Collected Dataset / QNTS_18months

Families seen in the lab at 6 months were again seen in the lab and at home and families seen only at home at 6 months were seen only at home.

In the lab, extensive psycho-physiological, hormonal, and behavioral measures were taken. Behavior observations were conducted in a controlled setting and cortisol samples were collected.

The laboratory assessments were followed within 2 weeks by a home visit to obtain exhaustive social, demographic, health, and further behavioral data on the twins and their families, mainly through interviews of both parents, self-report questionnaires filled out by both parents, and direct observation of the infant, home and neighborhood by the interviewer.

Parenting behaviors were assessed yearly, through mother and father self-reports of parental warmth, self-efficacy and impact, overprotection, and hostile-reactive behavior. Also, some of the measures of the children’s environment collected regularly were about nutrition, the mental health status of parents, marital satisfaction and status, as well as a variety of socio-economic and demographic characteristics.