Objective: This study examined the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and obesity risk during early adolescence, ages 10–13 years, and whether this association is present in different racial/ethnic and gender groups during 2 time points in early adolescence. Method: Data were from the Healthy Passages study, which enrolled 4,824 African American, Hispanic, and White 5th graders (ages 10–11) in a population-based, longitudinal study conducted in 3 U.S. metropolitan areas, and assessed them again 2 years later. Weight status was classified from measured body mass index using standard criteria into nonobese and obese (27% in 5th grade). SES was indexed based on highest education attainment in the household. Results: Youth in the highest SES had a significantly lower prevalence of obesity than those of lower SES at both 5th and 7th grades when disregarding race/ethnicity. Within-racial/ethnic group analyses mostly confirmed this pattern for Hispanic and White youth, but not for African American youth. When also considering gender, the SES differential in obesity risk was more pronounced among White girls and 5th-grade Hispanic boys. Conclusion: Growing up in a high SES home, marked by having a member with at least a college degree, is associated with lower risk for obesity among Hispanic and White youth. For African American youth, there appears to be no association between SES and obesity. Thus the health advantage generally attributed to higher SES does not appear consistently across racial/ethnic groups for obesity in youth. Further research should identify influences on weight status beyond SES, especially among African American youth.

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There is considerable variability among psychology journals in Brazil, in terms of presence on the international stage. However, research as to why is very scarce. This study empirically examined the relationship between several indices of internationalization and real-world internationalization, among these journals. 661 articles from the top-17 psychology journals in Brazil were coded for: Englishlanguage text, editorial board makeup, lead author institution, and article type. Analyses revealed that successful internationalization was associated with: (a) lead author institution from a native English-speaking country; (b) empirical articles; and (c) editorial board members from a native English-speaking country. Use of English-language text was not associated with successful internationalization. These findings suggest that the path to internationalization for psychology journals in Brazil may depend on increased publishing of findings from English-speaking countries; or at the very least: increased collaboration between Brazilian and native English-speaking scholars.Keywords: globalization, scientific journals, psychology, Brazil, bibliometric analysis A Internacionalização dos Periódicos de Psicologia no Brasil: Uma Análise Bibliométrica Baseada em Quatro ÍndicesResumo: Há uma variação considerável na presença internacional entre os periódicos de psicologia no Brasil. No entanto, a investigação a respeito do porquê é muito escassa. Este estudo examinou empiricamente a relação entre vários índices de internacionalização e a internacionalização real entre essas revistas. 661 artigos provenientes das 17 melhores revistas de psicologia foram codificados para: texto em Inglês, composição do conselho editorial, instituição do autor principal e tipo de artigo. As análises revelaram que a internacionalização foi associada a: (a) instituição do autor principal de um país nativo de língua inglesa; (b) artigos empíricos; e (c) membros do conselho editorial nativos de um país de língua inglesa. Não foi encontrada associação entre o uso do texto na língua inglesa e a internacionalização bem sucedida. Estes achados sugerem que o caminho para a internacionalização de periódicos de psicologia no Brasil pode depender do aumento da publicação de resultados de países de língua inglesa; ou, pelo menos, uma maior colaboração entre estudiosos brasileiros e nativos de língua inglesa.Palavras-chave: globalização, periódicos científicos, psicologia, Brasil, análise bibliométrica La Internacionalización de las Revistas de Psicología en Brasil: Un Examen Bibliométrico Basado en Cuatro ÍndicesResumen: Existe una considerable variabilidad en la internacionalización de las revistas de psicología en Brasil, pero la investigación de por qué es muy escasa. Este estudio examinó la relación entre varios índices de internacionalización y la internacionalización real. 661 artículos de las 17 mejores revistas de psicología fueron codificados para: texto en inglés, composición del comité editorial, institución del autor, y el tipo de ar...

Racial/ethnic disparities in health-related quality of life and health status across pre-, early-, and mid-adolescence: a prospective cohort study.Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2rc50200 Journal Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation, 28 (7) Abstract Purpose To examine (1) racial/ethnic disparities in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and overall health status among Black, Latino, and White youth during adolescence; (2) whether socioeconomic status (SES) and family contextual variables influence disparities; and (3) whether disparities are consistent from pre-to early-to mid-adolescence. Methods A population sample of 4823 Black (1755), Latino (1812), and White (1256) youth in three US metropolitan areas was prospectively assessed in a longitudinal survey conducted on three occasions, in 5th, 7th, and 10th grades, when youth reported their HRQOL using the PedsQL™ short-form Total, Physical and Psychosocial scales and youth and parents separately reported on youth's overall health status. Parents reported their education and household income to index SES, family structure, and use of English at home. Results Based on analysis conducted separately at each grade, marked racial/ethnic disparities were observed across all measures of HRQOL and health status, favoring White and disfavoring Black, and especially Latino youth. More strongly present in 5th and 7th grade, HRQOL disparities decreased by 10th grade. Most disparities between White and Black youth disappeared when adjusting for SES. However, even after adjusting for SES, family structure, and English use, overall health status disparities disfavoring Latino youth remained across all three assessments. Conclusions Racial/ethnic disparities in adolescent HRQOL and health are substantial. These disparities appear consistent from pre-to early-adolescence but diminish for HRQOL by mid-adolescence. As disparities appear influenced by SES and other family contextual variables differently in different racial/ethnic groups, efforts to reduce health disparities in youth should address culturally specific conditions impinging on health.

