Childhood Behavior Research Articles

The Relationship Between The Level Of Parental Knowledge About Covid-19 And The Application Of Clean And Healthy Living Behavior In Early Childhood During The Pandemic

The increasing number of Covid-19 cases in children in Indonesia has caused parents to make more efforts to protect their children. Parents' knowledge is the domain in the formation of Covid-19 prevention behavior by implementing clean and healthy living behaviors in children. This study aims to determine the relationship between the level of parental knowledge about Covid-19 and the application of clean and healthy living habits in early childhood during the pandemic. This research is an analytic observational study with a cross sectional approach. The population in this study were 35 parents of PAUD Nurul Quran. The frequency distribution of the level of knowledge about Covid-19, the majority of respondents have a good level of knowledge about Covid-1, namely 25 respondents or 89.3% and the frequency of implementing clean and healthy living habits in early childhood during the pandemic, it is known that most respondents 20 respondents or 71.4% have implemented a clean and healthy lifestyle. Based on the results of research with the Spearman rho test, it is known that the Asymp. Sig. (2-sided) of 0.001 <α (0.05) with a correlation value of 0.333, this means that there is a relationship between the level of parental knowledge about Covid-19 and the application of clean and healthy living habits in early childhood during the pandemic in a positive direction. and the closeness of the relationship is moderate.

The Effect of the 'Touch Screen-Based Cognitive Training' for Children with Severe Cognitive Impairment in Special Education.

Traditional education in special schools have some limitations. We aimed to investigate if the ‘touch screen-based cognitive training’ is feasible and effective for children with severe cognitive impairment (developmental age 18–36 months) in special education. In this case, 29 children were randomly allocated to intervention (n = 17, ‘touch screen-based cognitive training’, 30 min/session, 3 times/week, 12 weeks) and control (n = 12, traditional education) groups. Psychoeducational Profile-Revised (PEP-R), Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire (ECBQ), Sequenced Language Scale for Infants (SELSI), Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI), and Goal Attainment Scale (GAS) were measured before and after 12 weeks of education. The ‘touch screen-based cognitive training’ was applicable in special education. When repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used, significant groupⅹtime effect was found for GAS, and significant group effect was found for ECBQ (attentional shifting) and GAS. When adjusting for pre-education measurements, the intervention had a significant effect on the post-education measurements of ECBQ (attentional shifting) and GAS (p < 0.05). No relationship existed between the degree of improvements and the severeness of developmental delay in the measurements. ‘Touch screen-based cognitive training’ in special school was feasible and it improved cognition in children with severe cognitive impairment (developmental age 18–36 months), irrespective of the severeness of the developmental delay.

Pre- and postnatal exposure to multiple ambient air pollutants and child behavioral problems at five years of age

Ambient air pollution is emerging as a risk factor for adverse neurological symptoms and early childhood diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the association between pre- and postnatal exposure to air pollutants and childhood behavior by using MOCEH prospective birth cohort data. In total, 353 mother-child pairs at birth, who completed child behavioral assessments using the Korean version of the Child Behavior Checklist at five years of age, were included in the study.Multivariate linear regression (MLR) for single pollutant and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) for multiple pollutants were conducted. MLR analysis showed that air pollutant exposures during the first trimester were significantly associated with the internalizing problems score after adjusting for covariates. The estimates were 0.19 (0.05–0.32) per 1 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5, 0.13 (0.04–0.22) per 1 μg/m3 increase in PM10, and 0.20 (0.02–0.37) per 1 ppb increase in NO2. The BKMR model analysis revealed that the overall effects of multiple air pollutants during the first trimester of pregnancy and 0–6 months of the infantile period were significantly associated with behavioral problems. Boys showed a stronger associations than girls.Taken together, these results showed that the first trimester of pregnancy and 0–6 months of the infantile period were important for air pollutant exposure because exposure at these periods was associated with behavioral problems in 5-year-old children. Future efforts are required to control air pollution levels and reduce the health burden of vulnerable populations, including pregnant women and children.

