Linda Richter
Director of Policy Research and AnalysisAbout
Research
Publications
2025
Early life stress and pubertal predictors of subsequent substance use in a national diverse sample of adolescents: Sex and substance type matter
Donovan A, Assari S, Grella C, Shaheen M, Richter L, Friedman T. Early life stress and pubertal predictors of subsequent substance use in a national diverse sample of adolescents: Sex and substance type matter. Drug And Alcohol Dependence 2025, 268: 112551. PMID: 39848135, PMCID: PMC11849747, DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2025.112551.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsEarly life stressSubstance use disordersSubstance useSex differencesLife stressImpact of early life stressAdolescent Brain Cognitive Development StudyMeasures of early life stressAdult substance use disordersRisk of substance use disordersDiverse sample of adolescentsCognitive Development StudySample of adolescentsNationally diverse sampleTrauma ScoreSubstance use riskFamily-based preventionCox proportional hazards regressionUse disorderAssociated with riskProportional hazards regressionTotal scoreIn adulthoodIncreased aHRMarijuana use
2024
Global development assistance for early childhood care and education in 134 low- and middle-income countries, 2007–2021
Luan Y, Hodgkin D, Behrman J, Stein A, Richter L, Cuartas J, Lu C. Global development assistance for early childhood care and education in 134 low- and middle-income countries, 2007–2021. BMJ Global Health 2024, 9: e015991. PMID: 39572050, PMCID: PMC11580267, DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2024-015991.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsConflict-affected countriesDevelopment assistanceEarly childhood careChildhood careMiddle-income countriesInternational development assistanceNon-conflict-affected countriesCreditor Reporting SystemQuality early childhood careInternational donor supportECCE programmesIncreased aidDonor supportWorld BankLow-income countriesLow-incomeDomestic fundingGlobal crisisCountriesAssistanceAIDSFundingChildrenAnalysed dataEducation8256 Early Life Stress and Pubertal Predictors of Youth Substance Use Initiation: Does Sex Moderate the Relationship Between ELS, Puberty, and Substance Use Initiation?
Donovan A, Assari S, Shaheen M, Grella C, Richter L, Friedman T. 8256 Early Life Stress and Pubertal Predictors of Youth Substance Use Initiation: Does Sex Moderate the Relationship Between ELS, Puberty, and Substance Use Initiation? Journal Of The Endocrine Society 2024, 8: bvae163.1194. PMCID: PMC11455193, DOI: 10.1210/jendso/bvae163.1194.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchEarly life stressAdolescent Brain Cognitive DevelopmentSubstance use initiationSubstance use disordersLife stressInteraction of early life stressEffects of early life stressHistory of early life stressSubstance useRates of substance use disordersInitiation of substance usePubertal Development ScaleExperiences of abuseHealth behavior outcomesParent reportBehavioral outcomesCognitive developmentSex differencesPDS scoresIncreased risk of initiationSalivary estradiolSex hormonesFemale adolescentsDevelopment ScaleRisk of initiationGlobal childhood malnutrition
Kadiyala S, Richter L, Kulkarni B, Chitaya A, Harris-Fry H. Global childhood malnutrition. The BMJ 2024, 386: q1874. PMID: 39214530, DOI: 10.1136/bmj.q1874.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchWomen’s health and well-being in five birth cohorts from low- and middle-income countries: Domains and their associations with early-life conditions
Hartwig F, Ataullahjan A, Adair L, Gonçalves H, Horta B, Lee N, Martorell R, Menezes A, dos Santos Motta J, Norris S, Ramirez-Zea M, Richter L, Bhutta Z, Stein A, Victora C, consortium C. Women’s health and well-being in five birth cohorts from low- and middle-income countries: Domains and their associations with early-life conditions. Journal Of Global Health 2024, 14: 04137. PMID: 39148472, PMCID: PMC11327850, DOI: 10.7189/jogh.14.04137.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMiddle-income countriesWomen's HealthMaternal educationBirth cohortAssociated with better psychological healthAssociated with metabolic healthMetabolic healthEarly-life factorsEarly life exposuresMaternal heightPsychological healthEarly-life conditionsLife exposureBirth orderHealthMid-childhoodWell-beingPsychological componentsLMICsAdolescent exposureCohortWomenHuman capitalAssociationMultiple domainsEarly life determinants of social disparities among young adults: A longitudinal study in vulnerable communities in South Africa
