health (SRH) was assessed with a single-item question. Results: When adjusting for age, sex, education, and income there were significantly higher levels of anxiety (M̂ = 9.15 vs. 8.48, p < 0.01) and depression (M̂ = 3.64 vs. 3.30, p = 0.03), lower levels of stress (M̂ = 14.06 vs. 14.91, p < 0.001), but worsened HRQOL (M̂ = 76.40 vs. 77.92, p < 0.01) and SRH (M̂ = 6.91 vs. 7.20, p < 0.001), observed in 2020 compared to 2019. For the negative effects seen in anxiety, depression, HRQOL, and SRH, higher income and education had a protective effect. The decrease in stress was also correlated with higher income. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic led to a small but significant worsening in mental health and well-being in the general Swedish population, where higher socioeconomic status seemed to have a protective effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to explore how public discussions on giftedness and gifted students are framed in two of Sweden's leading newspapers over a 25-year period (1995-2019). We explored discourse within 72 articles, using a time-sensitive analysis combined with a 'What's the problem represented to be?' approach. The results show that the concept of giftedness became established during the period, although there were also counter-discourses questioning what 'giftedness' means and how schools should be organised. There is a lack of more in-depth discussions about how social class, ethnicity, or gender can affect how students are regarded in school, or how teaching can affect intellectual development. Instead, there is a strong stance in favour of individualised teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of math skills is widely studied, but there is a lack of longitudinal studies investigating person-oriented developmental patterns of math skills. The present study aims to describe profiles of students with various calculation and word-problem solving skills from Grades 1 to 9, as well as the developmental trajectories of these profiles, how profiles are related to students' further educational pathways, and whether having a specific skill profile in Grade 9 is related to the results of math and language exams at the end of Grade 12. The sample included 1,023 Estonian students who completed calculation and word-problem solving tests in Grades 1, 3, 6, and 9 (ages 6–16 years old). Educational pathway information and results of the math and language exam in Grade 12 were retrieved from the Estonian Education Information System's registry. Socioeconomic status was determined via parental education level. Overall, results indicated that math skills were positively interrelated between the school years. However, person-oriented approach demonstrated that less than half of students tended to stay in a similar profile from Grades 1 to 9. This suggests that, in terms of math skills, most students have diverse developmental trajectories from elementary school through the end of middle school. Profiles were also related to further educational pathways and high school exam results. This study complements previous variable-oriented research to provide unique and valuable information regarding the development of math skills. Public Significance Statement: The study suggests that there are distinct math skills developmental trajectory groups between Grades 1 and 9, and these trajectories also relate to math achievement in Grade 12. Additionally, a low level of early math skills is not deterministic; however, math skills at the end of elementary school may be more important, as these skills may have a stronger impact on further development in middle school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background sounds at home—namely those from television, communication devices, music, appliances, transportation, and construction—can support or impede infant language interactions and learning. Yet real-time connections at home between background sound and infant–caregiver language interactions remain unexamined. We quantified background sounds in the home environment, from 1- to 2-hr video recordings of infant–mother everyday activities (infants aged 8–26 months, 36 female) in two samples: European-American, English-speaking, middle-socioeconomic status (SES) families (N = 36) and Latine, Spanish-speaking, low-SES families (N = 40). From videos, we identified and coded five types of background sound: television/screens, communication devices, music, appliances, and transportation/construction. Exposure to background sounds varied enormously among homes and was stable across a week, with television/screens and music being the most dominant type of background sounds. Infants' vocalizations and mothers' speech to infants were reduced in the presence of background sound (although effect sizes were small), highlighting real-time processes that affect everyday language exchanges. Over the course of a day, infants in homes with high amounts of background sounds may hear and produce less language than infants in homes with less background sounds, highlighting potential cascading influences from environmental features to everyday interactions to language learning. Public Significance Statement: Numerous features of the home environment affect infants' learning. In two samples, we video-recorded infants and mothers during everyday activities and examined associations between background sounds and language interactions. Infants experienced a variety of background sounds, including sounds from music, television, and appliances. Mothers and infants were less likely to talk in the presence than in the absence of background sounds, suggesting reduced opportunities for infants to hear and learn from language in "noisy" environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Auditory statistical learning, or the ability to detect statistical regularities in continuously presented stimuli, is thought to be one element that underlies language acquisition. Prior studies have uncovered behavioral and neural correlates of statistical learning, yet additional work is needed from low- and middle-income countries to explore whether statistical learning varies across cultures or underlies associations often found between socioeconomic status (SES) and language outcomes. In the present