Child's Home Environment Research Articles

Home-ics: how experiences of the home impact biology and child neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Studies on the -omics of child neurodevelopmental outcomes, e.g. genome, epigenome, microbiome, metabolome, and brain connectome aim to enable data-driven precision health to improve these outcomes, or deliver the right intervention, to the right child, at the right time. However, evidence suggests that neurodevelopmental outcomes are shaped by modifiable socioenvironmental factors. Everyday exposures including family and neighbourhood-level socioeconomic status, housing conditions, and interactions with those living in the home, are strongly associated with child health and have been suggested to alter -omics. Our aim was to review and understand the biological pathways by which home factors contribute to child neurodevelopment outcomes. We review studies suggestive of the home factors contributing to neurodevelopmental outcomes that encompass the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, the brain, the gut-brain-axis, and the immune system. We thus conceptualize home-ics as the study of how the multi-faceted living environment can impact neurodevelopmental outcomes through biology and highlight the importance of targeting the modifiable aspects of a child's home to optimize outcomes. We encourage clinicians and health care providers to routinely assess home factors in patient encounters, and counsel families on modifiable aspects of the home. We conclude by discussing clinical and policy implications and future research directions of home-ics. IMPACT: Home-ics can be conceptualized as the study of how home factors may shape child neurodevelopmental outcomes through altering biology. Targeting modifiable aspects of a child's home environment (e.g. parenting style, early intervention, enriched environment) may lead to improved neurodevelopmental outcomes. Clinicians should routinely assess home factors and counsel families on modifiable aspects of the home.

Profiles of young children's home environment and association with their development.

This study aimed to identify profiles of young children's early home environment and explore their association with development in motor, inhibitory control, language, and emotional competence skills. The sample included 2,158 children (51.4% male), 35.47 months old on average. Four home environment profiles emerged: high support and high discipline (HS-HD), high support and low discipline (HS-LD), average support and average discipline (AS-AD), and low support and low discipline (LS-LD). Notably, children from higher socioeconomic status (SES) families were more likely to be associated with HS-HD and HS-LD profiles. Girls exhibited a higher likelihood of belonging to the HS-LD profile. Utilizing regression analyses, children showed the highest motor, inhibitory control, language, and emotional competence development when they were in the HS-LD home environment profile. A concerning finding is that high discipline from parents was negatively associated with children's development, despite providing a high-quality physical environment. The text highlights the positive implications of providing a high-quality home learning environment and offers constructive recommendations for improving practice and future research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Changing Neighborhood Income Deprivation Over Time, Moving in Childhood, and Adult Risk of Depression

Complex biological, socioeconomic, and psychological variables combine to cause mental illnesses, with mounting evidence that early-life experiences are associated with adulthood mental health. To evaluate whether changing neighborhood income deprivation and residential moves during childhood are associated with the risk of receiving a diagnosis of depression in adulthood. This cohort study included the whole population of 1 096 916 people born in Denmark from January 1, 1982, to December 31, 2003, who resided in the country during their first 15 years of life. Individuals were followed up from 15 years of age until either death, emigration, depression diagnosis, or December 31, 2018. Longitudinal data on residential location was obtained by linking all individuals to the Danish longitudinal population register. Statistical analysis was performed from June 2022 to January 2024. Exposures included a neighborhood income deprivation index at place of residence for each year from birth to 15 years of age and a mean income deprivation index for the entire childhood (aged ≤15 years). Residential moves were considered by defining "stayers" as individuals who lived in the same data zone during their entire childhood and "movers" as those who did not. Multilevel survival analysis determined associations between neighborhood-level income deprivation and depression incidence rates after adjustment for individual factors. Results were reported as incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% credible intervals (95% CrIs). The hypotheses were formulated before data collection. A total of 1 096 916 individuals (563 864 male participants [51.4%]) were followed up from 15 years of age. During follow-up, 35 098 individuals (23 728 female participants [67.6%]) received a diagnosis of depression. People living in deprived areas during childhood had an increased risk of depression (IRR, 1.10 [95% CrI, 1.08-1.12]). After full individual-level adjustment, the risk was attenuated (IRR, 1.02 [95% CrI, 1.01-1.04]), indicating an increase of 2% in depression incidence for each 1-SD increase in income deprivation. Moving during childhood, independent of neighborhood deprivation status, was associated with significantly higher rates of depression in adulthood compared with not moving (IRR, 1.61 [95% CrI, 1.52-1.70] for 2 or more moves after full adjustment). This study suggests that, rather than just high or changing neighborhood income deprivation trajectories in childhood being associated with adulthood depression, a settled home environment in childhood may have a protective association against depression. Policies that enable and support settled childhoods should be promoted.

