Obsessive-compulsive symptom dimensions in a population-based, cross-sectional sample of school-aged children

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Development of numerical cognition among Brazilian school-aged children

The Numerical Cognition is influenced by biological, cognitive, educational, and cultural factors and entails the following systems: Number Sense (NS) represents the innate ability to recognize, compare, add, and subtract small quantities, without the need of counting; Number Production (NP) which includes reading, writing and counting numbers or objects; Number Comprehension (NC), i.e., the understanding the nature of the numerical symbols and their number, and the calculation (CA). The aims of the present study were to: i) assess theoretical constructs (NS, NC, NP and CA) in children from public schools from 1 st -to 6 th - grades; and ii) investigate their relationship with schooling and working memory. The sample included 162 children, both genders, of 7-to 12-years-old that studied in public school from 1 st -to 6 th -grades, which participated in the normative study of Zareki-R (Battery of neuropsychological tests for number processing and calculation in children, Revised; von Aster & Dellatolas, 2006). Children of 1 st and 2 nd grades demonstrated an inferior global score in NC, NP and CA. There were no genderrelated differences. The results indicated that the contribution of NS domain in Zareki-R performance is low in comparison to the other three domains, which are dependent on school-related arithmetic skills.

Maternal smoking during pregnancy and primary headache in school-aged children: a cohort study

Background: It is not known whether smoking by mothers during pregnancy is associated with headache in their offspring. Methods: Two prospective cohorts of 869 children aged 10-11 years from Ribeirao Preto (RP) and 805 children aged 7-9 years from Sao Luis (SL) were studied. Data on maternal smoking were collected at birth. Primary headache was defined as a reporting of >= 2 episodes of headache in the past 2 weeks, without any associated organic symptoms. Results: Prevalence of headache was 28.1% in RP and 13.1% in SL as reported by the mothers and 17.5% in RP and 29.4% in SL as reported by the children. Agreement between mothers' report and children's self-report of primary headache in the child was poor. After adjustment, children whose mothers smoked >= 10 cigarettes per day during pregnancy presented higher prevalence of primary headache than their counterparts in both cohorts, as reported by the mother and in RP as reported by the children. Conclusions: Maternal smoking during pregnancy was associated with headache in 7- to 11-year-olds. With one exception, the consistency of the results, despite poor agreement between maternal and children reports of headache, indicates that maternal smoking during pregnancy may contribute to headaches in their children.

Effect of bacterial filter on measurement of interrupter resistance in preschool and school-aged children

BACKGROUND: The interrupter technique is increasingly used in preschool children to assess airway resistance (Rint). Use of a bacterial filter is essential for prevention of cross-infection in a clinical setting. It is not known how large an effect this extra resistance and compliance exert upon interrupter measurements, especially on obstructive airways and in smaller children. We aim to determine the contribution of the filter to Rint, in a sample of children attending lung function testing at an asthma clinic. METHODS: Interrupter measurements were performed according to ATS/ERS guidelines during quiet normal breathing at an expiratory flow trigger of 200 ml s(-1), with the child seated upright with cheeks supported and wearing a nose clip. A minimum of 10 interrupter measurements was made with and without a bacterial filter. Spirometric and plethysmographic tests were also performed. RESULTS: A small but significant difference (0.12 (95% CI 0.06-0.17) kPa s L(-1), P = 0.0002) with 2x SD of 0.34 kPa s L(-1) was observed between Rint with and without filter in 39 children, with a large spread. This difference was not dependent on Rint magnitude, age or height, nor on lung function parameters (effective resistance, forced expiratory volume in 1 sec, and maximal expiratory flow at 50% of expired vital capacity). CONCLUSIONS: A bacterial filter causes a small difference but is not clinically significant, with a wide spread comparable to the variability of the technique and recommended cut-offs for assessing repeatability and bronchodilation. Age, height or severity of obstruction need not be corrected for in general.