Physical development and mental health in South African perinatally HIV-positive adolescents on antiretroviral therapy and their caregivers with and without household food insecurity.

BackgroundPerinatally acquired HIV-infected (PHIV+) adolescents have shown impairments in neurocognitive function and mental health problems compared with their peers. The contribution of food insecurity to such impairments has not been explored.ObjectivesThe aim of this report has been to explore the contribution of food insecurity to neurocognitive impairment and mental health problems in adolescents with perinatally-acquired HIV infection.MethodA total of 248 PHIV+ adolescents and healthy controls aged between 9 and 12 years completed a neuropsychological battery, the Childhood Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) and the Becks Youth Inventory. Head circumference, body mass index (BMI), height for age (HAZ), Tanner pubertal staging, albumin, haemoglobin, CD4 and viral loads were also measured. Participants’ caregivers were interviewed about their mental health and household food security. T-tests were used to assess for differences in food secure and food insecure households.ResultsCaregivers of PHIV+ adolescents reported higher levels of depressive symptoms and household food insecurity. Increased food insecurity was associated with more behavioural problems in adolescents, as well as lower haemoglobin and albumin levels, faster processing speed and increased Tanner staging in boys. Body mass index and HAZ were not affected by food insecurity.ConclusionThese findings suggest that household food insecurity is associated with some altered behavioural, physical and physiological outcomes, which could complicate and compound the existing difficulties in PHIV+ households.

Cross-Cultural Differences in Temperament Between the United States and the People’s Republic of China: A Longitudinal Comparison

Aims: The present study assessed cross-cultural differences in temperament and temperament stability between children from the United States (US) and the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Goals of the study include examining differences in three temperament factors (surgency, negative affectivity, and regulation/effortful control), conducting comparisons on fine-grained dimensions of factors demonstrating significant cross-cultural differences, and comparing temperament stability from infancy to toddlerhood.&#x0D; Methodology: The US sample (N = 147) and PRC sample (N = 128) consisted of children whose temperament was longitudinally assessed in infancy and toddlerhood using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised Short Form (IBQ-R SF) and the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire Short Form (ECBQ SF). Primary analyses involved evaluating mean differences in the three temperament factors: surgency, negative affectivity, and regulation/effortful control, with additional statistical tests conducted to investigate fine-grained distinctions.&#x0D; Results: Findings revealed main effects of culture for each factor with culture x time interactions indicating negative affectivity significantly differed in toddlerhood, t(273) = -8.27, P &lt; .001, d = 1.00, 98.75% CI [-0.70, -0.37], and regulation in infancy, t(273) = -5.17, P &lt; .001, d = 0.62, 98.75% CI [-0.62, -0.22]. Specifically, the US sample exhibited higher surgency at both time points, lower negative affectivity in toddlerhood, and lower regulation in infancy. In addition, little difference was noted in temperament stability between the US and Chinese samples.&#x0D; Conclusion: Our findings support previous reports identifying cultural differences in temperament and highlight that differences are not constant across early childhood, but rather that as development unfolds, their nature is subject to change.

The Apple of Dad’s Eye: Paternal Affective Attitudes Predicting Early Childhood Behavior Problems

ABSTRACT Objective The Family Affective Attitude Rating Scale (FAARS) uses an audio-recorded speech sample to measure parents’ affective attitudes toward their children. The present study investigated the psychometric properties of this scale for use with fathers, concurrent predictors of paternal affective attitudes (parental depressive symptoms, inter-parental relationship quality, observed paternal parenting), and associations between fathers’ positive and negative affective attitudes toward their two-year-old children and children’s behavior problems one year later. Methods Participants were a sample (N = 226) of families from the Early Steps Multisite Study, a longitudinal study of low-income parents and children. Participants were racially and ethnically diverse (65% white; 23% Black or biracial; 12% Latinx). Results Initial validation results support the reliability and validity of FAARS coding in fathers of preschoolers, a previously untested group. Both maternal and paternal depressive symptoms and interparental relationship quality were significantly associated with fathers’ affective attitudes toward their children. Further, fathers’ positive affective attitudes predicted lower mother-reported child behavior problems one year later, controlling for a host of demographic covariates, fathers’ observed parenting, mothers’ affective attitudes, and child baseline behavior problems. Conclusions Results indicate that fathers’ positive attitudes toward their young children are a unique and robust predictor of lower levels of early behavior problems.