Prospective associations of prenatal stress with child behavior: Moderation by the early childhood caregiving environment.

Fetal exposure to prenatal stress can increase risk for psychopathology but postnatal caregiving may offset risk. This study tests whether maternal sensitivity and the home environment during early childhood modify associations of prenatal stress with offspring behavior in a sample of 127 mother-child pairs (n = 127). Mothers reported on perceived stress during pregnancy. Maternal sensitivity was rated by coders during a parent-child free play task when children were 4 years old. One year later, mothers reported on the home environment, child internalizing and externalizing behaviors, and children completed an assessment of inhibitory control. As hypothesized, the early childhood caregiving environment modified associations of prenatal stress with child behavior. Specifically, prenatal stress was associated with more internalizing behaviors at lower levels of maternal sensitivity and in home environments that were lower in emotional support and cognitive stimulation, but not at mean or higher levels. Furthermore, prenatal stress was associated with lower inhibitory control only at lower levels of maternal sensitivity, but not at higher levels. Maternal sensitivity and an emotionally supportive and cognitively stimulating home environment in early childhood may be important factors that mitigate risk for mental health problems among children exposed to prenatal stress.

Interaction of life-time and early-life exposure to antibiotics and indoor environmental factors on childhood plant allergy

BackgroundDoctor-diagnosed plant allergy (DPA) in children has emerged as a significant global public health concern. However, the role of antibiotics and indoor environmental factors (IEFs) in childhood DPA remains unknown. ObjectiveTo investigate the correlations between childhood DPA and exposure to antibiotics and IEFs during different time periods. MethodsA retrospective cohort study of 8,689 preschoolers was performed in Changsha, China. We collected data on each child's health outcomes, antibiotics use and home environment by a questionnaire, as well as temperature and air pollutants in Changsha, and calculated personal exposure to temperature and pollutants. Multiple logistic regression models were used to assess the independent and joint effects of antibiotics and IEFs on childhood DPA. ResultsLife-time and early-life antibiotics use was associated with childhood DPA with ORs (95% CI) = 1.58 (1.15–2.17) and 1.33 (1.04–1.69), with a higher risk for early-life exposure than later-life exposure. Renovation-specific indoor air pollution (IAP) during pre-birth (1 year before pregnancy and pregnancy) and smoke-specific IAP during early life (pregnancy and first year) had significantly impacts on childhood DPA. Furthermore, dampness-specific allergens throughout lifetime elevated the risk of DPA, with ORs ranging from 1.34 (1.00–1.81) to 1.93 (1.44–2.59). Moreover, life-time and early-life antibiotic use significantly increased the DPA risk attributed to some specific IEFs, such as ETS especially grandparental smoking, exposure during first year and previous year, with a significant interaction. ConclusionsLife-time and early-life exposure to antibiotics and IEFs independently and jointly played key roles in the development of DPA, supporting the “fetal origin of childhood PA” hypothesis.

Home Videos for Remote Assessment in Children with Disabilities: A Scoping Review.

Background: Analysis of parent-provided home videos is a mode of technology that can facilitate a telehealth assessment, allowing observation of function in the child's natural home environment. This scoping review investigated areas of use of home videos for functional assessment by health professionals with a pediatric population with disabilities. Methods: Four databases were searched for articles in which parent-provided home videos were employed by health professionals for functional assessment in children with disabilities. Articles published from 2013 to 2023 were included in the review if they met the inclusion criteria, and the data were extracted into an Excel file. Results: After screening 3,019 articles, 30 articles were included in the data extraction. The majority of studies utilized home videos for diagnosis of autism, followed by assessment of motor development in infants. Studies found that using home videos for assessment is feasible and empowers parents. The validity and reliability of various home video platforms were demonstrated. Conclusions: Analysis of home videos can aid in making a timely diagnosis for prompt intervention, and can be used to assess various body functions, interchangeable with a live clinic assessment. It is important to provide parents with clear instructions when using this method. Future studies are necessary to determine whether parent-provided home videos can be utilized by a multidisciplinary team to assess diverse factors, including activity, participation, and the environment, in a variety of populations of children with disabilities, thus extending services beyond the physical borders of the clinic.

