Gender Differences In Children Research Articles

Do children favor snacks and dislike vegetables? Exploring children’s food preferences using drawing as a projective technique. A cross-cultural study

ObjectiveTo avoid the rising spread of childhood obesity and preserve resources within planetary boundaries, healthy and sustainable eating habits and the consumption of adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables should be encouraged. Children's food preference was found to be an important determinant for food choice and consumption. The aim of this study was to explore children's food preferences using drawing as a projective technique in terms of healthy and sustainable eating and compare food preference patterns in Denmark and Lithuania. MethodIn total 484 children, aged between 8 and 13 years old, participated in the study (147 in Denmark and 337 in Lithuania). Participants were asked to fill the food preference questionnaire and answer questions about their daily intake of fruits, vegetables, and snacks and draw their favorite meal afterward. Sociodemographic questions about children's age, gender, parents' employment, and family composition were also included in the questionnaire. ResultsFruits, vegetables, highly-processed and animal-based foods were not included in a large part of children's most preferred meal composition. Favorite meals' composition varied among children in both countries and included different products from separate food groups. Vegetables were more likely to be present in the children's favorite meals together with meat products. Girls in both countries had more expressed vegetable preferences than boys. Boys in Lithuania had a relatively more expressed preference for highly-processed foods, while Danish girls had a more expressed preference for animal-based products. ConclusionsChildren's preferences for foods such as meat and animal-based products expressed in children's drawings, might be considered as relatively positive in terms of sustainable eating. However, children's preferences and intake of fruits and vegetables should still be encouraged among young consumers. Cultural and gender differences in children's food preferences should be considered while creating interventions and marketing strategies for promoting healthy and sustainable eating among young consumers.

Gender differences in child and adolescent daily activities: A cross-national time use study

This study used 2009–2015 time-diary data to examine gender differences in daily activities among children and adolescents aged 10–17 in Finland, Spain and the UK ( N = 3517). In all three countries, boys were significantly more involved in screen-based activities and exercising and girls in domestic work, non-screen educational activities and personal care. Gender differences in socializing time were only significant in the UK, with girls socializing more than boys. Gender gaps within countries were largest in domestic work (UK: 60%; Finland: 58%; Spain: 48%) and exercising (UK: 57%; Finland: 36%; Spain: 27%), followed by educational time (UK: 35%; Finland: 34%; Spain: 18%) and screen-based activities (UK: 31%; Finland: 16%; Spain: 16%), and lower in personal care (UK: 27%; Finland: 21%; Spain: 14%) and socializing (UK; 21%; Finland: 13%; Spain: 6%). Two-way country-gender interactions in children’s activities were statistically significant when comparing Spain and the UK on screen-based activities, socializing, and personal care, with larger gender gaps in the UK than in Spain. By contrast, gender differences in child time use between Finland and either Spain or UK were not statistically significant. The complex role of national contexts and life-course stages in shaping gendered time-use patterns is discussed.

Age and Gender Differences in Experience with and Connectedness to Nature Among Children

This study aims to identify the age and gender differences in children's experiences with nature and their connectedness to nature (CTN). This study employed a quantitative approach and involved 760 children aged 10-11 years old, including urban and rural children in Kedah and Pulau Pinang. Questionnaires were distributed to children at schools. Findings suggest that age and gender do influence the frequency of children having experiences with nature as well as their CTN. The directions for future research are also discussed. Keywords: experiences with nature; connectedness to nature; age; gender eISSN: 2398-4287© 2021. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians/Africans/Arabians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v6i16.2707

Gender as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Parental Anxiety and Adolescent Anxiety and Depression

