Childhood Behavior Research Articles

The Role of Parenting in Cultivating Environmental Attitudes in Early Childhood in Digital Era

In this digital era, parenting plays an important role in shaping environmental awareness and nature-friendly behavior in early childhood. Children at this time are often exposed to technology from an early age, so excessive use can affect children's attitudes and behavior towards the environment. This study aims to identify the role of appropriate parenting on environmental care in the digital era in early childhood. This research uses a qualitative study with a literature review research method by collecting various scientific sources. This research aims to convey information about how the role of parenting can affect children's environmental care attitudes in the digital era. An important finding in this study is that the role of parents in shaping children's character, especially in the digital era, is very important. Parents must understand the characteristics of children in the digital era, apply appropriate parenting patterns and build effective communication with children. The importance of applying democratic and authoritative parenting, in helping children develop positive environmental awareness. Therefore, the importance of early religious and moral values education as an effort to instill environmental awareness in children. Parents' involvement in children's learning, both at home and at school, is a key factor in shaping environmental awareness in early childhood.

Biodevelopmental Correlates of Sexual Orientation in Men: Evidence from a Polish Sample.

Biological mechanisms proposed to play a role in the development of sexual orientation in men include hormonal, genetic, and immunological factors. The posited roles of these factors are not mutually exclusive; instead, they may be at play to different degrees in different individuals. Direct measurement of these influences is challenging; thus, researchers rely on putative markers. We collected data on five well-established markers in a sample of gay and heterosexual men. We then (1) compared the levels of those markers in gay and straight men, (2) identified latent profiles based on those markers, and (3) compared the proportions of gay and straight men within the profiles. Gay men reported less gender conformity in childhood, a higher proportion of older brothers, were more right-handed, had more non-heterosexual relatives, and had more feminized digit ratios. Of the six identified profiles, the most numerous, containing a significantly higher proportion of straight men, had masculine digit ratios, masculine behavior in childhood, and was the most right-handed. Proportions of gay and straight men did not differ in the profile with the most feminine digit ratio, the profile associated with the highest proportion of older brothers, and the profile associated with left-handedness. Two remaining profiles, associated with familiality, and the most feminine childhood gender behaviors, consisted predominantly of gay men. The study suggests that further investigations of differences within sexual orientation categories are warranted.

Family events and child behavior in late childhood: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundChildren’s social behavior develops through diverse experiences. However, the relationship between children’s experiences of celebratory events and their behavioral development has not been previously quantified. Therefore, this study aimed to quantitatively explore this relationship.MethodsIn 2020, a self-reported questionnaire was completed by 653 sixth-grade students (aged 11–12 years) and/or their caregivers in Nagoya, Aichi, a major metropolitan area in Japan. The main items surveyed were children’s experiences with events celebrated by their family and their behavioral development. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire was used to assess children’s behavior. This questionnaire identifies behavioral and emotional problems and prosocial behavior. Multiple regression analysis was conducted with the number of family events experienced by children as the explanatory variable and their emotional and prosocial behavior as the objective variables.ResultsChildren from families who participated in fewer family events tended to have higher problematic behavior risk scores and lower prosociality scores compared with their counterparts. Compared with children who participated in more than 20 family events, those who participated in fewer than 10 family events had more than three times the risk for exhibiting problem behaviors (odds: 3.558, 95% CI: 1.252–10.111, p = .017) and prosocial problems (odds: 3.184, 95% CI: 1.726–5.876, p < .001). Conversely, children from families who participated in more family events tended to have lower problematic behavior risk scores and higher prosociality scores.ConclusionsA higher number of family events may reduce the risk of behavioral problems in children and increase their prosociality. Enjoying family events may be beneficial for social adjustment.

Psychomotor development, emotional regulation, and executive functions in 2-years-old children after threatened preterm labour: a prospective cohort study.

