This brief, the second in a series of publications on B3, describes how MDRC collaborated with fathers to develop DadTime. The first brief, “Three Innovative Approaches to Serving Low-Income Fathers,” which was published in April 2017, introduced the B3 study and described three new practices for Responsible Fatherhood programs, including the creation of DadTime, which is described in greater detail here. JULY 2018

Encouraging attendance and engagement in parenting programs: Developing a smartphone application with fathers, for fathers

Considerable developmental research has shown an association between peer victimization and subjective well-being among adolescents. However, the mediating processes and protective factors that constrain this association are less understood. To fill these gaps, we investigated whether self-esteem mediates the association between peer victimization and subjective well-being and whether forgiveness moderates the direct and indirect associations of peer victimization with adolescents’ subjective well-being via self-esteem. A large sample of 2,758 adolescents (Mage = 13.53 years, SD = 1.06) from 10 middle schools in China participated in this study. Participants provided data on demographic variables, peer victimization, self-esteem, forgiveness, and subjective well-being by answering anonymous questionnaires. After controlling for demographic covariates, we found that self-esteem mediated the relationship between peer victimization and subjective well-being. Furthermore, as a protective factor, forgiveness moderated the relationship between peer victimization and self-esteem. Consistent with the protective-reactive model, when adolescents experienced more peer victimization, those with higher forgiveness levels exhibited a greater decline in self-esteem, and low self-esteem was then associated with decreased subjective well-being. These findings demonstrate the utility of examining both mediating and moderating factors in this relationship and highlight the negative impact of peer victimization on adolescent self-worth and the limited role of forgiveness as a protective factor.

Peer Victimization and Subjective Well-Being Among Chinese Adolescents: Moderated Mediation by Forgiveness and Self-Esteem

Abstract Background Although some studies have explored the relationship between left-behind experience and depression of adulthood, there is generally a lack of analysis of the mechanisms involved and insufficient attention to heterogeneous influences. Methods Using the China Labor-force Dynamics Survey in 2018 (CLDS 2018), we assessed depression level by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). The OLS regression was used to exam the effect of the left-behind experience, propensity score matching analyses were used to reduce selection bias. Mediation analysis was carried out using a multiple regression analysis to exam the mechanism of social support network, subjective wellbeing (happiness and life transaction). We also divide the sample into two groups according to the level of resilience, to investigate the role of resilience in resisting depression. Results Results show a positive relationship between the left-behind experience and adulthood depression, and longer left-behind duration associated with higher adulthood depression. Mediation analysis show that social networks and subjective well-being mediated the relationship between left-behind and adulthood depression; heterogeneity analysis show that left-behind stage, type (both or single parents migrated) had a heterogeneity effect on adulthood depression level: those people who had experienced the left-behind earlier have higher depression; the effect size of care type showing the characteristics of “single-parent guardianship &gt; grandparent guardianship &gt; parents guardianship”. Groups comparison show that higher resilience group had a lower effect of left-behind on adulthood depression. Conclusion This study demonstrates that left-behind experience could have long-term impact on individual’s mental health. When the left-behind grew up, they have higher depression level, and we found that those people experienced left-behind also have weaker social networks, lower subjective happiness and life satisfaction, these factors caused higher depression level. And higher resilience can help individuals to resist the impact of left-behind on depression. This study expands the knowledge and understanding of the mechanism about the left-behind experience impact on adulthood mental health, and revealed the protective role of resilience. 

/pdf/the-impact-of-left-behind-experience-on-adulthood-depression-1mf15lqd.pdf

The impact of left-behind experience on adulthood depression: the role of social networks, subjective well-being, and resilience

Engaging Fathers in Research and Evaluation

Implementing a Text Messaging Intervention to Engage Fathers in Home Visiting.

Cell phone technology is increasingly used in health and social work services for information delivery, engagement, and retention in research protocols. In this study, we explored the use of text m...

A Text Messaging Intervention to Increase Engagement and Retention of Men in a Community-Based Father Involvement Program

