Children In Community Research Articles

Associations Between Child and Parent Characteristics and Parenting Stress in Japanese Mothers of Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Parents of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) experience elevated levels of stress in their parenting role. Understanding what contributes to such stress is important for its management. We assessed associations between child and parent characteristics and parenting stress in Japanese mothers of 6-12-year-old children with ADHD recruited through the community (n = 51) and hospital child psychiatry/pediatric clinics (n = 124). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses assessed the extent to which child symptom severity (ADHD and ODD), parenting efficacy, depression, and maternal ADHD symptoms explained variance in both child-domain and parent-domain parenting stress. Child symptom severity and maternal depression accounted for significant variance in child-domain parenting stress. Child ODD, parenting efficacy, depression, and maternal ADHD (clinic sample) explained significant variance in parent-domain parenting stress. Exploratory cross-sectional mediational analyses highlight the inter-relatedness of the associations between parenting-efficacy, maternal depression and parent-domain parenting stress. The association between maternal ADHD and parent-domain parenting stress is statistically fully mediated by maternal depression. The pattern of associations between child and parent characteristics and parenting stress in Japanese mothers of children with ADHD are consistent with Abidin's model of parenting stress with implications for clinical management.

Implemenation of Child Friendly City Policy in Singkawang City in 2022-2023 Period

This study aims to analyze the implementation of the “Child Friendly City” policy in Singkawang City, which is a strategic initiative to create an environment that is safe, healthy, and supports the development of children as the nation's next generation. Using a qualitative approach, this study collected data through in-depth interviews, direct observation, and analysis of relevant documents to understand the perspectives of various stakeholders, including local government, civil society organizations, educational institutions, and children's communities. The results show that despite strong commitment from the government and cross-sector collaboration, the implementation of this policy still faces various challenges. These challenges include different priorities among actors, budget constraints, and a lack of public understanding of the concept of “Child Friendly City”. In addition, although a non-compliance reporting mechanism is in place, socialization of this mechanism still needs to be improved so that children feel more confident in conveying the problems they face. Thus, this research concludes that the successful implementation of the “Child Friendly City” policy in Singkawang is highly dependent on effective collaboration between all parties, as well as the need for targeted strategies to overcome existing challenges. Hopefully, with a more collaborative and transparent approach, all children, especially those from vulnerable groups, can benefit equally from this policy, thus creating a child-friendly environment and supporting their holistic well-being. This research provides recommendations to improve socialization and education about the policy, strengthen cross-sector collaboration, and increase children's participation in decision-making, in order to achieve the goal of creating Singkawang City as a child-friendly city.

Neighborhood disorder and social cohesion: A longitudinal investigation of links with maternal cardiometabolic risk one year postpartum.

Neighborhood characteristics can influence cardiometabolic health, including during the perinatal period. However, maternal health research has largely examined the influence of objective neighborhood measures, limiting insights into psychological and social processes. We examined associations of perceived neighborhood disorder and social cohesion with maternal cardiometabolic risk 1year postpartum and explored potential pathways of psychological distress and physical activity. A predominantly low-income sample of Black, Latina, and White postpartum women (n=987) were participants in the Community Child Health Network study. Women reported on neighborhood characteristics at 1month postpartum and on symptoms of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder and physical activity at 6months postpartum. Biometrics and biological samples were collected at 1year postpartum, including blood pressure, height, weight, and dried blood spots for cardiometabolic biomarkers (e.g., C-reactive protein, glycosylated hemoglobin). In this pre-registered study, we used structural equation modeling to estimate latent variables for disorder, social cohesion, distress, physical activity, and cardiometabolic risk. We fit a parallel mediation model to test associations between latent neighborhood factors at 1month postpartum, distress and physical activity at 6months postpartum, and cardiometabolic risk at 1year postpartum. Greater social cohesion, but not disorder, was significantly associated with lower distress and greater physical activity. However, there were no significant associations between disorder or social cohesion with subsequent cardiometabolic risk nor evidence for indirect effects of distress or physical activity. Results suggest that social cohesion may be more pertinent than disorder for health-relevant behavioral mechanisms in postpartum women.