A threatened preterm labour (TPL) represents an adverse prenatal event with potential long-term consequences on the offspring's neurodevelopment, regardless of prematurity condition. This study aimed to assess TPL's impact on children's psychomotor and socioemotional development at 2years of age. A cohort of mother-infants was recruited at the time of TPL diagnoses and followed up until 30months of children's corrected age. Participants were classified into three groups regarding gestational age at delivery: Full-term TPL (n = 35), Late Preterm TPL (n = 67), and Very Preterm TPL (n = 41). A Control group (n = 62) of mothers without TPL and their infants born at term completed the sample. Children's assessment was performed using the Ages & Stages Questionnaires for psychomotor development, the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire-Very Short Form for temperament, and the Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool Version for executive functions. Then, MANCOVAs were conducted to detect differences between groups. TPL children, regardless of delivery time, showed worse emotional regulation (ps < .03) and more inhibition problems (ps < .02) than control ones. In addition, Very preterm TPL children exhibited lower psychomotor development (ps ≤ .040), more difficulties in working memory (ps ≤ .002), and planification/organization (ps ≤ .003) domains. TPL per se may represent a risk factor for children's neurodevelopmental disturbances, specifically in emotional regulation and inhibitory control competencies, even in the absence of prematurity.

Neighborhood assets, parenting, and child disruptive behavior in low-income Black families.

Neighborhood assets, such as access to recreational facilities, density of residence, and safety, were examined in relation to parenting and disruptive behavior in early childhood. Examining data from a low-income Black preschool sample, this study investigated how self-reported neighborhood assets and observed parenting behaviors interactively predict observed disruptive behavior in children. Findings revealed a significant relationship between parenting and child behavior, where parenting with high sensitivity and engagement and parenting with less verbal and physical interference and intrusiveness predicted fewer child disruptive behaviors. There was also a significant interaction between neighborhood assets and parenting behaviors on child disruptive behavior, in which nonoptimal parenting behaviors predicted child disruptive behaviors to a greater degree in neighborhoods with fewer assets. On the other hand, optimal parenting was protective of child outcomes under conditions of fewer assets, above and beyond parenting in neighborhoods with greater assets. Few studies have examined this complex relationship between the neighborhood, parenting, and child disruptive behavior with the use of self-report and observational measures utilized in this study. Furthermore, few studies have examined this relationship within such a high-risk preschool sample. Given these findings, there is a need to improve neighborhoods to better support families. Additionally, clinicians may need to be more attentive to the effects of parenting and neighborhood assets on disruptive behavior in early childhood. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

A bidirectional association between language development and prosocial behavior in childhood: Evidence from a longitudinal birth cohort in the United Kingdom.

This study investigated a developmental cascade between prosocial and linguistic abilities in a large sample (N = 11,051) from the general youth population in the United Kingdom (50% female, 46% living in disadvantaged neighborhoods, 13% non-White). Cross-lagged panel models showed that verbal ability at age 3 predicted prosociality at age 7, which in turn predicted verbal ability at age 11. Latent growth models also showed that gains in prosociality between 3 and 5 years were associated with increased verbal ability between 5 and 11 years and vice versa. Theory of mind and social competence at age 5 mediated the association between early childhood prosociality and late childhood verbal ability. These results remained robust even after controlling for socioeconomic factors, maternal mental health, parenting microclimate in the home environment, and individual characteristics (sex, ethnicity, and special educational needs). The findings suggest that language skills could be boosted through mentalizing activities and prosocial behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Associations Between Sleep Health and Child Behavior at Age 6 Years in the INSIGHT Study.

