Mountain Scholar :: Browsing by Author "Riggs, Nathaniel, committee member"

Browsing by Author "Riggs, Nathaniel, committee member"

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Open Access
Adverse childhood experiences, executive function, and maladaptive behaviors in children involved with child protective services
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Carvalho, Isidro, author; Daunhauer, Lisa, advisor; Aichele, Stephen, committee member; Sample, Pat, committee member; Barrett, Karen, committee member; Riggs, Nathaniel, committee member
Childhood traumatic events are common and frequently associated with maladaptive coping mechanisms which contribute to long-term harm. Yet few targeted treatment options exist to prevent maladaptive coping in children exposed to trauma. The purpose of this thesis is to identify if executive function may serve as a potential target for such interventions. This thesis used a sample of 244 children – aged 6 to 18 years old – who were referred by the Larimer County Department of Human Services for trauma assessments. Participant trauma events, executive function, and maladaptive behavior data were used to determine if executive function moderated the established association between trauma events and maladaptive behavior development. Results showed no significant interaction between trauma events and executive function when assessing for either maladaptive internalization or externalization. However, results indicated that executive function had a main effect on both internalization and externalization. This study emphasizes the need for further research on the associations between childhood trauma, executive function, and maladaptive behaviors. It is imperative that moderators of the association between childhood trauma and maladaptive behaviors are found so that new treatment options can be developed.
Open Access
An exploration of Latine experiences of school and college readiness during the COVID-19 pandemic: a LatCrit and cultural wealth perspective
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) Joachin, Vanessa S., author; Conner, Bradley, advisor; Fisher, Gwen, committee member; Chavez, Ernest, committee member; Riggs, Nathaniel, committee member
Marginalized communities, including Latine people, have historically been denied access to post-secondary education. This is not surprising when one considers that U.S. institutions of education were not conceived for People of Color. While enrollment trends for Latine college-bound students are promising, disparities persist. Latine communities still have higher rates of school attrition than non-Latine populations and the increase in high school graduation and college enrollment still lags non-Latine communities. While LatCrit and Community Cultural Wealth literature provide a valuable and comprehensive approach to understanding the experience of Communities of Color, cultural and social capital scholarship and deficiency thinking continue to be prevalent in current Latine education and college preparation research. Most research places the dominant (school or program) narrative at the center of studies. Additionally, COVID-19 brought national concern and discourse around accessible childcare, student health, and education loss as well as the exacerbated inequity in these domains on low-income and BIPOC students and families. Given that systematically created education gaps have always existed and disproportionately hurt BIPOC communities, it is important to understand the impact of COVID-19 on those established gaps, how BIPOC students and families navigate school during the pandemic, and how communities and institutions are supportive or hostile toward BIPOC students in their pursuit of education. This study used Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis informed by LatCrit and Community Cultural Wealth frameworks to explore (a) how the pandemic has impacted the lives of Latine high school students, their families, and their communities (b) how the negative effects of the pandemic connect to systemic and historical oppression of the Latine community (c) the students' use of intrapersonal and community strengths to navigate school and post-school plans during the pandemic. The sample of Latine 11th and 12th grade students were predominantly low-income and self-identified as Latine. Data was analyzed by coding for meaning units and themes. Themes were organized using Nvivo software.
Open Access
Associations between number of standard doses of tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabis use motives and cannabis-related negative consequences
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) Tyskiewicz, Alexander J., author; Conner, Bradley, advisor; Prince, Mark, committee member; Riggs, Nathaniel, committee member; Tompkins, Sara, committee member
Objective: Recently, the National Institutes of Health published a notice of information regarding the establishment of a standard unit of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to be used in research. To address this notice, the current study examined if associations between cannabis use and cannabis related consequences and cannabis use motives would differ when using standard dose as a measure of cannabis use compared to cannabis use frequency. I hypothesized that there would be a positive significant relation between each cannabis use motive and cannabis-related consequences. I hypothesized significant positive relations between motives and number of standard doses. I hypothesized that the positive relation between motives and cannabis-related consequences would be partially mediated by cannabis use as measured by standard dose but not cannabis use frequency. I also hypothesized that none of the cannabis use motives would significantly predict cannabis use frequency, cannabis use frequency would not predict cannabis-related negative consequences, and cannabis use frequency would not mediate the relation between cannabis use motives and cannabis-related negative consequences. Method: I conducted five path analyses to test study hypotheses in a sample of individuals (n=84) who reported regular to heavy cannabis use. I ran non-inferiority tests to test hypotheses of non-significance. Results: Coping motives significantly positively predicted cannabis-related consequences (b=0.376, SE=0.136, p=0.006), such that a one-unit increase in coping motives was expected to increase cannabis-related consequences by a factor of 1.45 (45%). Number of standard doses significantly positively predicted cannabis-related consequences (b=0.24, SE=0.122, p=0.046) such that a one-unit increase in number of standard doses was expected to increase cannabis-related negative consequences by a factor of 1.27. (27%). In the social motives model, social motives significantly positively predicted cannabis-related negative consequences (b=.358, SE=.133, p=.007) such that a one-unit increase in social motives was expected to increase cannabis related consequences by a factor of 1.43 (43%). Also, social motives significantly positively predicted number of standard doses (b=0.3, SE=0.097, p=0.002) such that a one-unit increase in social motives was expected to increase the number of standard doses by a factor of 1.349 (35%). Enhancement motives significantly positively predicted cannabis-related consequences (b=0.406, SE=0.161, p=0.012) such that a one-unit increase in enhancement motives was expected to increase cannabis related consequences by a factor of 1.50 (50%). Further, rate ratios (RR) revealed that one unit increases in number of standard doses ingested predicted larger increases in cannabis-related negative consequences than did one unit increases in cannabis use frequency across all models with significant results. All indirect effects were not significant. Conclusion: Previous research has reported mixed findings on the relations between cannabis use frequency and motives and cannabis use and consequences. Results suggest that number of standard doses and cannabis use frequency differ in the ways in which they predict both cannabis use motives and cannabis-related negative consequences. Further, results suggest that neither number of standard doses nor cannabis use frequency mediate relations between cannabis use motives and cannabis-related consequences.