Loss G, Naicker S, Richter L, Fink G. Early life determinants of social disparities among young adults: A longitudinal study in vulnerable communities in South Africa. World Development 2024, 175: 106465. DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2023.106465.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchNeuroendocrine mechanisms in the links between early life stress, affect, and youth substance use: A conceptual model for the study of sex and gender differences
Donovan A, Assari S, Grella C, Shaheen M, Richter L, Friedman T. Neuroendocrine mechanisms in the links between early life stress, affect, and youth substance use: A conceptual model for the study of sex and gender differences. Frontiers In Neuroendocrinology 2024, 73: 101121. PMID: 38253240, PMCID: PMC11088508, DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2024.101121.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchEarly life stressSubstance useLife stressEffects of early life stressDevelopment of internalizing symptomsIncreased internalizing symptomsAssociated with substance useGender differencesYouth substance useMental health problemsChronic stressorsBrain maturationStudy of sexNegative health outcomesChild developmentNeuroendocrine mechanismsNeuroendocrine developmentHormonal dysregulationHealth outcomesGenderSymptomsHealth problemsSexNarrative literature reviewDevelopmental processes
2023
End humanitarian catastrophe in conflict settings
Homer C, Abajobir A, Agarwal K, Agustina R, Ahmed A, AlBuhairan F, Ariff S, Arora N, Aryeetey R, Ashorn P, Azzopardi P, Bazirete O, Berkley J, Darmstadt G, Dewey K, Duke T, El Kak F, Homer C, Jehan F, Kabiru C, Kanbur N, Klein J, Kirkwood B, Martinez Garcia D, Postma S, Richter L, Sandall J, Suwantika A, Waiswa P, Walker D, Zlotkin S. End humanitarian catastrophe in conflict settings. The Lancet 2023, 403: 24-25. PMID: 38071987, DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(23)02695-8.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchFamily-Focused Universal Substance Use Prevention in Primary Care: Advancing a Pragmatic National Healthcare Agenda
Hogue A, Brykman K, Guilamo-Ramos V, Ilakkuvan V, Kuklinski M, Matson P, McKnight E, Powell T, Richter L, Walker-Harding L. Family-Focused Universal Substance Use Prevention in Primary Care: Advancing a Pragmatic National Healthcare Agenda. Prevention Science 2023, 25: 307-317. PMID: 37994994, DOI: 10.1007/s11121-023-01584-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPediatric primary carePrimary careFamily-focused prevention programsSubstance use preventionSubstance use risksAdolescent patientsAnticipatory guidanceClinical practicePrevention toolkitPreventive interventionsPrevention programsUse preventionCarePrevention resourcesHealthcare agendaNational healthcare agendaPrevention approachesDigital interventionsPrevention programmingUse riskMedicine workshopParenting ProgramEffective parenting programsPreventionInterventionImpact of COVID-19 lockdown on low birthweight in Soweto, South Africa
Drysdale R, Slemming W, Momberg D, Said-Mohamad R, Richter L. Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on low birthweight in Soweto, South Africa. South African Medical Journal 2023, 113: 37-41. PMID: 37881911, DOI: 10.7196/samj.2023.v113i10.746.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsLow birthweightMother-infant pairsCase groupControl groupWeeks' gestationAntenatal health servicesAdverse birth outcomesMultivariable logistic regressionFear of motherCase-control designChild transmissionPreterm birthBirth outcomesPregnant womenBirth complicationsHigh prevalenceHigh riskAntenatal healthcareBirthweightEarly child developmentHealth servicesInfantsGestationLogistic regressionOnly infants