Life In Children Research Articles

Street as a place for survival, emotions, and suffering; a qualitative exploration of street-connected children in Iran

ABSTRACT One of the most important steps to improve the quality of life of street-connected children is to gain experiences and assess their needs, with the children themselves being the best source for this information. Therefore, this research aims to identify the experiences and needs of street children using their own insights. The research methodology employed in this study was qualitative, utilizing thematic analysis and semi-in-depth interviews. Maximum variation purposive sampling was employed to capture a range of experiences among street-connected children. Following data collection and analysis, four main themes emerged: ‘The street as an entry into a new world’, ‘The street as a place for experience and love’, ‘The street as a place for survival’, and ‘The street as a place for pain and suffering’. This study uncovers the complex realities of street-connected children, revealing the factors driving them onto the streets and challenging misconceptions. Despite facing profound challenges, these children demonstrate resilience and aspirations for a better future. The study underscores the importance of supportive environments, education, healthcare, and inclusive policymaking to address the systemic factors perpetuating their vulnerability.

The Utility of Socioeconomic and Remoteness Indicators in Understanding the Geographical Variation in the Regional Prevalence of Early Childhood Vulnerability in Australia

The family lives of children and their early childhood development outcomes are attributable to the level of socio-economic disadvantage and relative isolation. This study aims to investigate how the disadvantage of the local area (i.e., socio-economic indexes for areas (SEIFA)) and the remoteness (i.e., accessibility/remoteness index of Australia (ARIA)) contribute to improved prevalence estimates of child development vulnerability in statistical areas level 3 (SA3) and 4 (SA4) across Australia. Data from the 2018 Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) has been used. The study included 308,953 children involved in the AEDC 2018 where one-in-ten of them were considered to be developmentally vulnerable, nationally. We developed models in a hierarchical Bayesian framework at the SA3 level using SEIFA and ARIA indices as covariates to account for spatial and unobserved heterogeneity. The performances of developed models are examined based on the consistency at SA3, SA4, and state level. The results reveal that SEIFA makes a significant contribution to explaining the spatial variation in childhood development vulnerability across small domains in Australia. Further, the inclusion of the ARIA score improves the model performance and provides better accuracy, particularly in remote and very remote regions. In these regions, the spatial model fails to distinguish the remoteness characteristics. The chosen non-spatial model accounting for heterogeneity at higher hierarchies performs best. The utilization of socio-economic disadvantage and geographic remoteness of the finer level domains helps to explain the geographic variation in child development vulnerability, particularly in sparsely populated remote regions in Australia.

Caregivers of Children with Autism Are Better, Despite Their Poorer Memory, Completing Tasks of Daily Living

ABSTRACT Familial caregivers typically have more trouble completing fundamental tasks of daily living compared with non-caregivers. The ability to complete tasks of daily living relies on prospective memory (PM). PM, however, is typically poorer in familial caregivers. It would make sense, therefore, that poorer PM would mediate caregivers’ greater difficulties completing tasks of daily living. This was explored here. A sample of n = 500 participants (196 caregivers of autistic children and 304 parents of non-autistic children) completed a questionnaire assessing PM failures. An abbreviated version of the Everyday Problems Test (EPT) was used to measure participants’ ability to complete tasks of daily living, such as managing medications and paying bills. Caregivers reported more PM failures. EPT scores were lower in caregivers, reflecting fewer problems completing tasks of daily living. PM failures were unrelated to EPT scores, ruling out mediation. Caregivers of autistic children were better at completing basic tasks of daily living despite their poorer PM. Whether quality of life for the autistic child might be related to caregivers’ ability to complete tasks of daily living should be the focus of future research.