Higher anxiety and depression in females becomes more pronounced in the transition from childhood to adolescence. Although previous research indicates that parental anxiety may predict anxiety and depression more strongly in girls than boys, there is a lack of longitudinal research investigating these relationships. The current study utilized longitudinal data (N = 940) to investigate our hypotheses that 1) mothers’ and fathers’ anxiety (at child age 7) would be more strongly associated with symptoms of adolescent anxiety and depression in girls than in boys, and 2) that greater increases in both mothers’ and fathers’ anxiety (from child age 7 to child age 15) would be more strongly associated with symptoms of adolescent anxiety and depression in girls than in boys. Structural equation modeling results indicated that higher mothers’ anxiety at child age 7, as well as higher increases in fathers’ anxiety (from child age 7 to child age 15), were associated with girls’ anxiety and depression at age 15, but not boys’ anxiety and depression at age 15. There were no child gender differences found in the associations between 1) fathers’ anxiety at child age 7 and child anxiety and depression at child age 15, or 2) change in mothers’ anxiety (from child age 7 to child age 15) and child anxiety and depression at child age 15. These results highlight important gender differences that may influence the development of anxiety and depression in adolescence.

Gender differences in children’s social skills growth trajectories

At school entry, girls are rated by teachers as more competent on measures of social skills than boys. It is less clear if this higher rating is stable or grows over time. To address this question, multiple group curve of factors models investigated gender-specific growth trajectories across seven waves of measurement in a large, longitudinal sample (N = 1024, NICHD SECCYD). Results showed that girls’ social skills were consistently rated higher from kindergarten to sixth grade, and the effect size was moderate (latent Cohen’s d = .37 to .62). Boys demonstrated greater heterogeneity in social skills at nearly every grade with the gender difference in variability stable after second grade. An examination of gender differences in growth trajectories showed that boys demonstrated a linear decrease over time, whereas girls’ social skills did not significantly change over time after accounting for initial level of social skills in kindergarten.

British Hymn Books for Children, 1800–1900: Re-Tuning the History of Childhood by Alisa Clapp-Itnyre

Reviewed by: British Hymn Books for Children, 1800–1900: Re-Tuning the History of Childhood by Alisa Clapp-Itnyre Elizabeth Massa Hoiem (bio) British Hymn Books for Children, 1800–1900: Re-Tuning the History of Childhood, by Alisa Clapp-Itnyre. Routledge, 2016. Inspired by the author's love of hymn singing, British Hymn Books for Children, 1800–1900 convincingly establishes the cultural importance of English hymns and their ability to empower children. "Hymn singing permeated Victorian children's lives," not only in church "but throughout the week in schools and in the home" (3). The composition of hymn texts and tunes and the publication of children's hymnals reached their peak during the nineteenth century, with popular hymnals printing over one hundred editions (3). Nevertheless, children's hymns of this period have received little attention, dismissed by scholars as inferior, sentimental, or didactic. Arguing that children's hymn singing invoked spontaneous pleasure and encouraged active, empowering, creative play, Clapp-Itnyre pronounces, "it is time for a reassessment of children's nineteenth-century hymns" (6). She spectacularly delivers by surveying over 16,000 children's hymns, using book history methods to determine hymn popularity, accompanied by close-readings of individual texts and tunes, to challenge (or "re-tune") common assumptions about nineteenth-century children's literature and culture. This is the second monograph on Victorian literature and music by Alisa Clapp-Itnyre, displaying an impressive interdisciplinary understanding of poetic and musical forms. The rich social context and colorful anecdotes provided in each chapter recall to mind Richard Altick's The English Common Reader, which fascinated me as a graduate student with its everyday details, such as the difficulty of reading in a single-room apartment by dearly purchased candlelight. In the same way, British Hymn Books for Children defamiliarizes hymn singing by describing how it used to work. The modern experience of reading hymns and musical notes from an individual church hymnal, for example, first became common practice during the Victorian period, as Protestant churches gradually embraced congregational singing, instead of [End Page 241] having the clerk read out lines, leading to a surge in music education in schools. But far from being limited to church, hymn singing held a place in the daily life (and death) of nineteenth-century children. Middle-class families typically sang hymns together on a daily basis, while children reportedly memorized dozens of hymns, one claiming over one hundred before age five. An essential children's literacy, hymn singing "touched all aspects of nineteenth-century childhood" (3). Taking a nuanced approach, Clapp-Itnyre argues in chapter 1 that hymns united English children of different genders and social classes with a "common language" (53). Requiring neither book ownership, literacy, nor fees to enjoy, hymn singing could "[speak] to all genders, classes, situations, and denominations," and hymns were composed for "boys and girls without distinction" (49). Children also "sang many of the same hymns" (51). The first and second person ("I" or "we") and "inclusive language" favored in children's hymns allowed hymns originating in books for one niche audience to spread throughout a diverse cross-section of English and American hymnals (52). Yet despite these commonalities, hymn singing practices reflected the sharp social divisions of nineteenth-century English society. Children of different classes enjoyed vastly different opportunities for leisure time and school, during which they learned and sang hymns. Breaking down hymnals by the different schools and churches named in their titles, Clapp-Itnyre identifies the aesthetic styles and subject matter favored by (or written for) singers of different social classes. Her meticulous research reveals what kind of hymns were composed for charity orphan hymnals, as opposed to working-class Sunday school hymnals, or which were sung in middle-class homes by the piano and which by church choirs in public schools attended by privileged male children, complete with charts showing the reprinting of hymns over time. (Readers can hear these hymns sung by children on the author's website.) Building on this overview, chapter 2 calls into question the typical grand narratives of how children's literature changed over the course of the nineteenth century (e.g., instruction to delight; "Evangelical didacticism" to "Romantic idealism"). Instead...