IntroductionAs with most emerging nations, Brazil lacks up-to-date data on the prevalence of obesity and overweight among its children. Of particular concern is the lack of data on children in early adolescence, considered by many to be the crucial stage for weight-related healthcare.ObjectiveTo assess regional, socioeconomic, and gender differences in the prevalence of obesity and overweight among Brazilian early adolescents.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted on a racially diverse sample of students aged 10–13 years, from schools in three geographic regions (north, northeast, south) (N = 1,738). Data on gender, age, race, socioeconomic status (SES), weight, and height were obtained. Weight class was calculated from age- and gender-adjusted body mass index, based on children’s weight and height. Bivariate and multivariable analyses, with post hoc tests, were conducted to estimate differences between groups and were corrected for multiple comparisons. Procedures were approved by institutional review boards at study sites.ResultsAnalyses revealed a higher prevalence of obesity and/or overweight among: (1) children of higher SES; (2) children in southern Brazil; (3) males; and (4) Black females.ConclusionThe most salient predictor of weight risk among Brazilian early adolescents is higher SES. This finding is consistent with previous findings of an inverse social gradient, in weight risk, among emerging-nation population groups.

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In the current century, English is the language for the research and dissemination of scientific findings. But for many scholars, English is a foreign language. This is especially true among the emerging and developing nations (EDNs), such as the BRICS nations, encompassing Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The present study conducted a survey examining the translational integrity and overall impression of translated summary materials (abstracts and titles) from the five highest ranking (SCImago Journal Rank) Brazilian journals in the field of psychology. Analysis proceeded with two models. In the first model, translated summary materials from 12 randomly-selected articles from four of the five journals were evaluated by a panel of three native English-language scholars. Findings indicated an inverse relationship between the overall impression of the materials and their: abstract errors, r(34) = -0.61, p < .001; and total errors, r(34) = -0.62, p < .001; suggesting a direct relationship between the translational integrity of these EDN materials and the overall impression they leave with native English-language scholars. A second model added 3 additional articles from the fifth journal (English-language only) to the materials described. The findings from this second model suggested that for EDN journals, an investment in language resources may substantially improve the impression they leave with native English-language scholars, and thus promote wider dissemination of their findings. Keywords: English, translation, Brazil, lost science, lingua franca ResumoNo século atual, o inglês tem sido a língua usada preferencialmente para pesquisa e a divulgação científica. Mas para muitos pesquisadores, o inglês é uma língua estrangeira. Essa constatação é muito verdadeira, especialmente, para nações emergentes e em desenvolvimento, (EDNs -Emerging and Developing Nations) tais como as nações do BRICS, abrangendo Brasil, Rússia, Índia, China, e África do Sul. O presente estudo é um levantamento da integridade translacional e a compreensão geral de sumários (resumos e títulos) das revistas brasileiras que ocupam os cinco primeiros lugares da classificação do SCImago Journal Rank, no campo da psicologia. A análise foi organizada em dois modelos. No primeiro, três professores de língua nativa inglesa avaliaram a tradução dos sumários de 12 artigos escolhidos aleatoriamente de quatro das cinco revistas. Os achados indicaram uma relação inversa entre a impressão geral e seus respectivos: erros no resumo r(34) = -0.61, p < .001; e erros totais r(34) = -0.62, p < .001; sugerindo uma relação direta entre a integridade translacional e a impressão geral que os artigos deixaram em professores de língua nativa inglesa. Um segundo modelo acrescentou 3 artigos de uma quinta revista, toda ela escrita em língua inglesa, aos materiais descritos. Os achados deste segundo modelo sugeriram que para as revistas EDNs, um investimento em recursos de linguagem poderão aumentar, substancialmente, a impressão que elas estão dei...

The assessment of conceptual knowledge presents a challenge, particularly at the university level, at which large class size precludes individual assessment for assessment through multiple-choice examinations. This practitioner essay sets forth an alternative format: the use of cartoon illustration as a tool for the assessment of students’ conceptual knowledge. The context is an upper-division (third- and fourth-year students) psychology class at an American public research university. Student artwork is included, past research is discussed, and implications for the future are considered.