Open Access
Development and evaluation of a brief treatment for cannabis-related problems
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Fetterling, Theodore J., author; Prince, Mark, advisor; Conner, Bradley, committee member; Riggs, Nathaniel, committee member
Cannabis use and related problems have shown a consistent increase among young adults in recent years despite abstinence being the predominant goal for most treatments. Research indicates that many individuals with problematic cannabis use do not seek treatment due to a desire to continue using. Whereas abstinence assumes any use to be problematic, harm reduction offers a comparably effective alternative that is conducive to reductions in use or problems as the primary goal of treatment. However, research exploring harm reduction as a standalone treatment for cannabis is underdeveloped. Another challenge facing cannabis treatment is the wide variability in training procedures and evaluation of therapist adherence to intervention protocol reported in the relatively few cannabis-specific treatment studies conducted to date. The current study addressed these disparate treatment concerns through the development of a harm reduction treatment for cannabis, establishment of a standardized approach for therapist training and evaluation, and testing the feasibility of this intervention against a healthy stress management (HSM) control condition. Methods. Prior treatment studies were used to inform the selection of intervention components for the cannabis-specific treatment (CST). The HSM condition was adapted from a web-based version where it also served as a control condition. Study therapists were trained on the CST and HSM protocols using manual review, didactic training, and role plays. Adherence to treatment protocols was assessed using fidelity checklists developed for use with each unique study condition. The analytical sample (n = 16) consisted of community members interested in treatment and undergraduate students participating for research credit. A 2x2 ANCOVA tested for intervention effects on cannabis-related problems while controlling for sex. Descriptive statistics and clinical significance were used to assess therapist training and fidelity, as well as selected participant outcomes. Results. Therapist training showed high rates of attrition, with fewer than half of therapists completing all stages. Among therapists who completed all stages of training, fidelity checks indicated high protocol adherence rates across study conditions. Although no treatment effect for reduction of cannabis-related problems was detected, several participants reported clinically significant increases or decreases on measures of distress, dependence, use frequency, and goal attainment. Discussion. Findings suggest that use of a standardized, multimethod training paradigm facilitates high rates of therapist adherence to manualized treatment protocol. The potential for the present study to be used as a template for development of a therapist training model in future work is discussed. Though preliminary analyses did not support the CST as efficacious for cannabis-related problem reduction, there was a trend toward higher goal attainment for participants who received the CST. Goal type endorsement also aligned with prior findings that alternatives to abstinence-based programming for cannabis are needed.
