Children Of Different Ethnic Backgrounds Research Articles

Myopia and its progression in children in London, UK: a retrospective evaluation

Purpose: Worldwide, the prevalence of myopia is increasing. Myopia begins at younger ages and progresses faster, leading to more adults with high myopia and risk of sight-threatening complications. No data are available about myopia trends in children in urban areas in the UK. We present a 10-year review of children attending a secondary and tertiary eye care facility in London, focussing on the proportion of glasses prescriptions for myopia and progression rates. Methods: We collated refraction and demographic data from children under the age of 17 years seen at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK, between 2008 and 2017. Results: We included 63,854 datasets from 23,593 children (51.2% boys, median age 5.4 years, interquartile range IQR 3.8–7.1). The proportion of myopic prescriptions increased from 24 to 32%. In n = 3355 with initial mild/moderate myopia, median progression rate was −0.16 (−0.5 to 0.04) D/year. In those with progression (n = 2095), the rate was -0.40 (−0.19 to −0.74) D/year, slightly higher in girls than in boys (−0.42 vs −0.38 D/year; p = 0.02). Progression was faster in initial moderate than initial mild myopia (−0.54 vs −0.37 D/year; p < 0.001), and before than after average age of onset of puberty (−0.41 vs −0.35 D/year; p = 0.013). There was no statistically significant difference between children of different ethnic backgrounds. Conclusions: In this cohort, the proportion of glasses prescriptions for myopia and the rate of progression are higher than previously reported for European countries. Living in an urban environment may result in similar progression rates despite different genetic backgrounds.

Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency in Nigerian Children

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is the most common human enzymopathy and in Sub-Saharan Africa, is a significant cause of infection- and drug-induced hemolysis and neonatal jaundice. Our goals were to determine the prevalence of G6PD deficiency among Nigerian children of different ethnic backgrounds and to identify predictors of G6PD deficiency by analyzing vital signs and hematocrit and by asking screening questions about symptoms of hemolysis. We studied 1,122 children (561 males and 561 females) aged 1 month to 15 years. The mean age was 7.4±3.2 years. Children of Yoruba ethnicity made up the largest group (77.5%) followed by those Igbo descent (10.6%) and those of Igede (10.2%) and Tiv (1.8%) ethnicity. G6PD status was determined using the fluorescent spot method. We found that the overall prevalence of G6PD deficiency was 15.3% (24.1% in males, 6.6% in females). Yoruba children had a higher prevalence (16.9%) than Igede (10.5%), Igbo (10.1%) and Tiv (5.0%) children. The odds of G6PD deficiency were 0.38 times as high in Igbo children compared to Yoruba children (p = 0.0500). The odds for Igede and Tiv children were not significantly different from Yoruba children (p = 0.7528 and 0.9789 respectively). Mean oxygen saturation, heart rate and hematocrit were not significantly different in G6PD deficient and G6PD sufficient children. The odds of being G6PD deficient were 2.1 times higher in children with scleral icterus than those without (p = 0.0351). In conclusion, we determined the prevalence of G6PD deficiency in Nigerian sub-populations. The odds of G6PD deficiency were decreased in Igbo children compared to Yoruba children. There was no association between vital parameters or hematocrit and G6PD deficiency. We found that a history of scleral icterus may increase the odds of G6PD deficiency, but we did not exclude other common causes of icterus such as sickle cell disease or malarial infection.

Life Expectancy of Brain Impaired, Chronically Ventilated Children

We present a 5-year survival profile of 42 children and adolescents between 1 to 21 years of age in an immobile minimally conscious state, chronically dependent on supportive ventilation. Data were collected from a 22-bed pediatric unit dedicated to this unique population, within a 350-bed geriatric hospital, between May 2006 and May 2011. The practice of ventilating children even in minimally conscious state stems from the unique cultural, religious, and ethnic background of the population in Israel. The 5-year survival probability was 48% (52% probability of death within 5 years, 26.5% within 2 years). No significant difference was found in the survival profile of patients admitted following hypoxic accidents (20 children) and those admitted with other problems such as genetic/metabolic diseases or brain anomalies (22). The mortality rate of male patients was higher than that of female patients, but the difference was not statistically significant. No difference in 5-year mortality rates was found between children of different ethnic backgrounds.