study, we explored the feasibility of using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to explore auditory statistical learning in Bangladesh, a lower-middle-income country. Participants were 102 2-year-old (M = 25.72 months, SD = 2.07 months) and 125 5-year-old children (M = 62.35 months, SD = 2.46 months) living in a low-income urban neighborhood of Dhaka (average family income of 28,145.13 Bangladeshi Takas or 260.06 U.S. dollars per month). We also collected measures of SES and language outcomes. Brain responses during the statistical learning paradigm could be detected with fNIRS in both two- and 5-year-olds, with 2-year-olds exhibiting a higher response to predictable sequences and 5-year-olds exhibiting higher responses to unpredictable sequences. fNIRS correlates of statistical learning were not related to language outcomes but were associated with SES in the 5-year-old cohort. This study demonstrates the utility of employing fNIRS to study the neural correlates of statistical learning in low- and middle-income countries and the feasibility of expanding the representativeness of the existing literature. These findings also highlight potential areas for inquiry into how SES may relate to individual differences in statistical learning responses. Public Significance Statement: Two- and 5-year-old-children living in profound poverty in Dhaka, Bangladesh, showed different brain responses to familiar and novel auditory patterns. These brain responses were not associated with language outcomes in either age group but, for 5-year-olds only, were related to socioeconomic status. These results show the utility of brain imaging techniques in uncovering how children's early environments may relate to auditory processing during different periods of development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Patients and healthcare professionals overestimate the risks of using antidepressants during pregnancy. According to current literature, approximately half of people stop taking an anti-depressant medication when they become pregnant. Discontinuing antidepressants during pregnancy increases risks of postnatal relapses. Factors like socioeconomic status, education, and planned pregnancies play a role in the decision to continue antidepressant medication, which can worsen disparities in maternal and child health. Our aim was to identify the sociodemographic factors associated with antidepressant continuation after awareness of pregnancy. Methods: We used representative data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study that captures maternal medication during pregnancy. We identified women who used antidepressants before awareness of their pregnancy. We calculated crude and adjusted associations between sociodemographic factors and continuation of antidepressant medication during pregnancy. Our model included age, education, ethnicity, first language, household income, living with a partner, having planned the pregnancy, pregnancy duration and smoking during pregnancy. Results: In total, 199 women continued antidepressants and 100 discontinued. The logistic regressions resulted in only one significant factor: first language. Native English speakers were more likely to continue medication than other mothers (adjusted OR = 14.94, 95% CI = [2.40; 291.45], p =.015). Conclusions: Language differences were associated with continuation of antidepressants. Non-native English speakers were more likely to discontinue antidepressants, which may lead to health inequities. This finding should be taken into account to reinforce information about the limited risks of antidepressants among people with non-English speaking backgrounds in the USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a longitudinal and ethnographic study, this research examines how women experience the emotional aspects of their maternal foodwork in England across social classes. Maternal foodwork is linked to guilt and anxiety due to intense gendered and class-related ideals of proper feeding within the context of responsibilising discourses. This article contributes to the literature by introducing a temporal perspective, exploring how emotions beyond anxiety transform as caregiving arrangements evolve over time. It reveals that middle-class mothers adopt a downscaling strategy to counter maternal guilt when maintaining the standards set by intensive feeding ideology proves to be challenging with time. Working-class mothers adopt the same strategy to counteract feelings of inadequacy tied to persistent institutional surveillance and the challenge of embodying middle-class dispositions. The study underscores women's capacity to cultivate agentic responses, albeit within the boundaries of their class habitus, crafting pockets of resistance against intensive feeding ideals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper I introduce and explicate the concept of "class blindness," and show how it works to obscure and justify class inequality even in a small community in which social divisions are well recognized. Similar to the concept of color-blind racism, class blindness is a discursive strategy to erase and minimize class privilege and the social processes by which class inequality is created and perpetuated. Denial of these processes, and the social-structural roots of class advantage and disadvantage, undermines efforts to effectively address societal problems born of social class inequality. I show how class blindness allows those with privilege to police their social positions and secure resource hoarding within a community while holding the disadvantaged personally responsible for their struggles. I further describe how class blindness allows advantaged individuals to express concern about social problems including poverty and inequality in the abstract, while acting in ways that contribute to its perpetuation on the micro and the macro levels. This qualitative case study, based in 84 interviews and 10 months of participant observation with individuals across the class spectrum, illustrates the processes that contribute to the reproduction of social inequality even among those whose ideological stances include commitment to its reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of computer‐assisted reading comprehension is