Proposal summaries
B4351 - Executive Function as transdiagnostic cognitive marker of ADHD and eating disorders in early adulthood - 12/06/2023
ADHD and eating disorders have been indicated to be highly comorbid disorders, however research is still unclear of mediators in the comorbidity. Research has shown executive functions to have associations with both disorders, despite this, there is currently limited literature aiming to determine executive function as a potential transdiagnostic cognitive marker in the comorbidity. Biological, social and cognitive factors have been proposed to explain the comorbidity, yet research is still limited in its investigation of the role of executive function in the comorbidity. To address this gap in the literature, I plan to examine whether executive function mediates ADHD and eating disorder relationship at 24/25 years of age.
B4348 - The role of DNA methylation in pubertal development and timing of sexual reproduction - 12/06/2023
According to life-history theory, any organism will strategically divide resources toward growth, maintenance and reproduction (Ellis, 2004). In a harsh environment, humans might mature earlier to enable earlier reproduction – to secure the transmission of one’s own genes in the next generations (Belsky et al., 1991). Previous research has indeed indicated that harsh family environments, such as chaotic life environments or rejecting, inconsistent parental behavior, and severe stressors can lead to earlier pubertal maturation (in girls) (Belsky et al., 2010; Belsky, Steinberg, et al., 2007; Ellis et al., 1999; Holdsworth & Appleton, 2020; Sheppard et al., 2016). Recently, a two-hit model of accelerated aging has been proposed (Belsky & Shalev 2016), specifying that early adversity does not necessarily lead to earlier sexual reproduction even though it has been found to predict pubertal maturation. Belsky and Shalev hypothesized that a supportive environment during puberty can act as a buffer against early sexual reproduction. Moreover, they hypothesized a potential biological mechanism, wherein early childhood adversity may result in epigenetic changes (i.e. advanced biological age compared to chronological age measured via epigenetic clocks) which might result in earlier pubertal maturation and (in case of a non-supportive environment) in earlier sexual reproduction.
Some previous proposals have looked at parts of this model (e.g. B878, B897, B2760, B2883, B3077, B3690), but we will be the first to combine these parts, such as relation between father absence and puberty or the relation between pubertal development and sexual risky behaviors into one overarching model of the life history theory.
B4350 - Parenting Practices and Depression in adolescents the mediating - 08/06/2023
Studies have documented close relationship between parenting behaviour (e.g., harsh parenting, abuse, and neglect) and depression (Cole et al., 2016). It is however not entirely clear what’s the mechanism underlying such association. How individual process rewards has been found to be closely associated with depression (Beck, 1967; Disner et al., 2011),and can potentially be a mediator exaplaining the link between parenting and depression. Specifically, research has shown that an individual suffering from depression differs from people without depression in terms of how they value rewards according to time (Pulcu et al., 2014). In this study, we aim to investigate the mediating effect of reward valuation in the association between parenting in adolescence and depression in early adulthood, a period characterised by heightened risk for depression, as well as time poses parenting challenges. We will also explore the association with financial difficulties, gambling problems, employment status, and romantic relationship quality in early adulthood as a proxy of individual functioning.
B4340 - Children of the 90s Coping strategies Study Asthma and diabetes sub-studies - 14/07/2023
Children of the 90s aims to discover as much as possible about our health. People cope in many different ways with ill health,
especially long-term or chronic illnesses. By interviewing 120 Children of the 90s participants with either long Covid, diabetes or asthma, we hope to gain important insights into the most effective ways of managing chronic conditions.
