Children In Germany Research Articles

Organized Sports, Overweight, and Physical Fitness in Primary School Children in Germany

Physical inactivity is associated with poor physical fitness and increased body weight. This study examined the relationship between participation in organized sports and overweight as well as physical fitness in primary school children in southern Germany. Height, weight, and various components of physical fitness were measured in 995 children (7.6 ± 0.4 years). Sports participation and confounding variables such as migration background, parental education, parental body weight, and parental sports participation were assessed via parent questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression as well as multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was used to determine associations between physical fitness, participation in organized sports, and body weight. Participation in organized sports less than once a week was prevalent in 29.2%, once or twice in 60.2%, and more often in 10.6% of the children. Overweight was found in 12.4% of the children. Children participating in organized sports more than once per week displayed higher physical fitness and were less likely to be overweight (OR = 0.52, P < 0.01). Even though causality cannot be established, the facilitation of participation in organized sports may be a crucial aspect in public health efforts addressing the growing problems associated with overweight and obesity.

High Frequency of CAM Use Among Children in Germany

High Frequency of CAM Use Among Children in Germany

Brave New Worlds. Old and New Classics of Children's Literatures (review)

Reviewed by: Brave New Worlds. Old and New Classics of Children's Literatures J. Igor Prieto-Arranz Brave New Worlds. Old and New Classics of Children's Literatures Ed. Elena Paruolo. Brussels: Peter Lang. 2011. 231 pages. Brave New Worlds is a careful selection of papers on European children's literature whose leitmotif is the very issue of canonicity (with)in the field. While pointing to the canon as a discursive formation, Paruolo claims in her introductory chapter that there are also clear advantages surrounding canonicity, including authors' visibility and perceived legitimacy for researchers (9-28). In the light of this perception, the volume focuses on four different countries: Britain and three important literary polysystems, namely Germany, France and Italy, which are currently in various stages of the way towards a children's literary canon. The volume is divided into three main parts. Of these, Part 1, by far the strongest section in the book, looks at the texts themselves. First, Sandra L. Beckett discusses "crossover" classics, a rare status which the author somehow connects to works having been written in, or else translated into, English (31-44). An encyclopaedic list of both past and present-day classics rounds out this chapter. The next contribution is Peter Hunt's close reading of three [End Page 83] well-known British canonical works: Carroll's Alice books and Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Effectively deconstructing the notion of the canon, Hunt suggests that Alice remains a true children's work that also appeals to adults, whereas Kenneth Grahame's pastoral idyll is a novel that the adult world has systematically thought suitable for children (45-53). Jean Perrot then considers the French canon. Although going back to the 17th century, the works he identifies as French classics are more recent, including Saint-Exupéry's Le petit prince [The Little Prince] and Pergaud's La guerre des boutons [War of the buttons]. The value of this chapter lies in the rich intertextual connections delineated between these and other works within and outside the French literary polysystem (54-66). Anja Müller's equally enticing chapter takes us to Germany. Following very much the same principles successfully used in previous chapters, Müller provides an extensive revision of German children's literature since the 18th century, often considering the role played by extra-literary criteria in the creation of German children's classics. As a post-scriptum of sorts, Müller argues that the realistic mode that has characterised much of Germany's children's fiction has not been entirely superseded by the recently successful fantasy works the country has produced (67-88). From Germany the reader travels back to Britain and is invited to consider children's poetry. Morag Styles' account rejoices in the official recognition this subgenre receives in Britain whilst bitterly resenting the very little presence it has in British school curricula (89-103). Part 1 comes to a close pointing to the future with Stefania Ciocia's "Vernon God Little: A Future Crossover Classic" (105-120). Even if it has already found its place in British school curricula, the author convincingly argues, this novel may never become an established part of the children's literary canon, mostly because it lacks two essential ingredients: it does not build empathy with the main character or a sense of catharsis. Part 2 is devoted to the fascinating issue of the translation or adaptation of children's classics. A strong point of this part is that the pieces of children's literature the different chapters explore from this different perspective are works already analysed in Part 1: Alice, La guerre des boutons, and a staple of the German folk tradition compiled by the Brothers Grimm, namely "Hansel and Gretel." However, it must also be said that Serpieri's considerations on the translation of Alice, rich as they are in practical detail (and therefore of immense value for translation practitioners) lack the scholarly tone that has hitherto dominated the volume (123-139). This is equally applicable to D'Ajello's chapter on the translation of Alice into Neapolitan Italian, which becomes more of a political vindication (considering the status of...