Cultural foundations of global health: a critical examination of universal child feeding recommendations

There has been a rising call to decolonize global health so that it more fully includes the concerns, knowledge, and research from people all over the world. This endeavor can only succeed, we argue, if we also recognize that much of established global health doctrine is rooted in Euro-American beliefs, values, and practice rather than being culturally neutral. This paper examines the cultural biases of child feeding recommendations as a case in point. We argue that the global promotion of Responsive Feeding—a set of allegedly best practices for child feeding promulgated by the WHO and others—is based on a tacit conviction that certain Western middle-class feeding practices are universally best, along with a promise that future evidence will demonstrate their superiority. These recommendations denounce feeding practices that diverge from this style as Non-Responsive Feeding, thereby pathologizing the many valued ways of feeding children in communities all over the world without sound scientific evidence. Drawing on ethnographic research, we show that there is a wide variety in feeding practices around the world and these are closely interlinked with the understandings and priorities of caregivers, as well as with favored forms of relationships and ways of maintaining them. For global health nutrition interventions to be justified and effective, they would need to be based on more pertinent, culturally responsive research than they currently are. We suggest the use of ethnographic research as an important tool in building empirically grounded, epistemically inclusive, and locally meaningful approaches to improving nutritional support for children in communities around the world and to global health efforts more broadly.

Cultivating Cultures of Care within Communities of Children in Schools – Exploring the Interdependence of Children’s Collective and Individual Development

Abstract With many school systems worldwide facing several crises, such as inequality and a lack of well-being among schoolchildren, understanding how to care for, and support care among, these children must be a vital commitment for researchers and school professionals. Hence, this article introduces the notion of cultures of care within communities of children, emphasising care as a collective-transformative practice where children develop cultural tools to transform or navigate within the shared conditions of life with which they struggle. Drawing on cultural-historical and critical branches of psychology, a qualitative case analysis explores how an intervention framework (developed by this article’s author and a schoolteacher) seemed to support the development of a culture of care within a community of children at a Danish municipal primary school. Analyses of observational fieldnotes and interview excerpts suggest how the participating children engaged in negotiating, developing and expanding their shared repertoire of caring cultural tools with the purpose of creating a future in the community where the collective struggles of the present are less challenging. Focusing on the developmental implications, both for the community and for a boy in a marginalised position, the analysis sheds light on the interdependence of collective and individual development, as the children simultaneously care for the development of themselves and their community. Finally, it is discussed how pedagogical initiatives in schools that aim to care for children in marginalised positions as well as for the entire community must acknowledge the activist nature of schoolchildren and the collective nature of their agency.

Community Implementation and Evaluation of the Chicago Parent Program.

The purpose of this study was to describe and evaluate the implementation of the Chicago Parent Program (CPP) in a community setting. Included are details of the co-designed implementation by academic and community partners, and parenting and child behavior outcomes. Two hundred eighty caregivers of children aged 2-5 years participated in the CPP in seven community sites. Measures of parenting and child behavior were administered at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up. Caregivers reported broad improvements in parenting and child behavior from pre-intervention through 3-month follow-up. No effects were found for attendance, COVID-19 exposure, and remote versus in-person delivery. The CPP was successfully implemented in a community setting and demonstrated significant changes in parenting and child behavior.

Changing in awareness of anaphylaxis through online and offline education programs among community child health workers in Korea

Changing in awareness of anaphylaxis through online and offline education programs among community child health workers in Korea

The Fulfillment of the Right to Clean Water for Maternal and Child Welfare in Coastal Areas of Lampung Province Indonesia

The percentage of households with access to safe drinking water in Lampung Province is 82.78%, and regarding access to proper sanitation, Lampung Province has a percentage of 84.58%. This figure does not yet account for the difficulties in providing clean water access to coastal communities, which affects the fulfillment of maternal and child welfare. This research used the doctrinal method of legal research. This study concentrates on doctrines which are syntheses of rules, principles, norms, or interpretative guidelines and values, and proceeds with both locating the sources of law and interpreting or analysing the text. Based on this study, the fulfillment of the right to clean water, particularly for mothers and children in coastal communities, is not only a fundamental right enshrined in the constitution but also a duty and responsibility of both the central and regional governments. This is essential for meeting the basic rights and needs of mothers and children, including physical, psychological, social, economic, spiritual, and religious aspects, allowing them to develop and participate optimally in accordance with their social functions in the development of community life.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices as well as determinant factors regarding urogenital schistosomiasis among school-aged children in rural communities: a cross-sectional study in the Cape Coast Metropolis in Ghana