Suboptimal sleep is associated with disruptive behaviors in childhood. We evaluate associations of mean and variability (SD) of sleep duration, quality, and timing with emotion regulation, impulsivity, and prosocial and antisocial behavior in children. Intervention Nurses Start Infants Growing on Healthy Trajectories, a randomized controlled trial designed for obesity prevention, compared a responsive parenting intervention delivered in the first 2.5 years after birth with a home safety control group. At age 6 years, children wore an actigraphy device for 7 days and participated in behavioral tasks evaluating behavioral control, emotion regulation, and prosocial and antisocial behaviors. Separate linear regression models examined associations between sleep and behavioral variables, adjusting for study group, child sex, and household income. Moderation analysis investigated whether the study group moderated relationships between sleep and positive age-appropriate behavior. Children (N = 143, age 6.7 ± 0.3 years) were predominantly non-Hispanic White (95%). Mean actigraphic sleep duration, quality, and timing were not associated with behavioral variables. By contrast, greater variability in sleep onset timing was associated with greater impulsivity (B = 0.85, p = 0.004) and poorer emotion regulation (B = -0.65, p = 0.01). Greater variability in sleep midpoint timing was associated with greater impulsivity (B = 0.80, p = 0.03). The study group moderated the effect of sleep onset variability on behavior; only the home safety control group exhibited a significant negative relationship between variability in sleep onset timing and emotion regulation (B = -1.28, p = 0.0002). Findings support the importance of consistency in sleep timing and how this may play a greater role in children's behavioral and emotional outcomes than mean actigraphic sleep duration and quality.

A mesocorticolimbic insulin receptor gene co-expression network moderates the association between early life adversity and food approach eating behaviour style in childhood

Insulin receptors, located in brain regions associated with reward sensitivity and decision-making, facilitate insulin action in the brain, modulating intracellular signaling cascades, gene expression, and neural activity. Here, we tested if variations in the expression of the insulin receptor gene network in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and striatum (STR) moderate the association between early life adversity and eating behaviour in childhood and if this moderation is sex-specific. Participants from the Maternal Adversity, Vulnerability and Neurodevelopment (MAVAN) and Basal Influences on the Baby's Development (BIBO) were included as two independent cohorts. A biologically-informed polygenic score reflecting functional variation of the mesocorticolimbic insulin receptor gene network was created by using insulin receptor co-expression data from the PFC and STR in mice, and validated in humans through filtering by homologous expression in PFC using well-known databases. Early life adversity exposure was measured as a composite score. Eating behaviour was characterized using the Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire administered to mothers of children aged 4 and 6 years in MAVAN, and 6 years in BIBO. We found that only in those with high expression of the mesocorticolimbic insulin receptor gene network a higher early adversity score associated with a higher desire to drink in 4-year boys and 6-year girls, as well as a higher food approach score and food approach/food avoidance ratio in 4-year girls. Also, a higher early life adversity was associated with higher food responsiveness, food approach score and food approach/food avoidance ratio at 6 years in the MAVAN full sample. The moderation observed on desire to drink was partially replicated in BIBO children aged 6 years. Identifying individual differences in response to early adversity may help to prioritize individuals at high risk for long-term disease and design suitable interventions.

The power of prompts: Encouraging children to think about fairness promotes the costly rejection of unfairness.

Children in the United States have an early-emerging understanding that resources should be divided fairly among agents, yet their behavior does not begin to reflect this understanding until later in development. Why does this gap between knowledge and behavior exist, and how can we close it? Here, we tested the role of explicit prompts in closing the gap, asking whether prompting 4- to 9-year-olds to make fair decisions would promote the costly rejection of unfairness in the Inequity Game. Children were presented with either advantageous (more for actor, less for recipient) or disadvantageous (less for actor, more for recipient) allocations and assigned to one of three experimental conditions: Fairness Prompt, Autonomous Prompt, or Baseline. Prompt condition had a strong effect on advantageous but not disadvantageous inequity aversion. Indeed, a simple fairness prompt was enough to reveal advantageous inequity aversion at 5 years of age, roughly 2 years before it was seen in children in the Autonomous Prompt or Baseline conditions. This study points to the promise of simple prompts as a powerful means of encouraging costly fair behavior in childhood. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Early-life temperament: A longitudinal investigation of stability and structure

