Age Children Research Articles

Tense and aspect in the interlanguage of Slavic speakers learning Romance languages

ABSTRACT The study addresses the research gap of how being a speaker of a Slavic language influences the ability to convey tempo-aspectual meanings in Romance languages by examining personal and impersonal narratives delivered in written and spoken mode by learners of L3 Spanish and L3 Italian with L1 Slovak and L2 English. Narratives are analysed following the methods of interlanguage analysis proposed by Ellis and Barkhuizen [(2005). Analysing learner language. Oxford University Press] and Salaberry and Comajoan [(2013). Research design and methodology in studies on L2 tense and aspect. De Gruyter Mouton], such as coding for grounding, frequency analysis of tense forms and lexical aspectual classes, etc. Following the ideas presented by Bayley (2013, Data analysis: Quantitative approaches. In M. R. Salaberry & L. Comajoan (Eds.), Research design andmethodology in studies on L2 tense and aspect (pp. 357–390). De Gruyter Mouton), binomial logistic regression models were built which showed that (a) the combination of discourse grounding and lexical aspect is of predictive power regarding the appropriateness of participants’ choices of morphological marking; (b) the distributional characteristics of morphological marking on telic predicates differs from activities and statives. One of the main differences compared to the results of previous studies, conducted on speakers of Germanic languages, is that the data did not provide enough evidence for morphological marking being used to convey primarily temporal distinctions (see Salaberry, 1999, The development of past tense verbal morphology in classroom L2 Spanish. Applied Linguistics, 20(2), 151–178. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/20.2.151; Wiberg, E. (1996). Reference to past events in bilingual Italian-Swedish children of school age. Linguistics, 34(5), 1087–1114. https://doi.org/10.1515/ling.1996.34.5.1087]) and presented the marking of telic predicates in foreground with perfective morphology as consistent, disregarding the level of participants’ performance.

Literature as a Remedy for the (De)sensitization of the Contemporary Child. Attempt of Practical Approach Using the Theme of War

The text is theoretical in its nature and deals with the subject of the influence of literature on the child in early school age in terms of affecting the sensitivity of the recipient. The author considers the phenomenon of (de)sensitization as a process that would help the modern child to accept taboo phenomena on the example of the subject of war. The article refers to the theory of the Highly Sensitive Child and the “bitter-sweet” impact of art, recalling the works of Elaine Aron and Susan Cain. It was emphasized that the child’s hypersensitivity to certain images or sounds is related not only to natural stages of development, but also, or perhaps mainly, to individual predispositions to sensitivity to stimuli. The considerations included in the article also refer to war-themed texts for children published in Poland. The researcher provides a list of reading materials that may be interesting for contemporary child readers, but are not part of the school canon. The text is supplemented by a practical example of working with Liliana Bardijewska’s work entitled Karim’s Cat and Pictures with the use of a board game as a form of work with text at the level of grades I–III of primary school.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Using the CFTR Modulator Ivacaftor/Lumacaftor in Children with Cystic Fibrosis in the Sverdlovsk Region (Prospective Cohort Study)

Background. A modern achievement in the treatment of cystic fibrosis has been the discovery of small molecules that restore the processes of synthesis, transport to the membrane, and the work of the defective CFTR protein. Drugs whose action is aimed at restoring the function of the CFTR protein are called CFTR modulators. The aim of the study is the conduction of a comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of CFTR modulator ivacaftor/lumacaftor therapy in children with cystic fibrosis based on the study of clinical, laboratory, and instrumental data. Methods. CFTR modulator ivacaftor/lumacaftor was received for 12 months by 23 children of the main group aged 2–17 years, who are homozygous carriers of the F508del mutation of the CFTR gene in the absence of the L467F complex allele. A control examination of the main group was conducted at the start of the study and then every 3 months for 12 months of drug administration. Results. The condition of the patients in the observation groups at the start of the study was assessed as moderate to severe, the bronchopulmonary process was in the stage of incomplete clinical remission. In the main group, the level of aspartate aminotransferase significantly decreased, in the control, on the contrary, there was a tendency for this indicator to increase. The level of alkaline phosphatase (alkaline phosphatase) decreased and reached normal in the main group; the relative risk of hyperphosphatasemia during treatment decreased by 5 times (0.187 (0.063–0.557)). The level of gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (gamma-GTP) and the number of patients with elevated GGTP decreased (24.65 and 19.69 IU/l, respectively; 61 and 13%). In the control group, the level of gamma-GTP increased and the alkaline phosphatase did not normalize. The indicators of forced exhalation volume in the first second and forced vital capacity of the lungs were initially lower in the main group, after 12 months the differences remained. There was a tendency to decrease the frequency of severe pancreatic insufficiency in the main group by 17.3%, and no changes in the control group. Sweat chlorides tended to decrease in the main group in the absence of reaching the standard values. Conclusion. The usage of the CFTR modulator ivacaftor/lumacaftor showed a greater clinical effect in improving the functioning of the digestive organs: a decrease in the risk of hyperphosphatasemia and a significant decrease in the number of patients with high levels of gamma-GTP were established, a stable level of liver enzyme activity was noted, and a tendency to increase the activity of pancreatic elastase was revealed. The tendency to decrease the indicators of sweat chlorides is shown. There were no changes in the indicators of respiratory function.