of critical importance in the context of promoting effective and engaging literacy education in the digital age. It provides students with the opportunity to work at their own pace and convenience, thereby facilitating self‐directed learning and accommodating various learning preferences and schedules. Objectives: The objective of the study was to investigate the impact of computer‐assisted and direct strategy teaching on reading comprehension, reading comprehension self‐efficacy and reading comprehension metacognitive awareness. An experimental application based on the SQ4R strategy was conducted in the direct strategy teaching (DST) and computer‐assisted strategy teaching (CAST) programmes. In the DST group, the implementation of the SQ4R strategy was conducted through direct strategy teaching, whereas in the CAST group, the same activities were carried out with the assistance of computer‐based resources. The principal objective of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of computer‐assisted strategy instruction. Methods: This study employed a combined sequential descriptive design, integrating qualitative and quantitative research models. The study was conducted with 61 fourth‐grade students, enrolled in three classrooms of a public school situated in the central district of Kastamonu, Turkey, which is characterised by a moderate socioeconomic level. The quantitative component of the study was designed as a pre‐test–post‐test control group experimental study. The qualitative component of the study comprised focus group interviews and observation. Two experimental groups and one control group were established in the course of this study. In the quantitative dimension of the combined sequential descriptive model, the Reading Comprehension Test, Metacognitive Reading Comprehension Scale, and Reading Comprehension Self‐Efficacy Scale were employed as data collection instruments. In order to collect data in the qualitative dimension, semi‐structured interview and observation forms were employed. Furthermore, the researcher's diaries, maintained throughout the research process, were employed as a data source. The quantitative data were analysed using the following techniques: arithmetic mean, frequency, percentage, standard deviation, ANOVA and covariance analysis (ANCOVA). A descriptive analysis was employed for the evaluation of the qualitative data. Results and Conclusions: Upon examination of the post‐test scores of the CAST, DST and control group students in the Reading Comprehension Test, it was observed that the CAST group exhibited the highest average. A statistically significant difference was also identified between the CAST group and the control group. Nevertheless, no statistically significant difference was identified between the DST group and the control group. Nevertheless, an examination of the mean scores reveals that the DST group exhibited considerably higher Reading Comprehension Test scores. Lay Description: Computer aided tools can be used to teachvarious reading strategies.CAST can help students improve their readingcomprehension.CAST can contribute to students' reading andcomprehension motivation.CAST can offer customised learning materialsaccording to the individual needs of the students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses a lack of alignment between the material interests and economic preferences of the working class. It argues that the link between class interest and support for specific economic policies that benefit the working class becomes stronger when it is made clear that the policy targets the rich. Working‐class support for the repealed and unpopular inheritance tax in Norway is chosen as a hard test of this argument. Employing two straightforward survey experiments, this article demonstrates that clarifying who will pay the tax raises support in general and is especially important for ensuring the support of the working class. Further analysis shows that class differences, when the tax is explicitly redistributive, can be accounted for by general redistributive orientation. Additionally, differences in education levels partly explain why clearer class differences in tax support are not observed. This study underscores the importance of considering both the demand and supply sides when examining the economic preferences of social classes and highlights that clearly formulating who pays the tax is crucial for garnering support from working‐class voters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: An earlier study in a school in England found that a series of brief values affirmation writing exercises, performed over the course of a school year by students aged 11–14, increased the mathematics attainment of students of low socioeconomic status (SES). Aims: This pre‐registered follow‐up of the original study aims to investigate the long‐term effects of values affirmation on low‐SES students' attainment. Sample: The sample consisted of all students in the analytical sample of the original study who remained at the school and for whom the necessary data were available, N = 409 (95 low‐SES). Methods: The students' results in high‐stakes national standardized assessments at age 16, taken two to four years after the affirmation, were analysed. Results: The evidence did not support the pre‐registered hypotheses that values affirmation would raise the attainment of low‐SES students in mathematics and English. However, exploratory analyses suggested that for low‐SES students in two of the three‐year groups, the intervention increased Attainment 8, a broad policy‐relevant measure of academic attainment, and increased the attainment of boys in English (in particular English Literature) but reduced the corresponding attainment of girls. Conclusions: The results suggest that the benefits of values affirmation can differ by student cohort and by school subject and that they might be time‐limited in some circumstances. This suggests a set of hypotheses that future research could test in order to advance understanding of when values affirmation is, and is not, successful for school students over a sustained period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: According to the risk and resilience perspective, protective factors can attenuate the effect of risks