Association between Mother's Educational Status And Home Literacy Environment With The Language Abilities Of Seven Year-Old Children: Path Analysis Evidence

<p><strong>Background</strong><strong>: </strong>Factors that can influence the success of the educational process are family environmental factors, school environment, and community environment. The role of parents is to provide materials and help their children when they experience difficulties in the learning process. Language skills emerge in early childhood and are critical in promoting later literacy competencies, such as reading and writing. The period from birth to age 3 is critical for language development, as nearly all typically developing children acquire important language skills by age 3. During this period, children's home environment is especially important, as parents are the main providers of language input and support, allowing most children to acquire a basic foundation of language.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study used a cross sectional study design, which was conducted in Surakarta City. A sample of 100 people was selected using a random sampling technique. Data collection was performed using a questionnaire and analyzed by path analysis.</p><p><strong>Results:</strong> The direct relationship between expressive language abilities of children who have mothers with higher education is 2.2 units higher than children with mothers with low education (b=2.2; 95% CI= 0.9 to 3.5; p= 0.001). A high home literacy environment had a log odd of experiencing good expressive language skills of 2.04 units higher than children with a low home literacy environment (b=2.04; 95% CI= 0.7 to 3.3; p= 0.002). The indirect relationship between maternal higher education and expressive language abilities through the child's home literacy environment is statistically significant. Children who have mothers with higher education have log odd for high language expressive abilities of 2.8 units higher than children with mothers with low education (b=2.8; 95% CI= 1.7 to 3.9; p= <;0.001). </p><p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> A child's good expressive language abilities are influenced indirectly by the mother's high education through a high home literacy environment.</p>

Prosedur Adopsi Anak Dalam Hukum

Child adoption is a legal action that transfers a child from the sphere of power of parents, legal guardians or other people responsible for the care, education and raising of the child into the adoptive parents' family setting. This research is conducted with the aim of knowing how the concept of child adoption and how child protection efforts in Indonesia are associated with the practice of child adoption. This study used a normative juridical approach in order to accomplish its goals. Descriptive analytical research specifications are used. The protection of children regulated in the Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 35 of 2014 concerning Amendments to Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 23 of 2002 concerning Child Protection is still not running effectively due to various forms of abuse directed to the child's home environment, including child abuse practices where the child fails to follow the rules or procedures, there are potential consequences that can cause the child to become less normal.

Welfare Reform and the Quality of Young Children's Home Environments

This study investigates the effects of welfare reform—a major policy shift in the United States that increased low-income mothers' employment and reliance on earnings instead of cash assistance—on the quality of the home environments mothers provide for their preschool-age children. Using empirical methods designed to identify plausibly causal effects, we estimate the effects of welfare reform on validated survey and observational measures of maternal behaviors that support children's cognitive skills and emotional adjustment and the material goods that parents purchase to stimulate their children's skill development. The results suggest that welfare reform did not affect the amount of time and material resources mothers devoted to cognitively stimulating activities with their young children. However, it significantly decreased emotional support provision scores, by approximately 0.3–0.4 standard deviations. The effects appear to be stronger for mothers with lower human capital. The findings provide evidence that welfare reform came at a cost to children in the form of lower quality parenting. They also underscore the importance of considering quality, and not just quantity, in assessing the effects of maternal work-incentive policies on parenting and children's home environments.

Predicting adolescent and young adult outcomes from emotional support and cognitive stimulation offered by preschool-age home and early care and education settings.