Teaching Strategy in Early Childhood Education: Child-Friendly Classroom Management to Anticipate Bullying Behaviours

Bullying behaviour can have a negative impact on a child's physical and psychological health. Bullying in the classroom is a challenge for early-childhood educators. Preschool is the first place outside the home where children face social challenges when interacting with their classmates. Child-Friendly Class is the first step and part of the Children Friendly School (CSF) as a UNICEF program and an important Indonesian government policy to prevent the emergence of child bullying behaviour. This study aims to identify needs in the process of developing a Child-Friendly Classroom Management model to anticipate bullying behaviour. This research and development method uses an adaptation of the Rowntree model which includes three stages of the process and data collection techniques using interviews, questionnaires, and observation. The results of this study indicate that the preparation of an effective classroom management guidebook to create child-friendly classes needs to be followed up immediately. Several findings related to teachers' perceptions of classroom management, and child-friendly classes prove that child-friendly classes have not been implemented properly in PAUD institutions, with bullying behaviour still appearing in early childhood in PAUD institutions. PAUD teachers understand that it is important to implement classroom management but so far there has been no manual on how to manage effective classrooms as well as training related to the implementation of effective classroom management. The creation of child-friendly classes is believed to be able to help teachers suppress the emergence of bullying behaviour in early childhood.&#x0D; Keywords: Child-Friendly Classroom Management, Bullying Prevention, Early Childhood Education&#x0D;

Using Social Media as a Research Tool for a Bespoke Web-Based Platform for Stakeholders of Children With Congenital Anomalies: Development Study.

BackgroundLimited research evidence exists on the development of web-based platforms for reciprocal communication, coproduction research, and dissemination of information among parents, professionals, and researchers. This paper provides learning and the outcomes of setting up a bespoke web-based platform using social media.ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the establishment of a web-based, multicontextual research communication platform for parents and stakeholders of children with congenital anomalies using social media and to identify associated research and ethical and technical challenges.MethodsThe ConnectEpeople e-forum was developed using social media platforms with a stakeholder engagement process. A multilevel approach was implemented for reciprocal engagement between parents of children with congenital anomalies, researchers, health care professionals, and other stakeholders using private and invisible and public Facebook groups, closed Twitter groups, and YouTube. Ethical approval was obtained from Ulster University.ResultsNonprofit organizations (N=128) were invited to engage with an initial response rate of 16.4% (21/128). Of the 105 parents contacted, 32 entered the private and invisible Facebook groups to participate in the coproduction research. Public Facebook page followers rose to 215, a total of 22 posts had an engagement of >10%, and 34 posts had a reach of over 100. Webinars included requested information on childhood milestones and behavior. YouTube coverage included 106 ConnectEpeople videos with 28,708 impressions. Project information was obtained from 35 countries. The highest Facebook activity occurred during the early morning hours. Achievement of these results required dedicated time management, social media expertise, creativity, and sharing knowledge to curate valuable content.ConclusionsBuilding and maintaining a multilayered online forum for coproduction and information sharing is challenging. Technical considerations include understanding the functionality and versatility of social media metrics. Social media offers valuable, easily accessible, quantitative, and qualitative data that can drive the reciprocal process of forum development. The identification and integration of the needs of the ConnectEpeople e-forum was a key driver in the dissemination of useful, meaningful, and accessible information. The necessary dedicated administration to respond to requests and posts and collate data required significant time and effort. Participant safety, the development of trust, and the maintenance of confidentiality were major ethical considerations. Discussions on social media platforms enabled parents to support each other and their children. Social media platforms are particularly useful in identifying common family needs related to early childhood development. This research approach was challenging but resulted in valuable outputs requiring further application and testing. This may be of particular importance in response to COVID-19 or future pandemics. Incorporating flexible, adaptable social media strategies into research projects is recommended to develop effective platforms for collaborative and impactful research and dissemination.