Psychological defenses and coping strategies in preschool children: sex differences and relationship with psychological health

The article represents the research, analysed the reviewing of defensive mechanisms and coping strategies in the context of the mental health of pre-school children of different gender. The results obtained through study point to differentiation of psychological defence and coping strategies mechanisms based on gender and the condition of mental health. It is revealed that mentally healthy pre-school age children prefer to use effective and socially upheld coping-strategies, which reduce the pressure through socially upheld behaviour patterns (e.g., through the decent “children’s activity” – play, walk and etc.). Mentally healthy girls more often focus on overcome the difficulties within themselves. Boys, who have emotional symptoms, as usual prefer the destructive emotional expression strategy, that lets to ease the tension. Boys with the low level of anxiety are oriented to the passive distraction, while girls focus on the social contacts. Received results can be used for development of psychological prevention of mental health offences programmes

Гендер в системе воспитания калмыков

The article analyzes the gender differences in children upbringing in the Kalmyk traditional society. The Kalmyk children upbringing system was determined by the nomad way of living and distinctive household culture. A family was a bearer of the ethnic and cultural traditions and customs. A significant role in the development of moral values of the Kalmyk people was given to religious views, Buddhism in particular, which was the dominating factor in the shaping of the mentality and spiritual culture of the Kalmyk ethnos. Kalmyk children as a rule were brought up in traditional patriarchal families with the distinct gender differentiation. Since the old days, the task of every Kalmyk family was to bring up a real man, who was the breadwinner and owner, who had an indisputable authority in the family. The upbringing of a daughter was the responsibility of a mother who in compliance with the national traditions had to teach her daughter all the skills of being a good housewife. The Kalmyk national customs were not strict towards women compared to the traditions of other Oriental nations. A woman was well regarded in the Kalmyk society.

Are Emotion Regulation Strategies Different among 3-6-Year-Old Aggressive Children? Evidence from China.