Voice Disorder Prevalence and Vocal Health Characteristics in Children

Voice disorders impede communication and limit quality of life for many children. However, research demonstrating the prevalence of pediatric voice problems and associated voice use patterns is scarce. This investigation examined the prevalence of voice problems and vocal health characteristics of school-aged children. To examine the prevalence of voice problems in school-aged children throughout the US with reference to lifestyle, demographic characteristics, and voice use patterns. This study used a cross-sectional design to survey a probability sample of caregivers of children aged 4 to 12 years living throughout the US in 2023. Caregivers were surveyed regarding their children's voice use, voice symptoms, voice problems, extracurricular activities, and demographic information. Caregivers also competed the Pediatric Voice-Related Quality of Life questionnaire. The Fisher exact test, χ2 tests, and logistic regression were used to compare children with and without voice problems. Overall, 6293 panelists were invited to complete screening questions for the survey, and 1789 individuals were screened for eligibility between March and April 2023. Of these, 1175 parents (65.7%) completed the survey. Twenty-one (1.8%) were excluded for a combination of either high refusal rates (n = 16), speeding (n = 2), or straight lining (n = 12). The final number of participants included in analysis was 1154 caregivers of children aged 4 to 12 years (559 female children [48.4%]; 595 male children [51.6%]; mean [SD] age, 8.02 [2.49] years). The prevalence of voice problems in children was 6.7% (n = 78), and the lifetime prevalence was 12% (n = 138). Benign vocal fold lesions was the most common diagnosis underlying voice complaints, and other causes included respiratory illness, allergies, autism-related voice issues, and other neurological conditions. Risk factors for pediatric voice problems included being male (odds ratio [OR], 1.47; 95% CI, 1.0-2.1), having more than 4 individuals living in the household (OR, 2.30; 95% CI, 1.2-4.4), poor speech intelligibility (OR, 2.26; 95% CI, 1.2-4.3), maternal history of voice problems (OR, 4.54; 95% CI, 1.2-16.4), participating in online gaming (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.0-2.3), and secondhand smoke exposure (OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.1-2.6). Voice use-related risk factors included frequent talking, coughing, throat clearing, tantrums/crying, and vocal strain. Voice problems were associated with substantially detracted quality of life as measured by the Pediatric Voice-Related Quality of Life questionnaire, limited social/extracurricular interactions, increased school absences, and negative attention from adults. The results of this survey study suggest that pediatric voice problems are relatively common and detract from quality of life. Specific environmental and behaviorial factors are associated with increased risk for voice disorders.

PENGARUH EDUKASI 1000 HPK MELALUI MEDIA AUDIO-VISUAL TERHADAP PENGETAHUAN IBU HAMIL

The ongoing nutritional issue and challenge for Indonesia today is stunting. Stunting refers to the condition of malnutrition in toddlers which results in inhibited growth, thereby preventing the child from reaching optimal growth and development, as well as experiencing a decrease in cognitive abilities. Generally, stunting is caused by prolonged insufficient nutrient intake, as well as inadequate caregiving from pregnancy to the first 1000 days after birth. Despite the government implementing policies to reduce the stunting rate, the decrease in stunting rates in Indonesia is still far from the set target. In 2012, the Indonesian government participated in the First 1000 Days of Life Movement aimed at improving the quality of life for Indonesian children in the future by focusing on the first 1000 days of a child's life. This research aims to determine the Influence of HPK 1000 Education Through Audio-Visual Media on the Knowledge of Pregnant Women in Cikakak Village, Wangon II Health Center. This study used pre-experimental research, with a one-group pretest-posttest design evaluation through pretest-posttest. The research sample consisted of 23 pregnant women who were given treatment in the form of 1000 HPK socialization using audio-visual media. The Wilcoxon test results obtained a p-value (0.000) no more than 0.05 indicating that there is a difference in knowledge about 1000 HPK in pregnant women before and after being given educational intervention using audio-visual media. A recommendation that can be given is that in health promotion programs, especially 1000 HPK, there needs to be the use of audio-visual media.

Anorectal malformation and Hirschsprung’s disease: a cross-sectional multicentre comparison of quality of life and bowel function to a healthy population

PurposeChildren with anorectal malformation (ARM) and Hirschsprung’s disease (HD) often experience bowel symptoms into adulthood, despite definitive surgery. This study evaluates the quality of life (QOL) and bowel functional outcome...

Keeping Safe Together: A Brief Report on Children’s Experiences of One ‘All of Family’ Domestic Violence Intervention Program in Melbourne, Australia

Abstract Purpose To develop a response to an identified service gap for domestic violence (DV) victim-survivors who are living with their abusive partner and have children in their care, Keeping Safe Together (KST) was designed as an ‘all of family’ program and piloted over 18-months in Victoria, Australia. The purpose of this brief report is to explore how children had experienced the KST program, and what, if any, changes to their safety and situations they experienced because of the program. Methods Interviews were conducted with eight children engaged in the program alongside their family members. Thematic analysis of the data was undertaken to draw out themes. Results The children were aware of the impact of the violence and conflict on their families. They demonstrated strong empathy for their family members’ wellbeing, and a desire for change. The children saw the KST program as having a positive impact on their own and their families’ safety and circumstances, particularly in terms of reducing their fathers’ abusive behaviors. The program supported them to increase their own sense of control, happiness, and development of coping strategies. Conclusions The findings indicate that the program met a significant support gap and improved the lives of children in this sample who were living with fathers using violence against their mothers. Further trial and evaluation of ‘all of family’ programs such as KST is needed to build the evidence base on their effectiveness for children.