Neighborhood influences on early childhood behavioral problems: Child maltreatment as a mediator

BackgroundA sizable number of previous research investigated the influences of untreated behavior problems in children's early age, as well as how different environmental factors affect child behavior problems (King et al., 2004; Vaillancourt et al., 2013). However, few studies focused on the influences of different types of neighborhood factors on early childhood internalizing and externalizing symptoms via adverse childhood experiences. ObjectiveThis study aims to capture the specific pathways from neighborhood structural factors and process factors to early childhood internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Participants and settingThe restricted version of the Fragile Family Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) dataset at ages 3 and 5 were used, and 2722 children were included in the final model. MethodsThe Structural Equation Model was used to estimate the pathways from neighborhood structural and process factors to early childhood internalizing (INT) and externalizing (EXT) symptoms. Neighborhood structural factors were measured at the census tract level. Neighborhood collective efficacy, child maltreatment experiences, and early childhood internalizing, and externalizing symptoms were reported by the focal child's mother. ResultsNeighborhood process factors and structural factors showed both direct and indirect effects on early childhood EXT and INT differently. Emotional assault and neglect worked as mediators in this relationship. ConclusionsFindings emphasize the importance for researchers and practitioners to involve neighborhood context when assisting children with early childhood behavior problems. Implications for research and interventions are further discussed.

Temperament and sleep behaviors in infants and toddlers living in low-income homes

Temperament is a dynamic trait that can be shaped by maturity and environmental experiences. In this study, we sought to determine whether and the extent to which temperament was predicted by sleeping behaviors in an understudied sample of primarily Black and White infants and toddlers living in low-income homes (N = 150). Sleeping behaviors were assessed at 15–19 months of age with caregiver report of the Tayside Children’s Sleep Questionnaire. Temperament was examined as effortful control, negativity, and surgency with the Infant Behavior Questionnaire Very Short Form at 9–12 months of age and with the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire Short Form at 20–24 months of age. Covariates were maternal education, household income, and child sex and race. Continuous variables were standardized, then missing data from independent variables were multiply imputed in 20 datasets. Regression analyses showed that about 1 SD improvement in toddler sleep behaviors significantly predicted about 1/5 SD better toddler effortful control. However, sleep behaviors did not significantly predict toddler surgency or negative affect. This study shows that for a sample of infants and toddlers in low-income homes, how a child learns to regulate sleeping behaviors may influence the development of overall effortful control about six months later.

Prediction of Educational Attainment and Occupational Functioning in Young Adults With a Childhood Diagnosis of ADHD: Results from the Cologne Adaptive Multimodal Treatment (CAMT) Study

Objective: This longitudinal study examined early predictors of educational attainment and occupational functioning in adults with a childhood diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Method: Participants (n = 70) of the Cologne Adaptive Multimodal Treatment (CAMT) Study were diagnosed with ADHD and received adaptive multimodal ADHD treatment during childhood. They were then followed through adolescence into adulthood. Results: Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that poor reading skill and externalizing behaviors in childhood were early predictors of educational and occupational difficulties in adulthood. The use of stimulant medication in childhood predicted lower high school achievement, probably because medication use was confounded by indication. The regression models improved when intelligence scores and/or externalizing behaviors, especially delinquency, assessed in adolescence were considered as additional predictors. Conclusion: Children with ADHD, who continue to show reading difficulties and externalizing behavior problems after initial treatment, are at risk for educational and occupational difficulties and may need additional support.

