Health Effects

Question 1

Minor Physical Anomalies

Answer 1

Lombroso said offenders more likely to have some of these

low seated ears, furrowed tongues, big head, abnormal toe gap, single palmar crease, etc

indirect indicators: something went wrong during 3rd/4th month of gestation that affected brain and these

Question 2

Birth Complications

Answer 2

birth complications (forceps, pre-eclampsia, long duration, bleeding, etc) x maternal rejection: at age 18, kids were more violent if they had both

low iq mediates birth complication/ASB relationship

Question 3

Cigarette Smoking

Answer 3

dose response curve for amt of nicotine mom consumes and % of kids who become violent as adults (even when controlled for ses, mother’s education, obstetric factors, etc)

nicotine reduces uterine blood flow, increases testosterone in males, impacts hippocampus, reduces later attn, memory, processing speed

active smokers decreases by month 3 of pregnancy, but by month 9, 75% of smokers are tob dependent

Question 4

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Answer 4

flat face, wide eyes, growth retardation, CNS dysfunction, 8% brain vol reduction, poorer executive functioning

1 FAS: 3 FAeffects, together make 1% of pop, lower iq, half have ASB, base rate of FAE in ASB kids is 22%

baby goes through withdrawal at birth which contributes to cell death

argument that if you drink while you’re pregnant, you could be a bad mother and contribute to bad social enviro, but study showed that adopted away FAS/E babies were more likely to have ASB than non-FAS adopted babies (but maybe because babies inherit an unsocial gene from mom)

Question 5

Heavy Metals

Answer 5

Lead: boys more delinquent/aggressive, 40% increase in arrests for 5 microg of lead, lead explains 90% of variation in assaults in cities

Cadmium: higher cadmium in hair of offenders, explains 13% of aggression in schoolkids, smokers have 5x cadmium levels

Manganese: higher manganese in hair of violent offenders, 15 studies report higher aggression/hostility/etc in manganese workers

Question 6

Second-Hand Smoking

Answer 6

70% of chinese men smoke, 37% of Chinese cohort mothers reported smoke exposure during pregnancy, externalizing behavior was 16% for unexposed and 25% for exposed

Question 7

Nutrition

Answer 7

Protein deficiency: famine during 1st/2nd tri increases APD risk by 2.5 times compared to non-famine regions

Omega-3: boys w behavior probs, cocaine addicts, callous-unemo kids all had low omega-3, no fish = higher hostility, omega-3 enhances neurite growth which makes better connections

Malnutrition: 3 yos in Mauritius assessed for low hemoglobin/thin hair/angular stomatits - malnourished ones had higher aggression and hyperactivity and cd, dose-response relationship for externalizing behavior, controlling for iq abolishes effect (iq mediates)

Seafood consumption: correlation, low fish consumption = high homicides

micronutrients: zinc, iron, amino acid deficiencies = asb
hypoglycemia: low blood sugar linked to aggression, brain needs glucose

kids w externalizing behavior problems more likely to have “western diet”

Question 8

Sleep

Answer 8

Depriving someone of sleep makes them more irritable/aggressive (causation)

Sleepier kids at 15 more likely to commit crime at 24

Brain: sleep deprivation = 60% increase in amygdala activation, reduced pfc connectivity w amygdala, increased limbic response to rewards