and challenges on children's adjustment. For immigrant and refugee children, supportive relationships in the new context can be particularly beneficial. We expected that supportive school relationships play a protective role for the school adjustment of first‐generation immigrant and refugee and non‐immigrant children, by moderating the effect of one acculturative challenge (i.e., school language proficiency). Aims: We investigated the moderating roles of teacher–child and peer relationship quality on the association between German language proficiency and school adjustment (i.e., school achievement and belongingness) among first‐generation immigrant and refugee and non‐immigrant children. Sample: We recruited n = 278 fourth grade children (Mage = 10.47, SDage =.55, 53.24% female; 37% first‐generation immigrant and refugee children). Methods: Questionnaires assessed children's reported teacher–child and peer relationship quality and school belongingness. One vocabulary test measured children's German proficiency. School achievement was assessed by their grade point average (GPA) and by a reading comprehension test. To investigate our hypotheses, we performed path analyses. Results: Teacher–child relationship mitigated the effect of German proficiency on children's reading comprehension among all children and on GPA among immigrant and refugee children only. Peer relationship buffered the negative effect of German proficiency on school belongingness. Conclusions: Teacher–child and peer relationship quality can be beneficial for the school adjustment of both first‐generation immigrant and refugee children and non‐immigrant children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Parent involvement strongly correlates with children's educational attainment. Sociocultural shifts in parenting roles and shared responsibilities have driven an increase in the need for involvement of fathers in activities to support their children's educational development. Several factors are thought to influence father involvement in children's education; however, the most salient factors remain unclear. Aims: To examine which variables correlate with father involvement in their children's education using a combination of demographic, parent‐related and employment‐related variance. Sample: A total of 166 fathers of at least one child aged 6–17 years and residing across five industrialized Western countries participated in an online survey. Method: Hierarchical multiple regression analysis (HMRA) was performed to examine the total and incremental variance using regression models including demographic, parenting‐ and employment‐related variables linked to educational involvement. Results and Conclusions: The variables included in the current study could explain a large and statistically significant 34% of the variability in fathers' educational involvement. Of these variables, only four were statistically significant in the final model. Specifically, fathers were more likely to be engaged in their children's education when their children were younger, and when parent self‐efficacy, positive work‐to‐family interface and financial anxiety were high. The study's findings indicate that a positive work environment can help fathers better support their children's education, offering a new focus for future interventions and policies. This includes those focused on targeting work‐related constructs to optimize family functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite globalization's distributional impacts, we know little about (potentially differential) tax preferences of trade winners and losers, especially within social classes. We assess tax burden preferences to sustain public good provision using a vignette experiment with randomized tax instruments in the context of a liberalizing economy. More specifically, we analyze data from an original, randomized household survey of 1008 individuals in Sao Paulo State, Brazil, in 2019. We study preferences for increases in personal income, value-added, or corporate income taxes to improve funding for the universal health care system after Brazil adopts its free trade deal with the European Union. Findings reveal that the trade-losing poor support progressive taxes, whereas the trade-winning poor favor regressive instruments. By dividing the poor, globalization may create a barrier against more progressive fiscal strategies in emerging economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In 2018, the United States Preventive Services Task Force promoted shared decision making between healthcare provider and patient for men aged 55 to 69. This study aimed to analyze rates of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing across racial and ethnic groups following this new recommendation. Methods: A secondary analysis was conducted of the 2020–2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System database to assess men aged 55 or older without a history of prostate cancer. We defined four race-ethnicity groups: non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs), non-Hispanic Blacks (NHBs), Hispanics, and Other. The primary outcome was the most recent PSA test (MRT), defined as the respondent's most recent PSA test occurring pre-2018 or post-2018 guidelines. Logistic regression adjusted for covariates including age, socioeconomic status factors, marital status, smoking history, and healthcare access factors. Results: In the age 55 to 69 study sample, NHW men had the greatest proportion of MRT post-2018 guidelines (n = 15,864, 72.5%). NHB men had the lowest percentage of MRT post-2018 guidelines (n = 965, 66.6%). With NHW as referent, the crude odds of the MRT post-2018 guidelines was 0.68 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.53–0.90) for NHB. The maximally adjusted odds ratio was 0.78 (0.59–1.02). Conclusions: We found that NHB aged 55 to 69 reported decreased rates of PSA testing after 2018 when compared to NHW. This was demonstrated on crude analysis but not after adjustment. Such findings suggest the influence of social determinants of health on preventative screening for at-risk populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To (1) compare responses to 2 survey questions designed to measure sexual orientation and (2) understand how variation