Effects of Developmentally Appropriate Practices on Social Skills and Problem Behaviors in 1st Through 3rd Grades

The guidelines published by the National Association for the Education of Young Children on the use of developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) have, over the last two decades, had an important influence on young children's educational experiences. The efficacy of these guidelines for changing children's outcomes has been examined by only a handful of studies and with mixed results. This study looks at the effects of classroom and school-level use of classroom elements of DAP in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades on parent ratings of children's social skills at the end of the year, controlling for ratings of the same construct at the end of the previous year, gender, and ethnicity with a sample of between 1,145 and 2,111 students each year. Differential effects of DAP for males and females and for children of different ethnic backgrounds also were examined. Despite high power, no consistent effects of DAP were observed and no interactions found, suggesting that DAP does not affect parents' ratings of social skills in 1st through 3rd grades. The importance of these results, in light of other work on the effects of DAP, is discussed.

Maxillary labial frenum attachment in children

The distribution of the attachment of the maxillary labial frenum in the children of different ethnic backgrounds has not been studied extensively. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the prevalence of the various types of maxillary labial frenum attachment in the children of different ethnic backgrounds. Children (aged 1-18) attending a public health clinic in Lavrion, Greece, were clinically examined for maxillary frenum attachment location. Demographic information was recorded. Parents provided written informed consent. The examined children were 226, with mean (± standard deviation) age of 8.5 ± 3.0 years. They were of Greek (51%), Albanian (20%), Turkish (12%), and Afghan (11%) descent. The prevalence of the maxillary labial frenum attachment was mucosal (10.2%), gingival (41.6%), papillary (22.1%), and papillary penetrating (26.1%). Frenum attachment differed significantly by age (P = 0.001). The age of children with mucosal- or gingival-type frenum was significantly greater than the age of children with papillary penetrating-type frenum. Frenum attachment did not differ by gender or ethnic background (P ≥ 0.20). The results of this study suggest that, in children, ethnic background and gender are not associated with maxillary labial frenum attachment type, whereas age is strongly associated.

Fracture rates in urban South African children of different ethnic origins: The Birth to Twenty Cohort

SummaryFracture rates were compared in children of different ethnic backgrounds from Johannesburg, South Africa. More white children fracture than black and mixed ancestry children. Reasons for this may be due to greater sports participation by whites and genetic protective factors in blacks. This has to be further investigated.IntroductionFracture rates in childhood are as high as those in the elderly. Recent research has been undertaken to understand the reasons for this, but there is little information available on ethnic differences in childhood fracture rates.MethodsUsing the birth to twenty longitudinal cohort of children, we retrospectively obtained information on fractures and their sites from birth to 14.9 years of age on 2031 participants. The ethnic breakdown of the children was black (B) 78%, white (W) 9%, mixed ancestry (MA) 10.5% and Indian (I) 1.5%.ResultsFour hundred and forty-one (22%) children had sustained a fracture one or more times during their lifetime (males 27.5% and females 16.3%; p < 0.001). The percentage of children fracturing differed between the ethnic groups (W 41.5%, B 19%, MA 21%, I 30%; p < 0.001). Of the 441 children reporting fractures, 89(20%) sustained multiple fractures. The most common site of fracture was the upper limb (57%).ConclusionMore white children fracture than black and mixed ancestry children. This is the first study to show ethnic differences in fracture rates among children. The reasons for these differences have to be further elucidated. Greater sports participation by whites and genetic protective factors in blacks may be contributing factors.