Edukacja ekologiczna w edukacji wczesnoszkolnej i przedszkolnej – terminologia

The article discusses environmental education and terminology in pre-school and early school education, based on a short historical outline of environmental education for this age group of children in Poland. It refers to the signing of the Biological Education Convention at the Earth Summit, which determined the stimulation of ecological awareness, protection of natural resources, and natural space around man. The article is an analysis of the goals of environmental education. Natural and ecological education has a biological, emotional, motoric, creative, and spiritual aspect. It has a significant meaning in the development of a small child in preschool and early school age in cognitive, physical, health, social and emotional development.

Prevalence and Antibiogram of Escherichia coli Isolated from Children Under Five Years of Age Presented with Acute Diarrhoea: Cross Sectional Study from a Tertiary Care Centre in South India

Aim: The study aimed to analyze the prevalence and antibiogram of E. coli isolated from stool sample cultures collected from children below five years of age who were presented with acute diarrhoea in a tertiary care centre. Background: Multidrug-resistant strains of diarrheagenic E. coliremain a major public health concern for greater morbidity and mortality. Antibiotic resistance and susceptibility patterns of E. coli were found to vary with geographical location. Objective: To determine the prevalence and antibiogram of E. coli isolated from cultures of diarrhoea stool samples collected from children below five years of age from laboratory records. Methods: A cross-sectional study was designed to analyze the report on stool culture of children (aged below five years) presented with acute diarrhea during the period between 2017 and 2020. The prevalence of E. coli and its antibiogram were analyzed. The data were subjected to statis-tical analysis. Results: A total of 245 diarrhoea stool samples results were analyzed. E. coli was confirmed in 176 samples (72%). More number of isolates (51/176, 28.9%) were found in children below one year of age with male dominance. Amoxicillin resistance was found in all the E. coli strains isolated with no significant difference (p=0.2233) between genders and age groups below and above one year. A significant difference (p=0.0001) was found between male and female chil-dren of age below and above one year for cefotaxime and ciprofloxacin resistance. Polymyxin B (72%) followed by imipenem (69%) sensitivity was exhibited by the isolated E. coli strains. Conclusion: E. coli isolates were more sensitive to polymyxin B and imipenem while they were most resistant to amoxicillin. Effective antibiotic treatment strategies should be developed to control E. coli infections in children.

Ubiquity of Synthetic Phenolic Antioxidants in Children's Cerebrospinal Fluid from South China: First Evidence for Their Penetration across the Blood-Cerebrospinal Fluid Barrier.

Synthetic phenolic antioxidants (SPAs) and relevant transformation products (TPs) are potentially neurotoxic pollutants to which humans are widely exposed. However, their penetration behavior across the brain barrier and associated exposure to the central nervous system (CNS) remain unknown. This study is the first to investigate a wide range of 30 SPAs and TPs, including emerging SPAs, in matched serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from children in Guangzhou, China. Sixty-two children of either sex aged <14 years with nonbloody CSF and complete clinical information were included. The findings demonstrated the ubiquitous occurrence of many SPAs and TPs, particularly BHT, 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol (DBP), AO 1010, AO 1076, BHT-Q, and BHT-quinol, not only in serum but also in the CSF. Median total concentrations of SPAs and TPs were up to 22.0 and 2.63 ng/mL in serum and 14.5 and 2.11 ng/mL in CSF, respectively. On calculating the penetration efficiencies across the blood-CSF barrier (BCSFB) (RCSF/serum, CCSF/Cserum) for selected SPAs and TPs, their RCSF/serum values (median 0.52-1.41) were highly related to their physicochemical properties, indicating that passive diffusion may be the potential mechanism of BCSFB penetration. In addition, the RCSF/serum values were positively correlated with the barrier permeability index RAlb (AlbuminCSF/Albuminserum), indicating that barrier integrity is an important determinant of BCSFB penetration. Overall, these results will improve our perception of human internal exposure to SPAs and lay a solid foundation for assessing the risk of CNS exposure to various SPAs.

