Dynamics of body time, social time and life history at adolescence

Worthman, Carol M.; Trang, Kathy

doi:10.1038/nature25750

Cited by 102 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 85 publications

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“…They also situate the timing and course of puberty as a key element in life‐history strategy. Degree of synchrony among these ongoing processes, and the impact of shifting schedules of physical as well as social maturation, constitute important sites for inquiry to address the mental and physical health needs of adolescents (Worthman & Trang, ). In addition, investigators are rising to the challenge of expanding the scope of inquiry beyond the hitherto narrow focus on affluent postindustrial populations (Henrich, Heine, & Norenzayan, ).…”

Section: Theoretical and Conceptual Advancesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Puberty and the Evolution of Developmental Science

Worthman

Dockray

Marceau

2019

J of Research on Adolesc

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In recent decades, theoretical and methodological advances have operated synergistically to advance understanding of puberty and prompt increasingly comprehensive models that engage with the temporal, psychosocial, and biological dimensions of this maturational milepost. This integrative overview discusses these theoretical and methodological advances and their implications for research and intervention to promote human development in the context of changing maturational schedules and massive ongoing social transformations.Funding: AA022919-01, HD073033, MH083964-01 (CMW); K01 DA039288 (KM).Author contributions: Worthman deploys a biocultural approach in comparative interdisciplinary research on human development and pathways to differential mental and physical health. She has conducted comparative biosocial research in thirteen countries, as well as in rural, urban, and semi-urban areas of the United States. Dockray's research focuses on psychobiological mechanisms to understand how experiences and emotions affect adolescent health and behavior. Her work concentrates on how the experiences of everyday life relate to psychoneuroendocrine processes and health-related behaviors during adolescence. Marceau conducts developmental research incorporating the integrated roles of genetics, prenatal risk, neuroendocrine development, and the family environment to examine the role of biobehavioral developmental pathways and interactions in adolescent behavior problems and substance use across the lifespan.Requests for reprints should be sent to Carol M. Worthman,

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Section: Theoretical and Conceptual Advancesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Puberty and the Evolution of Developmental Science

Worthman

Dockray

Marceau

2019

J of Research on Adolesc

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“…For example, gonadarche, which is initiated between ages 8 and 14 years in females, and between ages 9 and 15 in males, begins with the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis (Abreu and Kaiser 2016). The mechanisms that activate the HPG axis are sensitive to factors such as the quality of available nutrition and the presence of pathogens (Worthman and Trang 2018). Stressed ecologies during early life, in the form of low socioeconomic position or poor parenting styles, have been shown to impact on the timing and events of the pubertal process, such that stressful early life events cue individuals both physiologically and behaviorally to begin investment in reproduction sooner (Belsky and Shalev 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Non-linear effects of socioeconomic status on brain development: associations between parental occupation, cortical thickness and language skills in childhood and adolescence

Khundrakpam

Choudhury

Vainik

et al. 2019

Preprint

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Studies have pointed to the role of the brain in mediating the effects of the social environment of the developing child on life outcomes. Since brain development involves nonlinear trajectories, these effects of the child's social context will likely have age-related differential associations with the brain. However, there is still a dearth of integrative research investigating the interplay between neurodevelopmental trajectories, social milieu and life outcomes. We set out to fill this gap, focusing specifically on the role of socioeconomic status, SES (indexed by parental occupation) on brain and cognitive development by analyzing MRI scans from 757 typicallydeveloping subjects (age = 3-21 years). We observed nonlinear interaction of age and SES on cortical thickness, specifically a significant positive association between SES and thickness around 9-13 years at several cortical regions. Using a moderated mediation model, we observed that cortical thickness mediated the link between SES and language abilities, and this mediation was moderated by 'age' in a quadratic pattern, indicating a pronounced SES-effect during early adolescence. Our results, drawn from cross-sectional data, provide a basis for further longitudinal studies to test whether early adolescence may be a sensitive time window for the impact of SES on brain and cognitive development.3

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“…There are many reasons for this serious knowledge gap. First, the scientific literature has only recently begun to emphasize that adolescence is a critical stage of life (Dahl et al, 2018;Patton et al, 2018;Worthman and Trang, 2018). Adolescence is being acknowledged as a period of enhanced physical growth, learning, and brain development that alters cognitive, emotional, and motivational processes (Dahl et al, 2018).…”

Section: Why Do Knowledge Gaps About the Human Capital And Well-beingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Humanitarian Crises and Adolescent Well‐being: Knowledge, Gaps, and Prospects

Cuesta

Leone

2019

Journal of Economic Surveys

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Adolescence constitutes the second and final window of human growth and a period of specific vulnerabilities, such as early pregnancy, early marriage, HIV infection, suicide, violence, alcohol, and drugs. Only a limited body of research investigates the effects of humanitarian crises on the human capital and well‐being of adolescents. The evidence focuses on the short‐term effects of conflict and, to a lesser extent, natural disasters on education, physical health, and nutrition, but not on mental health. Most analyses examine the situations of individuals exposed in utero and young childhood, but rarely during adolescence. Typically missing are robust empirical identification strategies and estimates on heterogeneous effects across age or gender. The lack of quality data and challenges in defining adolescence, establishing causality, or ensuring ethical research explain the knowledge gaps. Possible ways to expand the evidence base include mixing georeferenced data on individual location with georeferenced data on crises, sharpening quasi‐experimental analytical techniques, and reconsidering the current timing of demographic data collection, now spanning 4‐ or 5‐year intervals. The failure to make such adjustments will end by ignoring specific vulnerabilities among adolescents and render sustainable progress in well‐being globally, narrowing inequalities, and guaranteeing human rights to all more difficult to achieve.

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Dynamics of body time, social time and life history at adolescence

Cited by 102 publications

References 85 publications

Puberty and the Evolution of Developmental Science

Puberty and the Evolution of Developmental Science

Non-linear effects of socioeconomic status on brain development: associations between parental occupation, cortical thickness and language skills in childhood and adolescence

Humanitarian Crises and Adolescent Well‐being: Knowledge, Gaps, and Prospects

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