Risk factors associated with obesity in children of different racial backgrounds

Objective The purpose of this study is to determine specific risk factors associated with obesity among African American, Hispanic and Caucasian children. Design This is a cross-sectional study conducted on 1076 fifth grade children from 17 elementary schools at Fort Worth, Texas. Data were collected through questionnaires and physical assessments performed at schools. Crude and adjusted odds ratios were determined for the risk factors of obesity in each ethnic group. Results More African American (32.8 per cent) and Hispanic (31.9 per cent) children were overweight compared to Caucasians (23.5 per cent). A specific risk factor seen in the African American children was the frequent use of sweets and sugar-sweetened drinks, which increased the odds of obesity nearly three-fold. In the Caucasian children, the odds of obesity increased over two-fold as a result of frequent consumption of snacks with a high fat content. In Hispanic children, specific risk factors included physical inactivity and frequent consumption of multiple servings of fruit, which increased the odds of obesity approximately two-fold and 68 per cent, respectively. Although eating more fruits is usually considered a healthy behaviour, excessive fruit consumption appears to increase the likelihood of obesity among Hispanic children in this sample. Conclusion Risk factors associated with obesity are different in children of different ethnic backgrounds. Knowledge of these differences in risk factors may help design better targeted prevention approaches.

Gross Motor Development of Asian and European Children on Four Motor Assessments: A Literature Review

The purpose of this article is to review the evidence surrounding similarities and differences in motor development in children of Asian and European ethnic backgrounds to ensure the appropriateness of mixed ethnicity normative comparison data. A review of published studies indicates variability in rate and possibly sequence of motor development in children of European and Asian origins. Assessment tools used to discriminate motor development in children of different ethnic backgrounds should be interpreted with caution until there is sufficient information regarding the appropriateness of comparisons among children of different ethnic origins.

Ethnic differences in relations between family process and child internalizing problems

Family process variables have been linked to child problem behavior, but recent research suggests that child ethnicity may moderate relations between family process and child outcomes. The current study examined how ethnicity moderates relations between parent conflict, parent-child relationship quality, and internalizing problems. A sample of 101 mother-child dyads was drawn from a larger longitudinal study of childhood-onset depression. Maternal reports of family process factors were used with child reports of anxiety and depressive symptoms. The results indicated a moderating effect of ethnicity for multiple indicators of internalizing symptoms, such that child-rearing disagreement and low levels of mother-child openness were associated with internalizing problems only for European American (not African American) children. Findings suggest that ethnicity moderates the effects of family process factors on child psychopathology. Ethnic differences may be accounted for by the normativeness of family processes and the meaning that children of different ethnic backgrounds assign to these processes.

Complementary Schools, Past, Present and Future

Complementary schools for immigrant and ethnic minority children in the UK have been an important socio-political, educational movement in the country for nearly half a century. They have made a major impact on the lives of thousands of children of different ethnic backgrounds, attracted public debates vis-à-vis the government’s involvement in educational management, and challenged the dominant ideology of uniculturalism in the country. Yet, they have received relatively little attention from educational researchers. The present special issue, focusing on language and interaction in a selected group of complementary schools in England, provides new impetus for more research in this particular area. In this short discussion paper, I will first outline the socio-political histories of complementary schools in the UK. I will then look at some of the key issues emerging from these schools and from the studies that are published in the present volume. Finally, I will discuss what kinds of research should be done in the future that will inform both the policies and practices regarding complementary schools and the public debate over multilingual and multicultural education in the country.

Ethnic differences in the prevalence of overweight among young children in Hawaii

Objectives To compare the prevalence of overweight among young children of different ethnic backgrounds and describe the age pattern of overweight in early childhood. Methods Cross-sectional study of 21,911 children, 12 to 59 months old, participating in the Hawaii Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children in 1997–1998. They were grouped in eight ethnic categories. For 1-year-olds we defined overweight as weight-for-age at the 95th percentile or more and underweight as weight-for-age at less than the 10th percentile. For 2- to 4-year-olds overweight was defined as body mass index (BMI) at the 95th percentile or more, underweight as BMI less than 10th percentile, tall stature as height-for-age at the 95th percentile or more, and short stature as height-for-age at less than the 10th percentile. The National Center for Health Statistics 2000 growth charts were the reference values. The analysis included bivariate and multivariate methods. Results Large differences were found among ethnic groups. Among 1-year-olds, Samoans were the heaviest (17.5% overweight) and Filipinos the lightest (30.2% underweight). Among 2- to 4-year-olds, Samoans were the heaviest (27.0% overweight) and the tallest (16.9% tall), whereas Asians were the lightest (12.2% underweight), and Filipinos the shortest (19.0% short). Hawaiians and Asians also had a high percentage of short children (13.6% and 12.2%, respectively). Prevalence of overweight in all 2- to 4-year-olds was more than the expected 5%, especially for Samoans, Filipinos, Hawaiians, and Asians. At age 2 to 4 years, overweight was almost twice as prevalent as at age 1. Multivariate analysis showed that ethnicity (Samoan) had the strongest independent association with weight-for-age percentile, BMI, and overweight in the two age groups, followed by birth weight. Conclusions This is the first study of overweight among children of Asian and Pacific Island backgrounds in Hawaii. It identified important characteristics of growth and will be helpful in the design of appropriate activities to prevent overweight.