EXPRESS: The Development of Lexical Processing: Real-Time Phonological Competition and Semantic Activation in School Age Children.

Prior research suggests that real-time phonological competition processes are stabilized in early childhood (Fernald et al., 2006). However, recent work suggests that development of these processes continues throughout adolescence (Huang & Snedeker, 2011; Rigler et al., 2015). This study aimed to investigate whether these developmental changes are based solely within the lexical system or are due to domain general changes. This study also aimed to investigate the development of real-time lexical-semantic activation. We captured semantic activation phonological competition and non-linguistic domain general processing skills using two Visual World Paradigm experiments in 43 7-9-year-olds, 42 10-13-year-olds, and 30 16-17-year-olds. Older children were quicker to fixate the target word and exhibited earlier onset and offset of fixations to both semantic and phonological competitors. Visual/cognitive skills explained significant, but not all, variance in the development of these effects. Developmental changes in semantic activation were largely attributable to changes in phonological processing. These results suggest that the concurrent development of linguistic processes and broader visual/cognitive skills lead to developmental changes in real-time phonological competition, while semantic activation is stable across these ages.

Fluoride varnish applications provided in general dental practice for children of primary school age in three areas of the UK.

Introduction Dental guidelines recommend professional application of fluoride varnish (FV) at least twice a year for children from the age of three.Methods NHS dental claims data were reviewed for children born in 2009 for the five-year period 2015-2019 and who attended the dentist in one of three geographical areas, labelled as Bristol, Birmingham and Cardiff. Data for 14,566 children were included in the study.Results Only 3.5% of children had been provided with ten or more FV applications at the dentist in the five-year period. Children in the Cardiff region fared less well for fluoride applications than their Bristol and Birmingham counterparts, including children that were seemingly at high risk of caries for part of the time period reviewed. For all three regions, the mean number of FV applications increased with an increase in the number of fillings provided.Conclusion Awareness of the apparent lack of FV application in the dental surgery may provide an opportunity to improve child dental health.

Problems of formation of socially mature students in the educational space

The article studies peculiarities of the formation of socially mature students in the educational space. The following problems of this phenomenon may be mentioned: unplanned pregnancy, prematurity of a child, rejection of a child by one or two parents, aggravating heredity, postnatal disorders in physical or mental development, individual features of a child, negative impact of environment and people, lack of educational influence and social maladaptation, as well as other political, socio-economic, and ethnocultural specifics. In the research, attention is paid to procedural aspects of forming social maturity of students in the educational space. Besides, the article presents its model, main aspects of model creation and implementation are reflected. In addition, the author provides the purposes, objectives, factors, and psycho-pedagogical conditions of the considered occurrence. Some of the given factors of the research affecting a child in early preschool, school, and student age can prevent its favourable formation in any educational institution which happens in such a direction as the natural teaching and educational process. The specifics of the faculty are traced in disciplines and competencies that correspond to the characteristics of social maturity of students.

Theoretical justification of the need for rational use of physical activity in the prepubertal period in schoolchildren

The goal is to theoretically substantiate the need to assess the functional state of elementary school students in order to determine directions for reforming motor activity classes in elementary school. Methodology: theoretical analysis: in order to determine the importance of the problem of organizing physical education classes for children of pre-pubescent age, in schools and sports clubs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as other countries; empirical: pedagogical observations, testing. Scientific novelty. This article examines modern data on the dependence of the level of physical fitness on the general level of health of primary school students (in the pre-pubertal period), the specifics of physical development and physical fitness, the functional state of the respiratory system, the parameters of the cardiovascular system based on the heart rate of middle school students links of education, in particular younger schoolchildren, their prospects in the ontogenesis of further development. This fact may further contribute to a more progressive approach of the teacher to the training of students in choosing an Olympic sport and successful sports activities, in accordance with their individual development, gender and physical fitness.&#x0D; Data from domestic and foreign literature are summarized, as well as the results of own research are presented, namely: an assessment of the level of health and physical abilities is carried out. Against this background, the dynamics of the growth of physical abilities of secondary school students compared to the results of similar work of a sports club was analyzed.&#x0D; Conclusions. On the basis of the obtained data, it was concluded that the lack of motor activity of pre-pubescent schoolchildren has a negative impact on the further course of the ontogenetic process and requires a balanced approach to the creation of unified and personalized programs of physical training of schoolchildren and an increase in the number of times. that are assigned to motor activity both in school and in extracurricular work in the Republic of Kazakhstan and Ukraine and the possibility of further implementation in other countries.