B4342 - Ultra-processed food consumption and risk of overweight and obesity in children - 05/06/2023
Globally, increasing prevalence of obesity has been observed, not just amongst adults but also in children. Studies have suggested that early development of obesity in childhood is associated with obesity in adulthood and development of chronic illnesses. It is thus important that factors associated with the rising prevalence of obesity amongst children are investigated, so that early interventions can be put in place to address the issue. While the causes contributing to obesity are complex, healthy eating is one of the most important and modifiable risk factors to address this issue. Traditionally, studies have been conducted to understand specific food group or nutrient and the association with obesity. However, in recent decades, food systems have undergone major changes that have led to a rising availability of ultra-processed foods globally. Under the NOVA food processing classification, ultra-processed foods are defined as industrial products made with many ingredients not accessible in domestic kitchen and typically contain a myriad of artificial additives. While there are growing evidence that the consumption of ultra-processed foods are linked to obesity in adults, this has not been examined in children except for few cohort studies with short follow up time. Therefore, this project aims to investigate the link between childhood consumption of ultra-processed foods and the development of overweight and obesity from childhood to early adulthood in the ALSPAC birth cohort. The results of this study will address an important gap in literature and also provide valuable insights to help shape future policies in tackling childhood obesity.
B4343 - Consumption of Artificially Sweetened Beverages and Glycaemic Biomarkers - 05/06/2023
The World Health Organization has issued recommendations against the use of non-sugar sweeteners as means to reduce free sugars intake and weight control. However, artificially sweetened beverages are a major source of non-sugar sweeteners and are widely available and commonly consumed by children. While current evidence base provides no support for the link between dietary intake of artificial sweeteners and any long-term improvement in weight or adiposity control, the understanding of the link between artificial sweeteners and glycaemic biomarkers (e.g. glucose, insulin, haemoglobin A1c) in children remains scarce. Therefore, this project aims to investigate the longitudinal association between consumption of artificially sweetened beverages during childhood and levels of glycaemic biomarkers between 9-24 years of age in the ALSPAC birth cohort. The findings of this research could provide valuable insights into dietary recommendations for children and potentially contribute to the ongoing discourse on the health effects of artificially sweetened beverages.
B4344 - Individualized Prediction and Intervention-targeting for Children with Depression Anxiety and ADHD Predictive and Causal Data - 05/06/2023
We propose research to advance precision in predicting individual prognostic trajectory and individual response to intervention for three common and debilitating categories of mental disorders in childhood: (1) Depressive Disorders, (2) Anxiety Disorders, and (3) Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Our research will advance this precision by elucidating the etiologic heterogeneity of samples of children within these three diagnostic groups and determining clinical signatures corresponding to such heterogeneity. Such signatures will guide the development of a set of assessment and clinical decision-support tools that we will evaluate – integrating behavioral tests/measures – for classifying children with depression, anxiety disorders, and ADHD into sub-groups strongly informing on individual prognosis and probable responsiveness to specific categories of intervention.
B4334 - Characterising determinants of early growth trajectories and their consequences on later life health - 05/06/2023
The prevalence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes is increasing and the financial burden on society is substantial. Children who have unfavourable growth through early life are at increased risk of these diseases. This study aims to investigate the relationship between early life growth and future risk of diseases like diabetes and perform a large study looking at the relationship between methylation and growth. Knowledge gained from these studies will inform the design of public health initiatives.
B4338 - Early life social connections and adiposity Exploring the underlying biosocial mechanisms - 02/06/2023
Obesity is a significant challenge for individuals, societies, and economies. Whilst behaviours involved in energy balance, such as physical activity and diet, have been a primary focus of obesity research, several psychosocial factors have also shown promising associations. Social connections (such as social support and social networks) are known to be linked to disease and mortality in later life. Research has shown associations between social connections and a reduced risk of obesity, yet there is little known about these associations in earlier life stages including childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. Taking a lifecourse perspective has the potential to reset health and social trajectories by encouraging a proactive preventative approach, rather than a reactive treatment approach. The specific roles and relative contributions of the different social connection dimensions (structural, functional, and quality) are also unclear, meaning the optimum ways to intervene are unknown.
Understanding the underlying biosocial mechanisms linking social connections to health is important as it can help establish causality and suggest novel interventions. Stress and inflammatory response systems have been individually associated with both social connections and obesity but have not been studied in this relationship. Ultimately, this project aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between early life social connections and obesity across the early lifecourse, including the exploration of the potential underlying biological mechanisms.