The impact of a cooking and gardening summer camp experience on the fruit and vegetable consumption of elementary school-aged children

Childhood obesity is a significant public health problem. Over 15 percent of children in the United States are obese, and about 25 percent of children in Texas are overweight (CDC NHANES). Furthermore, about 30 percent of elementary school aged children in Harris County, Texas are overweight or obese (Children at Risk Institute 2010). In addition to actions such as increasing physical activity, decreasing television watching and video game time, decreasing snacking on low nutrient calorie dense foods and sugar sweetened beverages, children need to consume more fruits and vegetables. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2002, about 26 percent of U.S. children are meeting the recommendations for daily fruit intake and about 16 percent are meeting the recommendations for daily vegetable intake (CDC NHANES). In 2004, the average total intake of vegetables was 0.9 cups per day and 1.1 cups of fruit per day by children ages four to nine years old in the U.S. (CDC NHANES). Not only do children need effective nutrition education to learn about fruits and vegetables, they also need access and repeated exposure to fruits and vegetables (Anderson 2009, Briefel 2009). Nutrition education interventions that provide a structured, hands-on curriculum such as school gardens have produced significant changes in child fruit and vegetable intake (Blair 2009, McAleese 2007). To prevent childhood obesity from continuing into adolescence and adulthood, effective nutrition education interventions need to be implemented immediately and for the long-term. However, research has shown short-term nutrition education interventions such as summer camps to be effective for significant changes in child fruit and vegetable intake, preferences, and knowledge (Heim 2009). ^ A four week summer camp based on cooking and gardening was implemented at 6 Multi-Service centers in a large, urban city. The participants included children ranging in age from 7 to 14 years old (n=64). The purpose of the camp was to introduce children to their food from the seed to the plate through the utilization of gardening and culinary exercises. The summer camp activities were aimed at increasing the children's exposure, willingness to try, preferences, knowledge, and intake of fruits and vegetables. A survey was given on the first day of camp and again on the last day of camp that measured the pre- and post differences in knowledge, intake, willingness to try, and preferences of fruits and vegetables. The present study examined the short-term effectiveness of a cooking and garden-based nutrition education program on the knowledge, willingness, preferences, and intake among children aged 8 to 13 years old (n=40). The final sample of participants (n=40) was controlled for those who completed pre- and post-test surveys and who were in or above the third grade level. Results showed a statistically significant increase in the reported intake of vegetables and preferences for vegetables, specifically green beans, and fruits. There was also a significant increase in preferences for fruits among boys and participants ages 11 to 13 years. The results showed a change in the expected direction of willingness to try, preferences for vegetables, and intake of fruit, however these were not statistically significant. Interestingly, the results also showed a decrease in the intake of low nutrient calorie dense foods such as sweets and candy.^

A study of the association between timing of solid food introduction in infants and overweight and obesity in pre-school aged children in NHANES 2003-2008

Background. Previous studies suggest an association between timing of introduction of solid food and increased risk of obesity in pre-school aged children, but no study included a representative sample of US children. We sought to examine whether there was any association between the timing of solid food introduction and overweight/obesity in pre-school aged children. Design/methods. Cross-sectional study of a nationally representative sample (N=2050) of US children aged 2 to 5 years with information on infant feeding practices and measured weight and height from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003–2008. The main outcome measure was BMI for age and sex ≥ 85th percentile. The main exposure was timing of solid food introduction at < 4, 4–5, or ≥ 6 months of age. Binomial logistic regression was used in the analysis controlling for child's sex, birth weight and breastfeeding status as well as maternal age at birth, smoking status and socio-demographic variables. Results. Two thousand and fifty children were included in the sample; 51% male and 49% female; 57.1% Non-Hispanic White, 21.9% Hispanic, 14.0% Non-Hispanic Black, and 7% other race/ethnicity. Twenty-two percent of the children were overweight or obese. Sixty-nine percent were breastfed or fed breast milk at birth and 36% continued breastfeeding for ≥ six months. Solid foods were introduced before 4 months of age for 11.2% of the children; 30.3% received solid foods between 4 to 5 months; with 58.6% receiving solid foods at 6 months or later. Timing of solid food introduction was not associated with weight status (OR= 1.36, 95% CI [0.83–2.24]). Formula-fed infants and infants breastfed for < 4 months had increased odds of overweight and obesity (OR=1.54, 95% CI [1.05–2.27] and OR= 1.60, 95% CI [1.05–2.44], respectively) when compared to infants breastfed for ≥ 6 months. Conclusion. Timing of solid food introduction was not associated with weight status in a national sample of US children ages 2 to 5 years. More focus should be placed on promoting breastfeeding and healthy infant feeding practices as strategies to prevent obesity in children. ^