Computational methodology to support functional vision assessment in premature infants: A viability study.

Premature newborns have a higher risk of abnormal visual development and visual impairment. To develop a computational methodology to help assess functional vision in premature infants by tracking iris distances. This experimental study was carried out with children up to two years old. A pattern of image capture with the visual stimulus was proposed to evaluate visual functions of vertical and horizontal visual tracking, visual field, vestibulo-ocular reflex, and fixation. The participants' visual responses were filmed to compose a dataset and develop a detection algorithm using the OpenCV library allied with FaceMesh for the detection and selection of the face, detection of specific facial points and tracking of the iris positions is done. A feasibility study was also conducted from the videos processed by the software. Forty-one children of different ages and diagnoses participated in the experimental study, forming a robust dataset. The software resulted in the tracking of iris positions during visual function evaluation stimuli. Furthermore, in the feasibility study, 8 children participated, divided into Pre-term and Term groups. There was no statistical difference in any visual variable analyzed in the comparison between groups. The computational methodology developed was able to track the distances traveled by the iris, and thus can be used to help assess visual function in children.

Impact of talker variability on language development in two-year-olds.

This research investigated the impact of the number of talkers with whom children engage in daily conversation on their language development. Two surveys were conducted in 2020, targeting two-year-olds growing up in Japanese monolingual families. Caregivers reported the number of talkers in three age groups and children's productive vocabulary via questionnaires. The results demonstrated significant effects of variability in talkers in fifth grade or above in Study 1 (N = 50; male = 23; r = .372) and in adult talkers in Study 2 (N = 175; non-nursery going; male = 76; r = .184) on children's vocabulary development, after controlling for language exposure time and demographic variables. Possible mediating factors are discussed. This research extends previous findings from immigrant bilingual children to monolingual speakers in Japan, suggesting the potential contribution of available talkers other than caregivers in conversational environments.

Sports Activities in Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Narrative Review.

Physical exercise is known to have beneficial effects on psychosocial well-being and cognitive performance. Children with cerebral palsy (CP) showed lower levels of physical activity (PA) than healthy children; this fact, in addition to the basic clinical condition, increased the sedentary habit with a psychological impact and motor impairment of these children. Furthermore, children and adolescents with CP are less committed to sports activities than typically developing children of the same age. The aim of the present narrative review was to increase the amount of knowledge regarding the effectiveness and importance of specific and individualized sports in children with CP. A comprehensive search of MED-LINE and EMBASE databases was performed, including specific search terms such as "cerebral palsy" combined with "sport", "physical activity", and the names of different sports. No publication date limits were set. We included studies with an age range of 0-18 years. The main results pointed out that most of the sports improved motor function, quality of life, and coordination in children and adolescents with CP. Physicians, therapists, and parents should become aware of the benefits of sports activities for this population of patients. Specific sports activities could be included as a usual indication in clinical practice in addition to rehabilitation treatment.

Medical aspects of catering for children of different ages

The problems of nutrition of children and adolescents are currently of the greatest interest to domestic and foreign researchers. Currently, the issues of early formation of proper eating habits, taste perception and the impact of nutrition on the health of children of different ages are being actively studied. Various foreign and domestic studies of the nutrition structure and nutritional status of children and adolescents point to significant shortcomings in the organization of children’s nutrition, it is worth noting that these factors influence the formation of the health of children and adolescents of various age groups. The purpose of the review is to study the features of eating behavior, in particular, the issues of snacking and catering for children of different ages.

Soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) in children with obesity or type 1 diabetes as a marker of endothelial dysfunction: a cross-sectional study.