BMI, weight change, appetite reduction and cognitive impairment of elderly patients with diabetes

Body weight is related to both diabetes and cognitive impairment; however, the associations between body mass index (BMI) and cognitive impairment have been reported less frequently among diabetes patients. A total of 1355 patients with type 2 diabetes aged ≥ 60 years were included in this study. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was administered to assess participants’ cognitive status. We collected self-reported body weight, weight loss and appetite loss data using questionnaires. Associations between body weight status (in childhood, midlife age, and late life), weight loss, appetite changes and cognitive impairment were explored using logistic regression. Among the participants, 41.7% exhibited cognitive impairment. Overweight in childhood and late life was associated with cognitive impairment among diabetes patients (OR 2.63, 95% CI 1.52–4.55; OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.03–1.69). Diabetes patients with cognitive impairment were more likely to report a body weight decline and appetite reduction in the past three months (OR 4.18, 95% CI 2.61–6.71; OR 4.41, 95% CI 2.67–7.29). Higher BMI, weight loss, and appetite reduction were positively correlated with cognitive impairment. Given the risk of cognitive impairment, we suggest that body weight and BMI decline should be monitored in patients with diabetes.

Quality of life of pediatric pediatric patients in the context of patient-centered approach

In the process of research of interrelation of health status and quality of life of preschool children under hospitalization with acute respiratory infections, the necessity of complex medical and psychological support is proved.

Wellbeing in Children and Adolescents with Fontan Physiology

To assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and global quality of life (QOL) in children and adolescents with Fontan physiology and identify key predictors influencing these outcomes. Cross-sectional analysis of 73 children and adolescents enrolled in the Australia and New Zealand Fontan Registry aged 6-17years, at least 12months post-Fontan operation. Assessments included the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) for HRQOL and a developmentally-tailored visual analogue scale (0-10) for global QOL, along with validated sociodemographic, clinical, psychological, relational, and parental measures. Clinical data were provided by the Australia and New Zealand Fontan Registry. Participants (mean age: 11.5±2.6years, 62% male) reported lower overall HRQOL (P<.001), and lower scores across all HRQOL domains (all P<.0001), compared with normative data. Median global QOL score was 7.0 (IQR 5.8-8.0), with most participants (79%) rating their global QOL ≥6. Anxiety and depressive symptoms requiring clinical assessment were reported by 21% and 26% of participants, respectively. Age, sex, and perceived seriousness of congenital heart disease explained 15% of the variation in HRQOL scores, while depressive symptoms and treatment-related anxiety explained an additional 37% (final model: 52% of variance explained). For global QOL, sociodemographic and clinical factors explained 13% of the variance in scores, while depressive symptoms explained a further 25% (final model: 38% of variance explained). Parental factors were not associated with child QOL outcomes. Children and adolescents with Fontan physiology experience lower HRQOL than community-based norms, despite reporting fair overall QOL. Psychological factors predominantly influenced QOL outcomes, indicating strategies to bolster psychological health could improve QOL in this population.

The Importance of Social Projects Associated with Healthy Eating for Children and Seniors

This scientific article investigates the relationship of direct health benefits, these projects foster social inclusion by providing nutritional education and living spaces that strengthen the community and promote a sense of belonging. Effective implementation of these projects requires strategic partnerships, ongoing education, accessibility, and active community involvement, ensuring a positive and lasting impact on the quality of life of children and older adults.

Early puberty associated with the COVID-19 pandemic: systematic review

Introduction: In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic swiftly escalated into a significant global health emergency. To curb the virus spread, many countries implemented emergency measures such as strict school closures. The pandemic has dramatically impacted the daily lives of children and adolescents, leading to sedentary lifestyles, increased use of electronic devices, and heightened stress-related symptoms. These substantial changes interfere with normal child development. Since the onset of the pandemic, numerous studies have reported an increased incidence of early puberty compared to prepandemic years, with puberty itself progressing at a faster pace. In this review, the aim was to estimate the incidence of new cases of precocious puberty and early puberty during the Covid-19 pandemic. Objectives: The objective of this study is to assess the incidence of early puberty and the progression of puberty during and after the pandemic to compare the results with data from the same period over the last five years and consider potential links between births and data trends. Materials and Methods: This review utilized various databases for article compilation using MESH terminology and identified 09 potential outcomes related to precocious puberty associated with COVID-19