Children's early environmental experiences are often considered highly influential for later life development. Yet, environmental contexts, such as the home and early care and education (ECE) setting, and multiple aspects of each setting, are not typically examined concurrently. In this study, we examined associations between cognitive stimulation and emotional support in the home and ECE setting during the preschool years (36-54 months) with adolescent (age 15; n = 708; 52% female) and adult (age 26; n = 584; 54% female) outcomes using data from the Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, a study conducted at 10 sites across the United States. Cognitive stimulation in the home was significantly related to increased academic achievement at age 15 and educational attainment at age 26. Home emotional support was related to decreased behavior problems and increased social skills at age 15. No significant associations were found between either emotional support or cognitive stimulation in ECE and children's later development. These findings provide further support that the child's home environment during early childhood plays a substantial role in development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Characterizing azobenzene disperse dyes and related compounds in house dust and their correlations with other organic contaminant classes

Azobenzene disperse dyes are the fastest-growing category of commercial dyestuffs and are implicated in the literature as potentially allergenic. In the indoor environment, these dyes may be shed from various textiles, including clothing and upholstery and accumulate in dust particles potentially leading to exposure in young children who have higher exposure to chemicals associated with dust due to their crawling and mouthing behaviors. Children may be more vulnerable to dye exposure due to their developing immune systems, and therefore, it is critical to characterize azobenzene disperse dyes in children's home environments. Here, we investigate azobenzene disperse dyes and related compounds in house dust samples (n = 124) that were previously analyzed for flame retardants, phthalates, pesticides and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). High-resolution mass spectrometry was used to support both targeted and suspect screening of dyes in dust. Statistical analyses were conducted to determine if dye concentrations were related to demographic information. Detection frequencies for 12 target dyes ranged from 11% to 89%; of the dyes that were detected in at least 50% of the samples, geometric mean levels ranged from 32.4 to 360 ng/g. Suspect screening analysis identified eight additional high-abundance azobenzene compounds in dust. Some dyes were correlated to numerous flame retardants and several antimicrobials, and statistically higher levels of some dyes were observed in homes of non-Hispanic Black mothers than in homes of non-Hispanic white mothers. To our knowledge, this is the most comprehensive study of azobenzene disperse dyes in house dust to date. Future studies are needed to quantify additional dyes in dust and to examine exposure pathways of dyes in indoor environments where children are concerned.

Exploring the link between ACEs and opioid use: A systematic review.

To review the current literature surrounding the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and opioid use disorder (OUD) to guide clinical identification of high-risk individuals and assess treatment implications. A PubMed search was conducted from the year 2000 to 2022 using a series of primary and secondary search terms. A total of 21,524 unique results were screened for relevancy to ACEs and OUDs. After excluding unrelated articles, a total of 48 articles were included in this systematic review. Increased frequency of ACEs was directly related to increased risk of OUD and lower onset age. ACEs were also associated with OUD severity. ACEs linked to OUD included childhood neglect, emotional abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. Additionally, dysfunctional childhood home environment, female gender, and psychiatric/behavioral comorbidities increased the risk of OUD, while resilience was found to be a protective factor. Multiple biochemical markers were associated with both ACEs and OUD. Children experiencing multiple ACEs should be the target of preventative intervention by medical professionals. Clinicians should include ACEs in their opioid misuse risk assessment. High incidence of co-occurring psychiatric/behavioral disorders provides multiple treatment avenues for patients with OUD. Resilience, along with being therapy target, should be fostered early in the life course. Incorporation of family members may improve opioid abuse treatment outcomes. Future research should focus on interventions interrupting the progression of ACEs to OUD along with proposed biochemical pathways.

Chinese parents’ support of preschoolers’ mathematical development

Research has documented the critical role played by the early home environment in children’s mathematical development in Western contexts. Yet little is known about how Chinese parents support their preschoolers’ development of math skills. The Chinese context is of particular interest because Chinese children outperform their Western counterparts in math, even early in development. The current study sought to fill this gap by examining a sample of 90 families of 4- and 5-year-olds from mainland China. Parental support—as measured by the frequency of parent–child engagement in home activities as well as parent number talk—and parents’ role in children’s numeracy skills were investigated. Results indicate wide variation among parents in both types of support. Frequency of engagement in formal numeracy activities, including counting objects and reading number story books, was related to children’s knowledge of cardinality. A principal components analysis did not identify informal numeracy activities as a distinct home activity component, likely due to the infrequent occurrences of game-like numeracy activities among the Chinese families. Instead, a structured activity component emerged (e.g., playing musical instruments) and was positively related to children’s arithmetic skills. Diversity, but not quantity, of parent number talk was related to children’s symbolic magnitude understanding. The distinctive relationships between specific parental measures and child outcomes speak to the need for nuanced identification of home environment factors that are beneficial to particular math competencies. The findings also suggest cultural variations in the mechanisms that support children’s mathematical development, highlighting the merits of investigating this topic in non-Western contexts.