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices as well as determinant factors regarding urogenital schistosomiasis among school-aged children in rural communities: a cross-sectional study in the Cape Coast Metropolis in Ghana

Strategies in Education Christian Morals for Children with Intellectual Disabilities A Guide for Parents

Christian moral education strategies for children with intellectual disabilities play an important role in the formation of solid character and spiritual values. This guide is designed to assist parents in effectively implementing the principles of Christian moral education at home. The main focus of these strategies is on developing a loving environment, a deep understanding of the child's special needs, and the use of creative and adaptive learning methods. Parents are encouraged to incorporate Bible stories, prayer, and other spiritual activities in the child's daily routine. In addition, the importance of parental example in applying Christian values is also emphasized, as children tend to learn through observation and imitation. Involving children in church communities and social activities can help them feel a sense of community and strengthen their sense of spiritual identity. An emphasis on patience, understanding, and emotional support is essential in dealing with the challenges that arise in this moral education process. The guide also includes practical tips for dealing with difficult behavior, as well as ways to motivate children to continue learning and growing in their Christian faith. With a loving and inclusive approach, it is hoped that children with intellectual disabilities can develop strong Christian morals and grow into individuals of integrity and faith. This guide aims to provide comprehensive support and guidance for parents, so that they can be effective primary educators of their children on their spiritual and moral journey.

On the issue of understanding the phenomenon of bullying by teachers with different levels of professional burnout

The article discusses issues of understanding the phenomenon of bullying in the teaching community. The specificity of the semantic content of the phenomenon of “bullying” is revealed among teachers with different professional experience and with varying degrees of professional burnout. It is concluded that in the semantic space of teachers with different professional experience, the concept of “bullying” has both stereotypical and specific features associated with the experience of resolving such situations, the degree of understanding of the sociocultural context due to age. The semantics of the concept of “bullying” among experienced teachers is more complete. For teachers with a low level of professional burnout, the perception of bullying is not associated exclusively with the children's community, and is not associated with a high degree of novelty of the phenomenon.

Structural equation modeling of dietary patterns and association with vitamin D levels in children aged 9-16 years in Guangzhou, China.

Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency represent critical public health concerns on a global scale. Due to the increase in indoor activities, the role of dietary intake of vitamin D has become increasingly prominent. However, previous studies have focused solely on a single food item. This study aimed to identify dietary patterns among school-aged children in rural areas of Guangzhou, China, and to explore their association with vitamin D levels. A total of 2,346 children aged 6-17 years were included in this cross-sectional study. Demographic, lifestyle, and dietary data were collected through structured questionnaires. Dietary patterns were identified using factor analysis, while linear regression and structural equation modeling were employed to analyze the relationship between these patterns and vitamin D levels. Three distinct dietary patterns emerged: a fruits and vegetables pattern, high-protein pattern, and snack pattern. Analysis revealed that a higher adherence to the fruits and vegetables dietary pattern was associated with lower vitamin D levels. Conversely, among girls, a stronger preference for the high-protein dietary pattern was positively correlated with higher vitamin D levels. The fruits and vegetables pattern emerged as a risk factor for inadequate internal vitamin D levels. In girls, the high-protein pattern functioned as a protective factor. These findings offer valuable insights and policy recommendations for enhancing the health status of children in rural communities.

Pemberdayaan Anak Yakub : Pendekatan Teologis untuk Pendidikan, Karakter, dan Kepedulian Sosial Pasca-Pandemi di Silangkitang

The Jacob Children's Community is a service initiative that was formed as a response to the challenges faced by children in the Silangkitang area after the COVID-19 pandemic. The main focus of this community is to provide holistic education that includes academic, spiritual and character building aspects. The facilitators try to overcome the impact of social isolation and dependence on devices experienced by children by holding teaching activities, Bible studies, as well as moral and environmental awareness training. Through inclusive and love-based methods, this community plays an important role in forming a generation that is not only intelligent, but also has character and cares about the surrounding environment. This article discusses theological reflections on the services carried out in this community, referring to Biblical values ​​and the views of theologians such as John Wesley and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who emphasized the importance of education as a means of forming faith and character. The Jacob's Children Community makes a significant contribution in facing post-pandemic social challenges by educating and developing children through a comprehensive and loving approach.