Childhood Environmental Instabilities and Their Behavioral Implications: A Machine Learning Approach to Studying Adverse Childhood Experiences.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) include a range of abusive, neglectful, and dysfunctional household behaviors that are strongly associated with long-term health problems, mental health conditions, and societal difficulties. The study aims to uncover significant factors influencing ACEs in children aged 0-17 years and to propose a predictive model that can be used to forecast the likelihood of ACEs in children. Machine learning models are applied to identify and analyze the relationships between several predictors and the occurrence of ACEs. Key performance metrics such as AUC, F1 score, recall, and precision are used to evaluate the predictive strength of different factors on ACEs. Family structures, especially non-traditional forms such as single parenting, and the frequency of relocating to a new address are determined as key predictors of ACEs. The final model, a neural network, achieved an AUC of 0.788, a precision score of 0.683, and a recall of 0.707, indicating its effectiveness in accurately identifying ACE cases. The model's ROC and PR curves showed a high true positive rate for detecting children with two or more ACEs while also pointing to difficulties in classifying single ACE instances accurately. Furthermore, our analysis revealed the intricate relationship between the frequency of relocation and other predictive factors. The findings highlight the importance of familial and residential stability in children's lives, with substantial implications for child welfare policies and interventions. The study emphasizes the need for targeted educational and healthcare support to promote the well-being and resilience of at-risk children.

Medical and Social Aspects Affecting Disability Formation and Quality of Life in Children with Ectodermal Dysplasia

Medical and Social Aspects Affecting Disability Formation and Quality of Life in Children with Ectodermal Dysplasia

Health-related quality scores in childhood interstitial lung disease: Good agreement between patient and caregiver reports.

Childhood interstitial lung disease (chILD) is a heterogeneous group of mostly chronic respiratory disorders. Assessment of health-related quality of life (HrQoL) in chILD has become increasingly important in clinical care and research. The aim of this study was to assess differences between patient-reported (self) and caregiver-reported (proxy) HrQoL scores. This study used data obtained from the chILD-EU Register. After inclusion (baseline), the patient's health status was followed up at predefined study visits. At each study visit, caregivers and patients were handed validated, age-specific HrQoL questionnaires. HrQoL data entered at baseline were used to compare self- and proxy-reported HrQoL scores. For the longitudinal analysis, we compared HrQoL scores between the baseline and the next follow-up visit. No differences between patient- and caregiver-reported HrQoL scores were found for school functioning, chILD-specific questionnaire score, and physical health summary score. Self-reported HrQoL scores were higher for the subscales emotional functioning (77.4 vs. 70.7; p < .001), social functioning (81.9 vs. 76.2; p < .001), as well as psycho-social summary score (76.5 vs. 71.8; p < .001) and total score (74.7 vs. 70.8; <.001). The longitudinal analysis showed that a significant change in a patient-reported HrQoL score resulted in a significant change in a caregiver-reported HrQoL score after a mean time of 11.0 months (SD 9.4). We found a good agreement between children- and caregiver-related HrQoL scores. In chILD, caregivers are able to sense changes in children's HrQoL scores over time and may be used as a proxy for children unable to complete HrQoL questionnaires.

Investigating the Role of Social Determinants in Child Mortality and Life Expectancy: Longitudinal Analysis of 200 Countries from 1990 to 2021

Investigating the Role of Social Determinants in Child Mortality and Life Expectancy: Longitudinal Analysis of 200 Countries from 1990 to 2021

Research on the Chinese Marriage Crisis - A Matching Perspective

This article examines the significant influence of parental attitudes on the mating choices of young adults in China. It highlights the stark dominance of Chinese parents in decision-making processes about their children's romantic lives, which can significantly influence the nation's marriage and divorce trends. Past articles revealed changes in parental attitudes towards their children's romantic relationships during university years, highlighting a shift from traditional opposition to increased support, potentially impacting financial assistance. Another stream of research focused on the ongoing marriage crisis in China, where declining marriage rates and rising divorce rates are influenced by socioeconomic changes, urbanization, and evolving marital values. They suggest that economic and cultural shifts play significant roles. This paper integrates sociocultural dynamics with a model of deferred acceptance in matchmaking to explore how shifts toward more progressive parental attitudes could be exacerbating the marriage crisis in China. By applying a matching algorithm, the study reveals that mismatches in parental expectations across different societal segments could lead to higher divorce rates and lower marriage rates. The paper proposes educational reforms and matchmaking optimizations as potential solutions to mitigate these effects.