In this longitudinal study, we investigated the factor structure and stability of early-life temperament in a German sample, using three measures developed within Rothbart’s psychobiological approach. Temperament was measured using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire Revised (IBQ-R) at the ages of 6 and 12 months, the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire (ECBQ) at the age of 18 months, and the Child Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ) at the ages of 36 and 48 months. We assessed longitudinal stability on a scale and factor level using data from the 85 participants that took part in each measurement. The latent factor structures were analyzed at each time point using all available data, ranging from 112 to 148 participants. Modest to high degrees of stability for most scales and all three latent factors was found. Stability was highest between measurements employing the same instrument and increased with age, indicating a consolidation of temperament traits over time. Model fit for the proposed factor structure consisting of Surgency, Negative Affect, and Effortful Control/Regulatory Capacity was poor, while exploratory factor analyses revealed similar but not identical structures for each time point. The third factor of Regulatory Capacity was not found at 6 months, but at 12 months and later, as is commonly the case in German samples. These findings further contribute to our understanding of the early development of temperament and its stability from infancy and beyond as well as expand on previous literature regarding its structure in German culture.

Tendência temporal dos casos confirmados de COVID-19 em crianças, adolescentes e adultos de São Carlos - SP entre 2020 e 2021: um estudo de série temporal

Introduction: COVID-19 behavior in childhood was different from that of adults and the evaluation of these cases and their trend over time was poorly explored. Also, lethality in the disease in the pediatric population was observed, highlighting the importance of studies in this population. Objective: To analyze the temporal trend in COVID-19-confirmed cases in children and adolescents and compare it to adults in São Carlos. Methods: A time-series study was conducted between February 2020 and March 2021 in São Carlos, SP, Brazil, comparing children and adolescents to adults, both with a positive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test, in the Epidemiology Surveillance database. Time was split at the 38th epidemiological week (periods 1 and 2). The data were analyzed using a Prais–Winsten generalized linear regression model, considering a p-value &lt; 0.05. The e-SUS database was investigated in the same period, to evaluate clinical cases in children and adolescents’ characteristics. Results: Three thousand and sixteen RT-PCR tests were performed on children and adolescents, and 791 (26.0%) were positive. There was a rising trend of cases, and the comparison between the periods revealed a 2.5-fold increase for children and adolescents and a 3.0-fold increase for adults. Conclusion: There was a rising trend in cases that was comparable between children, adolescents, and adults. This result helps the knowledge about the transmission in children, adolescents, and adults, at the local level. This way, it contributes to the construction of preventive interventions that are necessary and related to public policies.

The Prevalence of Suicidal Behaviors in Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adults Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BackgroundMany studies have shown that Childhood, adolescent and young adult cancer (CAYAC) survivors have an increased risk of late physical and mental health effects. However, comprehensive data on the risks of suicidal behaviors in CAYAC survivors are still lacking. We investigated the evidence of suicidal behaviors in CAYAC survivors. MethodsWe performed a systematic review and meta-analysis. The literature search was conducted using MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, the Cochrane Database, and reference lists from previous relevant reviews. We summarized the characteristics of eligible studies on suicidal behavior. We performed meta-analysis with random-effect model for available data of them and calculated pooled prevalences with 95% confidence intervals (CI). ResultsWe identified 1108 articles from the search and 22 articles from previous review. We identified 38 eligible studies. 26 cohort studies and 12 cross-sectional studies were compromised. The meta-analysis showed pooled prevalence of suicide was 0.152% (95% CI: 0.103-0.209), suicide attempt was 2.2% (95%CI; 1.9-2.6) and suicidal ideation was 9.2% (95%CI: 7.8-10.6). Some studies identified specific CAYAC survivors at risk of suicide as age, type of cancer and treatments. LimitationsOutcome measures could not be identified in some studies in the meta-analysis. ConclusionsThe findings revealed prevalence of suicidal behaviors in CAYAC survivors. Greater awareness and monitoring are needed of these risks, and of issues that affect support to prevent suicidal behaviors in CAYAC survivors.