B4337 - Predicting Language Development at the Individual Level - 06/06/2023
Research using data from the AVON Study has found developmental stability of language development (Bornstein et al., 2018, Science Advances). Children whose language ability ranks low at 6 months are likely to continue to rank low when they are 15 years old. The results are group-level results revealing group tendencies, rather than pinpointing whether a particular infant will likely to develop better or poorer language in later childhood. We would like to examine whether a more precise analytical approach can be adopted so that we will be in a better position to forecast language development at the individual-child level.
B4323 - Combining polygenic risk scores to optimize prediction of alcohol problems - 31/05/2023
Problematic alcohol use is a major public health burden. It is important to understand how to best predict individuals most at risk for alcohol problems so they can be targeted for early prevention efforts. This project will explore whether combining polygenic risk scores can enhance the prediction of alcohol problems.
B4335 - The role of religious beliefs in adult mental health - 24/05/2023
Most research has found a positive association between religious belief and mental health, but these are often in US samples, which may differ from samples in other countries. We have previously examined childhood and adolescent mental health and parental religious belief, which have found results that differ from much of the previous literature. This study seeks to expand upon our previous studies of childhood and adolescent mental health by examining adult mental health, and whether offspring religious belief is associated with it in a large UK cohort study.
B4327 - Improving speech outcomes in preterm children - 24/05/2023
This project will investigate how speech sounds develop in the first 8 years of life in children born prematurely. Preterm children are at increased risk of impaired neurodevelopment, which can include problems with acquisition of speech and speech disorder. Speech sound disorder can impact their learning, mental health, and life chances in adulthood. This study will provide information on how prematurity impacts speech development and how this compares with full-term children. This will help health professionals in the early identification and intervention of preterm children requiring support.
The study comprises five workstreams. 1) a full systematic review of the literature to determine the characteristics associated with speech sound development in preterm children; 2) examination of data from the ALSPAC dataset to explore the characteristics and outcomes of speech development in preterm children in the first 8 years of life compared with full term children; 3) examination of data from the National Neonatal Audit Programme (NNAP) to explore how the degree of prematurity impacts speech development in preterm children; 4) collection of new data from a clinical sample of preterm children recruited from NHS neonatal services in Bristol and Cardiff; 5) a UK-wide online survey will determine the role of Speech and Language Therapists in NHS neurodevelopmental assessments for preterm children in the first 3 years of life.
B4328 - Depression and hypertension comorbidity sleep as a potential mediator - 24/05/2023
Depression and hypertension commonly co-occur. This comorbidity may be explained by HPA axis dysregulation which has associations with both hypertension and depression. Additionally, sleep problems are a known cause of HPA axis dysregulation, therefore, sleep may serve as a transdiagnositic marker, and potentailly intervention point, for both disorders. This research will focus on childhood and adolescence as previous research has only examined this relationships in adults, despite these conditions being prevalent in younger groups. Additionally, adulthood is a time when these conditions are already well-established. Through examining a younger sample, we can study the directionality and mediation of this relationship at a time when both conditions start to emerge.
B4329 - Identifying Genetic and Non-Genetic Factors that Influence Age at Menarche - 24/05/2023
This projects seeks to deepen our understanding of how the timing of puberty affects adult health outcomes, specifically, risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The age at which a girl gets her first menstrual period (age at menarche, or AAM) has a peculiar relationship with CVD: both earlier and later AAM are associated with increased risk of CVD in adulthood.
In preliminary work focusing on later AAM, we applied human genetic techniques to distinguish the effects of common genetic changes on AAM from the effects of other, yet-to-be-identified factors. We were surprised to find that the relationship between later AAM and CVD depends on the underlying cause of later AAM. If caused by common genetic changes, later AAM is actually associated with _lower_ risk of cardiovascular disease. In contrast, if caused by other factors, later AAM is associated with _increased_ risk of cardiovascular disease.
The broad goals of this project are 1) to better understand how common genetic changes affect AAM by subgrouping common genetic variants based on their effects on childhood factors known to affect AAM, and 2) to identify factors other than common genetic changes that influence AAM.