Attention and behavior problems in childhood predict adult financial status, health, and criminal activity: A conceptual replication and extension of Moffitt et al. (2011) using cohorts from the United States and the United Kingdom.

This study is a conceptual replication of a widely cited study by Moffitt et al. (2011) which found that attention and behavior problems in childhood (a composite of impulsive hyperactive, inattentive, and impulsive-aggressive behaviors labeled "self-control") predicted adult financial status, health, and criminal activity. Using data from longitudinal cohort studies in the United States (n = 1,168) and the United Kingdom (n = 16,506), we largely reproduced their pattern of findings that attention and behavior problems measured across the course of childhood predicted a range of adult outcomes including educational attainment (βU.S. = -0.22, βU.K. = -0.13) and spending time in jail (ORU.S. = 1.74, ORU.K. = 1.48). We found that associations with outcomes in education, work, and finances diminished in the presence of additional covariates for children's home environment and achievement but associations for other outcomes were more robust. We also found that attention and behavior problems across distinct periods of childhood were associated with adult outcomes. Specific attention and behavior problems showed some differences in predicting outcomes in the U.S. cohort, with attention problems predicting lower educational attainment and hyperactivity/impulsivity predicting ever spending time in jail. Together with the findings from Moffitt et al., our study makes clear that childhood attention and behavior problems are associated with a range of outcomes in adulthood for cohorts born in the 1950s, 1970s, and 1990s across three countries. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Impact of Family Dysfunction on The Psychological Wellbeing of Pupils in Inclusive Schools in Lagos State, Nigeria

Family plays a significant role on how children develop and a steady family that is steady (responsibility and functionality) is extremely important to the development of a child. A child's home environment should offer a favourable framework for healthy psychological wellbeing. Thus, this study investigated the impact of family dysfunction on the psychological wellbeing of pupils in inclusive schools in Lagos State. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study and simple random sampling technique was used to select 216 respondents from 12 inclusive schools in Lagos State. Two questionnaires titled Family Dysfunction and Psychological Wellbeing Scales (PWBS) were used. Percentage analysis was used to answer the research questions and PPMC was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 alpha level. The study revealed that the level of family dysfunction among pupils in inclusive school in Lagos was relatively high, the state of psychological wellbeing of pupils in inclusive schools in Lagos was relatively low and there was significant negative impact of family dysfunction on psychological wellbeing of pupils in inclusive schools in Lagos State. The study concluded that social support (emotional support) should be highly encouraged by the school authorities to emotional support struggling pupils and their counterparts.

International comparisons of the home mathematics environment and relations with children's mathematical achievement.

Home mathematics environment (HME) research has focused on parent-child interactions surrounding numerical activities as measured by the frequency of engaging in such activities. However, HME survey questions have been developed from limited perspectives (e.g., Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 27, 2012, 231; Journal of Social Issues, 64, 2008, 95; Early childhood mathematics education research: Learning trajectories for young children, Routledge, New York, 2009), by researchers from a small subset of countries (15; Psychological Bulletin, 147, 2020, 565), which may skew our interpretations. This study broadened international representation by leveraging secondary data from the 2019 TIMSS to examine the variation of the frequency and reliability of the HME scale and its relation to children's mathematical achievement. Across 54 countries, 231,138 parents and children (Mage = 10.22 years; 51% male) participated in the larger study. Parents completed a retrospective home environment survey and children were assessed on mathematics skills. Basic frequency descriptive statistics, Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficients, and Pearson's r correlation coefficients were used to assess variability across countries. Findings suggested that families in certain countries engaged in home mathematics activities more frequently than families in other countries; however, the HME scale demonstrated acceptable internal consistency across families in all countries (M α = .79; range = [.73, .89]). Further, the average relation between HME and mathematical achievement was r = .15 with a range between r = .02 to r = .41. Our results indicate substantial variation across countries in the HME-mathematical achievement association. These findings underscore the importance of international representation in advancing research on the diversity of a child's home environment.