Open Access
Developmental trajectories of adaptive behavior in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Down syndrome
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Gerlach-McDonald, Brianne, author; Hepburn, Susan, advisor; Fidler, Deborah, advisor; Daunhauer, Lisa, committee member; Riggs, Nathaniel, committee member; Sample, Pat, committee member
The increasing prevalence of developmental disabilities indicates a need for research and interventions for these populations. One growing area of interest is adaptive behavior or the functional skills individuals perform in their everyday lives, such as communication and daily living skills. Individuals with developmental disabilities with greater adaptive behavior skills experience a better quality of life in childhood and achieve better functional outcomes in adulthood (e.g., living independently). However, more research is needed to understand how adaptive behavior develops in childhood to identify critical time points for targeted interventions. The current study examined developmental trajectories of adaptive behavior across childhood in two developmental disabilities: Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD) and Down syndrome (DS). This study examined secondary data obtained from a longitudinal study conducted at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center between 1997 and 2007. The aim of this dissertation was to examine the extent to which individual differences in diagnostic status, maternal education, intellectual functioning, executive function, and autism symptoms predicted developmental trajectories of adaptive behavior. Examination of the predictors of developmental trajectories of adaptive behavior provided information regarding potential intervention targets to promote optimal adaptive behavior. This study used growth modeling techniques to compare two developmental disabilities. Participants included 77 children with ASD and 24 children with DS who were assessed in toddlerhood (ages 1-3 years), preschool (ages 4-6), and during the school years (ages 7-10). Parents completed a demographic questionnaire and interviews of adaptive behavior (Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales; Sparrow, Balla, & Cicchetti, 1984), and autism symptoms (Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised; Lord, Rutter, & LeCouteur, 1994). Child participants completed standardized developmental testing (Mullens Scales of Early Learning; Mullen, 1995), an executive function task measuring cognitive flexibility and working memory (Spatial Reversal; Kaufmann, Leckman, & Ort, 1989), and a semi-structured play-based assessment of autism symptoms (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule; Lord, Rutter, DiLavore, & Risi, 1999). Growth models were specified for developmental trajectories of communication, daily living skills, and socialization as measured by the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales. Diagnostic status, maternal education, intellectual functioning, executive function, and autism symptoms were added as predictors. Children with ASD and DS made gains in their adaptive behavior skills from toddlerhood to middle childhood but had significantly delayed scores compared to children in the standardization sample. The best fitting models of communication and socialization indicated significant linear and quadratic growth, and the best fitting model of daily living skills indicated significant linear growth. Diagnostic status was a significant predictor of initial starting states of communication and socialization in toddlerhood, but not daily living skills. Diagnostic status was a significant predictor of linear and quadratic slopes of communication. Maternal education was a significant predictor of initial starting states of socialization in toddlerhood in both groups. Mental age in toddlerhood was a significant predictor of initial starting states in toddlerhood for communication, daily living skills, and socialization in both groups. Mental age was a significant predictor of linear slopes of communication, daily living skills, and socialization, and quadratic slopes for communication and socialization in both groups. These findings provide implications for intervention; many existing manualized early intervention treatments do not explicitly target adaptive behavior. Implications for available programs are discussed, followed by recommendations for targeting adaptive behavior and expanding research efforts to promote these skills in children with ASD and DS.
Open Access
Emotion's role in challenging interpersonal contexts and substance use: a multilevel mediation analysis
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Mataczynski, Maggie, author; Emery, Noah, advisor; Prince, Mark, committee member; Riggs, Nathaniel, committee member; Tompkins, Sara Anne, committee member
Emotions have a well-established role in substance use, however there are several mixed findings on how exactly positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) influence substance use. Interpersonal contexts are known to influence both emotions and substance use, especially among youth. This study attempted to clarify the relationship of emotions and substance use by hypothesizing that there is a cascade effect of challenging interpersonal contexts (CICs) that facilitate acute changes in PA and NA which, in turn, leads to increased substance use. This study used secondary data from a parent ecological momentary assessments (EMA) study to examine the links between CICs, emotions, and substance use in a sample of young adult college students. Multilevel path analysis results echoed other studies in that an occurrence of a CIC was associated with participants feeling overall worse at the same moment (more NA, less PA). Interestingly, at the within-person level, PA at the previous moment exhibited a significant positive direct effect on substance use at the next moment. CICs at the previous moment exhibited an indirect effect on substance use at the next moment through acute changes in PA at the within level. CICs also exhibited a direct positive effect on substance use at the between-person level. There were no significant observed effects for NA at either the within- or between-person level. Our study replicated how CICs can make individuals feel worse while also indicating unique findings of PA's role in how CICs are associated with substance use.
Open Access
Intergroup exposure in wilderness programming and effects on prospective college belonging among low-income adolescents
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Valentino, Salem Wolk, author; Coatsworth, Doug, advisor; Haddock, Shelley, committee member; Riggs, Nathaniel, committee member; Henry, Kimberly, committee member
Despite improved rates of college matriculation for low-income students, national disparities in BA attainment remain pervasive in this country. While structural inequities inarguably contribute to lower academic preparedness for this population of students, incoming college freshman with identical academic qualifications will exhibit divergent outcomes based solely on students’ socioeconomic background. Students’ “non-cognitive factors,” or attitudes and beliefs towards learning and school, represent an area of opportunity for youth-serving organizations to intervene with students and influence their college readiness. While the majority of these programs occur within a school setting, outdoor experiential education (OEE) is another venue available to low-income youth to bolster these skills. Moreover, exposure to upper-income, white youth in the context of these facilitative settings can begin to prepare them socially for the challenges of being underrepresented in a college setting. The current study used contact theory to frame whether intergroup exposure while on an OEE wilderness expedition would contribute to students’ beliefs regarding prospective college belonging through improved empathy and perspective-taking. The sample consisted of 246 high-school students participating in the Summer Search program who went on summer wilderness expeditions either with their peers in the program or with upper-income, majority-white youth. Results revealed that intergroup exposure did not uniquely predict improved college belonging; however, particular peer- and adult-related group processes on the trip, social exclusion, negative peer dynamics, positive adult behaviors, and negative adult behaviors, all exhibited effects on college belonging indirectly through empathic perspective-taking. Social exclusion and positive adult behaviors also exhibited direct effects on college belonging. The effects of group processes did not differ based on intergroup exposure. Implications for practice and directions for future research are discussed.