Profiles of Naturalistic Attentional Trajectories Associated with Internalizing Behaviors in School-Age Children: A Mobile Eye Tracking Study.

The temperament profile Behavioral Inhibition (BI) is a strong predictor of internalizing behaviors in childhood. Patterns of attention towards or away from threat are a commonality of both BI and internalizing behaviors. Attention biases are traditionally measured with computer tasks presenting affective stimuli, which can lack ecological validity. Recent studies suggest that naturalistic visual attention need not mirror findings from computer tasks, and, more specifically, children high in BI may attend less to threats in naturalistic tasks. Here, we characterized latent trajectories of naturalistic visual attention over time to a female stranger, measured with mobile eye tracking, among kindergarteners oversampled for BI. Group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM) revealed two latent trajectories: 1) high initial orienting to the stranger, gradual decay, and recovery, and 2) low initial orienting and continued avoidance. Higher probability of membership to the "avoidant" group was linked to greater report of internalizing behaviors. We demonstrate the efficacy of mobile eye tracking in quantifying naturalistic patterns of visual attention to social novelty, as well as the importance of naturalistic measures of attention in characterizing socioemotional risk factors.

Evaluation of a school-based dissemination of the movement guidelines for young children in Hong Kong: Study protocol

BackgroundHealthy movement behaviors in early childhood are believed to track to adulthood, potentially imparting protective benefits against non-communicable diseases. Highlighting the collaborative and complementary roles of parents and educators in promoting health of young children, this study aims to enable parents and teachers to successfully promote healthy movement behaviors in young children. Guidelines for physical activity, sedentary screen time, and sleep of children aged 2 to 6 years will be systematically disseminated to parents and teachers of children enrolled in early childhood education centers (ECECs) in Hong Kong. An evaluation will be conducted to assess the implementation process and the outcomes of the dissemination of said guidelines.MethodsThe evaluation will include formative and summative components to examine the implementation (i.e., process evaluation) and the outcomes (i.e., outcome evaluation). Participants include teachers, parents, and children from ECECs in Hong Kong. The process evaluation will be guided by the RE-AIM framework (i.e., reach, efficacy, adaptation, implementation, maintenance). Data gathering and analysis will take a mixed-methods triangulation design - convergence model. The outcome evaluation consists of a non-randomized observational study, using quantitative data from questionnaires and accelerometers. The primary outcome to be measured is the extent to which children meet the guidelines for physical activity, sedentary screen time, and sleep; the secondary outcome is teachers’ and parents’ knowledge and awareness of the guidelines.DiscussionYoung children who engage in healthy movement behaviors are likely to become adults who will have the disposition to engage in behaviors that have protective effects against non-communicable diseases. The findings of this evaluation are expected to contribute to improving the strategies of systems and government agencies that aspire to promote healthy movement behaviors of young children.

Understanding and Conceptualizing Childhood Animal Harm: A Meta-Narrative Systematic Review

ABSTRACT Several perspectives inform research on Childhood Animal Cruelty (CAC), but these perspectives are poorly integrated with each other and there is little dialogue with the rest of the child–animal interaction (CAI) literature. This study reviews the current empirical and theoretical literature on CAC to explore issues regarding research definitions and methodologies. Following the RAMESES guidelines, we performed a meta-narrative review of the CAC literature from 2010 to 2020, including theoretical papers and original research published in English. Four databases (OVID, Web of Science, PubMed, and EBSCOhost) were searched for terms relating to children, animals, and harm in the title and keyword fields. This generated 416 results, and 69 publications were reviewed here. We explore theories of CAC in relation to the historical research strands and discuss how well they are supported by existing empirical evidence. We thematically classified empirical study findings, which showed that (1) environmental factors that predict CAC include exposure to childhood adversity, especially experiences of violence and witnessing animal cruelty, (2) CAC is recurrent or has extreme links to later interpersonal violence, (3) psychological risk factors linked to CAC include externalizing disorders, lower empathy, lower self-esteem, poorer family functioning, and attitudes accepting of cruelty, (4) witnessing animal cruelty is a serious risk factor for a range of internalizing and externalizing behaviors, and (5) a range of psychosocial barriers exist in measuring and reporting CAC. Issues with measures, population selection, and definitions focusing only on more severe forms of CAC are factors which potentially constrain the generalizability of results. We highlight the need for developmentally appropriate definitions of CAC and methods of measurement and argue that the CAC literature is not well aligned with animal welfare legislation. We propose that CAC should be integrated into a broader spectrum of childhood behaviors toward animals.