in responses is associated with mental health. Methods. Data were from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity, Socioeconomic Status, and Health Across the Life Course (SOGI-SES) study (2020–2021) in the United States. We used the adjusted Wald test to compare proportions of respondents who were (1) categorized as heterosexual or straight and sexual minorities using the sexual orientation questions designed for the Add Health study and the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and (2) diagnosed with depression or anxiety or panic disorder. Results. The Add Health question detected more than twice as many sexual minority respondents as the NHIS question. Those who responded as sexual minorities to the Add Health question but as heterosexual or straight to the NHIS question, primarily "mostly heterosexuals," had mental health outcomes that were more like those who were consistently classified as sexual minorities versus those consistently classified as heterosexual or straight. Conclusions. Current measures of sexual orientation in national-level surveys may underestimate the sexual minority population and sexual orientation‒related health disparities. Public Health Implications. Results illustrate the need for further research to expand measurement of sexual orientation on population-based health surveys. (Am J Public Health. 2024;114(12):1375–1383. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307839) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to synthesize current literature regarding the impact of social vulnerability on pregnancy-related substance use detection in the United States and highlight disparities in substance use detection practices. Clinicaltrials.gov, Google Scholar, PubMed (includes MEDLINE), and Cochrane Library databases were searched using the following Medical Subject Headings (MeSH): (["pregnancy" or "prenatal"] AND ["substance use screening" or "urine toxicology testing" or "toxicology testing" or "urine drug screening" or "CRAFFT" or "4P's" or "4P's Plus" or "NIDA Quick Screen" or "DAST-10" or "SURP-P" or "WIDUS"], AND ("bias" or "disparities" or "social vulnerability"]). The search included systematic reviews, prospective and retrospective studies, randomized controlled trials, case studies, and qualitative and quantitative research from January 2014 through November 2023. Selected literature was limited to studies published in English, which included a study population of either pregnant individuals or pregnancy health care providers in the United States, and that were focused on inequities in pregnancy substance use detection. Using Covidence, three authors screened abstracts, and two screened full articles for inclusion. The included studies were evaluated for quality of evidence using the mixed methods appraisal tool. The search yielded 4,188 manuscripts; 37 were eligible for full review. A total of 18 manuscripts were included based on the relevancy of the topic. The most common social vulnerability domain identified was minority status (17/18), followed by socioeconomic status (11/18), household characteristics (8/18), and housing type (1/18). Social vulnerability plays a role in substance use detection among pregnant individuals. Most notably, race and ethnicity, age, and public insurance lead to increased rates of detection, though most individual factors need to be studied in greater depth. This study was registered with PROSPERO (PROSPERO ID CRD42022352598), the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews. Key Points Socially vulnerable pregnant individuals are more likely to receive substance use screening or urine toxicology testing. Race, ethnicity, age, and insurance influence substance use detection disparities. More research is needed to understand how other characteristics influence disparities in substance use detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early exposure to socioeconomic distress is hypothesized to reinforce decision making that prioritizes immediate, relative to delayed, rewards (i.e., delay discounting); yet these relations have not been examined longitudinal across the vulnerable adolescent period. This study is one of the first to utilize objective and subjective measures to evaluate the relative effects of environmental disadvantage and the potential protective effects of perceived environmental support on delay discounting. A diverse (48.4% White; 46.7% female) sample of participants (N = 246) reported on their home addresses at baseline when they were, on average, 11.96 years old (SDage = 0.88); Youth then reported perceived environmental supports at baseline and delay discounting annually from ages 13 to 18. A socioeconomic distress index was derived from census tract rates of unemployment, income, educational attainment, and lone parenthood. Greater socioeconomic distress was associated with a greater propensity to discount delayed rewards at baseline. Findings also suggest greater perceived higher environmental support was associated with decreasing rates of delay discounting across adolescence for youth from highly socioeconomically distressed areas. These results highlight potential future avenues for preventative and intervention efforts to improve positive youth outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is unclear how delay discounting and substance use develop across adolescence and whether contextual factors alter their trajectories. The present study used a longitudinal design to examine whether socioeconomic status is related to developmental trajectories of delay discounting and substance use across adolescence. The sample included 167 adolescents (Mage = 14 at Time 1; 53% male) and their parents who participated annually across four years. Parents reported SES at Time 1 and adolescents completed delay discounting behavioral assessments and substance use questionnaires at Times 1 to 4. Bivariate latent growth curve modeling revealed that low SES was related to steeper increases in substance use from age 14 through 17, mediated through elevated delay discounting at age 14. The findings clarify the mediating role of delay discounting in linking family economic environment to the progression of substance use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Macronutrient