Relevancia y etnomatemática en la educación de niños indígenas del Cauca, Colombia

(analytical)The low academic performance in mathematics of indigenous students is the focus of the study describedin this article. The authors examine the relevance of educational interactions between 11 ethno-educators and 249 primary school students in the indigenous community of Pueblo Nuevo (Cauca, Colombia). The goal of this research was to identify the relationship between classroom activities and students’ lives. The study used a mixed descriptive-exploratory approach that was mediated by observations and surveys, revealing that ethno-educational practices, to a small extent, draw on the interests of children and the cultural richness of the Nasa people. The authors conclude thattaking into account the voices of the children in curriculum planning, enhancing certain cultural practices and improving instructional design can improve the quality of mathematics education for children in rural and ethnic communities. Keywords: Rural education; indigenous peoples; mathematics education; educational relevance.

Symptoms of Residential Exposure to Insecticides and Associated Factors Among Young Thai Children in Urban Areas.

Household insecticide use may impact the health of young children in urban communities, but little is known about its acute effects. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the symptoms that may have been related to residential insecticide exposure and its associated factors in young children in urban areas. The study included 375 primary caregivers of children aged 6 months to 5 years from the Bangkok Metropolitan Region, Thailand, who had used insecticides in their homes within the past 6 months. An interviewer-administered questionnaire collected data on caregiver and child demographics, household insecticide use and exposure, child behaviors, and the history of child symptoms following insecticide use. The findings revealed that 9.6% of young children had experienced symptoms at some point during or after household insecticide use, with coughing (66.7%), skin rash/irritation (44.4%), and runny nose (25.0%) being the most common. The final logistic regression model using backward selection indicated that factors statistically significantly associated with symptoms included being a male child (OR = 3.38; 95% CI = 1.48-7.71), hand/object-to-mouth behaviors (OR = 2.69; 95% CI = 1.26-5.74), weekly use of insecticides (OR = 2.77; 95% CI = 1.22-6.26), use of insecticide chalk (OR = 3.64; 95% CI = 1.32-10.08), and use of mosquito repellent spray/lotion (OR = 2.51; 95% CI = 1.13-5.61). Additionally, the use of insecticide spray (OR = 2.72; 95% CI = 0.97-7.65), opening doors/windows for ventilation (OR = 0.46; 95% CI = 0.21-1.02), and consistently cleaning floors with a wet cloth after use (OR = 0.52; 95% CI = 0.24-1.11) were marginally associated. Residential exposure to household insecticides can lead to acute health effects, primarily respiratory symptoms, in young children in urban communities. Caregivers should be informed of these health risks to reduce children's exposure.

Co-creating a conceptual model of Indigenous relational wellbeing in early childhood: Planting seeds of connectedness.

The purpose of this article is to share our story of conceptualizing Indigenous early relational wellbeing (ERW), specifically reflecting American Indian and Alaska Native worldviews. Our approach is grounded in Indigenous methodologies and guided by a Community of Learning comprised of Indigenous and allied Tribal early childhood community partners, researchers, practitioners, and federal funders. We describe the steps we took to conceptualize caregiver-child relationships from an Indigenous perspective, center Indigenous values of child development, apply an established Indigenous connectedness framework to early childhood, and co-create a conceptual model of Indigenous ERW to guide future practice and research. This model highlights relational practices as seeds of connectedness and relational wellbeing, and includes the roles of spirituality, culture, and ceremony in nurturing ERW; the manifestations of relational wellbeing across the lifespan; and the interdependence of relational wellbeing within communities and families, across generations, and with the environment. The model also informs the creation of a measure to understand practices that foster relational wellbeing among Indigenous children and families and their relationship to positive development, thus informing research, practice, and policy.