Cognitive and Language Skills of Turkish Children in Germany: A Comparison of the Second and Third Generation and Mixed Generational Groups

The paper compares several generational groups of Turkish children in Germany with respect to cognitive skills and German language skills at an early age. Empirically, children of inter-marriages outperform the other groups of Turkish children in both tests while children with a first generation mother and a second generation father score worse than all others. All group differences regarding children’s cognitive skills can be explained by the families’ socio-economic status and educational resources. In contrast, with respect to children’s language skills also parents’ endowment with receiving country specific resources (e.g., parental German language proficiency) needs to be taken into account.

The Influence of Education and Home Environment on the Cognitive Outcomes of Preschool Children in Germany

Educational inequality is a well-established topic among the scientific community in Western countries. Major individual differences emerge well before children arrive at school. Therefore the following analysis deals with the explanation of early differences in cognitive outcomes. However, there is not much research done in Germany. The main question is if the strong effect of the educational background and the home environment on their outcomes and on the improvement exists as well. To test this, data of the project “Preschool Education and Educational Careers among Migrant Children” was used. The results of structural equation models confirm that the home environment and the education of the parents are important for children's outcomes at the age of 3 to 4. In addition both factors also play a major role for the explanation of the improvement of the cognitive abilities. The results show that in Germany the home environment and parental education are important predictors of cognitive abilities. As a main result the study shows that it is very important to control for earlier abilities of the children and to encourage low educated parents to be active with their children, since in that way they can compensate for their lower educational background.

Changes in Family Income around the Time of Birth of Children in Germany between 1985 and 2004

While the course and the determinants of fertility behaviour have been investigated intensively, the monetary consequences of birth have hardly been considered empirically to date. Therefore, this paper focuses on the short-term (equivalent) household income changes around the time of births in a longitudinal perspective and examines them for their causes. For the analyses of the longitudinal data (GSOEP-Data 1984-2005), fixed effects panel regression models were computed. The results show that the short-term socioeconomic consequences of birth have clearly increased in the last two decades and first births in particular are associated with disproportionately severe socioeconomic consequences, while further births are rarely accompanied by negative changes in the households’ socioeconomic situations. Furthermore, household income losses attributable to births only arise in double income households and increase gradually in line with a rising level of household income before birth. Hence, the analyses suggest the need for more adequate state assistance with respect to family support. Beside the provision of adequate infrastructural conditions which allow mothers to be employed, also the payments to compensate for child-related costs (“Kindergeld”) should be – in contrast to the present practice in Germany – increased and re-adjusted with respect to the child’s position in the birth sequence.

Immigrant and Native Children in Germany

Resident foreign citizens in Germany, a country that cannot deny its character as a country of immigration, number around 6.7 million out of Germany’s total population of 82.4 million inhabitants. Relative to the native population, the age structure among people with migration background is shifted considerably younger. The share of children living with parents who have a migration background is quite large: More than 1 million children under 17 years of age are foreign citizens. This paper draws a portrait of immigrant children in comparison to native children. Data being analysed for this purpose make clear that children with migration background are disadvantaged in most sectors of life: Large shares of these children grow up in households with difficult financial straits and under less than optimal housing conditions. Young children with migration background face disadvantages in preschool and many are held back due to limited German language proficiency. Children and youth in foreign-born families tend to start school later and repeat classes more often. Children with migration background are not adequately supplied with health care, mainly because they and their parents less often participate in early diagnosis and preventive care. Youth with migration background are more involved in violent crimes.

The Influence of Early Sport Activities on Cognitive Development of Preschool Children in Germany

The Influence of Early Sport Activities on Cognitive Development of Preschool Children in Germany

German Environmental Survey for Children (GerES IV): Fungi in Homes and Sensitisation of Children in Germany