Open Access
Latent profiles and trajectories of family functioning: a risk and resilience approach to child maltreatment prevention and promotion of early achievement
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2019) Prendergast, Sarah, author; MacPhee, David, advisor; Carcasson, Martin, committee member; Coatsworth, Doug, committee member; Riggs, Nathaniel, committee member
Child maltreatment and being unready to learn at kindergarten entry are two societal problems that are associated with children's later development. Children are at highest risk for maltreatment during the first four years of life; importantly, this is the same period in which children gain cognitive and social skills critical for early achievement. Despite progress, rates of maltreatment remain high and costly to treat, and economic and ethnic disparities in early achievement persist. Grounded in ecological theory, this dissertation explored trajectories and classes of family functioning across various levels of risk at birth. In Study 1, change in income, maternal education, and parenting stress, as well as neighborhood social cohesion, were tested as predictors of initial levels of maternal aggression and change over time. The results indicated that associations among the predictors and maternal aggression differed across level of risk. In Study 2, cumulative family risk and latent classes of family risk at birth were explored as predictors of kindergarten outcomes and self-reported involvement with Child Protective Services. The results demonstrated that cumulative risk and three latent classes of family risk differentially predicted all outcomes. Several policy and programmatic implications are discussed related to ecological models of prevention, the merits of cumulative risk and risk combinations, and tailored intervention strategies.
Open Access
Measuring executive function after yoga for adults with acquired brain injury: a pilot study
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) Grieb, Emily, author; Schmid, Arlene, advisor; Stephens, Jaclyn, committee member; Riggs, Nathaniel, committee member
Background: Acquired brain injury (ABI) may result in cognitive impairments, particularly deficits in executive function (EF), which may impact engagement in everyday activities. Yoga has been shown to improve various health outcomes for individuals with ABI. This study aims to explore the impact of group yoga on EF for individuals with ABI. Methods and Materials: This was a single-arm pilot study that involved eight weeks of therapeutic group yoga led by a registered yoga teacher. Nine participants attended hour-long, in-person yoga classes once a week. Sessions included seated, standing, and floor postures combined with breathwork and meditation. EF was assessed pre- and post-intervention using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function for Adults (BRIEF-A) self-report form. Results: The behavioral regulation index improved significantly pre to post yoga. No significant improvements were found on the EF scales, metacognition index, or global executive composite. However, measurable improvements (>5%) were found in the following EF scales: Emotional Control, Plan/Organize, and Organization of Materials. Conclusion: Group-based yoga may improve behavioral regulation for adults with chronic ABI, however further research is needed.
Open Access
Parent-child relationships in context: an application of the person-process-context-time model to the development of low-income toddlers' social-emotional adjustment
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Albrecht, Erin Christine, author; MacPhee, David, advisor; Lunkenheimer, Erika, advisor; Riggs, Nathaniel, committee member; Khetani, Mary, committee member
This dual manuscript dissertation addresses current empirical evidence and developmental theory that acknowledges the active role of the toddler in shaping ontogeny. As such, both studies utilized cross-lagged panel models to investigate the longitudinal, bidirectional associations among different features of the microsystem and the child, using repeated measures data from the Early Head Start and Evaluation Research Project (EHSREP; 1996-2010). In the first study, transactional relations between observed maternal supportiveness and child emotion regulation at age 14-, 24-, and 36-months were evaluated. Results supported extant research that establishes significant longitudinal associations between more supportive mother behavior and higher levels of child emotion regulation, net the stability in these constructs over time; there was no evidence to support child-driven pathways, or a developmental transaction. This model was then assessed with the addition of the total home environment measure across time points. Both child emotion regulation and the home environment significantly predicted each other from child age 2 to 3, while maternal supportiveness remained a significant predictor of emotion regulation, but only at age 2. These results suggest that different facets of the child’s microsystem may become more salient at different times in development, and the child emerges as an influence on the microsystem in his or her own right. Findings also underscore the need for research that compares the predictive utility of parent-child interaction measures and the home environment for diverse developmental outcomes. The second study incorporated toddlers’ negative emotionality into a cross-lagged panel model of maternal depressive symptoms, maternal supportiveness, and child externalizing behaviors. A central goal of this study was to incorporate process-oriented questions about the linkage between individual differences in child temperament, maternal risk, parenting, and child externalizing behaviors (mediation), while also addressing questions about for whom these pathways are most relevant (moderation). Maternal depressive symptoms predicted subsequent child behavior problems; in turn, child behavior problems predicted later depressive symptoms. Child negative emotionality at 14 months demonstrated an indirect effect on maternal depressive symptoms at 3 years by way of externalizing behavior at 2 years. Nonsignificant tests of moderation rendered the current study unable to generate support for diathesis-stress or differential susceptibility models in the current sample. Results imply the emergence of parent-driven transactions between maternal depressive symptoms and child externalizing behaviors within the first few years of life. Moreover, the temperamental characteristic of negative emotionality connotes further risk for maladjustment for both mother and child. Collectively, both studies highlight the need for continued research and interventions that consider the child’s contributions to the dynamic process of development during toddlerhood.
