New Article: Gagne et al, Family Expectations of Future Child Temperament

Gagne, Jeffrey R., Jerry C. Prater, Lior Abramson, David Mankuta, and Ariel Knafo-Noam. “An Israeli Study of Family Expectations of Future Child Temperament.” Family Science (early view; online first).

 

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19424620.2015.1076494

 

Abstract

Early emerging child temperament forms the basis for adult personality and has a multitude of developmental implications. Studies have shown that some aspects of temperament can be observed prenatally, and prenatal parent ratings predict postnatal child temperament, thereby influencing future family dynamics. Little research has examined prenatal mother–father agreement on predictions of temperament, or patterns of cross-dimension associations before birth. Parental expectations of their future child’s temperament were investigated in a sample of pregnant Israeli women and their partners. Three modified temperament questionnaires were used to investigate mother–father agreement and associations between temperament dimensions. There were few significant mean differences between mothers’ and fathers’ expectations of child temperament. Parent agreement within temperament dimensions, and associations across dimensions were consistent with the postnatal literature. Findings indicate that parent impressions of child temperament are partially formed before birth, and may represent a shared hope or a ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’ in families.

 

 

New Article: Sharkia et al, Utilization of Genetic Counseling Services among Israeli Arab Women

Sharkia, R., J. Tarabeia, A. Zalan, E. Atamany, M. Athamna, and S. Allon-Shalev. “Factors Affecting the Utilization of Genetic Counseling Services among Israeli Arab Women.” Prenatal Diagnosis 35.4 (2015): 370-375.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pd.4550

Abstract

Objectives

To assess the factors associated with utilization of genetic counseling services among pregnant Israeli Arab women.

Methods

A case–control study was conducted among 414 pregnant Arab women who were referred by a family physician or a perinatologist to genetic counseling services between 2008 and 2011. Data was collected using interviews, with both groups ‘users’ and ‘non-users’ of genetic counseling, based on a structured questionnaire including demographic, socio-economic, medical and cultural variables.

Results

In multivariate analysis, factors affecting women’s utilization of genetic counseling service were high income level (OR 3.44, 95%CI 1.8–6.5, p < 0.001), high service accessibility (OR 0.75, 95%CI 0.67–0.84, p = 0.001), more positive attitude toward genetic counseling (OR 0.43, 95%CI 0.27–0.67, p = 0.012) and lower religiosity level (OR 1.40, 95%CI 0.94–2.09, p = 0.04). However, when we examined the following variable: pregnant woman’s age, woman’s education, consanguinity and pregnancy’ age, knowledge level and the perspective toward abortion, no significant differences were found between the users and non-users groups.

Conclusions

The underutilization of genetic counseling services among pregnant Israeli Arab women was associated with the following: lower income level, attitude toward genetic counseling, accessibility to service and religiosity. Thus, it is advisable to expand genetic counseling service within this community