AN ANALYSIS OF A PREOPERATIVE PHYSIOTHERAPY AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY LIMB RECONSTRUCTION SERVICE FOR CHILDREN WITH PERTHES’ DISEASE IN THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

IntroductionLegg-Calve-Perthes (Perthes Disease) was first recognised by three physicians, Arthur Legg (1874–1939), Jacqui Calve (1875–1954) and George Perthes (1869 – 1927) in 1910. Perthes disease is a rare childhood condition that affects the hip. It occurs when the blood supply to the femoral head is disrupted. Without this blood supply, the bone cells die and avascular necrosis can occur. The Herring classification is used to diagnose the stages of Perthes Disease. It is an important prognostic factor. There are three classifications, Herring A, B and C. Herring A has no involvement of the lateral pillar with no density changes noted on x-ray. Herring B has at least 50% of the lateral pillar height maintained on x-ray. Herring C has less than 50% of the lateral pillar height on x-ray (Herring et al, 1992). Children with Perthes disease require specialist Limb Reconstruction team throughout their treatment journey, this includes Orthopaedic surgery and therapy (Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy). The National Limb Reconstruction Therapy Team is based at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Cappagh. The therapy team consists of 1 Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist, 1 Senior Physiotherapist and 1 Senior Occupational Therapist who provide input to this cohort. This study aims to analyse the importance of a comprehensive pre-operative assessment by the therapy team (Physiotherapist and Occupational Therapist) to maximise patient outcomes post operatively.MethodologyThis is a quantitative research study conducted by the National Limb Reconstructive Therapy Service of the National Orthopaedic Hospital in Cappagh, Dublin. The inclusion criteria for this study consisted of:Age – Patient must be part of the Paediatric Service, i.e., under the age of 16.Diagnosis – Patient must have a diagnosis of Perthes Disease with a Herring Classification documented.Application of a Hip Distractor Frame formed part of the patient's surgical management.Surgery was completed by Mr Connor Green.Surgery was completed between January 2021 and December 2022.Patient were required to have their external hip distractor frame removed by December 2022.Exclusion Criteria: Those not meeting the above inclusion criteria. Following the inclusion criteria, a number of cases were identified of which 10 cases were selected at random. A retrospective analysis of these samples was completed. The medical charts were reviewed as well as patient electronic healthcare records. Microsoft Excel was utilised to analyse the data and capture results.ResultsFrom analysing the data, the following results were identified:80% of the sample cohort had a length of stay of 5 days following surgery. There were two outliers due to infection who had a length of stay of 14 days.90% of the sample received a pre-operative Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy assessment. This assessment included information gathering regarding the child's home and social environment; their functional baseline and anticipated post-operative needs. Standardised and non-standardised assessments were used.88.89% of those who completed a pre-operative assessment required referral to community Occupational Therapy teams for equipment provision (wheelchair, transfer aids) to allow for timely discharge.On average, each patient in the sample required 17 physiotherapy outpatient sessions prior to handover to the community teams.100% of our sample required post operation onward referral for MDT input in the community (Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy).ConclusionsThe importance of a multi-disciplinary approach towards family and children was highlighted in this study. A comprehensive pre-operative therapy assessment optimizes care for this cohort by preparing them in terms of equipment provisions, local team input and expectations for therapy. The data suggests future Limb Reconstruction team should include Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy as part of the multi-disciplinary team, in the treatment of children with Perthe's Disease. We suggest an MDT pre-assessment is completed to optimize patient care, reduce length of stay and improve patient satisfaction in the acute hospital setting.