Physical Disabilities and Subjective Wellbeing: A Comparison of Children Based on Boarding and Home Residency in South Africa

ABSTRACT Globally, limited research exists on the wellbeing of children with disabilities from their own perspectives. The investigations that are published are primarily from the perspectives of parents, caregivers or educators. In South Africa, segregated schooling systems and other social inequalities introduce complexities pertaining to the educational attainment of children with disabilities. For some children, residing in boarding schools facilitates access to education. This study quantitatively explored differences in subjective wellbeing based on whether children with physical disabilities resided in boarding schools (n = 30) or at home (n = 30). The results revealed a significantly higher level of family-related wellbeing for children residing at home (Mdn = 34.63) compared to those residing in boarding schools (Mdn = 26.37), demonstrating the need to strengthen family involvement in the lives of children at boarding schools. This research supports emerging evidence that parent involvement may be required for improved wellbeing of children who reside in boarding schools.

Nursing Care and Quality of Life Among Children with Hepatolenticular Degeneration

Hepatolenticular degeneration also known as Wilson’s disease (WD), is an autosomal recessive inherited copper metabolic disorder. Objective: The study aimed to determine the relationship between nursing care and the quality of life among children with hepatolenticular degeneration in Anhui Province, China. Methods: This research used the descriptive-correlational design. The researcher investigated 45 regular staff nurses and 96 children with hepatolenticular degeneration ages 12 and 18 years old. Two instruments were used. First, the Nursing Care Score Tool was developed by the researcher based on review of related the literature which is used to measure nursing care. Second, the revised PedsQLTM4.0 Generic Core Scales (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ Version 4.0) is used to measure the quality of life among children with hepatolenticular degeneration. The data were analyzed using the following: Frequency, Percentage distribution, Mean, Median scores, IQR (Inter Quartile Range), One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), t-Test and Pearson Coefficient. Results: In terms of quality of life, except for age, significant differences were found in terms of children’s sex and educational status. Except for knowledge, there were significant differences in terms of physiological care, medication, psychological care, therapeutic communication and functional training as rated by the children and nurses. There was a significant positive correlation (r = .583, p = .000) between nursing care as rated by the children and quality of life of children with hepatolenticular degeneration. Conclusion: Nursing care is positively correlated with quality of life. A closer look at the results revealed that the quality of life of female children is generally lower than that of male, hence, more attention is recommended to be given to female children in improving their quality of life. Children with hepatolenticular degeneration should be encouraged to continue to receive education for a better quality of life. It is necessary for nurses to continuously explain to the child the disease process and the signs and symptoms of the disease. Careful observation of the physiological status of the child, the provision of timely care, regular functional training, making accurate judgements in the response to medications guidance in the intake of oral injectable medications, regular provision of psychological care and therapeutic communication to the children with this condition important tasks of the nurses. All these can lead to having these children live a better quality of life.

Influence of socioeconomic factors on glycemic control, therapeutic adherence and quality of life in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes

ObjectiveTo stablish the relationship between socioeconomic status of a cohort of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) with glycemic control, therapeutic adherence and diabetes quality of life (DQoL). Patients y methodsA cross-sectional, observational study with consecutive inclusion was carried out. Participants aged 8–18 years with T1D duration >1 year. Data on family structure, family income, parents’ educational level and parental role on primary diabetes care supervision were registered. Adherence (DMQ-Sp) and DQoL (PedsQl) were analyzed. Linear and logistic regression models adjusted for demographics, family structure and parental role on primary diabetes care responsibility were applied. ResultsA total of 323 patients (T1D duration 5,3 ± 3,3 years; HbA1c 7,7 ± 1,0%; age 13,3 ± 2,8 years; 49,8% females) were included. Patients living in a nuclear family and those whose main diabetes care supervision was shared by both parents showed lower HbA1c [adjusted for demographics and family structure (7,06; CI 95% 6,52–7,59); adjusted for demographics and role on primary diabetes care supervision (7,43; CI 95% 6,57–8,28)]. DMQ-Sp score (adjusted for demographics and role on main supervision) was higher in patients whose parents shared the diabetes care supervision (84,56; CI 95% 73,93–95,19). Parents sharing diabetes care supervision showed a significantly higher PedsQl score (both 74,63 ± 12,70 vs mother 68,53 ± 14,59; p = 0,001). ConclusionsChildren and adolescents with T1D had lower HbA1c, better therapeutic adherence and better DQoL when lived in a nuclear family, with higher socioeconomic status and the responsibility for supervising diabetes care was shared by both parents.