ISEE-0259 Background and Objective: GerES IV was a module of the Health Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS). In GerES exposures to chemical, physical and also biological agents were determined on a representative basis. Sensitisation of children aged 3 to 14 years against specific indoor fungi (Walemia sebi, Eurotium spec., Cladosporium herbarum, Aspergillus versicolor, Aspergillus fumigatus, Penicillium chrysogenum) was measured in 1538 serum samples. Methods: A positive result (IgE ≥ 0,35 IU/ml) for one of the fungi was the criteria to define a case for an embedded case-control study. Controls were matched according to age, gender and region in a proportion of 1:3. Thus the case control study consisted of 66 cases and 198 controls. The homes of these 264 children were visited and indoor air and household dust was analysed for mould spores. Results: 8.3% of the 1538 children were tested positive for a sensitisation against at least one of the fungi. Four of these fungi are not part of commercial test kits. 40% of these children did not show a sensitisation against other allergens that are part of commercial allergen test kits. There was a significant correlation between visible mould in the living/children rooms as well as between a basic reconstruction of the home and sensitisation. Spore counts and extent of visible mould were significantly correlated. Conclusions: The analysis of sensitisation against indoor fungi should be part of commercial allergy tests. The results show that long term exposure against fungi is a risk factor for a sensitisation and that exposure to substances used for reconstruction might promote the development of sensitisations. The financial support of the Federal Ministries for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety and of Education and Research is gratefully acknowledged. Field work of GerES was carried out by the Robert Koch Institute, Berlin and the case-control-study by Rabe HygieneConsult, Essen.

Philosophizing with Children in Germany

Philosophizing with Children in Germany

A Recently Identified Rhinovirus Genotype Is Associated with Severe Respiratory‐Tract Infection in Children in Germany

Acute respiratory infection is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in children worldwide. Accurate identification of causative agents is critical to case management and to prioritization in vaccine development. Sensitive multiplex diagnostics provide us with an opportunity to investigate the relative contributions of individual agents andmayalso facilitate the discovery of new pathogens. Recently, application of MassTag polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to undiagnosed infuenza-like illness in New York State led to the discovery of a novel rhinovirus genotype. Here we report the investigation, by MassTag PCR, of pediatric respiratory-tract infections in Germany, studying 97 cases for which no pathogen was identified through routine laboratory evaluation. Respiratory viruses were identified in 49 cases (51%); of the 55 identified viruses, 41 (75%) were rhinoviruses. The novel genotype represented 73% of rhinoviruses and 55% of all identified viruses. Infections with the novel genotype were associated with upper-respiratory-tract symptoms but, more frequently, with bronchitis, bronchiolitis, and pneumonia.

Growth During the First Two Years Predicts Pre-School Height in Children Born With Very Low Birth Weight (VLBW): Results of a Study of 1,320 Children in Germany

Children born with very low birth weight (VLBW) are at risk of impaired growth. We aimed to study VLBW survivors (90.8%) born in 1998/1999 in the state of Baden-Württemberg (n = 2103) for whom growth data were available up to age six. Classification as appropriate for gestational age (AGA) or small for gestational age (SGA) depended on size at birth. Models to predict height SDS at 5 y were developed using data for 1 yr (Model 1) and 2 yrs (Model 2). The data of 1320 (63%) children were available: SGA: n = 730, AGA: n = 590. At 6 yrs, 8.3% AGA and 13.4% SGA children were short (<-2.0 SDS). The following factors explained Ht SDS at 5 (and 6) yrs (order of importance): (a) Model 1 (n = 1033; R2 = 0.52; error: 0.84 SDS): 1st yr Ht SDS, mid-parental height (MPH) SDS, 1 yr weight SDS, birth weight SDS; (b) Model 2 (n = 991; R2 = 0.72; error: 0.65 SDS): 1st yr Ht SDS; change (2nd yr) in Ht and weight SDS; MPH SDS; 1st yr weight SDS; birth weight SDS. Thus, some AGA and SGA children born VLBW remain short and preventive strategies need to be developed for those at risk.

Prevalence of Socioemotional Problems in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children in Germany

The German version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used in a study to examine its usefulness in diagnosing socioemotional problems of deaf and hard of hearing children. The SDQ parent version was completed by 213 mothers and 213 fathers. The factor structure and reliability were tested, and the prevalence rate of socioemotional problems determined and compared to the German standardization sample. The statistical data were uniformly satisfactory; thus, the SDQ can serve as a valid yet economical screening procedure to identify endangered children at an early age, and to refer them to more exact diagnosis and subsequent advice and therapy. This is very important, as the prevalence of socioemotional problems in the sample of deaf and hard of hearing children was clearly greater for almost all scores, a result that is nearly identical with findings from many other recent studies.