Prenatal and postnatal small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements and children’s social–emotional difficulties at ages 9–11 y in Ghana: follow-up of a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundProvision of small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNSs) during early life improves growth and development. In the International Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements DYAD–Ghana trial, prenatal and postnatal SQ-LNS reduced social–emotional difficulties at age 5 y, with greater effects among children in less-enriched home environments. ObjectivesWe aimed to investigate the effect of prenatal and postnatal SQ-LNS on children's social–emotional problems at age 9–11 y. MethodsIn 2009–2011, 1320 pregnant women ≤20 wk gestation were randomly assigned to receive the following daily until 6 mo postpartum: 1) iron and folic acid until delivery, then placebo, 2) multiple micronutrients (MMNs), or 3) SQ-LNS (20 g/d). Children in group 3 received SQ-LNS from 6 to 18 mo. In 2021, we evaluated children's social–emotional outcomes with 6 assessment tools that used caregiver, teacher, and/or self-report to measure socioemotional difficulties, conduct problems, temperament, mood, anxiety, and emotion management. ResultsWe assessed outcomes in 966 children, comprising 79.4% of 1217 participants eligible for re-enrolment. No significant differences were found between the SQ-LNS and control (non-LNS groups combined) groups. Few children (<2%) experienced high parent-reported social–emotional difficulties at 9–11 y, in contrast to the high prevalence at age 5 in this cohort (25%). Among children in less-enriched early childhood home environments, the SQ-LNS group had 0.37 SD (−0.04 to 0.82) lower self-reported conduct problems than the control group (P-interaction = 0.047). ConclusionsOverall positive effects of SQ-LNS on social–emotional development previously found at age 5 y are not sustained to age 9–11 y; however, there is some evidence of positive effects among children in less-enriched environments. The lack of effects may be owing to low prevalence of social–emotional problems at preadolescence, resulting in little potential to benefit from early nutritional intervention at this age in this outcome domain. Follow-up during adolescence, when social-emotional problems more typically onset, may yield further insights.This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00970866. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT00970866

The long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children with ADHD in terms of participation, support, and barriers at home

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to compare the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on participation, support, and barriers at home in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and without ADHD. Design and methodsThis study included a total of 227 participants with a mean age of 11.93 ± 2.96 years, comprising 116 children and adolescents with ADHD and 111 without ADHD. The parents or primary caregivers of all the children completed the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth (PEM-CY), which was used to assess participation and environmental factors in the home. The Student's t-test was used to compare numeric data and Chi-square test to categorical data between children and adolescents with ADHD and those without ADHD in all three settings. ResultsThe children with ADHD were determined to play computer and video games significantly more than children without ADHD (p < 0.001). The mean frequency of participation in arts, crafts, music, hobbies (p < 0.001), school preparation (<0.0001), and homework (<0.003) was significantly higher in children without ADHD. A moderate effect size (ϕ = 0.42) was determined in respect of cognitive demands making it more difficult for children with ADHD to participate in home activities than children without ADHD. ConclusionsChildren with ADHD were negatively affected in terms of participating in home activities than their typically developing peers. In addition, cognitive demands prevented their participation and involvement in the home environment while cognitive demands were a support for non-ADHD children. Practical implicationsA highlight of this research was the comprehensive investigation of the long-term effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on participation in all activities at home, in addition to the support and barriers in the home environment for children with ADHD compared to typically developing peers.

Pencegahan dan Penyuluhan Penyakit Kecacingan Pada Anak Sekolah Dasar Oehau Kabupaten Kupang Nusa Tenggara Timur

Worms are a health problem that is still common. Worms caused by a group of soil-borne intestinal worms known as Soil Transmitted Helminths (STH). This community service is carried out with the aim of carrying out prevention and counseling about environmental health, especially in helminthiasis in elementary school children in Oehau, Kupang District, East Nusa Tenggara Province. This activity conducts counseling and examination of the community on how to deal with helminthiasis in elementary school children with a subject of 41 children at School Oehau. The results showed that out of 41 samples there were 4 samples that were positively infected with the Soil Transmitted Helminths worm species, the Ascaris lumbricoides egg species with a prevalence of 9.8%. Children's behavior by 73%. Children's knowledge of helminthiasis is 87%. Sanitation of the children's home environment by 88%. Therefore, it is suggested to teachers and parents and especially elementary school children to further improve the Clean and Healthy Lifestyle (PHBS) in order to avoid helminthiasis.