Pediatric obesity and type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) represent two common chronic diseases associated with chronic inflammation, endothelial dysfunction and long-term complications. The aim of the present study was to assess the possible diagnostic and prognostic value of soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR), a marker of inflammation and impaired endothelial function, in children with the diseases.In this cross-sectional study, children and adolescents with T1DM (N = 41) or obesity (N = 37), aged < 18 years old, and without proteinuria were included, together with children of similar age and without evident morbidity that served as controls (N = 42). Serum samples were obtained during standard outpatient follow up and the urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) concentrations were measured using a commercially available sandwich ELISA kit (DUP00, R&D systems). Clinical and biochemical indices that were also assessed include body mass index (BMI) z-score, Tanner stages, glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting lipid profile and serum creatinine. Mean serum suPAR levels were significantly higher in patients with obesity compared to patients with T1DM and controls, while children with T1DM had similar suPAR levels to controls. Also, serum suPAR levels showed a negative correlation with age (Spearman rho -0.359, p < 0.001) and serum creatinine levels (Spearman rho -0.334, p = 0.005), and a positive correlation with BMI z-score (Spearman rho 0.354, p = 0.009) in the whole cohort. Conclusion: Serum suPAR may be a useful predictive marker of inflammation or endothelial dysfunction for children with obesity and T1DM, as well as a promising therapeutic target. Further studies are needed in order to clarify whether the reported differences in suPAR levels could reflect a greater impairment of the inflammation status and endothelial function in children with obesity compared to children with T1DM. What is Known: • Paediatric obesity and type 1 diabetes are characterised by chronic inflammation and metabolic dysregulation. • Urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) has been proposed as a useful biomarker for chronic inflammation and cardiovascular risk in adults. What is New: • Serum suPAR levels were increased in children and adolescents with obesity compared to those with T1DM and healthy controls; thus, obesity may affect the inflammatory status and endothelial function to a higher degree than T1DM during childhood. • Serum suPAR may serve as a diagnostic and predictive marker of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction for children and adolescents with obesity and T1DM.

Epidemiological aspects of chronic diarrhea in children in the Samara region

The aim of the research: to study the structure and epidemiological features of chronic diarrhea in children in different age periods. Materials and methods: data on outpatient cases of children and inpatient care with diseases that are clinically manifested by chronic diarrhea syndrome were analyzed. A survey of 1509 children of different ages was also conducted at an outpatient appointment with a pediatrician on the day of a healthy child, in preschool and educational institutions in the city of Samara. Results of the study: as a result of the study, it was revealed that in the structure of gastroenterological pathology in children, diseases manifested by chronic diarrhea account for 1.8%, while at the outpatient stage, unspecified diseases are more common. Among the children surveyed, it was found that clinical manifestations of chronic diarrhea were observed in 53.4% of cases at the time of the survey, while among these children, only 8% had a gastroenterological diagnosis that explained chronic diarrhea. Slightly less than half of the children surveyed had the so-called causal nature of chronic diarrhea. Conclusion: The relevance of the problem of chronic diarrhea in childhood is confirmed by the data of its high prevalence. It has been shown that insufficient attention is paid to the problem of chronic diarrhea - the registered prevalence is at least 5 times lower than the real one. Particular attention should be paid to children with cause-related diarrhea, and restriction of the use of cause-significant products stops clinical manifestations and leads to a decrease in seeking medical help.

Adverse anthropogenic factors – a threat to the genetic and somatic health of children

The authors, based on a large number of studies (including their own) regarding the toxic effects of heavy and radioactive metals on children of different ages and with varying degrees of chronic exposure to such metals, present the risks of developing somatic and genetic diseases. The main mechanisms of the influence of the radiation factor on the child’s body and the causes of the formation of radiation-induced diseases are shown.

Ultrafine Particles and Hospital Visits for Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases in New York State.