The Ministry of Civil Affairs of the People's Republic of China reported that in 2018, 6.97 million left-behind children (LBC), children who live in rural areas away from their parents, were being cared for by grandparents, relatives, elder siblings, or often living alone. Their parents have migrated to cities for better income opportunities. While a number of studies have detailed elevated depressive symptoms among LBC, relatively little is known about the causes of poorer mental health in LBC.This study used longitudinal data to examine associations between peer victimization, stressful life events, and depressive symptom severity in LBC from four randomly-selected middle schools in Guizhou Province, China. A total of 862 children aged 11-18 years, with 472 LBC (54.76%) and 390 non-left-behind children (NLBC) (45.24%), were included in the analysis. T-test was used to compare the depressive symptoms, peer victimization, and stressful life events between LBC and NLBC at baseline and follow-up (6 months later). Multivariable linear regression models were used to examine the mediation effect of follow-up stressful life events on the relationship between baseline peer victimization and follow-up depressive symptoms among LBC.Results suggested that LBC had higher peer victimization and stressful life events than NLBC (β = 1.28, p = 0.04), and peer victimization and stressful life events at baseline were associated with increased follow-up depressive symptoms among LBC (Peer victimization: β = 0.25, p < 0.0001; Stressful life events: β = 0.15, p < 0.001). Peer victimization affected depressive symptoms partially through stressful life events for female LBC and completely through stressful life events for male LBC, controlling for age, perceived socioeconomic status, and school.This study highlights the vulnerability of LBC exhibiting negative mental health outcomes as they were found to experience more peer victimization and feel more stressed when stressful life events happened, compared with NLBC. Results of this study suggested that protecting LBC from peer victimization experiences can potentially prevent LBC from experiencing an increased impact of other stressful life events, thus decreasing the likelihood of their depressive symptoms. Intervention design should consider the different mediating effects of stressful life events on the relationship between peer victimization and depressive symptoms among female and male LBC. 

/pdf/a-prospective-study-of-peer-victimization-and-depressive-2ivzy1ao.pdf

A prospective study of peer victimization and depressive symptoms among left-behind children in rural China: the mediating effect of stressful life events

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the thermal effects of diode laser irradiation on titanium implants. Methods: An implant (3.5 × 11 mm) was placed into a bovine bone block. A three-wall intrabony defect was created to simulate peri-implant defect. Two thermocouples were secured to the apical and coronal surfaces to measure temperature changes (ΔT) during irradiation. The block was placed in a 37°C water bath and at room temperature (21°C). The defect was irradiated with different diode lasers (fiber 300 μm), while the coronal part of the implant was slightly emerging from the water. While the laser tip was positioned parallel to the implant, the defect was irradiated for 30 sec at 2 W in continuous and pulsed mode. Twenty laser irradiations were performed for each laser wavelength for assessment of ΔT. The linear mixed model was used for comparative statistics. Results: The 980 nm pulsed laser resulted in the highest ΔT (°C) at the coronal (22.45 ± 2.1/14.15 ± 0.13) and apical level (5.4 ± 0.56/3.56 ± 0.35) when this laser was used in both room temperature and water bath conditions, respectively. Similarly, highest ΔT (p < 0.0001) for the 810 nm was 14.3 ± 1.6/12.51 ± 0.63 and apical 3.42 ± 0.52/2.58 ± 0.25, for the 970 nm was 13 ± 1.4/9.93 ± 0.47 and apical 2.89 ± 0.19/2.01 ± 0.19 compared to the 940 nm laser coronally 10.1 ± 0.6/9.19 ± 0.35 and apically 1.67 ± 0.34/1.80 ± 0.17. The coronal part of the implant surpassed the critical threshold of 10°C when irradiated with each of the lasers in the room temperature conditions. Conclusions: Within the limitations of the study, the 940 nm laser seems to control better the risks of overheating during implant irradiation.

Thermal Effects of Diode Laser-Irradiation on Titanium Implants in Different Room Temperatures In Vitro.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical and radiographic behavior of a novel triangular neck implant configuration in partially edentulous patients. Sixteen patients with a mean age of 58.3 years, were rehabilitated with 25 implants inserted in the healed sites of the maxilla and mandible; implant diameter was Ø3.3 and 3.9 mm. Clinical and radiographic measurements were first performed at prosthesis delivery that served as baseline; they were further evaluated after a mean period of 15.6 months. The interproximal peri-implant bone levels were the primary outcome; the mesial and distal data were recorded and a mean value was calculated. Secondary outcomes included peri-implant probing depth (PPD) and bleeding on probing (BoP). The paired t-test was used to compare the radiographic and clinical outcomes between baseline and follow-up. The mean bone levels at the mesial and distal aspects at baseline were 0.45 (0.47) and 0.57 (0.69), respectively; at follow-up they were 0.59 (0.42) and 0.78 (0.59), respectively. The differences were not statistically significant. Similarly, no significant differences were found for the clinical parameters. Within the limitations of the present study, it could be concluded that this new triangular neck bone level implant macro-design was used successfully to treat partially edentulous patients. Larger controlled clinical studies are warranted to confirm the present radiographic and clinical findings.

/pdf/clinical-and-radiographic-evaluation-of-a-novel-triangular-3atcajg7.pdf

Houlin Hong

Papers

A Text Messaging Intervention to Increase Engagement and Retention of Men in a Community-Based Father Involvement Program

A prospective study of peer victimization and depressive symptoms among left-behind children in rural China: the mediating effect of stressful life events

Thermal Effects of Diode Laser-Irradiation on Titanium Implants in Different Room Temperatures In Vitro.

Clinical and Radiographic Evaluation of a Novel Triangular Implant Neck Design: A Case Series