Considering the immense challenge of preventing obesity, the time has come to reconceptualise the way we study the obesity development in childhood. The developmental cascade model offers a longitudinal framework to elucidate the way cumulative consequences and spreading effects of risk and protective factors, across and within biopsychosocial spheres and phases of development, can propel individuals towards obesity. In this article, we use a theory-driven model-building approach and a scoping review that included 310 published studies to propose a developmental cascade model of paediatric obesity. The proposed model provides a basis for testing hypothesised cascades with multiple intervening variables and complex longitudinal processes. Moreover, the model informs future research by resolving seemingly contradictory findings on pathways to obesity previously thought to be distinct (low self-esteem, consuming sugary foods, and poor sleep cause obesity) that are actually processes working together over time (low self-esteem causes consumption of sugary foods which disrupts sleep quality and contributes to obesity). The findings of such inquiries can aid in identifying the timing and specific targets of preventive interventions across and within developmental phases. The implications of such a cascade model of paediatric obesity for health psychology and developmental and prevention sciences are discussed.

Surveys indicate that practice and training in psychological assessment, and personality assessment (PA) to a lesser degree, has been stable or increasing over the past quarter century. However, its future arguably remains threatened due to changes in doctoral training programs and beliefs in the field concerning the utility of PA for treatment success. In order to increase interest in and use of PA, studies of training methods that include trainees’ perspectives are needed. This study evaluated the experiences of ten graduate trainees and their clients who were trained in and conducted a brief Therapeutic Assessment (TA). Qualitative responses to a self-evaluation administered post-TA were coded using directed content analysis. Results indicated that trainees’ viewed TA/PA as having clinical utility; they had positive feelings about TA/PA, and they desired or intended to use or continue learning about TA/PA. Clients’ responses reflected positive feelings about the TA, having gained new self-awareness or understanding, and having a positive relationship with the assessor. The findings suggest that teaching PA from a TA perspective could produce positive benefits for psychology trainees.

Despite its widespread use, a minimal amount is known regarding the agreement between parent and youth ratings of youth's executive functioning on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (BRIEF) in typically developing youth. The present study examined parent-child agreement on the BRIEF with a community sample of adolescents and their parents. Ninety-seven parent-child dyads (M = 13.91 years; SD = .52) completed the BRIEF self- and parent-report forms and a demographic questionnaire. Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICCs) and paired sample t-tests were used to evaluate agreement between self- and parent-reports on the BRIEF. Total sample ICCs indicated moderate to good parent-child agreement (0.46-0.68). Parents from the total sample reported significantly higher mean T-scores for their adolescents on Inhibit, Working Memory, Planning/Organization, Behavioral Regulation Index (BRI), Metacognition Index, and Global Executive Composite. Differences were found in regard to gender and race/ethnicity: ICCs were higher between parent-girl dyads on the scales that comprise the BRI than between parent-boy dyads. Parent-adolescent ICCs were also higher for adolescents who self-identified as White in comparison to those who identified as Non-White/Mixed Race on Emotional Control. These findings suggest gender and racial/ethnic differences should be considered when examining parent-child agreement on the BRIEF in typically developing adolescents.

Background: Studies that have evaluated executive functions and dietary behaviors in school-aged children have found that deficits in executive functions are correlated with greater intake of high-caloric-low-nutritional foods and snacks and lower consumption of fruits and vegetables. However, since these studies analyzed executive functioning as a unidimensional outcome variable, the correlations between dietary behaviors and specific domains of executive functioning were not evaluated. The objective of the present study was to assess the associations between dietary behaviors and three domains of executive functioning (i.e., inhibition, working memory, planning/initiation skills) in a sample of school-aged children. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, one-hundred-two, 8th grade students from a public middle school in the United States (mean age = 13.91; SD = 0.51; 62.7% female) completed a demographic questionnaire, a self-report measure of executive functioning (Behavior rating inventory of executive function-BRIEF), and self-report measures of dietary behaviors (adolescent food habits checklist, diet subscale of the summary of diabetes self-care activities questionnaire). Their parents completed the parent version of the BRIEF. Pearson correlations and multiple linear regression analysis were conducted. Results: After controlling demographic factors (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity, parent education), self-reported planning/initiation skills were associated with healthier eating habits (unstandardized estimate = -0.16; P < 0.01). Conclusions: These findings underscore the need for research evaluating the efficacy of techniques like implementation intentions that target planning/initiation skills in order to increase the consumption of healthy foods in school-aged children.

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Study question Is the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8) a valid and reliable measure of depression in first-time mothers who conceived via Assisted Reproductive Technology? Summary answer The results from this study provide initial support for the reliability and validity of the PHQ-8 as a measure of depression in mothers who have conceived using ART. What is known already Women who achieved a clinical pregnancy using Assisted Reproductive technology experience many stressors and may be at an increased risk of depression. The PHQ-8 is a brief measure designed to detect the presence of severity of depressive symptoms. It has been validated in many populations; however, it has not been validated for use in this population. Study design, size, duration This is a cross-sectional study of 171 first time mothers in the United States, recruited through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Participants/materials, setting, methods The reliability of the PHQ-8 was measured through a Cronbach’s alpha, the convergent validity was measured though the correlation between the PHQ-8 and the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) measure of anxiety symptoms, and the structural validity was measured through a Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Main results and the role of chance The Cronbach’s alpha for the total PHQ-8 was acceptable (α =.922). The correlation between the PHQ-8 and the GAD-7 was large (r=.88) indicating good convergent validity. Ultimately, a bifactor model provided the best model fit (χ2(13) = 23.8, p = 0.033; Comparative Fit Index (CFI) =0.987; Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.07, Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI) = 0.972). Limitations, reasons for caution The results are limited by: the predominantly white and well-educated sample, a lack of causation between the use of artificial reproductive technology and depressive symptoms, including mothers with children up to 5 years old, convergent validity being based on associations with a related construct instead of the same construct, lack of test-retest reliability, divergent validity, and criterion-related validity, data collected through MTurk, and the fact that the measures used were all self-report and therefore may be prone to bias. Wider implications of the findings Consistent with previous literature, a bifactor model for the PHQ-8 was supported. As such, when assessing depression in first-time mothers who conceived via Assisted Reproductive Technology, using both the PHQ-8 total score and subdomain scores may yield the most valuable information. The results from this study provide preliminary support for the reliability and validity of the PHQ-8 as a measure of depression in first-time mothers who conceived using Assisted Reproductive Technology. Study funding/competing interest(s) No specific funding was used for the completion of this study. Throughout the study period and manuscript preparation, the authors were supported by the department funds at Baylor University. The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest. Trial registration number N/A