Contaminated Generativity: Holocaust Survivors and Their Children in Germany

This paper addresses the trauma transfer from survivors of the Shoah to the Second Generation in Germany. What does it mean for both generations to beget children after Auschwitz? This necessarily entails perceiving non-Jewish Germans and their way of dealing with history. Survivors cannot live without their memory, nor is it possible for them to conceive of a life unencumbered by this constant "contaminant". It is not possible to integrate the persecution experiences. On the contrary, decades after liberation, dissociated elements of traumatic memories penetrate everyday experiences, thought, affect and imagination as contaminants. Occasionally, these fragments of persecution experiences, like "encapsulated memories" hidden in crypts suddenly break open and frighten the survivors themselves and even more so the people around them.

Japanese Childhood Victims of Sexual Abuse and their Social Perceptions: Comparisons with Children in Germany, Greece and the USA

Empirical Japanese studies of childhood sexual abuse are rare. The few studies that do exist are mostly case studies involving low numbers of respondents. These are usually highly subjective, mostly legal or psychiatric in orientation and cannot be generalized to the Japanese population. In Japan this topic is often avoided as unpleasant; consequently, it is not discussed in conversation and not investigated in research. However, this subject is a compelling social problem that merits the attention of social scientists. The original concept for this study was a product of Gerd F. Kirchhoff and Claudia Kirchhoff (1976) who studied hidden sexual victimization in a German and a US sample in 1974/5. About 20 years later, Gerd Kirchhoff attempted to coordinate a much expanded comparative follow-up study in eight countries: Germany, USA, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, Hungary, Poland, and Japan. However, data were generated from only half the countries: Germany, USA, Greece and Japan. This study is part of that follow-up study and used the same questionnaire (translated into Japanese) as was originally devised in Germany and later refined by Paul Friday (in English) for the American study. A representative sample of 665 Japanese college students were asked to anonymously evaluate their childhood sexual activities using the large 41-question instrument. The findings suggested a significant distortion of social perceptions by victims of sexual abuse, especially victims of exhibitionism, concerning their estimation of similar experiences of like-gender and like-aged children. One of the surprising findings was the low incidence of these experiences in Japan compared to some of the other countries surveyed earlier. It is clear that significant long-term effects on these victims were evident as a result of their victimizations.

Kinder-Umwelt-Survey?das Umweltmodul im KiGGS

The German Environmental Survey for Children (GerES IV) is the environment-oriented module of the National Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS) which is being performed nationwide in Germany. From 2003 to 2006, a random subsample of 1800 children aged 3-14 years is being studied with regard to their body burden and health impairments linked to housing conditions and the personal environment- and health-relevant behaviour. The basic study programme includes the analysis of blood, urine, tap water and house dust as well as the application of an extensive questionnaire. The data gained from this population sample, which is representative for Germany's children, are the basis for deriving reference values to characterise the background exposure of children aged 3-14 years. Trends over time can be detected and the success of environmental policies verified by comparing the data with those of the German Environmental Survey 1990/92 (GerES II), also conducted in close cooperation with the National Health Survey, which included children aged 6-14 years. By linking the data from the Environmental and the Health Surveys, health-relevant environmental exposures can be detected and different scientific hypotheses can be tested. The main subjects that are being dealt with using subcollectives of GerES IV are 'VOC and eye and nasopharynx irritation', 'indoor allergens and allergic diseases of the respiratory system', 'chromium, nickel, fragrances and contact allergens', and 'noise, hearing capacity and stress hormones'.

Phoneme awareness and pathways into literacy: A comparison of German and American children

Where American kindergartners are taughtletters and letter sounds, Germankindergartners are not; where American firstand second graders receive an eclectic blend ofwhole language, whole word and phonics-basedapproaches, their German counterparts aretaught by an intensive synthetic phonicsapproach. As a probe to the consequences ofthese pedagogical differences on the emergenceof phoneme awareness, this study administeredtwo tests of phoneme awareness tokindergarten-, first- and second-grade childrenin Germany and America, along with readingtests, the digit span test and a test of RANcolor naming ability. The American kindergartenchildren excelled on a phoneme identityjudgement and a phoneme deletion task that theGerman kindergartners found difficult. Theiradvantage held equally whether the manipulatedsound was a syllable onset or the initial partof a consonant cluster. The first and secondgraders surpassed the kindergartners in bothcountries; however, the German first and secondgraders equaled their American peers on bothtasks and both types of units. In addition,the German children were more accurate decodersof pseudowords by the end of second grade, andthe association between phoneme awareness andGerman decoding ability was weaker. Anincreased emphasis on phonics and the greatertransparency of the German alphabet arediscussed as possible factors in the decodingexcellence of the German second graders and itsdecreased association with phoneme awareness.The contrast between the American and Germankindergartners and the equivalence of the firstand second graders in the two countries areconsistent with a view that phoneme awarenessdevelops primarily as a product of literacyexposure.