Severe falciparum malaria in young children is associated with an increased risk of post-discharge hospitalization: a prospective cohort study

BackgroundFew studies have described post-discharge morbidity of children with specific manifestations of severe malaria (SM) beyond severe malarial anaemia or cerebral malaria.MethodsChildren 6 months to 4 years of age admitted at Jinja and Mulago hospitals in Uganda, with one or more of the five most common forms of SM, cerebral malaria (n = 53), respiratory distress syndrome (n = 108), malaria with complicated seizures (n = 160), severe malarial anaemia (n = 155) or prostration (n = 75), were followed for 12 months after discharge, alongside asymptomatic community children (CC) (n = 120) of similar ages recruited from the households or neighbourhoods of the children with SM. Incidence and risk of hospitalizations, death or outpatient clinic visits were compared between children with SM and CC.Results312/551 (56.6%) of children with SM had one or more post-discharge hospitalization over 12 months, compared to 37/120 (30.8%) of CC. Frequency of hospitalization was similar across all forms of SM. Compared to CC, children with SM had a significantly higher risk of all-cause hospitalization (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 1.91, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.39–2.63, p < 0.001) and hospitalization for severe malaria (aHR 1.94, CI 1.36–2.78, p < 0.001), but a similar risk of outpatient clinic visits for malaria (aHR 1.24, 95% CI 0.89–1.73, p = 0.20). 82% of hospitalizations in children with SM (575/700) and CC (50/61) were due to malaria.ConclusionsIn this malaria endemic region, children with the five most common forms of SM had higher rates of post-discharge hospitalization than asymptomatic community children, and > 80% of hospitalizations were due to severe malaria. Studies of post-discharge malaria chemoprevention are urgently needed for children with SM, to determine if this treatment can reduce post-discharge morbidity.

Midlife hypertension status does not mediate associations between childhood community advantage and MRI‐derived markers of late‐life brain health

AbstractBackgroundPrior research suggests living in an advantaged community in childhood is protective for late‐life cognition and MRI‐derived markers of brain health, independent of individual socioeconomic status. We examined the extent to which this effect is mediated by midlife hypertension status.MethodKHANDLE and STAR are racially/ethnically diverse cohorts of older adults residing in northern California. A random subset of participants underwent 3T MRI; regional brain volumes and white matter integrity were derived. Participants’ self‐reported birth address was geocoded and linked to historical county‐level Area Deprivation Indices (ADI) for the Census decade of residence (1920‐1970). Childhood community advantage was defined as ADI&lt;20, (i.e., most advantaged quintile nationally). Midlife hypertension was derived from prospectively collected blood pressure (bp) at ages 30‐45 and defined as systolic/diastolic bp ≥130/80 or prior hypertension diagnosis. Generalized linear models estimated the direct (c’) and total effects (ab+c’) of ADI on imaging measures among participants age 65+, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and education. Indirect effects (ab) via midlife hypertension were calculated by subtracting direct from total effects. Standard errors were bootstrapped with 500 replications.ResultImaging participants (n = 392) from advantaged childhood communities were younger (mean age = 72.6 vs. 76.4), had more education (15.3 vs. 14.3 years) and were less likely to have midlife hypertension (49% vs. 58%; Table 1). The total effect of childhood community advantage was associated with better MRI‐derived measures of brain health (e.g., total gray β = 0.26, 95%CI = 0.04, 0.48; lateral ventricle β = ‐0.22, 95%CI = ‐0.44, ‐0.003; log white matter hyperintensity volumeβ = ‐0.35, 95%CI = ‐0.56, ‐0.13; Table 2, column A). The direct effect of not having midlife hypertension was associated with better MRI‐derived measures of late‐life brain health (e.g., total gray β = 0.31; 95%CI = ‐0.10, 0.53); Table 2, column D). Null indirect effects (Table 2, column C) indicate the effects of childhood community advantage on MRI‐derived measures are not mediated by midlife hypertension status.ConclusionLate‐life brain health benefits among participants from an advantaged childhood community were not explained by the absence of midlife hypertension. Future work will investigate additional modifiable risk/protective factors as alternative mechanistic pathways by which community advantage may affect late‐life brain health.

A community child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship for nurse practitioners

A community child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship for nurse practitioners

Gender variance and psychological well-being in Chinese community children.

Gender variance and psychological well-being in Chinese community children.