Open Access
Participation in SOS Outreach: a positive youth development program
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Keigley, Meghan Ann, author; Coatsworth, J. Douglas, advisor; Riggs, Nathaniel, committee member; Eakman, Aaron, committee member
Adolescence can be a time burdened by physical, emotional and social developmental challenges. However, many extracurricular programs now focus on fostering Positive Youth Development (PYD) with a primary goal of helping youth develop positive life skills and positive trajectories. Many of these programs emphasize providing youth with opportunities to develop positive self-identities and life skills that they can apply to other areas of their lives. Studies have demonstrated positive outcomes of these programs, but have also shown that youth participation is key for gaining these benefits. Many youth drop out of these programs before they are able to fully realize the benefits. The purpose of this study was to examine whether various personal, logistic, and experiential factors predict to continued participation in a Colorado-based PYD program. Eighty-eight adolescent, ages 9 - 17 completed surveys following participation in a winter-long program that incorporates positive youth development into snowsport activities. Youth reported on barriers to participation, developmental experiences, self-defining activities, and parental encouragement to participate in the program. Results indicated that demands of the program and parental encouragement for identity exploration were significantly related to participant retention. Additionally, negative developmental experiences, but not positive developmental experiences within the program were significant predictors of participant retention while program specific self-defining activities were not. Finally, self-defining activities did not moderate the relationship between logistical issues and participant retention.
Open Access
Pressure to be thin and insulin sensitivity: an investigation of the potential moderating role of race/ethnicity among adolescent girls at risk for type 2 diabetes
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Rayne, Lauren E., author; Shomaker, Lauren, advisor; Riggs, Nathaniel, committee member; Brown, Samantha, committee member
The prevalence of youth-onset type 2 diabetes is a significant public health issue in the United States that disproportionately affects historically marginalized racial and ethnic groups. Previous research suggests that psychosocial stress resulting from poor body image and weight-related pressure may be associated with worsened metabolic health outcomes. This study examined the relationship between pressure to be thin and insulin sensitivity in adolescent girls at-risk for developing type 2 diabetes, who are susceptible to weight-based criticism and pubertal declines in insulin sensitivity. This study also aimed to explore the extent to which this association was moderated by racial/ethnic identity. Participants were 92 girls, (46% Hispanic; 34% non-Hispanic White; M±SD age = 14.95 ± 1.82 y), who completed a self-report measure of pressure to be thin from friends, family members, and partners. Parents also reported pressure to be thin of their adolescents by questionnaire. At baseline, participants' body mass index (BMI; kg/m2) was calculated, fasting blood samples were acquired to calculate insulin sensitivity, and body composition was measured with air displacement plethysmography. In contrast to hypotheses, there were no main effects, or interactional effects by race, of either adolescent-reported or parent-reported pressure to be thin on insulin sensitivity (all p-values > .05). Results indicate that future research is warranted to identify culturally relevant psychosocial stressors for adolescents of color.
Open Access
Secondhand effects of alcohol use: the consequences of peer drinking behavior
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Boyle, Morgan A., author; Prince, Mark, advisor; Davalos, Deana, committee member; Riggs, Nathaniel, committee member
Objective: College student alcohol misuse is a public health concern that negatively affects the individual using alcohol, and the individual's peers. The secondhand effects of alcohol use (SEA) are adverse consequences caused by another's drinking (i.e., study/sleep interrupted, being insulted or humiliation, sexual assault or rape). The present study explored SEAs relationship to personal alcohol, alcohol related consequences, and wellbeing. This study also investigated coping as a possible moderator for SEA. Method: 1,168 students were recruited from an undergraduate research pool. Participants completed a survey which assessed for SEA, wellbeing, personal use, alcohol related consequences, and coping strategies. Results: SEA was found to have a significant positive relationship with personal use for both heaviest day of drinking and AUDIT score as well as alcohol related consequences. Regarding coping, the present study found that higher levels of maladaptive coping strengthened the relationship between SEA and alcohol related consequences while adaptive coping did not significantly weaken this interaction. Conclusion: This study established a relationship between SEA and increased personal use as well as alcohol related consequences, a relationship which was strengthened by maladaptive coping. By establishing a connection between SEA and harmful behaviors I hope to increase understanding and awareness regarding the deleterious effects of SEA. In addition, it is hoped that these findings may inform intervention and treatment recommendations for those experiencing adverse outcomes due to SEA.