Background:During the long–time home quarantine due to COVID–19, preschool-age children can be easily stricken by negative emotions, which give rise to aggressive behaviors. Aggressive behaviors are of different types at the preschool stage. We aimed to investigate the differences of emotion regulation strategies among children age 3–6 yr old with different aggression types and explore the relationship between emotion regulation strategies and aggressive behaviors.Methods:The aggressive behaviors of 1,187 children sampled (event sampling method) from 5 kindergartens in five cities in Henan Province of China were observed on the spot in 2020. Three aggression types (i.e., physical, verbal, and indirect) were selected to conduct a questionnaire survey on emotion regulation strategies and discuss the differences among aggressive children in emotion regulation strategies.Results:Children of different genders are significantly different in aggressive behaviors and problem solving, as well as children at different age levels in self–comfort, passive reaction, and negative regulation strategies. Significant interaction exists between gender and aggression but not in negative regulation strategy; significant interaction also exists between age and aggression but not in cognitive reconstruction, substitutive activity, and aggressive behavior. Significant differences exist among children of different aggression types in positive and negative regulation strategies. The discrimination accuracy of emotion regulation strategies for aggression types is 66.5%.Conclusion:Significant differences exist among 3-6-yr-old aggressive children in emotion regulation strategies, and emotion regulation strategies can effectively distinguish aggressive children of different types.

Raising Aspirations of Boys and Girls through Role Models: Evidence from a Field Experiment

We analyse gender differences in children’s aspirations and academic beliefs that affect their academic potential. We use administrative data on the test scores of a primary school in rural China and a novel survey instrument in the evaluation of a randomised controlled trial of a role-model intervention. Our intervention increases Chinese test scores by 0.116 standard deviations, which is driven by boys’ 0.33–0.35 standard-deviation performance boost that persists into 1 year after the treatment. Girls only experience a short-term increase in performance within a week after the treatment. The impact of the treatment is especially pronounced for children starting with low aspiration, self-efficacy, or cognitive ability. While there is no average impact on Mathematics test scores, we find that boys holding traditional gender attitudes and having a high self-efficacy, and girls of high self-efficacy and aspirations, perform better in response to the treatment. Aspirations, confidence, and gender attitudes account for parts of our findings.

Children’s intergroup gender bias and self‐perceived same‐ and other‐gender similarity

Children display intergroup bias in relation to gender. The present study examined whether children's self-perceived same- and other-gender similarity were related to their same- and other-gender positivity and negativity, respectively. Children aged 6-10years (N=149) were interviewed about their self-perceived similarity to girls and to boys and about the extent to which they thought positive and negative characteristics applied to boys and to girls. Among girls, greater self-perceived other-gender similarity was associated with more negativity towards the same gender. Similar to previous research, intergroup gender bias was more pronounced among girls, and children rated themselves as having more same- than other-gender similarity, with this pattern being more pronounced in boys. Thus, this study provides evidence suggesting that other-gender similarity is related to girls' negative attributions towards girls. It also replicates previous findings regarding gender differences in children's intergroup gender bias and gender similarity, respectively.

Функціонально-екологічна експертиза Шаргородського району Вінницької області

Концепція функціонально-екологічної експертизи (ФЕЕ) регіонів екологічного (радіаційного) контролю принципово доповнює прийняті форми дозиметричного і тиреодозиметричного контролю за рахунок конкретизації стану здоров'я людей на контрольованих територіях. Метою нашої роботи стало за допомогою ФЕЕ провести верифікацію радіаційної залежності функціонального здоров'я (адаптаційного потенціалу) і дозиметричної паспортизації населених пунктів сіл Голинчинцi, Джурин та Рахни Лiсовi Шаргородського району Вінницької області, які належать до зони посиленого радіоекологічного контролю (IV зони). За допомогою функціонально-вегетативної діагностики (ФВД) за методом В. Г. Макаца обстежено 700 дітей різних статевовікових груп, з яких хлопці – 342, дівчата – 358, які постійно проживають в цих населених пунктах. У центрі уваги ФЕЕ є функціональне здоров'я (адаптаційний потенціал) дитячого населення, яке стає "біоіндикатором" індивідуального здоров'я і характеризує екологічну динаміку в регіоні компактного проживання. Екологічним критерієм ФЕЕ конкретного регіону проживання населення є системно залежне зіставлення пригнічення функціональної активності організму (парасимпатичної активності (ПА), вегетативної рівноваги (ВР) та симпатичної активності (СА). На цій основі формується інтегральна характеристика екологічного стану і визначаються рівні (зони) його екологічного тиску. Внаслідок проведення дослідження вперше з'ясовано, що основною характеристикою, яка відображає негативний вплив екологічних факторів, є зменшення кількості обстежених людей у зоні вегетативно-функціональної рівноваги і збільшення їх у зоні парасимпатичної активності. Наші спостереження довели, що функціонально-вегетативне здоров'я дітей екологічно залежне, а його показники є найчутливішими біоіндикаторами екологічного та радіаційного забруднення. Результати проведення ФЕЕ обстежених населених пунктів Шаргородського району збігаються і принципово доповнюють офіційну дозиметричну паспортизацію населених пунктів, що свідчить про її достовірність і ефективність. Моніторинг вегетативного здоров'я (адаптаційного потенціалу) дітей має стати основою сучасної функціональної диспансеризації дитячого населення і доповнювати державну дозиметричну і тиреодозиметричну паспортизацію населених пунктів.