B4339 - Camouflaging across neurodevelopmental conditions and the general population - 14/07/2023
In recent years there has been increasing interest in the phenomenon of camouflaging (hiding or compensating for neurodivergent traits), particularly within autistic populations. Camouflaging is understood to be associated with poorer mental health in these populations. The most common method of measuring camouflaging is through a brief self-report measure. However, there have been no unselected population-based studies which measure camouflaging, and therefore we do not know whether, and to what degree, camouflaging is unique to neurodivergent populations and whether it is associated with poorer mental health outcomes across the general population. This project aims to assess the prevalence of camouflaging across the general population for the first time, and to compare between typically developing individuals and those with neurodevelopmental and mental health conditions.
B4333 - The association between maternal-related diseases and neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring an ALSPAC database study - 31/05/2023
Maternal-related diseases affect the development of offspring nervous system. However, there are currently some limitations in the research on this topic, such as small sample sizes, short observation periods, lack of long-term follow-up, unconsidered confounding factors and interactions, etc. To overcome these limitations, our study plans to use the large-scale population cohort data in ALSPAC, adopt advanced statistical methods and causal inference methods, systematically analyze the strength of the association and causal effects of maternal-related diseases between neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring, and explore possible mechanisms and intervention measures.
B4330 - Genetic basis of DNA methylation GODMC2 - 21/08/2023
DNA methylation (DNAm) plays a central role in gene regulation. It helps to define how cells respond to environmental signals
and, ultimately, contributes to health or susceptibility to disease. DNAm variation is influenced by genetic, molecular and environmental and other factors. However, the amount and the effects of differences in DNAm from one person to another is
poorly understood.
A powerful avenue into researching the functional consequences of changes in DNAm levels is to correlate DNA sequence variants such as single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) to DNAm levels to find both local and distal (for example on
other chromosomes) effects. Having completed the largest genetic study of DNAm worldwide to date (through the Genetics of DNA Methylation Consortium) by scanning 10 million SNPs genomewide, we have identified 270k SNP-DNAm associations. This was achieved by analysing about 400,000 DNAm sites in blood, which is only 2% of 28 million DNAm sites across the genome. There is a huge potential for improved understanding of DNAm variation between individuals and its influence on health and disease by studying other regulatory regions of the genome using EPIC arrays, by using cell type interactions and other gene-environmental interactions and by using different types of statistical tests
B4332 - Economic Determinants of Mental Health - 31/05/2023
Mental health problems are globally prevalent, and made worse by Covid-19. There is a growing recognition of the roles of economic circumstances in determining mental health, however, it remains unclear how the economic circumstances at various levels (individual and household; local areas; and national) manifest differently on mental health through different channels. Based on ALSPAC data merged with local authority level information, and cutting-edge econometric methods, we will systematically examine the extensive links between mental health and economic circumstances at individual/household, local area, and national policy levels, and map out a complete and comprehensive picture of economic determinants of mental health. Our research will get to the economic roots of mental health and help answer the long-term big-picture question of how to prevent mental illness. Our research is novel on two fronts. First, we bring together economic data at micro, local, and macro levels from multiple sources to study their roles on mental health in one setting; second, we take advantage of rich and long panel data and dynamic panel modelling methods to examine dynamic and long-run effects over the life course.
B4324 - From adolescence eating behaviors and dieting to adulthood adiposity and food preferences - 15/05/2023
Adolescents are more likely to become dissatisfied with their body as they could be more easily influenced by their peers and media and internalize bodily norms. In order to alter their body, adolescents may use several strategies such as restrained eating or dieting. Eating restraint and dieting during adolescence could interfere with physical growth and cognitive development, predispose them to weight gain, prompt disinhibited eating, and increase risk of severe eating disorders. Furthermore, health-related habits such as dieting and eating behaviors tend to persist into adulthood.
There is a gap in research about the associations between a combination of different dimensions of eating behaviors in adolescence and health behaviors in adulthood. This research aims to address this gap by studying how adolescents with distinct profile of eating behavior dimensions, including restrained eating and uncontrolled eating, differ from each other during their adulthood in terms of body composition and food preferences. Findings could assist in identifying adolescents at higher risk of obesity and less healthy food choices with regards to dimensions of eating behavior.