Embargo
Self-esteem mediating the relationship between parental monitoring and American Indian cannabis use
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) Haruyama, Dorothy, author; Chavez, Ernest, advisor; Swaim, Randall, committee member; Prince, Mark, committee member; Riggs, Nathaniel, committee member
Adolescents are one of the largest age groups using cannabis in the U.S. Cannabis use has been associated with a variety of negative mental health outcomes and is a risk factor for the development of Cannabis Use Disorder. Among adolescents, minority populations like American Indians use cannabis at much greater rates and initiate at a younger age. While parental monitoring has generally been found to be a protective factor in adolescent substance use, limited research exists with American Indian youth examining specific domains of parental monitoring such as parental knowledge, parental control, child disclosure and parental solicitation. Similarly, while some studies have explored self-esteem as a mediator of the relationship between parental monitoring and adolescent substance use, fewer studies have examined how specific domains of parental monitoring may interact with specific domains of self-esteem. The current study tested a mediation model of parental monitoring factors and cannabis use among American Indian youth by internal (interpersonal) and external (intrapersonal) self-esteem. Data obtained from students in grades 7-12 attending schools on, or near reservations, throughout the United States during two academic years (2018-2019) was used. Results supported hypotheses that parental monitoring factors individually related positively to internal and external self-esteem and furthermore negatively related to American Indian youth cannabis use. However, while internal self-esteem was related to cannabis use, external self-esteem was not. The mediation model was supported as each parental monitoring factor had an indirect effect on cannabis use via internal self-esteem. Results from this study being used to inform clinical interventions for the treatment and prevention of cannabis use disorder for American Indian youth is discussed.
Embargo
Sleep and insulin sensitivity in adolescents at risk for type 2 diabetes
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Clark, Emma, author; Shomaker, Lauren, advisor; Lucas-Thompson, Rachel, committee member; Riggs, Nathaniel, committee member; Prince, Mark, committee member
Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a chronic disease that is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States, and rates of adolescent-onset (<20 years of age) T2D are rising. Adolescent-onset T2D is associated with accelerated cardiometabolic comorbidities and shorter life expectancy compared to adult-onset T2D. As traditional behavioral weight loss approaches to T2D prevention show insufficient effectiveness in adolescents, it is critical to investigate novel, potentially modifiable factors that relate to poor insulin sensitivity, a key precursor of T2D. Poor sleep health is one such potentially modifiable contributor to poor insulin sensitivity and consequently, T2D; however, most research on sleep and T2D is in adults, and the specific characteristics of sleep health that relate to poor insulin sensitivity in adolescents at risk for T2D have not been thoroughly investigated. Further, research suggests that individual characteristics related to stress vulnerability, including dispositional mindfulness (i.e., non-judgmental awareness of the present moment) and self-compassion (i.e., treating oneself with an attitude of kindness and compassion), could alter the association of sleep characteristics with insulin sensitivity. In theory, dispositional mindfulness and/or self-compassion may act as a buffer in the association of poor sleep health and metabolic consequences. Thus, the specific research aims of this dissertation project were to determine to what extent objective characteristics of weekday and weekend sleep health, (1a) wake after sleep onset, (1b) sleep onset latency, (1c) time in bed, (1d) sleep duration, and (1e) sleep efficiency, were associated with insulin sensitivity, and (2) to evaluate mindfulness and self-compassion as moderators of the associations between sleep health and insulin sensitivity. Methods: A total of 128 adolescent girls (M ± SD age 14.40 ± 1.81 years) at risk for T2D participated in the cross-sectional, baseline phase of a parent study. Sleep disturbances were assessed with actigraphy over one week. Mindfulness was assessed with the Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale and self-compassion with the Self-Compassion Scale. The whole body insulin sensitivity index assessment of insulin sensitivity was determined from a 7-draw, 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test. Linear regressions were used to examine the links between sleep characteristics and insulin sensitivity, accounting for the potentially confounding variables of age, BMIz, race/ethnicity, and puberty. Dispositional mindfulness and self-compassion were tested as moderators of the association between sleep characteristics and insulin sensitivity. Results: Despite bivariate associations of insulin sensitivity with weekend wake time after sleep onset and weekend time in bed, after accounting for covariates, there were only two trend-level associations. Specifically, longer weekday sleep efficiency was related to greater insulin sensitivity at trend levels, and longer weekend wake time after sleep onset tended to be related to poorer insulin sensitivity at trend levels, accounting for covariates. Mindfulness and self-compassion moderated the associations of weekend sleep efficiency and weekday sleep efficiency, respectively, with insulin sensitivity at trend levels. Higher weekend sleep efficiency was associated with greater insulin sensitivity, only for adolescents with above-average levels of mindfulness. Higher weekday sleep efficiency was associated with greater insulin sensitivity, but only for adolescents with average or above-average levels of self-compassion. Conclusion: Sleep is an important area for future research in the prevention of T2D in at-risk adolescents. Mindfulness and self-compassion may moderate the associations between adolescent sleep quality and insulin sensitivity; however, these processes need further investigation. A comprehensive understanding of adolescent sleep will advance knowledge of sleep health, insulin sensitivity, and mindfulness/self-compassion in the prevention of adolescent-onset T2D.