Ethnic Differences in the Affective Meaning of Parental Control Behaviors

This paper examines ethnic differences in the affective meaning of parental control in a sample of 288 adolescents. Participants rated their affective reaction to a sample of parental control behaviors. Principal components analyses of these affective ratings found general support for three broad dimensions (hurt/anger, love/concern, and control/manipulation) of feelings associated with these behaviors. As predicted, results found parenting behaviors to be associated with different levels of these feelings for children of different ethnic backgrounds. This may in part explain inconsistent findings researchers have noted when studying ethnic differences in the effect of parental control.

Total, resting, and activity-related energy expenditures are similar in Caucasian and African-American children.

There is some evidence to suggest that ethnic differences in energy expenditure in adults may modulate different propensities for obesity. However, there is lack of data for the components of energy expenditure in young children of different ethnic backgrounds. In this study, we examined total energy expenditure (TEE), resting energy expenditure (REE), and physical activity-related energy expenditure (AEE) in healthy prepubertal Caucasian (18 girls, 21 boys) and African-American (29 girls, 30 boys) children. TEE was measured over 14 days under free-living conditions with the doubly labeled water technique, REE was from indirect calorimetry after an overnight fast, and AEE was estimated from the difference between TEE and REE after reducing TEE by 10% to account for the thermic effect of feeding. Fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM) were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. There were no significant effects of ethnicity or gender on TEE after adjustment for FFM or for both FFM and FM. For REE, there was no effect of ethnicity, but a significant effect of gender, with a higher REE in boys after adjustment for FFM and FM (P < 0.001). For AEE, there were no significant effects of ethnicity or gender after adjustment for FFM or for FFM and FM. In conclusion, ethnicity was not a significant determinant for any of the components of energy expenditure. TEE, REE, and AEE were similar in Caucasian and African-American prepubertal children after adjustment for FFM or for FFM and FM.

Ethnicity and parenting stress change during early intervention

Parenting stress as it pertains to the families of medically fragile children of different ethnic backgrounds has been understudied. Possible correlates of change in parenting stress such as child development, family support, resources and income were examined in the families of 105 infants with intraventricular hemorrhage #opIVH#cp participating in an early intervention program between one and three years of age. Correlational analyses showed that slower developmental progress, along with declines in family resources and social support coincided with increases in parenting stress. Subgroup analyses separately examining these relationships in the 66 white and 39 nonwhite families revealed different correlates for the two populations. Unlike the full sample and the white sample, the non‐white families’ stress changes over the course of intervention seemed correlated only to income change, but not to child's developmental progress or changes in social support. Commonly cited findings regarding parents’ stre...

The Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori-Positive Serology in Asymptomatic Children

Epidemiologic data are presented about the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori positivity as determined by serology in a large series of asymptomatic children (n = 466). Serology is now generally accepted as a valid noninvasive screening method for the detection of Helicobacter pylori infection. Blood samples were taken from 466 apparently healthy children (ages 2-14 years) who were admitted to our pediatric 1-day clinic for elective surgery. The children originated from different ethnic backgrounds. All were born in Belgium and have been living there ever since. Thirty-four (7.3%) had positive titers for Helicobacter pylori. There was a significant increase in the number of positive patients with advancing age (5.4% in the age group 2-8 years and 13.4% in the age group 8-14 years; p < 0.001). We also found a significant difference in the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori positivity between Caucasian Belgian children and non-Caucasian children of different ethnic backgrounds. This relatively high prevalence of positive serology in asymptomatic older children (13.4%) should be considered in studies on the incidence or causative role of Helicobacter pylori in children with chronic abdominal complaints.

The Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori‐Positive Serology in Asymptomatic Children

SummaryEpidemiologic data are presented about the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori positivity as determined by serology in a large series of asymptomatic children (n = 466). Serology is now generally accepted as a valid noninvasive screening method for the detection of Helicobacter pylori infection. Blood samples were taken from 466 apparently healthy children (ages 2–14 years) who were admitted to our pediatric 1‐day clinic for elective surgery. The children originated from different ethnic backgrounds. All were born in Belgium and have been living there ever since. Thirty‐four (7.3%) had positive titers for Helicobacter pylori. There was a significant increase in the number of positive patients with advancing age (5.4% in the age group 2–8 years and 13.4% in the age group 8–14 years; p &lt; 0.001). We also found a significant difference in the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori positivity between Caucasian Belgian children and non‐Caucasian children of different ethnic backgrounds. This relatively high prevalence of positive serology in asymptomatic older children (13.4%) should be considered in studies on the incidence or causative role of Helicobacter pylori in children with chronic abdominal complaints.

De Opleiding Van Leerkrachten Voor Onderwijs In Een Multi-Etnische En Multi-Culturele Maatschappij.

From 1950 onwards the ethnic and cultural structure of Dutch society has been radically changing. The influx of people from the former colonies, of refugees and foreign labour is especially noticable in the large towns and in industrial areas. Their children attend the regular Dutch schools; if necessary these schools receive facilities for extra language tuition and guidance. The institutes for teacher training have to accommodate themselves to this new situation in the schools, where Dutch is no longer the self-evident medium and where cultural differences have their effects in the classroom. The necessary changes in the teacher training curriculum must be effected by means of an innovation process emphasizing the links between socio-cultural issues and policies, and educational measures. To mention a few aspects: There is a continuing discussion about the question to what extent ethnic groups have to assimilate to the dominant culture, or if they have a right to preserve their own language and culture within a national and international context. In the U.S. there is a strong trend towards multi-cultural (intercultural) education offering possibilities for identification to all pupils. In the Netherlands intercultural education is promoted by the authorities as a way to create mutual understanding and respect between children of different ethnic backgrounds. The schools have problems in trying to implement the idea of intercultural education and the teaching of Dutch as a second language. Teaching staff are not prepared for this task, materials and guidelines are hardly available. In the shadow of these technical difficulties lies another less tangible problem: will all those concerned come to accept the new multicultural situation? NLO (New Teacher Training) Institutes in the Netherlands are now working on four problem areas: 1) establishing the educational needs of both allochthonous and autochthonous pupils with respect to intercultural education; 2) establishing criteria for learning materials in the sphere of intercultural education, including second language acquisition which is especially difficult when it comes to the technical languages connected with various school-subjects; 3) establishing the necessary professional preparation for teaching in a multicultural and multilingual situation; in terms of skills to be mastered and curricular materials for the training of these skills; 4) further changes in the curriculum of teacher training institutes to improve their functioning in a multicultural and multiethnic society.

The Purdue Elementary Problem-Solving Inventory

The Purdue Elementary Problem-solving Inventory was designed to measure problem-solving abilities of socioeconomically disadvantaged children of different ethnic backgrounds in Grades 1 to 6 using real-life tasks. The test consists of 49 problems which are presented as slides portraying children in cartoon form in real-life situations. Ss respond by listening to a tape recording of directions, problem descriptions, and alternatives and then drawing an “X” in a test booklet over the alternative of their choice which may be a picture or a verbal description. The inventory was designed to measure the following abilities: sensing that a problem exists, defining the problem, asking questions, guessing causes, clarifying the goal of the problem situation, judging if more information is needed, analyzing details, redefining familiar objects for unusual uses, seeing implications, solving single- and multiple-solution problems, and verifying solutions. Reliability (KR-20) of the inventory is .79. Analyses of variance demonstrated that ethnic background accounted for only 3% of the variance and SES only 5% while grade level accounted for 37% A principal factor analysis demonstrated that six of the cognitive operations are indeed assessed.