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Frontiers in Psychology 2020We first provide a critical review of the existing findings on bilingualism as a contributor to cognitive reserve from moderator-mediator warranting cause-effect... (Review)
Review
We first provide a critical review of the existing findings on bilingualism as a contributor to cognitive reserve from moderator-mediator warranting cause-effect research conclusions. We next address the question of direct or indirect effects between bilingualism and neurocognitive protective factors influencing the associated age-related mental deficits. The existing findings support bilingualism as a predictor and as a moderator. Third, we propose cognitive reserve models of bilingualism describing analytical approaches that allow testing of these models and hypotheses related to path strength and causal relationships between predictors, moderators, and mediators. Lastly and most importantly, we suggest using large datasets available open repositories. This can aid in the testing of theoretical models, clarifying the roles of moderators and mediators, and assessing the research viability of multi-causal paths that can influence cognitive reserve. Creating collaborative datasets to test these models would greatly advance our field and identify critical variables in the study of the bilingual aging brain.
PubMed: 33101142
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.572555 -
Journal of Behavioral Medicine Jun 2015A significant body of research has investigated the effects of physical activity on sleep, yet this research has not been systematically aggregated in over a decade. As... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
A significant body of research has investigated the effects of physical activity on sleep, yet this research has not been systematically aggregated in over a decade. As a result, the magnitude and moderators of these effects are unclear. This meta-analytical review examines the effects of acute and regular exercise on sleep, incorporating a range of outcome and moderator variables. PubMed and PsycINFO were used to identify 66 studies for inclusion in the analysis that were published through May 2013. Analyses reveal that acute exercise has small beneficial effects on total sleep time, sleep onset latency, sleep efficiency, stage 1 sleep, and slow wave sleep, a moderate beneficial effect on wake time after sleep onset, and a small effect on rapid eye movement sleep. Regular exercise has small beneficial effects on total sleep time and sleep efficiency, small-to-medium beneficial effects on sleep onset latency, and moderate beneficial effects on sleep quality. Effects were moderated by sex, age, baseline physical activity level of participants, as well as exercise type, time of day, duration, and adherence. Significant moderation was not found for exercise intensity, aerobic/anaerobic classification, or publication date. Results were discussed with regards to future avenues of research and clinical application to the treatment of insomnia.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Exercise; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Motor Activity; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Sleep; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders; Sleep, REM; Wakefulness; Young Adult
PubMed: 25596964
DOI: 10.1007/s10865-015-9617-6 -
Multivariate Behavioral Research 2019Linear, nonlinear, and nonparametric moderated latent variable models have been developed to investigate possible interaction effects between a latent variable and an...
Linear, nonlinear, and nonparametric moderated latent variable models have been developed to investigate possible interaction effects between a latent variable and an external continuous moderator on the observed indicators in the latent variable model. Most moderation models have focused on moderators that vary across persons but not across the indicators (e.g., moderators like age and socioeconomic status). However, in many applications, the values of the moderator may vary both across persons and across indicators (e.g., moderators like response times and confidence ratings). Indicator-level moderation models are available for categorical moderators and linear interaction effects. However, these approaches require respectively categorization of the continuous moderator and the assumption of linearity of the interaction effect. In this article, parametric nonlinear and nonparametric indicator-level moderation methods are developed. In a simulation study, we demonstrate the viability of these methods. In addition, the methods are applied to a real data set pertaining to arithmetic ability.
Topics: Computer Simulation; Data Interpretation, Statistical; Educational Measurement; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Humans; Mathematical Concepts; Models, Statistical; Nonlinear Dynamics
PubMed: 30513219
DOI: 10.1080/00273171.2018.1486174 -
Journal of Applied Statistics 2022Third variable effect refers to the effect from a third variable that explains an observed relationship between an exposure and an outcome. Depending on whether there is...
Third variable effect refers to the effect from a third variable that explains an observed relationship between an exposure and an outcome. Depending on whether there is causal relationship, typically, a third variable takes the format of a mediator or a confounder. A moderation effect is a special case of the third-variable effect, where the moderator and other variables have an interactive effect on the outcome. In this paper, we extend the R package 'mma' for moderation analysis so that third-variable effects can be reported at different levels of the moderator. The proposed moderation analysis use tree-structured models to automatically detect moderation effects and can handle both categorical and numerical moderators. We propose algorithms and graphical methods for making inference on moderation effects and illustrate the method under different scenarios of moderation effects. Finally, we apply the proposed method to explore the trend of racial disparities in the use of Oncotype DX recurrence tests among breast cancer patients. We found that the unexplained racial differences in using the tests have decreased from 2010 to 2015.
PubMed: 36340886
DOI: 10.1080/02664763.2021.1968358 -
Psychological Methods Dec 2017The most widely used statistical model for conducting moderation analysis is the moderated multiple regression (MMR) model. In MMR modeling, missing data could pose a...