Open Access
Smoking patterns, attitudes, and motives of college student daily and nondaily smokers
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) da Rocha Rosa, Juliana, author; Aloise-Young, Patricia, advisor; Henry, Kimberly, committee member; Swaim, Randall, committee member; Riggs, Nathaniel, committee member
To further expand on the existing research on college student smokers, the aims of the current study were threefold: (1) to use a the 17-item College Students Motives for Smoking Scale (CSMSS) to identify different subtypes of daily and nondaily student smokers present across different colleges and universities, (2) to investigate whether smoking variables such as smoking frequency, smoking environment, cigarette purchasing habits, products used, cessation efficacy, and alcohol use patterns predict typologies of college student smokers, and (3) to investigate whether subgroups of college student smokers differ on attitudinal variables such as health-related attitudes, smoker identity attitudes, smoking secrecy, smoker image, and perceived feelings of stigma. Participants included 876 students smokers between the ages of 18 and 24 enrolled at a four-year university or college. Results of the Latent Profile Analysis using the CSMSS revealed that five typologies of smokers were present in the sample. Three of these typologies were nondaily smokers: (1) stress/emotional regulation smokers, (2) low endorser smokers, and (3) nondependent smokers. The remaining two typologies, high endorser smokers and addiction/dependence smokers, were daily smokers. An LPA with covariates revealed that days smoked, purchasing patterns, and environment in which smoking occurs were all predictive of membership within the three nondaily smoker typologies. These constructs as well as cessation efficacy predicted membership between nondaily smoker typologies and daily smoker typologies. Lastly, an LPA with outcomes revealed that the nondaily smoker typologies differed from the daily smoker typologies on smoker identity, perceived stigma towards use, smoker image, secrecy of use, and perceived harm of current use. In general, the current study found that motives for smoking can differentiate between daily and nondaily smokers. However, the CSMSS was not as effective at distinguishing within the nondaily smoker typology. The current study also showed that nondaily smokers and daily smokers differed on both their smoking behaviors and their attitudes towards smoking. Future research should continue to investigate better methods of distinguishing within nondaily smoker and daily smoker typologies.
Open Access
Substance use, risk, and protective factors among Indigenous youth: an examination of evidence from recent decades
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Fetterling, Theodore J., author; Prince, Mark, advisor; Riggs, Nathaniel, committee member; Emery, Noah, committee member; Swaim, Randall, committee member
American Indian (AI) youth have consistently been identified as an at-risk population for elevated rates of substance use relative to non-AI peers. Reliance upon single-site and regional substance use research with Indigenous samples has led to substantial variability in the magnitude of estimates in the extant literature. This variability is exacerbated by demographic differences shown to influence substance use prevalence as well as the ceremonial use of tobacco in many tribes. Ceremonial practices involving tobacco also present a unique impact on perceptions of availability and harm of substances, however little research has investigated the salience of these perceptions as either risk or protective factors among AI youth. The present study addresses the variability in estimates and limited representation of AI youth by consolidating nearly three decades of repeated cross-sectional data to provide accurate and precise estimates of alcohol, cannabis, and cigarette use. The hypotheses that perceived availability and harm would differentially predict substance use among AI youth compared to White peers were also tested. Method. The sample was drawn from data collected between 1993-2019 as part of ongoing epidemiology research with reservation-dwelling AI youth and White peers. Descriptive statistics were used to provide substance use estimates for alcohol, cannabis, and cigarettes, stratified by race/ethnicity (i.e., AI vs White), grade group, sex, and region. After stratifying for demographic comparisons, estimates were presented for each year of available data and aggregated across years for all substance use variables. Binary logistic and quasi-Poisson regressions were used to test study hypotheses regarding the influence of perceived availability and harm on substance use separately for AI and White youth. A subset of years was selected for an exploratory application of time-varying effect modeling (TVEM) for trend analysis. Results. Similar patterns emerged across demographic comparisons for average cannabis use, showing elevated rates among AI youth relative to White peers. Average lifetime prevalence of cigarettes was consistently higher among AI youth than White peers, however this pattern was not found for average frequency of cigarette use or for any average alcohol use comparison. Hypotheses were partially supported, in that perceived harm was significantly more protective for White youth than for AIs, but perceived availability showed no significant differences in protective influence for lifetime prevalence comparisons of any substance. TVEM trends mirrored descriptive statistic comparisons found for stratification by race/ethnicity and region. Discussion. Findings revealed stark contrasts in rates of substance use and the influences of perceived availability and harm between AI and White youth. These differences are interpreted within the context of historical trauma (HT) and ceremonial practices involving tobacco found in many Indigenous communities. For prevention and intervention programs to be culturally responsive, they should be developed at the community level and incorporate strategies for coping with HT. Additionally, distinguishing recreational tobacco use from ceremonial use can enhance accuracy of estimates in future epidemiology research and contribute to culturally informed prevention and intervention programming for AI youth.