Relationship between ambient PM2.5 exposure and blood cadmium level in children under 14 years in Beijing, China

Ambient PM2.5 pollution is a global environmental problem. PM2.5 can act as a carrier of heavy metals. However, the relationship between PM2.5 exposure and blood cadmium (Cd) level in children was less understood. Based on the data of hourly collected PM2.5 and blood Cd level of 13,626 children aged 0–14 years from Apr. 2008 to Feb. 2013 in Beijing of China, we investigated the short-term effects of PM2.5 exposure on blood Cd level. Generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) were utilized to explore the potential association between PM2.5 exposure and blood Cd level of children. The results showed that the mean blood Cd level was 0.64 μg/L. There was a significant association between PM2.5 exposure and blood Cd level (P < 0.05). Age was negatively associated with blood Cd level (P < 0.05), and the younger children were more sensitive to Cd from PM2.5 exposure. There wasn’t a significant difference in PM2.5 concentration between heating and non-heating seasons in winter (P > 0.05); there was also no gender difference of children on blood Cd level (P > 0.05). The present study demonstrates the importance of controlling the PM2.5 bound Cd exposure, and environmental countermeasures should be implemented stringently to reduce their impact on children’s health.

Gender differences in child to parent violence risk factors

La violencia filio-parental (VFP) ha suscitado un enorme interés académico. Pese a ello, pocos estudios comparan los factores de riesgo de chicos y chicas implicados en estas agresiones a sus progenitores. El presente trabajo compara 56 chicos y 35 chicas agresores evaluados con la Guía para la Valoración del Riesgo de Violencia Filio-Parental (RVFP). Las chicas provenían de forma significativa de contextos más problemáticos (con bidireccionalidad de la violencia, violencia entre los progenitores, problemas de convivencia y problemas en los progenitores) y tenían significativamente menos autoestima. Los chicos presentaron significativamente más historial de problemas de abusos de sustancias y mayor escalada en la violencia. En conjunto, ambos sexos presentaban prevalencias similares en la mayoría de las variables, su violencia era comparable (aunque las lesiones a los padres fueron exclusivas de los chicos) y las familias eran más problemáticas en ellas. La predicción de las lesiones a la madre con la puntuación del RVFP fue significativa en el caso de los varones (AUC = ,842) pero no en el caso de ellas (AUC = ,660). Los resultados justifican el uso de tratamientos y herramientas comunes en chicos y chicas implicados en VFP, aunque se discuten desarrollos aún necesarios en la materia. Child-to-parent violence (CPV) has attracted enormous academic interest. Despite this, few studies compare the risk factors between female and male perpetrators of this abuse toward parents. This paper compares 56 male and 35 female CPV offenders, evaluated with the Child-to-Parent Violence Risk assessment tool (CPVR). Results show that girls came from significantly more problematic contexts (with bidirectionality of violence, violence between parents, cohabitation problems and personal problems of parents, and had significantly lower self-esteem. Boys had significantly more histories of substance abuse issues and greater rates of escalation of violence. Overall, both sexes had similar prevalence rates for most variables, the type of violence committed was comparable (although injuries toward fathers were only perpetrated by boys), and female perpetrators had more problematic families than their male counterparts. CPVR scores significantly predicted injuries toward the mother for male offenders (AUC = .842), but not for female offenders (AUC = .660). These results support the use of common treatments and tools for female and male CPV offenders. Future steps and developments in the field are also discussed.