The most widely used statistical model for conducting moderation analysis is the moderated multiple regression (MMR) model. In MMR modeling, missing data could pose a challenge, mainly because the interaction term is a product of two or more variables and thus is a nonlinear function of the involved variables. In this study, we consider a simple MMR model, where the effect of the focal predictor X on the outcome Y is moderated by a moderator U. The primary interest is to find ways of estimating and testing the moderation effect with the existence of missing data in X. We mainly focus on cases when X is missing completely at random (MCAR) and missing at random (MAR). Three methods are compared: (a) Normal-distribution-based maximum likelihood estimation (NML); (b) Normal-distribution-based multiple imputation (NMI); and (c) Bayesian estimation (BE). Via simulations, we found that NML and NMI could lead to biased estimates of moderation effects under MAR missingness mechanism. The BE method outperformed NMI and NML for MMR modeling with missing data in the focal predictor, missingness depending on the moderator and/or auxiliary variables, and correctly specified distributions for the focal predictor. In addition, more robust BE methods are needed in terms of the distribution mis-specification problem of the focal predictor. An empirical example was used to illustrate the applications of the methods with a simple sensitivity analysis. (PsycINFO Database Record
Topics: Bayes Theorem; Data Interpretation, Statistical; Humans; Likelihood Functions; Models, Statistical; Normal Distribution; Psychology; Regression Analysis
PubMed: 27819434
DOI: 10.1037/met0000104 -
Frontiers in Pediatrics 2023This study investigated whether parental SES moderates the effect of birth health on Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) in preschool children.
OBJECTIVE
This study investigated whether parental SES moderates the effect of birth health on Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) in preschool children.
METHODS
One hundred and twenty-two children aged 4 to 6 years were enrolled in the study. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children --2nd Edition (MABC-2) test was used to assess the motor coordination of children. They were preliminarily categorized into either the DCD (<=16th percentile, = 23) or typically developing (TD) group (>16th percentile, = 99) based on the testing results. All children in the DCD group were further confirmed to meet other diagnostic criteria of the DSM-V using the intellectual test and parental questionnaires. Moderation analysis was conducted using the PROCESS macro for SPSS, and 95% confidence intervals with a bootstrap procedure were calculated to identify the significant moderating effect.
RESULTS
Maternal education (unstandardized coefficient = 0.6805, SE = 0.3371, < 0.05) and maternal employment status (unstandardized coefficient = 0.6100, SE = 0.3059, < 0.05) were found to moderate the relationship between birth length and the probability of having DCD. Moreover, the relationship between birth weight and the probability of having DCD was moderated by the annual household income (unstandardized coefficient = -0.0043, SE = 0.0022, < 0.05).
CONCLUSION
The lower maternal education level and maternal unemployment strengthened the negative relationship between birth length and the probability of having DCD. Additionally, the negative relationship between birth weight and the probability of having DCD was statistically significant in high annual household salaries.
PubMed: 37009279
DOI: 10.3389/fped.2023.1020428 -
Nutrients Jul 2023Physical activity (PA) is of benefit and particularly important for cardiovascular disease risk factors as being sedentary becomes a lifestyle habit. Research into... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
The Mediation and Moderation Effect Association among Physical Activity, Body-Fat Percentage, Blood Pressure, and Serum Lipids among Chinese Adults: Findings from the China Health and Nutrition Surveys in 2015.
Physical activity (PA) is of benefit and particularly important for cardiovascular disease risk factors as being sedentary becomes a lifestyle habit. Research into Chinese complex association among physical activity, body-fat percentage (BF%), blood pressure, and serum lipids is limited. The present study is based on an observational study among adults (>18 years old) residing in fifteen provinces in China. Data of 10,148 adult participants in the 2015 China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) were analyzed. The simple mediation effect models with covariates were utilized to assess the association among PA and blood pressure or serum lipids, and BF% was played as a mediator. The serial multiple-mediator models with covariates were constructed to the further analysis of the relationship between PA and blood pressure, and BF% was the mediator 1 and blood lipids were the mediator 2. Based on the above hypothesis, the moderated mediation models with covariates were used to analyze the association among PA, BF%, and blood pressure; in addition, BF% was used as the mediator and blood lipids played as the moderator. In the simple mediation models, the model with a dependent variable was high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C); BF% was played as the partly mediation effect and the proportion of contribution was 0.23 and 0.25, respectively. In the serial multiple-mediator models, blood lipids, as the second mediator, played the mediation effect; however, the effect was smaller than the BF%. In the moderated mediation model, blood lipids had the moderation effect as the moderator variable. HDL-C played a moderating role in the latter pathway of the "PA→BF%→SBP/DBP" mediation model, and LDL-C/TC played a moderating role in the direct effect of the "PA→BF%→DBP". In conclusion, BF% played a mediating role in the relationship between PA and blood pressure. HDL-C, LDL-C, and TC were more likely to act as moderating variables in the mediation model "PA→BF%→SBP/DBP". PA could directly and indirectly benefit to control the CVD risk factors simultaneously.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Blood Pressure; Body Mass Index; Cholesterol, HDL; Cholesterol, LDL; East Asian People; Exercise; Lipids; Nutrition Surveys; Triglycerides; Adiposity
PubMed: 37513531
DOI: 10.3390/nu15143113 -
Journal of Affective Disorders Dec 2015Parental separation is associated with increased risk for offspring depression; however, depression outcomes are divergent. Knowledge of moderators could assist in... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Parental separation is associated with increased risk for offspring depression; however, depression outcomes are divergent. Knowledge of moderators could assist in understanding idiosyncratic outcomes and developing appropriately targeted prevention programs for those at heightened risk of depression following parental separation. Therefore, the objective of the review was to identify and evaluate studies that examined moderators of the relationship between parental separation and offspring depression
METHODS
A search of scientific, medical and psychological databases was conducted in April 2015 for longitudinal research that had evaluated any moderator/s of the relationship between parental separation or divorce and offspring depression or depressive symptoms. Papers were assessed for quality by evaluating the study's sample, attrition rates, methodology and measurement characteristics.