Open Access
Testing the efficacy of the "EA Brief": an intervention to improve emotional attachment and emotional availability (EA)
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) McDonnell, Maren, author; Biringen, Zeynep, advisor; Riggs, Nathaniel, committee member; Stallones, Lorann, committee member
The goal of this study was to determine the extent to which a brief parenting intervention provided the context for helping families to support positive mother-child interactions as well as more optimal mother and child outcomes. Participants in this study were middle-income mothers and their children ages 0-3 years of age (N = 25 dyads). Participants were filmed via Skype during a 20-minute mother-child free play and completed questionnaires (Time 1) before attending the brief intervention (involving: 3 hours of a group workshop, brief reading materials, one hour of one-on-one coaching, and two weeks of tailored texts) followed by a repeat of the 20-minute Skype interaction and the completion of the same questionnaires (Time 2). Paired samples t-tests were performed, revealing that mothers reported improvements in their personal well-being (using the Flourishing Scale), reports about the mother-child relationship (using the Emotional Availability Self Report), and observed interactions, particularly the child's side of the relationship (using the Emotional Availability Scales), from pretest to posttest. Results are discussed in terms of a brief intervention potentially having a role in "planting a seed" for parenting enhancement and child development.
Open Access
The intergenerational transmission of trauma: attachment, adverse childhood experiences, and current life stress
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) Saunders, Hannah E., author; Biringen, Zeynep, advisor; Fariñas, Janina, committee member; Riggs, Nathaniel, committee member; Sarche, Michelle, committee member; Rosén, Lee, committee member
Attachment theory highlights the importance of the quality of the relationship between an infant and his or her primary caregiver. However, caregivers with unresolved trauma or loss may behave in frightening ways and foster a disorganized (D) attachment style with their infant. This attachment style poses a significant risk for later psychopathology. However, challenges remain in identifying D attachment through observation. The Emotional Availability (EA) system may help to elucidate the indicators of disorganization. Study 1 represents the first step in validating the EA system in identifying D attachment and provides guidelines to assist EA coders in coding D attachment. Next, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) negatively affect adults' mental health and their child's development. Despite theoretical links among caregivers' ACEs, current life stress, attachment, and child psychopathology, few studies have examined these pathways. This is particularly important in American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) populations, for which a history of systemic oppression has contributed to high rates of trauma. Study 2 tests whether parent mental health and parent-child EA mediates the relation between parent ACEs and child social-emotional functioning in a largely American Indian sample. The indirect effect is not significant, suggesting a strong direct effect from ACEs to child functioning. Study 2 also examines a moderation model to determine whether high parent-child EA buffers against parents' current life stress. Results demonstrate a strong link between parents' stress and child social-emotional problems, but the moderation effect is the opposite of what was expected.
Open Access
The role of developmental trauma in disordered eating and excess body weight in adolescence
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) Pivarunas, Bernadette, author; Shomaker, Lauren, advisor; Riggs, Nathaniel, committee member; Frank, Guido, committee member; Graham, Daniel, committee member
Psychological trauma and the human response to trauma have been characterized as one of the most important threats to public health. Developmental trauma, referring to traumatic events experienced during childhood and/or adolescence, is of particular concern given the potential biological, neurological, psychological, and relational impact of trauma on the developing child, with possible consequences lasting a lifetime. Youth may deal with developmental trauma by utilizing disordered eating behaviors like loss of control eating in efforts to cope with distress; loss of control eating can, in turn, cause excess weight gain. Adolescence is a particularly salient time for the initiation and maintenance of disordered eating, but it is unclear to what extent developmental trauma is associated with loss of control eating and excess weight in adolescence. Further, it is unknown what role developmental trauma has on affect and attachment, two developmental domains presumed to be affected by trauma, and how affect and attachment are associated with loss of control eating and excess weight gain in adolescence. This dissertation project utilized secondary data from a sample of adolescents at risk for excess weight gain, by having above-average body mass index (BMI >70 percentile for age and sex) or having a family history of overweight or obesity, to evaluate two aims. The first aim investigated associations between developmental trauma and disordered eating and developmental trauma and excess body weight, measured as BMI standard score, in adolescence. The second aim explored negative affect, measured as symptoms of depression and symptoms of anxiety, and attachment, measured as emotional support, as mediators of the associations of developmental trauma with disordered eating and BMI standard score. Approximately 58% of the sample endorsed at least one traumatic event. Developmental trauma count was associated with greater depressive and anxiety symptoms and lower BMI standard score, but it was not significantly associated with global disordered eating or loss of control eating. An indirect effect of developmental trauma on global disordered eating via depressive symptoms was observed. Symptoms of anxiety and emotional support did not mediate the associations of developmental trauma with disordered eating or BMI standard score. Results highlight the unique role of depressive symptoms in the relationship of developmental trauma to disordered eating. If replicated, particularly with a longitudinal design, findings have the potential to inform prevention and intervention efforts for a particularly vulnerable population: youth who have experienced trauma and may be at risk for or are experiencing disordered eating and excess body weight.