Rationale: Exposure to particulate matter is associated with various adverse health outcomes. Ultrafine particles (UFPs; diameter <0.1 μm) are a unique public health challenge because of their size. However, limited studies have examined their impacts on human health, especially across seasons and demographic characteristics. Objectives: To evaluate the effect of UFP exposure on the risk of visiting the emergency department (ED) for a chronic lower respiratory disease (CLRD) in New York State in 2013-2018. Methods: We used a case-crossover design and conditional logistic regression to estimate how UFP exposure led to CLRD-related ED visits. GEOS-Chem Advanced Particle Microphysics, a state-of-the-art chemical transport model with a size-resolved particle microphysics model, generated air pollution simulation data. We then matched UFP exposure estimates to geocoded health records for asthma, bronchiectasis, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, unspecified bronchitis, and other chronic airway obstructions in New York State from 2013 through 2018. In addition, we assessed interactions with age, ethnicity, race, sex, meteorological factors, and season. Results: Each 1-(interquartile range [IQR]) increase in UFP exposure led to a 0.37% increased risk of a respiratory-related ED visit on lag 0-0, or the day of the ED visits, (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.23-0.52%) and a 1.81% increase on lag 0-6, or 6 days before the ED visit, (95% CI, 1.58-2.03%). The highest risk was in the emphysema subtype (lag 0-5, 4.18%; 95% CI, 0.16-8.37%), followed by asthma (lag 0-6, 2.00%), chronic bronchitis (lag 0-6, 1.78%), other chronic airway obstructions (lag 0-6, 1.60%), and unspecified bronchitis (lag 0-6, 1.49%). We also found significant interactions between UFP health impacts and season (Fall, 3.29%), temperature (<90th percentile, 2.27%), relative humidity (>90th percentile, 4.63%), age (children aged <18 yr, 3.19%), and sex (men, 2.06%) on lag 0-6. Conclusions: In this study, UFP exposure increased CLRD-related ED visits across all seasons and demographic characteristics, yet these associations varied according to various factors, which requires more research.

Plasma metabolite profiling for S. haematobium biomarkers of infection in pre-school aged children in Shamva District, Zimbabwe

BackgroundMetabolomics approaches are indispensable tools in infection biomarker discovery efforts as they shed light on the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of disease. In this study, we analysed plasma metabolites that can be used as biomarkers of urogenital schistosomiasis in pre-school aged children below the age of five.MethodsA case-control study was conducted involving 82 pre-school aged children that were age- and sex-matched. Urine samples were collected for three consecutive days to detect S. haematobium infection using urine filtration. Blood samples were also collected and processed to obtain plasma. Beckman Coulter AU480 chemistry analyser and commercial metabolite kits were used for profiling biomarkers in plasma samples. Descriptive statistics and MetaboAnalyst tool, were used for metabolite analysis. For the determination of diagnostic efficiency of plasma biomarkers, the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated from receiver operating characteristic curves at 95% CI.ResultsSuccinic acid, glucose-6-phosphate, phosphatidylcholine, alanine and creatinine levels in plasma were significantly associated with urogenital schistosomiasis (p&amp;lt;0.005) at the population level. Significant increase in concentration at 1.5-fold change (FC) threshold was highest for glucose-6-phosphate with FC value of 2.02 followed by creatinine, albumin and phosphatidylcholine. Creatinine was significantly downregulated with a FC value of 1.98. Of the six dysregulated metabolic pathways, glucose and sucrose metabolism were predominantly affected. Glucose-6-phosphate had the highest AUC (0.81), sensitivity (88.85%) and specificity (90.37%). Phosphatidylcholine and succinic acid also had AUC values greater than 0.7.ConclusionUrogenital schistosomiasis affects the energy-related metabolic pathways in pre-school aged children. Glucose-6-phosphate was identified as a potential indicator of infection at the population level. Furthermore, we recommend intensive validation of schistosome metabolite biomarkers.

Children’s everyday recreational mobilities – growing up in a densifying Swedish small town

ABSTRACT Access to urban open space is of large importance for the child-friendliness of built environments and might also play an important role in children’s sustainable recreational mobilities. Yet, little is known about how children’s everyday recreation and associated mobilities are affected by planning projects and densification processes, where ideas of sustainable mobility often focus on a transit-oriented development (TOD) based on densification in areas around transport nodes. In this study, we examine the current rapid development of a small town in the south of Sweden, affected by TOD ideals. The case is studied through the perspectives of local children aged 10–11, focusing on their recreational mobilities and the current development, using walking interviews. The children described the current projects as happening fast, diminishing their spaces and increasing car traffic without their perspectives being included. Compared to a study conducted 5 years earlier in the same small town, the children appeared to find less places for them and to focus more on formal places programmed for their use. There are reasons to be critical to how densification is being realised in relation to sustainable recreational mobilities, if leading to continuous car dependence but with less access to sufficient and varied open spaces of interest to children. This study also shows the importance of including children of various ages in both research and practice to strive for sustainability.