intakes vary across people and economic status, leading to a disparity in diet-related metabolic diseases. This study aimed to provide insight into this by: (1) identifying dietary patterns in adults using reduced rank regression (RRR), with macronutrients as response variables, and (2) investigating the associations between economic status and macronutrient based dietary patterns, and between dietary patterns with central obesity (waist circumference) and systemic inflammation (C-reactive protein [CRP]). Methods: 41,849 US participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 1999–2018 were included. The percentages of energy from protein, carbohydrates, saturated fats, and unsaturated fats were used as response variables in RRR. Multivariable generalized linear models with Gaussian distribution were employed to investigate the associations. Results: Four dietary patterns were identified. Economic status was positively associated with both the high fat, low carbohydrate [βHighVsLow = 0.22; 95% CI: 0.16, 0.28] and high protein patterns [βHighVsLow = 0.07; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.11], and negatively associated with both the high saturated fat [βHighVsLow = -0.06; 95% CI: -0.08, -0.03] and the low alcohol patterns [βHighVsLow = -0.08; 95% CI; -0.10, -0.06]. The high saturated fat pattern was positively associated with waist circumference [βQ5VsQ1 = 1.71; 95% CI: 0.97, 2.44] and CRP [βQ5VsQ1 = 0.37; 95% CI: 0.26, 0.47]. Conclusion: Macronutrient dietary patterns, which varied by economic status and were associated with metabolic health markers, may explain associations between economic status and health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of our study was twofold: (1) to explore the role of value preferences on peer relations in school classes (selection effect) and (2) to explore the role of peers' values on adolescents' values (influence or socialization effect) in three types of networks (friendship, advice, and trust). To answer these questions, we used a longitudinal social network approach in a study of N = 903 adolescents (57% girls) from 34 secondary school classes in Poland. Pupils began participating in the study when they joined their secondary school and were followed over two and a half years. Panel data were collected at six measurement time points during this period. Values were conceptualized according to the values theory proposed by Schwartz and measured by the Portrait Value Questionnaire. The collection of network data followed a roster design. Pupils were asked to evaluate the strength of their friendships, as well as the frequency with which they approached peers to ask for advice about school or homework or to talk about things that are important to them in the last 2 weeks. We found empirical support for both selection and socialization effects, especially for protection values (Conservation and Self-enhancement). The selection effect was most evident in advice and trust networks and the socialization effect was particularly prevalent in friendship and trust networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We start out from Harriet Zuckerman's study of the US scientific ultra-elite of Nobel laureates, in which Robert Merton's idea of 'Matthew effects' as a key mechanism in the creation of social inequalities was first introduced. We then consider two issues arising from critical commentary on this study by Elisabeth Crawford, a historian of science. First, how far can a scientific ultra-elite be shown to exist as a collectivity that is socially distinctive? Second, how far is Zuckerman's account of the formation of the US ultra-elite trough 'bilateral associative selection' between scientific masters and their would-be apprentices historically specific to the US? In the UK case, we compare the social origins and educational careers of members of two possible scientific ultra-elites, defined by differing degrees of stringency, with those of other elite scientists. We find that as one moves from the elite to the less stringently defined ultra-elite, there is little evidence of increasing social stratification but that such evidence does emerge in moving to the more stringently defined ultra-elite. We also show through two contrasting Cambridge case studies, that the underlying social processes that Zuckerman identifies in ultra-elite formation in the US are also present in these UK contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on nationally representative data from the 2019 and 2021 Chinese Social Survey, this study examined the relationship between perceptions of upward and downward social mobility (PUSM/PDSM) and political trust by using the diagonal reference model and ordinary least squares model. We found that PUSM was positively related to political trust, while PDSM was negatively related to it after excluding the influence of social positions of origin and destination. We also provided evidence that perceived fairness mediated the nexus between PUSM/PDSM and political trust. Our findings underscored the pivotal role of perceived social mobility in shaping the political trust of Chinese citizens and elucidate the micro-level psychological mechanisms underlying this relationship. Hence, we advocate for the implementation of policies geared towards fostering upward mobility and alleviating inequality, aimed at addressing potential crises in political trust. Considering the decline in overall social mobility and the exacerbation of inequality following the COVID-19 epidemic, this research holds heightened contemporary significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How does competition for school resources, along with racial and socioeconomic biases, shape parental preferences for schools? In this article, I investigate how school attributes affect preferences and choice, which sheds light on the processes that maintain school segregation. To do so, I conduct a survey experiment that explores parental preferences and the tradeoffs inherent in the process of school selection using school profiles that resemble those available on widely used education data platforms. I find that parents hold the strongest positive preferences for learning opportunities and overall school achievement compared to other attributes, including