Severe Complications of Varicella in Previously Healthy Children in Germany: A 1-Year Survey

Varicella is a common infectious disease, usually benign and self-limited, and complications are believed to be rare. The purpose of this study was to describe the epidemiology of severe varicella complications in immunologically healthy children in Germany. Information on any admission of children with a severe complication associated with chickenpox was solicited throughout 1997 from all 485 pediatric hospitals in Germany using an established surveillance system. The case definition included nonimmunocompromised individuals who were up to 16 years of age and hospitalized with neurologic complications, bacterial superinfections, or hematologic complications. The response rate to the surveillance questionnaire during the observation period was high: 93.4%. Of the 153 reported cases, 119 met the case definition. There was a seasonal distribution of reported complications with a peak in March. The majority of complications occurred in preschool-age children with a maximum age of 4 years. No gender predominance was found with a distribution of 56 female and 63 male patients. Multiple entries for complications were allowed. The most frequent complications were neurologic, which were reported in 73 children (61.3%); cerebellitis was the leading diagnosis (n = 48), followed by encephalitis (n = 22), meningitis (n = 2), and central facial palsy (n = 1). A total of 46 (38.6%) infectious complications were identified. Superinfections of the skin were present in 31 (26.0%), pyogenic arthritis was present in 5 (4.2%), osteomyelitis was present in 4 (3.3%), necrotizing fasciitis was present in 3 (2.5%), orbital cellulitis was present in 2 (1.6%), and pneumonia was present in 1 (0.8%). Streptococcus pyogenes was the leading cause of bacterial infections (18 cases [15.1%]), with invasive disease in 6 patients (8.4%) and linked to 4 of 8 cases with defect healing. Infectious complications were reported in the majority in younger children up to 4 years of age, whereas neurologic complications occurred more frequently in an older age range. Five children experienced thrombocytopenia or severe anemia. There was no bleeding disorder, no fatality, and no case of Reye syndrome reported during the 1-year observation period. In total, 8 (6.7%) of 119 patients reported having long-term sequelae, 6 attributable to infectious complications and 2 to persistent deficits after neurologic complications. This is the first prospective nationwide study of severe complications of varicella in immunologically healthy children. Related to 14 025 867 children up to the age of 16, a crude incidence of severe chickenpox complications of 0.85/100 000 could be calculated [corrected]. The actual hospitalization rate attributable to complicated chickenpox is probably much higher, because this calculation refers to a population theoretically at risk and not the truly susceptible individuals. The results of this study demonstrate considerable morbidity with a comparatively high rate of encephalitis, osteomyelitis, and pyogenic arthritis. Although infectious complications were present in only 38.6% of the reported cases, they contributed disproportionately to the cases with chronic sequelae. Looking at these cases in more detail, S pyogenes involvement was identified as the major risk factor for invasive disease with an unfavorable long-term outcome. varicella-zoster virus, chickenpox/epidemiology, chickenpox/complications, encephalitis, cellulitis, osteomyelitis, necrotizing fasciitis, group A beta-hemolytic streptococci, Europe.

'You Don't Belong Here in Germany...': On the Social Situation of Refugee Children in Germany

'You Don't Belong Here in Germany...': On the Social Situation of Refugee Children in Germany

Economic and Social Perspectives of Immigrant Children in Germany

Overall, children in Germany live in households with below average incomes; therefore social policies that address the vulnerable position of Germany's children are necessary. These policies should cover targeted financial transfers as well as improvements in day care provision for children. With respect to selected non-monetary as well as monetary indicators our empirical analyses show significant differences in current living conditions between native born German children and those born to immigrants of German descent and foreign origin persons. Education is a key indicator for future economic and social perspectives. In principle, there is no formal discrimination of immigrant children by the German school system. However, low educational attainment levels are still being transferred from one immigrant generation to the next. The net result is that children of immigrants are not able to close the educational gap between themselves and their native German counterparts. The probable long-term consequence will be a large number of poorly qualified persons in the work force, who are much more likely to face severe labor market problems and as such will be a problem for the German economy as a whole for many years to come.