Hygienic Characteristics of a Physically Active Lifestyle of Primary School Children of Different Gender

Background: The lifestyle of primary school children has a direct impact on the level of physical activity that plays a crucial role in their health improvement. Our objective was to assess gender-specific characteristics of a physically active lifestyle of primary school children. Materials and methods: A questionnaire-based survey of 124 boys and 141 girls aged 8–10 years was conducted to collect information about the main lifestyle factors contributing to the increase in physical activity. Results: Only 12.1±2.7 % of girls and 24.2±3.8 % of boys reported sufficient duration of outdoor activities (p &lt; 0.05). 71.8±4.0 % of boys and 74.5±3.7 % of girls attend sports clubs and take dance classes. The proportion of those doing martial arts and playing sports games was higher in boys than in girls: 35.5±4.3 % against 3.5±1.6 % (p &lt; 0.001) and 20.2±3.6 % against 10.6±2.6 % (p &lt; 0.05), respectively. On the opposite, more girls did complex coordinated sports and took dance classes compared to boys: 41.8±4.2 % against 8.1±2.4 % (p &lt; 0.001). We established that 79.8±3.6 % of boys and 75.9±3.6 % of girls (p&gt;0.05) engaged in physical activity independently and/or with parents. We also found that 16.9±3.4% of boys and 29.8±3.9% of girls did not take part in active play during school breaks and at leisure (p&lt;0.05). Physical education lessons were enjoyed by 84.7±3.2% of boys and 87.2±2.8% of girls (p&gt;0.05). Conclusions: The lifestyle of modern primary school boys and girls has specific features that must be taken into account when implementing a sex-differentiated approach during physical education classes. It is expedient to engage boys in sports games and exercises that help develop coordination and flexibility and girls – in outdoor and sports games.

Gender Differential in Education and Parents’ Attitudes in West Bengal, India

In this article we investigate the role of parental and family characteristics as explanations for gender differences in children’s education using primary data collected from villages in West Bengal, India in 2007–08. We add to existing research by focusing on the importance of parental perceptions by distinguishing between the stated need for education in general and the need for education for girls to investigate the pathways through which girls’ education may be improved. Results show that while girls are being enrolled at the same rate as boys when young, they are being withdrawn at much higher rates as they get older, often for marriage or financial reasons. Multivariate analyses show significant gender bias in education among the older sample (17 years and over) and some important differences among predictors for male and female education for both samples. For the older sample, financial constraints are more important for curtailing a daughter’s education than a son’s education. Among the indicators of parental perception, the expectation of economic independence for girls has a positive effect on girls’ education, but parental expectation of the enhancement of traditional roles (as wives and mothers) through girls’ education has a beneficial effect on boys’ education.

Gender Differences in Children’s Non-Leisure Activities: A Decomposition Analysis

The prevalence of son preference indicates that girls will have less leisure time compared to boys. This study aims to examine gender differences in weekly hours in schooling, housework, and working among children in Indonesia using Tobit Model and decomposition model of Bauer &amp; Sinning (2005), to test whether son preference explains the differences. The dataset was drawn from the fourth wave of Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS) in 2007. The results show significant gender differences in housework and working for children aged 5–14 years and insignificant gender gap in schooling for both age groups. These results confirm the existence of gender differences among younger children compared to older children in their time allocation.