Neighborhood Social and Physical Environments and Sedentary Behaviors: Importance of Early Childhood in Shaping Health Behaviors.

This study aims to investigate the persistence of sedentary behaviors from early childhood to adolescence and the longitudinal association between neighborhood social and physical environments and childhood sedentary behaviors. Using the Future of Families & Child Wellbeing Study (N = 2716), we conducted a cross-lagged path analysis to examine the longitudinal association between neighborhood social and physical environments (neighborhood socioeconomic status, observed physical disorder, and crime rates) and sedentary behaviors at subsequent measurement points, after controlling for demographic factors and family socioeconomic status. We observed the continuity of sedentary behaviors in early childhood, extending throughout adolescence. Neighborhood socioeconomic status was significantly associated with sedentary behaviors at subsequent measurement points from early childhood to adolescence. Observation-based physical disorder and crime rates were associated with engagement in greater sedentary behaviors in adolescence but not in early and middle childhood. We also observed a partial mediation effect of neighborhood physical disorder and crime rates in the association between neighborhood socioeconomic status and sedentary behaviors in adolescence. Our results demonstrated the importance of early childhood in shaping healthy behaviors and highlighted the contribution of unfavorable environments to sedentary behaviors. These findings call for the need to support disadvantaged neighborhoods, particularly by addressing safety concerns and physical disorder, for promoting physical activity and reducing sedentary behaviors among adolescents.

Associations among temperament characteristics and telomere length and attrition rate in early childhood.

There is growing interest in telomere length as an indicator of current and future health. Although early childhood is a period of rapid telomere attrition, little is known about the factors that influence telomere biology during this time. Adult research suggests that telomere length is influenced by psychological characteristics. This study's goal was to test associations among repeated measures of temperament and telomere length in a community sample of children (N = 602; 52% male, 73% non-Hispanic White, middle-to-high socioeconomic status) from infancy to age 3 years. Relative telomere length was assessed from DNA in saliva samples collected at infancy (M = 8.4 months), 2 years (M = 24.9 months), and 3 years (M = 37.8 months). Temperament was assessed via maternal report questionnaires administered at infancy (Infant Behavior Report Questionnaire-Revised) and ages 2 and 3 years (Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire). Temperament was operationalized in two ways: using the established domains of negative affectivity, surgency/extraversion, and regulation/effortful control and using person-centered scores that identified three groups of children with similar profiles across domains (emotionally and behaviorally regulated; emotionally and behaviorally dysregulated; introverted and overcontrolled). Analyses revealed that greater regulation/effortful control was associated with longer telomere length across time points. Additionally, higher surgency/extraversion, beginning in infancy, was associated with decreased rate of telomere attrition. There were no sex differences in the relations between temperament and telomere measures. These findings suggest that, as early as infancy, temperament may influence telomere biology, with a potential protective effect of positive temperament characteristics on telomere erosion. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Experiences of discrimination and snacking behavior in Black and Latinx children.

Little is known about how discrimination contributes to health behaviors in childhood. We examined the association between children's exposure to discrimination and their snacking behavior in a sample of youth of color (N = 164, Mage = 11.5 years, 49% female, 60% Black, 40% Hispanic/Latinx). We also explored whether children's body mass index (BMI) or sleepiness moderated the association between discrimination and calorie consumption. The significant link between discrimination and calorie consumption was moderated by children's BMI, such that discrimination was associated with calorie consumption for children with BMI percentiles above 79%. Children's sleepiness did not serve as an additional moderator. Efforts to promote health should consider children's broader socio-contextual experiences, including discrimination, as factors that may shape eating patterns.

Preconception and prenatal vitamin D associations with positive behavioral health in Black children.