Tablet applications as socializing platforms: The effects of prosocial touch screen applications on young children's prosocial behavior

The high prevalence of touch screen devices in the lives of preschool children has prompted increased research on the effects of tablets on children's learning and skills. However, to date, little empirical research has investigated how this technology can influence young children's socio-emotional learning. The present study reports two experiments that examined the effects of playing prosocial touch-screen applications on preschool children's subsequent prosocial behavior. In both experiments, 3- to 6-year-olds were randomly assigned to one of three game application conditions (prosocial, violent, or neutral). Prosocial behaviors after the game were examined with laboratory tasks and vignettes. Experiment 1 (N = 186) showed that playing the prosocial game application produced higher levels of helping behavior towards the experimenter than playing the violent and neutral games. Experiment 2 (N = 189) found a wider range of effects of the prosocial application play on children's prosocial behaviors towards same-aged actual and hypothetical peers compared to the violent and neutral game conditions. Low theory-of-mind and high empathic abilities moderated and enhanced the effects of prosocial application play on prosocial outcomes. These findings suggest that touch screen applications may contribute to fostering prosocial behavior in early childhood.

Maternal One-Carbon Metabolism during the Periconceptional Period and Human Foetal Brain Growth: A Systematic Review.

The maternal environment during the periconceptional period influences foetal growth and development, in part, via epigenetic mechanisms moderated by one-carbon metabolic pathways. During embryonic development, one-carbon metabolism is involved in brain development and neural programming. Derangements in one-carbon metabolism increase (i) the short-term risk of embryonic neural tube-related defects and (ii) long-term childhood behaviour, cognition, and autism spectrum disorders. Here we investigate the association between maternal one-carbon metabolism and foetal and neonatal brain growth and development. Database searching resulted in 26 articles eligible for inclusion. Maternal vitamin B6, vitamin B12, homocysteine, and choline were not associated with foetal and/or neonatal head growth. First-trimester maternal plasma folate within the normal range (>17 nmol/L) associated with increased foetal head size and head growth, and high erythrocyte folate (1538–1813 nmol/L) with increased cerebellar growth, whereas folate deficiency (<7 nmol/L) associated with a reduced foetal brain volume. Preconceptional folic acid supplement use and specific dietary patterns (associated with increased B vitamins and low homocysteine) increased foetal head size. Although early pregnancy maternal folate appears to be the most independent predictor of foetal brain growth, there is insufficient data to confirm the link between maternal folate and offspring risks for neurodevelopmental diseases.

The Autism Detection in Early Childhood Tool: Level 2 autism spectrum disorder screening in a NICU Follow-up program