Cyberbullying and school attachment: An analysis of the 2005-2006 U.S. health behavior in school-aged children (HBSC) study

Despite a lack of consistent research, the possible association between school attachment and cyberbullying suggests that targeting school attachment as a method of increasing help-seeking behaviors may be important in intervention strategies for cyberbullying. The present study sought to fill the gap in current literature by examining cyberbullying and school attachment in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adolescents, grades 6-10 (n=9,227). Results found that negative school attachment was significantly associated with greater odds of cyberbullying victimization (OR=4.71, p<0.001), perpetration (OR=2.95, p<0.001), and cyberbully-victim status (OR=3.38, p<0.001). After adjustment for confounding variables, cyberbullying victimization remained significant (OR=1.90, p=0.002). Overall, the present analyses suggest that higher negative school attachment may be associated with higher frequency of cyberbullying behaviors. These findings provide evidence for an association between school attachment and cyberbullying, and support considerations that improving school attachment may be a potential source of intervention against cyberbullying in an adolescent population.^

Mental health literacy of Latina women in the United States for their school-aged children

Despite known mental health (MH) disparities faced by Latino children relative to children from other minority groups of similar socioeconomic status (SES), little is known about how Latina mothers make MH decisions for their children. The present study examined links between Latina mothers' mental health literacy (MHL), including the recognition of and response to child psychiatric symptoms, and maternal acculturation factors as well as interpersonal violence (IPV) related symptomatology. Participants were 80 Latina mothers from Denver, Colorado and Modesto, California with at least one child between the ages of 8-12 years. Mothers were presented vignettes depicting child internalizing and externalizing disorders as well as interviewed about their help seeking behaviors. Maternal acculturation was not related to identification of disorders, but was related to more symptoms recognized for child internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Acculturation predicted use of formal source of care for child internalizing and externalizing disorder. Women demonstrated a preference for informal source of care, with the exception of IPV-related child symptoms, where women demonstrated a preference for formal source of care. IPV-related symptoms did not moderate the relationship between acculturation and MHL. The relationship between maternal acculturation, IPV related symptomatology and their combined effect on MHL for child psychiatric disorders are discussed.

Quantifying the association between physical activity and injury in primary school-aged children

BACKGROUND. Regular physical activity is strongly advocated in children, with recommendations suggesting up to several hours of daily participation. However, an unintended consequence of physical activity is exposure to the risk of injury. To date, these risks have not been quantified in primary school-aged children despite injury being a leading cause for hospitalization and death in this population. OBJECT. Our goal was to quantify the risk of injury associated with childhood physical activity both in and out of the school setting and calculate injury rates per exposure time for organized and non-organized activity outside of school. METHODS. The Childhood Injury Prevention Study prospectively followed a cohort of randomly selected Australian primary school- and preschool-aged children (4 to 12 years). Over 12 months, each injury that required first aid attention was registered with the study. Exposure to physical activity outside school hours was measured by using a parent-completed 7-day diary. The age and gender distribution of injury rates per 10 000 hours of exposure were calculated for all activity and for organized and non-organized activity occurring outside school hours. In addition, child-based injury rates were calculated for physical activity-related injuries both in and out of the school setting. RESULTS. Complete diary and injury data were available for 744 children. There were 504 injuries recorded over the study period, 396 (88.6%) of which were directly related to physical activity. Thirty-four percent of physical activity-related injuries required professional medical treatment. Analysis of injuries occurring outside of school revealed an overall injury rate of 5.7 injuries per 10 000 hours of exposure to physical activity and a medically treated injury rate of 1.7 per 10 000 hours. CONCLUSION. Injury rates per hours of exposure to physical activity were low in this cohort of primary school-aged children, with < 2 injuries requiring medical treatment occurring for every 10 000 hours of activity participation outside of school.