Gender differences in children's wayfinding

ABSTRACT Gender differences in spatial ability are widely acknowledged, but research to date is equivocal on gender differences in wayfinding ability of children. Indeed, the precise nature of the relationship between gender and wayfinding needs further exploration, especially within real-world outdoor environments. There is a need for more research on this topic, not least to better understand the implications of gender differences in wayfinding for facilitation of our educational programs. This article focuses on this issue by seeking to explore children's map understanding and map use in relation to gender in a large-scale outdoor environment. Ninety-seven children, 3–13 years old, were presented with a pictorial map with 7 controls which they had to locate in any order. Measure of accuracy in wayfinding (number of correctly identified controls) indicate small gender differences. However, measure of efficiency in wayfinding (time spent on the task) indicate that boys outperform girls.

PRESCHOOLERS’ REGULATORY FUNCTIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF A NORMATIVE SITUATION

Methodology. The development of a child’s self-regulation at preschool age is conditioned by the peculiarities of a cultural situation, which is represented by a set of invariant normative rules. Mastering the invariant cultural rules is understood as shaping the child’s cultural congruence and reflects the child’s development as an agent of his/her culture. To investigate the cognitive aspect of self-regulation, A.&nbsp;Miyake’s model of the “regulatory functions” was used. Within this model three interrelated and simultaneously independent factors were determined: working memory, the ability to shift attention and constraint control. The study purpose was to find out how the assimilation of the cultural rules of a “normative situation” (N.&nbsp;E.&nbsp;Veraksa) influenced the regulatory functions of preschool age children of different genders. Methods and research scheme. 113 children of 5–6 years old (58 boys and 55 girls) who attended the senior groups of the nursery schools of Sloviansk, Donetsk region and Pereiaslav,&nbsp; Kyiv region and 113 mothers (from 24 to 44 years old) participated in the study. Cultural congruence was assessed using the questionnaire for parents that contained the invariant rules for children of 5–6 years old and allowed assessing the extent to which their children could comply with these rules. The regulatory functions was examined using the set of techniques which included the subscales of the testing battery NEPSY-II (Korkman et al., 2007) and the technique DCCS (Zelazo, 2006). Results. The verbal memory of the boys with higher cultural congruence was developed better, and the boys with the low congruency were able to shift their attention better from one task to another and better retain visual images. As for the girls, the development of their regulatory functions did not depend on their cultural congruence. Conclusions. The data obtained indicate the gender specificity of the influence of cultural congruence on the children’s regulatory functions, which makes it possible to refine and compare the results with other studies. &nbsp

0945 Adolescent Sleep Mediates Maternal Depression and Harsh Parenting

Abstract Introduction Mothers dealing with depressive problems often report using more harsh parenting practices. This occurs, in part, due to a scarcity of effective coping mechanisms and increased irritability. In addition, depressed mothers are less likely to set consistent rules and expectations within the home, which may result in children who stay up late. Children who get inadequate levels of sleep also are more likely to have behavior problems, irritability, and defiance toward their parents, particularly in adolescence. However, no studies have examined the potential of adolescent sleep as a contributor to the association between maternal depression and the use of harsh parenting. The current study examined whether mothers’ perceptions of inadequate adolescent sleep duration mediated the relationship between maternal depression and harsh parenting, with child gender as a moderator. Methods The sample (N=318) consisted of mothers reporting on adolescents aged 16-18 (M=16.89, SD = .429; 53.4% female) from the 10th wave of the Schools and Families Educating Children Study (SAFE). The SAFE study was a randomized control trial conducted from 1997-2008 designed to investigate children and families living in inner-city Chicago, Il. Measures included the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD), and the Parenting Practices Questionnaire (PPQ). Results Too little adolescent sleep mediated (β = .15) the relation between maternal depression and her reported use of harsh parenting. Mediation was further moderated by child gender, such that the mediation occurred for sons (β = .12) but not daughters. Conclusion These results suggest that too little adolescent sleep is the process through which mothers experiencing depressive problems engage in more harsh parenting. In addition, important child gender differences were apparent, such that sons’ lack of sleep may be more related to maternal depression and the use of harsh discipline. Support United States Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Drug Abuse (5 R01 DA020829)