school racial and socioeconomic composition. Additionally, though parents prefer schools that have higher equity rankings, highly equitable schools are less desirable to parents than schools with more status and learning opportunities. However, parents also hold independent racial and socioeconomic preferences and —on average—avoid schools with more students of color and low-income students. Furthermore, results suggest they are largely unwilling to make tradeoffs that would result in schools with higher fractions of students of color or low-income students. Taken together, this study links prior studies on the segregating effects of educational data with literatures on school segregation by illustrating the specific dimensions that drive school choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why do some people express optimism about their future social mobility, while others have a pessimistic view? This paper examines whether and how local wealth inequality is associated with individuals' pessimistic or optimistic expectations of their future social mobility in South Korea. It argues that people in districts with greater economic inequality will have more pessimistic views of their future upward mobility, as high local inequality raises concerns among the public that their opportunities to move up the social ladder may be receding. Using economic inequality at the local level calculated using actual real estate transaction prices in South Korea from 2011 to 2018, the empirical results confirm the negative association between local inequality and individuals' assessments of their future social mobility, particularly among residents in less affluent districts, those with low incomes, and those with a subjective awareness of belonging to a lower social class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Popular explanations of inequality as the result of individual failings rather than structural processes are powerful cultural mechanisms that legitimize and reproduce inequality in the United States. How might individuals' experiences of downward or upward mobility shape the explanations they give? We argue that perceived experiences of economic mobility may not only shape how Americans understand economic inequality but may also impact their beliefs about social inequalities more broadly. Using proportionally representative survey data of 1110 U.S. residents, we find that those who perceive that they currently occupy a lower economic class than when they were growing up (i.e. they experienced subjective downward mobility) were more likely than class-stable individuals to reject individualistic explanations of economic inequality and embrace structural ones. By contrast, the upwardly mobile were more likely to reject structural explanations. We find that mobility is similarly related to the likelihood of giving individualistic or structural explanations for race and gender inequality as well. Downward mobility is also associated with greater support of redistributive policies related to economic as well as gender and race inequality. These findings suggest that economic mobility may influence popular explanations of inequality and support for redistributive policy not only related to class inequality but for multiple axes of inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although critical of contemporary capitalism, and the injustices and asymmetries derived from it, current conceptualisations of 'surveillance capitalism' have been developed from within the Global North, paying little attention to the effects and ramifications of this new phase of capitalism for the global periphery. This text looks at this phenomenon from the Global South, emphasising the concept not as a territorial marker but contingent on social relations, intersecting ethnic, nationality and social class markers. Its objective is to explore the applications of automated facial recognition systems in Brazil, discussing how they reinforce a disciplinary logic of social subordination and diversify forms of symbolic violence. In this context, from the perspective of digital colonialism, we aim to highlight how the operation of such systems in the Global South contests and challenges the idea of soft instrumentarian control. It analyses the manifestations of surveillance capitalism in the Global South as enablers of digital colonialism, where disciplinary and violent social effects are fostered. It describes the functioning of AFR and its extensive relationship with colonial practices. To deepen our discussion, we will briefly focus on the application in public security and schools in Brazil, describing its controversies and disciplinary logic. Furthermore, it addresses the problematisation of instrumentarian power through post-colonial and digital colonialism approaches, arguing that the effects of deploying digital technologies globally are not restricted to data plundering but also foster complex social effects, such as dependency and violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Introduction: Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students have considerable educational debt upon graduation with suspected low levels of financial literacy, limited financial self-efficacy, and elevated stress and anxiety. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between financial knowledge, financial anxiety, financial stress, and financial self-efficacy with socioeconomic determinants in DPT students. Subjects: Five hundred seventy-eight DPT students, surveyed through a cross-sectional sample of convenience. Methods: Participants responded to a 40-item demographic questionnaire providing a self-assessment of their current financial literacy, financial self-efficacy, financial anxiety, financial stress, and level of general social support. Pairwise correlations were used to determine the relationship between independent variables and composite scores on self-assessment tools. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to predict financial knowledge, self-efficacy, anxiety, stress, and social support by socioeconomic indicators and educational debt status. Results: While there was a moderate, positive association between presence of debt and financial self-efficacy and financial anxiety for all students (r =.55), there was no statistically significant difference in financial knowledge, self-efficacy, anxiety, stress, or social support for students based on race/ethnicity. There was a negligible to weak correlation between financial knowledge, financial self-efficacy, and level of financial anxiety based on age, race/ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic background, debt load, risk tolerance, and retirement reflection. When subjected to multiple regression analysis, the level of education-related debt could explain a large proportion of the variance in multiple measures, including financial self-efficacy, anxiety, and stress. Economic background explained a large proportion of variance in the general social support students felt. Discussion and Conclusion: We found a strong, positive correlation between the presence of debt and financial stress and anxiety for all DPT student respondents. While there is no difference in financial literacy and self-efficacy based on race and ethnic background, there is a moderate correlation between self-efficacy and financial anxiety for all students. Education on strategies to manage debt load may reduce both factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine the concept of self-esteem among African American and Latinx adolescents with overweight and/or obesity and depressive symptoms in the United States. Method: Using key terms in CINAHL, PubMed, and PsycINFO databases, an initial search yielded 371 articles; after examining title, abstract, and full text, 33 articles remained. The concept of adolescent self-esteem was analyzed using Rodger's evolutionary method. Results: Several antecedents of self-esteem in this context were identified, including bullying, negative portrayal in the media, stressors and hassles, low socioeconomic status, dieting, and family dietary influences. Attributes identified were body image and misperception, body image dissatisfaction, diminished social status, and isolation. Consequences included stigma, somatic complaints, decreased earnings over a lifetime, decreased quality of life, lower educational attainment over a lifetime, and increased substance use. Increased self-esteem, increased number of friends, and in-depth friendships were associated with a lower risk of being overweight or obese. Conclusion: Adolescent self-esteem varied based on gender, racial and ethnic group, and changed over time in the African American population but remained static in the Latinx population. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 62(12), 17–25.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, significant progress has been made in treatment access for women living with HIV (WLHIV). For example, option B+, which requires that all pregnant persons who test positive for HIV start on antiretroviral treatment, has been instrumental in reducing the risk of vertical transmission. For birthing individuals who have a low HIV viral load, there is a minimized risk of vertical transmission during breastfeeding. However, an alarming rate of WLHIV in South Africa disengage from care during postpartum. Given that work is intricately linked to individuals' socioeconomic status, and thus health outcomes, and their health-seeking ability, it is important to explore the role of work in decisions that impact HIV-related care for the dyad postpartum. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 women living with HIV at 6–8 weeks postpartum in Cape Town, South Africa. A secondary qualitative data analysis was conducted following thematic content analysis. Three themes were identified, spanning participants' financial considerations, navigating childcare needs, and considerations for exclusive breastfeeding. For many participants, there was often a conflict between returning to work, childcare, and the decision whether or not to breastfeed—in addition to their HIV care. This conflict between participants' commitments suggests an increased pressure that WLHIV may face postpartum, which could impact their ability to remain engaged in their healthcare and adherent to medication. Although exclusive breastfeeding is an important recommendation for the baby's health outcomes; there is a need for structural support for WLHIV as they navigate work re-entry during postpartum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Factors associated with suboptimal interdialytic weight gain have long been established. However, the influence of cultural and linguistic diversity on interdialytic weight gain among patients receiving haemodialysis is not well‐understood. Objective: This study examined the relationship between interdialytic weight gain and cultural and linguistic diversity among patients receiving haemodialysis. Design: Retrospective cross‐sectional study. Participants and Measurements: Demographic and clinical data were collected from electronic medical records of patients receiving haemodialysis at five dialysis units. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine factors associated with suboptimal interdialytic weight gain. Results: Two hundred and sixty‐nine patients, 62% of whom were female, with mean ± age of 65.8 ± 14.8 years, were studied. Most were from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (60%) and a significant number belonged to the most disadvantaged socioeconomic group. Patients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds had significantly higher relative interdialytic weight gain (2.40% ± 1.45%) compared to those from nonculturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (1.83 ± 1.09%) (mean difference: 0.57%, 95% CI: 0.25–0.90, p = 0.001). Being from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds was associated with increased odds of higher relative interdialytic weight gain (OR: 2.40; 95% CI: 1.38–4.17, p < 0.01). Conclusion: Among patients on maintenance haemodialysis, individuals from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds had higher interdialytic weight gain compared to those from nonculturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Future research focusing on co‐developing culturally sensitive interventions to improve self‐management capability of patients on maintenance haemodialysis from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]