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Kids in wealthier families more apt to misbehave if parents split up
Wealthy families
Kids in high-income families are more likely to misbehave when their parents split up than kids in poorer families, according to new research in the journal Child Development. - photo by istockphoto.com/Squaredpixels
Lois M. Collins
Deseret News National
Updated: Sep 16, 2014, 3:00 PM
Published: Sep 15, 2014, 2:51 PM

Kids in high-income families are more likely to misbehave when their parents split up than kids in poorer families, according to new research in the journal Child Development.

Researchers also noted that when the children were being raised by a single parent and then moved into a step-family situation, the wealthier kids' behaviors improved. The change from single parent to step family didn't make a difference in lower-income families.

The researchers, from Georgetown University and the University of Chicago, looked at the implications of such family disruption for children ages 3 to 12 in terms of behavior problems, using a national sample that included almost 4,000 kids who were part of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth.

"Our findings suggest that family changes affect children's behavior in higher-income families more than children's behavior in lower-income families — for better and for worse," said Rebecca M. Ryan, lead author and assistant professor of psychology at Georgetown, in a written statement.

"Changes in family structure affected the behavior of children from high-income families, but did not affect the behavior of children in low-income environments," she said. "This may be because the finances of economically disadvantaged families don't change as much when parents separate as those of greater means."

For the study, families were catalogued as living below 200 percent of the federal poverty line ($47,000 for a family of four), between 200 and 300 percent of poverty ($47,100 to $70,650) and above that level.

An article in USA Today noted that the most vulnerable age for children when parents separate was between ages 3 and 5.
USA Today's Sharon Jayson wrote, "The study found that such disruption, particularly in the child's first three years but likely as long as five years, 'more strongly influences children's development than changes later in childhood,' and those influences 'seem to have negative effects on children's behavior.'"

Ryan told Time that while the study showed the children of high-income parents were more likely to have behavior problems, it did not explain why.

"But she has some guesses," wrote Time's Belinda Luscombe. "The first is that dads, who are usually the breadwinners, often move out of the home so there’s a big dip in household income. Or it could be that the kids have to move to a new neighborhood/school/friend group and the instability takes a toll. Or maybe less-wealthy families don’t take it so hard. 'Parental separation is more common among lower-income families. Parents and children may perceive family changes as more normative, more predictable, and, thus, less stressful.'”

Ryan also noted that there were more differences to the kids based on the family income than there were based on family structure, suggesting that "quality of the home environment, regardless of family structure, mattered most to social and emotional wellbeing."

Email: lois@deseretnews.com, Twitter: Loisco
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
Herb Scribner
Deseret News
Published: Aug 13, 2018, 1:39 PM
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.