RESULTS
Fourteen quantitative studies from five countries assessed sixteen moderating factors of the relationship between parental separation and offspring depression or depressive symptoms. A number of factors were found to moderate this relationship, including offspring gender, age (at assessment and at depression onset), genotype, preadolescent temperament, IQ, emotional problems in childhood and maternal sensitivity.
LIMITATIONS
While robust longitudinal research was selected for inclusion, common issues with longitudinal studies such as low rates of participation and attrition were among the methodological concerns evident in some of the reviewed papers.
CONCLUSIONS
The current review is the first to assess interaction effects of the relationship between parental separation and offspring depression or depressive symptoms. While further research is recommended, this assessment is critical in understanding variation in heterogeneous populations and can inform targeted policy and prevention.
Topics: Adolescent; Child of Impaired Parents; Depression; Depressive Disorder; Divorce; Female; Humans; Male; Parents; Risk; Solubility; Temperament; Time
PubMed: 26342891
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.08.017 -
International Journal of Environmental... Dec 2021Internalisation of appearance ideals moderates the relationship between exposure to media images and body dissatisfaction. To date, the role of thin- and muscular-ideal...
Internalisation of appearance ideals moderates the relationship between exposure to media images and body dissatisfaction. To date, the role of thin- and muscular-ideal internalisation in the context of social media remains under explored, particularly for boys. As such, we aimed to explore how social media use (Instagram and Snapchat) was related to body dissatisfaction, and whether thin- and muscular-ideal internalisation would moderate this relationship in a sample of 1153 adolescent boys and girls (55.42% males; = 13.71, = 1.14). As hypothesised, social media use, and thin- and muscular ideal internalisation were positively correlated with body dissatisfaction in both genders. In moderation analyses, thin-ideal internalisation emerged as the only variable that had a significant effect on body dissatisfaction in both genders. Additionally, the influence of social media use on body dissatisfaction was moderated by muscular-ideal internalisation in boys, whereby for boys with high muscular-ideal internalisation, greater social media use was associated with greater body dissatisfaction. The two-way (muscular x thin-ideal internalisation) and three-way interaction (social media use x thin-ideal internalisation x muscular-ideal internalisation) effects on body dissatisfaction were non-significant. These findings emphasise the importance of considering the sociocultural environment (i.e., new media influences) as frameworks for understanding body dissatisfaction and suggest targeting of internalisation of appearance ideals in body dissatisfaction prevention programs.
Topics: Adolescent; Body Dissatisfaction; Body Image; Defense Mechanisms; Female; Humans; Male; Personal Satisfaction; Social Media
PubMed: 34948830
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182413222 -
Scandinavian Journal of Child and... 2020Conflict with parents is frequent in adolescent depression, and has been shown to predict poor treatment outcomes. Attachment Based Family Therapy (ABFT) is a manualised...
BACKGROUND
Conflict with parents is frequent in adolescent depression, and has been shown to predict poor treatment outcomes. Attachment Based Family Therapy (ABFT) is a manualised treatment for adolescent depression that may be robust to parent-adolescent conflict.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the hypothesis that parent-adolescent conflict moderates the outcome of Attachment-Based Family Therapy compared with treatment as usual.
METHODS
Data were obtained from a randomised trial comparing 16 weeks of ABFT to treatment as usual, in Norwegian Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. Sixty adolescents with moderate to severe depression and their parents were recruited. Change in Grid-Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores from baseline to week 16 was modelled using linear mixed models, and a three-way interaction of time, treatment allocation and a continuous measure of parent-adolescent conflict was fitted to estimate a moderator effect. The moderator model was compared to simpler models using leave-one-out cross-validation.
RESULTS
Better outcomes were predicted for Attachment-Based Family Therapy at high levels of mother-adolescent conflict, and for treatment as usual at low levels of mother-adolescent conflict, giving preliminary support to the moderator hypothesis. Findings for father-adolescent conflict were mixed. Cross-validation did not clearly support the moderator model over a simple effect of time, indicating that the replicability of these findings is uncertain.
CONCLUSION
The results suggest that parent-adolescent conflict should be further studied as a moderator of outcome in Attachment-Based Family Therapy. The trial did not meet its recruitment target and had high attrition, limiting the conclusions that may be drawn.
PubMed: 33564627
DOI: 10.21307/sjcapp-2020-011