Low levels of vitamin D during pregnancy are associated with offspring behavioral problems but little is known about pre-pregnancy influences. Additionally, Black American individuals are underrepresented in studies, limiting translational impact. We tested independent and interactive effects of preconception and prenatal vitamin D in Black women in relation to positive behavioral and emotional outcomes in early childhood. Black-identifying participants (N = 156) enrolled in the longitudinal Pittsburgh Girls Study (PGS) provided venous blood samples before and during pregnancy to measure 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels. Participants completed questionnaires assessing sociodemographic factors, depression severity and life stress, and later reported on child behavioral and emotional problems and prosocial behavior between 2 and 4 years. Mean serum 25(OH)D concentrations were 15.5 ng/ml (s.d. = 7.7) before pregnancy and 18.0 ng/ml (s.d. = 9.2) during pregnancy; below the sufficiency threshold according to commonly used dietary guidelines. After adjusting for covariates, prenatal 25(OH)D was negatively related to behavior problems and positively related to prosocial behavior in children, although the association attenuated for behavior problems after accounting for preconception 25(OH)D, which may reflect patterns of stability. Maternal 25(OH)D was unrelated to child emotional problems, and no synergistic effects of 25(OH)D timing were observed for any child outcome. Findings have relevance for Black women living in the northeast U.S. Results suggest specific associations between maternal vitamin D and positive behaviors in early childhood, regardless of sufficiency levels and suggest potential opportunities for early interventions to support healthy child development.

Mediating effects of child schema mode in the relationship between negative parent-child relationships in childhood and non-suicidal self-injurious behavior in college students

This study was aimed to investigate the psychological mechanisms underlying non-suicidal self-injurious behavior. For this purpose, we hypothesized that dysfunctional child modes act as a psychological mechanism to influence the relationship between negative parent-child relationships in childhood and current cognitions (catastrophizing), emotions (emotional dysregulation and depression), and behaviors (non-suicidal self-injurious behaviors). A sample of 430 college students (male 97, female 333) with experience of non-suicidal self-injurious behavior was selected to test the multi-mediation effects of child schema mode (angry, impulsive), catastrophizing, emotional dysregulation, and depression on the relationship between negative parent-child relationships in childhood and non-suicidal self-injury. As a result of structural equation modeling analysis, it was found that negative parent-child relationships in childhood directly influenced child schema mode, catastrophizing, depression, and non-suicidal self-injurious behaviors. In addition, it was found that negative parent-child relationships in childhood were dually mediated by child schema mode and depression and child schema mode and emotional dysregulation. The present study highlights the mediating role of child schema modes as a psychological mechanism underlying the relationship between negative parent-child relationships in childhood and non-suicidal self-injurious behavior. Based on these findings, the usefulness and direction of schema therapy interventions in the field of non-suicidal self-injury counseling are discussed.

Cross-sectional study about suicide ideation and attempts among Brazilian pre-adolescents

BackgroundSuicide is a global public health problem. In childhood, the risk factors are less clear, highlighting family and individual factors. This study aims to investigate the prevalence and sociodemographic, social, family, and individual factors associated with suicide ideation and attempts in pre-adolescents in a Brazilian city.MethodsThe sample comes from a cohort of 500 schoolchildren of a city in Rio de Janeiro/Brazil. The data are analyzed cross-sectionally. The research incorporated data from the years 2005, 2006, and 2008 to evaluate suicide ideation and attempts in childhood, as reported by parents/caregivers, teachers and children. A hierarchical logistic model evaluated the association between the explanatory variables related to sociodemographic, social, family, and individual factors and the outcome.Results22.2% of the children (95% CI 18.0%-27.0%) had suicide ideation/attempts, reported either by their mothers, teachers, or the child at some point in a cohort. The following variables were associated with suicidal ideation/attempts in the final adjusted model: regular or poor quality of relationship with friends (OR = 1.84; 95% CI 1.31–2.58), having a family member incarcerated (OR = 1.44; 95% CI 1.07–1.92) and having worse performance in portuguese or mathematics than other students (OR = 2.05; 95% CI 1.29–3.26).ConclusionSuicidal behavior in childhood is severe and affects everyone around the case, demanding to promote friendships, helping with school activities, and providing greater support and attention to children at risk. Bad relationships with friends and incarcerated family members are particularly key risk factors for suicide ideation and attempts. It is essential to improve prevention policies and to disseminate protective behaviors. There is a critical need to augment community mental health resources, mainly in less developed countries and regions that lack these services.