ObjectiveChildren born preterm are at increased risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, early diagnosis of ASD is challenging because conventional screening Level 1 tools are less reliable in this population. We sought to determine whether the Autism Detection in Early Childhood (ADEC) and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) could accurately identify children at risk for ASD in a NICU Follow-up setting and thus facilitate referral for formal ASD evaluation. MethodChildren aged 18–36 months were recruited from a NICU Follow-up program. All children received presumptive diagnoses based on DSM-5 criteria and were screened for ASD risk with the ADEC and CBCL. Children scoring in the “at risk” range on either tool were referred for a full diagnostic ASD evaluation. ResultsSixty-nine patients (median birth weight 1140 g; median gestational age 28 weeks) were included with 18 designated “at risk” for ASD. Nine (13 %) scored “at risk” on the ADEC and 12 (17 %) on the CBCL. Thirteen children underwent diagnostic ASD evaluation with 9 receiving a formal diagnosis of ASD. The ADEC demonstrated the best performance (sensitivity 89 %, specificity 98 %). The CBCL was less sensitive (sensitivity 50 %, specificity 90 %). Requiring elevated scores on both the CBCL and ADEC was specific but not sensitive (sensitivity 33 %, specificity 100 %). ConclusionThe ADEC performed well in identifying children at risk for ASD within this high-risk NICU cohort, adding benefit as an autism-specific screening tool over the CBCL alone.

Implementation of Healthy Living Behavior of Early Childhood during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Maintaining health is very important to be applied from an early age, especially during the covid-19 pandemic. This is important because children are prone to disease because their immune system is not as strong as adults in general. This study aims to present and describe the implementation of healthy living behaviors of early childhood during the covid-19 pandemic. This research includes a type of field research with a qualitative approach. The data source uses primary data in interviews, observations, documentation, and questionnaires—data analysis techniques using the Miles and Huberman models. The results of this study show that the implementation of healthy living behaviors of early childhood has been carried out well following the proposal of the Directorate of Paud Development in 2020 on four healthy living behaviors in schools, namely: washing hands with soap, drinking water, and eating healthy and hygienic food, as well as disposing of waste in its place and keeping the environment clean and safe.

P083 Age of Nap Cessation and Short-term Social-Emotional Functioning in Early Childhood

Abstract Background Daytime nap cessation, in which sleep transitions from biphasic to monophasic sleep, is a common feature of early childhood sleep patterns. Yet, to date, understanding of the meaning of this transition for children’s development is not well understood. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the age of nap cessation and behavioral and social functioning in young children. Methods Parent report data from the Effective Early Educational Experiences (E4Kids) study of N=1700 children from across Queensland and Victoria is analysed. Data on age of nap cessation, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and Social Skills Improvement Scale (SSIS) is examined to determine whether age of nap cessation is associated with internalizing and externalizing behaviour and social skills in early childhood. Progress to date Data collection and cleaning are complete. Initial descriptive analyses and identification of significant covariates are underway, and final regressions will be run shortly. Intended outcome/ Impact This study provides new evidence on the relationship between age of napping cessation and social-emotional outcomes in young children. Such evidence is important for building an understanding of the role of sleep cessation in children’s early development, and to inform practitioners and parents responsible for supporting children’s sleep.

A randomised-controlled pilot study of the one-to-one delivery of Tuning in to Kids: impact on emotion socialisation, reflective functioning, and childhood behaviour problems

ABSTRACT This pilot study provides a preliminary evaluation of the newly adapted one-to-one version of Tuning in to Kids (TIK), using a randomised-controlled design. One hundred and seven parents of a child aged between four and ten with parent-identified behaviour problems participated. Parent emotion socialisation, parental reflective functioning (PRF), parent and teacher-reported externalising behaviour problems and parent-reported internalising (anxiety) problems were assessed at baseline and six-month follow-up. Parents who completed the TIK one-to-one intervention reported improved emotion socialisation practices, relative to waitlist-controls. Children of parents in the intervention group also experienced more clinically significant improvement to their externalising behaviour problems, and decreased anxiety symptoms. There were no significant changes to teacher-reported behaviour problems, or to PRF, however, there was a trend towards intervention parents experiencing improvements to one aspect of PRF – Pre Mentalising. TIK one-to-one shows promise as an effective intervention approach for parents and their children with behaviour problems. Further corroboration of these effects is needed with a larger sample. Abbreviations: Tuning in to Kids (TIK); Parental Reflective Functioning (PRF) Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) number: ACTRN12618000310268