Emergence of episodic future though in pre-school aged children

Three experiments examined the development of episodic future thinking: the ability to think ahead about novel future situations (Atance & O’Neill, 2001). Each experiment used three novel tasks, similar to the Blow Football task used by Russell, Alexis, and Clayton (2010). In each, there was a different table top with two sides. Children played a game on one side of a table, and then were asked to choose a tool to play with a similar game on the other side of the table the next day. For example, children used a toy fishing rod to catch magnetic fish on one side of the table; playing the same game from the other side of the table required a different type of fishing rod. At test, children chose between 2 or 3 tools: a) the tool they used today, b) the tool suitable for the other side (correct) and c) a distractor tool which was not suitable for either side. In Experiment 1, 24 four-year-olds selected 1 out of 2 tools for tomorrow. Children selected the correct item above chance level in all tasks (p < 0.001). In Experiment 2, in which children were not allowed to look at the apparatus when choosing, 21 three-year olds selected 1 out of 2 tools for tomorrow. This group also selected the right tool above chance level in all tasks (p < 0.001).The results of Experiments 1 and 2 imply that 3- and 4-year olds might indeed show episodic future foresight. However, they could have also selected the right tool by default. To control for this, a third tool distractor was introduced in Experiment 3. This time, 3-4 year olds did not perform above chance levels, suggesting that there is an alternative explanation as to why they performed so well in the previous two experiments.

An Exploration of Clinical Psychologist and Educational Psychologist Constructs of Mental Health in the Context of Secondary School Aged Children

Over the past decade, Mental Health (MH) has increasingly appeared on the ‘school agenda’, both in terms of rising levels of MH difficulties in the student population, and also the expectation that schools have a role to play in supporting good MH. MH is a term fraught with ambiguities leading to uncertainty around the most appropriate ways to provide support. A review of current literature reveals a wide range of definitions and interpretations, sometimes within the same team of supporting professionals. The current study seeks to explore the perspectives held by two professional groups seemingly well placed to support young persons’ (YPs’) MH. Six Clinical Psychologists (CPs) and six Educational Psychologists (EPs) are interviewed, exploring their constructs of MH, and their perceptions of their own role and the roles of others in supporting secondary school aged YPs’ MH. The data are analysed through Thematic Analysis. Findings suggest that there are variations between the two professions’ constructs of MH, and EPs in particular have no unified concept of MH. This is likely due to less experience or training in this area. CPs and EPs hold similar perceptions of the school’s role for promoting good MH, and flagging up concerns to more specialist professionals when necessary. However, there are discrepancies in the EP and CP perceptions of each other’s roles. The conflicting views appear to emerge through incomplete information about the other, and professional defensiveness in a context where resources and funding are scarce. The current study suggests that these challenges can be addressed through: greater reflectivity on professional biases, exploration of MH constructs within other epistemological positions, and greater communication regarding professional roles, leading to clearer collaboration in supporting the MH of YP.

Using stimulus equivalence to teach monetary skills to school-age children with autism

The present study evaluated the use of stimulus equivalence in teaching monetary skills to school aged children with autism. An AB within-subject design with periodic probes was used. At pretest, three participants demonstrated relation DA, an auditory-visual relation (matching dictated coin values to printed coin prices). Using a three-choice match-to-sample procedure, with a multi-component intervention package, these participants were taught two trained relations, BA (matching coins to printed prices) and CA (matching coin combinations to printed prices). Two participants achieved positive tests of equivalence, and the third participant demonstrated emergent performances with a symmetric and transitive relation. In addition, two participants were able to show generalization of learned skills with a parent, in a second naturalistic setting. The present research replicates and extends the results of previous studies by demonstrating that stimulus equivalence can be used to teach an adaptive skill to children with autism.