The impact of a positive discipline group intervention on parenting self-efficacy among mothers of young children.

Instilling healthy behaviors in early childhood is crucial as they can have lifelong impacts. However, many Chinese mothers lack effective parenting strategies, resulting in low self-efficacy. Positive Discipline, a non-punitive and non-indulgent approach, can help enhance maternal parenting self-efficacy and promote healthy lifestyle behaviors in children. This study explores the impact of a Positive Discipline group intervention on the parenting self-efficacy of Chinese mothers and how it can contribute to promoting diet and healthy lifestyle behaviors in early childhood. We randomly selected 70 mothers with low parenting self-efficacy from a kindergarten in China, dividing them into an intervention group (35 participants) and a control group (35 participants). The intervention group received a 6-week Positive Discipline intervention, while the control group received no intervention. The intervention aimed at helping mothers nurture their children in a kind and firm manner. We used paired samples t-tests and independent samples t-tests to compare changes in parenting self-efficacy scores before and after the intervention. Results showed that the intervention group's parenting self-efficacy scores significantly improved after the intervention, from an average score of 25.00 ± 4.08 to 36.29 ± 2.99 (p < 0.05, Cohen's d = 3.156). Significant improvements were observed in areas like "believing their parenting style benefits their child's growth" and "knowing how to effectively parent their children." The control group's average scores showed no significant changes between pre- and post-intervention (pre: 25.07 ± 5.33; post: 24.86 ± 5.75, p > 0.05, Cohen's d = 0.076). Furthermore, 3 months post-intervention, the intervention group's scores remained significantly higher than pre-intervention (p < 0.05), demonstrating the intervention's lasting effect. This study demonstrates that the Positive Discipline group intervention significantly enhances parenting self-efficacy in Chinese mothers, promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors in early childhood. Providing continuous support and guidance to mothers can help solidify their parenting confidence, ensuring long-term intervention success. Future research should explore how group interventions can effectively integrate healthy behaviors into early childhood routines and impact children's diet and lifestyle behaviors.

Structural and functional whole brain changes in autism spectrum disorder at different age stages.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder involving regional changes and local neural disturbances. However, few studies have investigated the dysfunctional phenomenon across different age stages. This study explores the structural and functional brain changes across different developmental stages in individuals with ASD, focusing on childhood (6-12 years), adolescence (12-18 years), and adulthood (18 + years). Using a comprehensive set of neuroimaging metrics, including modulated and non-modulated voxel-based morphometry (VBM), regional homogeneity (ReHo), amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), and fractional ALFF (fALFF), we identified significant stage-specific alterations in both VBM and functional measurements. Our results reveal that ASD is associated with progressive and stage-specific abnormalities in brain structure and function, with distinct patterns emerging at each developmental stage. Specifically, we observed significant modulated VBM reductions in the precuneus, lentiform nucleus, and inferior parietal lobule, accompanied by increases in the midbrain and sub-gyral regions. Moreover, we observed unmodulated VBM increment in regions including lentiform nucleus and thalamus. Functionally, ReHo analyses demonstrated disrupted local synchronization in the medial frontal gyrus, while ALFF and fALFF metrics highlighted altered spontaneous brain activity in the sub-gyral and sub-lobar. Finally, correlation analyses revealed that stage-specific findings are closely linked to clinical social- and behavior-related scores, with VBM in the inferior parietal lobule and putamen as well as ReHo in supplemental motor area being significantly associated with restrictive repetitive behaviors in childhood. These findings underscore the importance of considering age-specific brain changes when studying ASD and suggest that targeted interventions may be necessary at different developmental stages.