Young Chinese Children Research Articles

Effects of Asian cultural values on parenting style and young children's perceived competence: A cross-sectional study.

Authoritarian parenting has long been associated with Western individualism and improved child development. This study examined the relationship between cultural values, parenting styles, and children's perceived competence in Hong Kong. A total of 48 parents from local Chinese families, 49 parents from South Asian families, and 105 children (24 local Chinese and 81 South Asian) aged 5-6 years participated in the study. Self-report questionnaires on adherence to Asian cultural values and parenting style were administered to parents. The Pictorial Survey on Children's Perceived Competence was administered to children by trained research assistants. The results contradicted two long-standing assumptions on Asian cultural values and parenting styles. First, higher adherence to Asian cultural values increased the likelihood of having an authoritarian parenting style. Second, authoritative parenting practices were more likely be associated with improved social-emotional competence in children. Multiple regression analyzes revealed a strong positive correlation between Asian cultural values and authoritative parenting style (R 2 = 0.597). There was no association between parenting style and the development of competence in young children. However, a positive correlation was found between Asian cultural values and young children's perceived competence. This study showed that components of collectivism and humility in Asian cultural values could have functional values that are essential for developing competencies in South Asian young children but not in local Chinese young children. This study discussed the implications of cultural values sin the terms of contextualization, functional relevance of cultural values for ethnic minorities, and ideal parenting practices.

Reliability and validity of the repetitive behavior scale-revised for young Chinese children with autism spectrum disorder in Jiangxi Province.

Restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are one of the two main diagnostic features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To date, a growing body of research on RRB in children with ASD has recently attracted academic attention. The Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (RBS-R) was primarily intended for use in evaluating RRBs observed in ASD. This study recruited 381 Chinese children with ASD aged 2–4 years to measure the reliability and validity of the RBS-R. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was applied to the structuring models of the four proposed structural models, indicating that a 6-factor model demonstrated good internal consistency and the best fit based on common overall fit indices. These findings suggest the utility of the Chinese version of RBS-R.

Probabilistic Risk Assessment of Combined Exposure to Deoxynivalenol and Emerging Alternaria Toxins in Cereal-Based Food Products for Infants and Young Children in China.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) and emerging Alternaria toxins often co-occur in cereal-based products, but the current risk assessment is commonly conducted for only one type of mycotoxin at a time. Compared to adults, infants and young children are more susceptible to mycotoxins through food consumption, especially with cereal-based food products which are the main source of exposure. This study aimed to perform a probabilistic risk assessment of combined exposure to DON and three major Alternaria toxins, namely including alternariol monomethyl ether (AME), alternariol (AOH), and tenuazonic acid (TeA) through consumption of cereal-based foods for Chinese infants and young children. A total of 872 cereal-based food products were randomly collected and tested for the occurrence of DON and three major Alternaria toxins. The results on mycotoxin occurrence showed the DON, TeA, AOH, and AME was detected in 56.4%, 47.5%, 7.5%, and 5.7% of the samples, respectively. Co-contamination of various mycotoxins was observed in 39.9% of the analyzed samples. A preliminary cumulative risk assessment using the models of hazard index (HI) and combined margin of exposure (MoET) was performed on DON and Alternaria toxins that were present in cereal-based food products for infants and young children in China for the first time. The results showed that only 0.2% and 1.5%, respectively, of individuals exceeded the corresponding reference value for DON and TeA, indicating a low health risk. However, in the case of AME and AOH, the proportion of individuals exceeding the reference value was 24.1% and 33.5%, respectively, indicating the potential health risks. In the cumulative risk assessment of AME and AOH, both HI and MoET values indicated a more serious risk than that related to individual exposure. Further research is necessary to reduce the uncertainties that are associated with the toxicities of the Alternaria toxins and cumulative risk assessment methods.

Superficial Retinal Vessel Density and Foveal Avascular Zone in Myopic Anisometropia: An OCTA-Based Study in Young Chinese Children.

This retrospective study investigated superficial retinal vessel density (SRVLD) and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in children with myopic anisometropia. We included 84 eyes of 42 individuals with myopic anisometropia and no posterior segment abnormalities. All eyes underwent OCTA. Individual SRVLD and FAZ area were measured on OCTA. Using a paired t-test, we compared the interocular difference between the fellow eyes for all the measurements. SRVLD was significantly higher in the relatively more myopic eyes than in the fellow eyes in the whole population and in patients with an interocular difference of >1.5 D (p = 003 and 0.01, respectively). In patients with an interocular difference of ≤1.5 D in spherical equivalent refraction, only the nasal sector showed higher SRVLD in the less myopic eyes. SRVLD in the whole image and parafoveal sector was significantly lower in the dominant eye (paired t-test, p = 003 and 0.03, respectively), while other locations showed no difference. The area, perimeter, and circularity index in FAZ parameters showed no difference. SRVLD showed no significant differences between the two types of eyes, with an interocular difference of ≤1.5 D but increased in the relatively more myopic eyes than in the fellow eyes in children with myopic anisometropia, with an interocular difference of >1.5 D. Increasing SRVLD may show a compensatory increase to maintain retinal function and thus maintain normal visual function in the relatively more myopic fellow eyes. As the study to use patients as self-control with OCTA analysis in both eyes, this study provides some reference value for further interpretation of the pathogenesis of anisometropia.

Expert consensus on early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder in Chinese young children

孤独症谱系障碍（ASD）是一组起病于发育早期、不同程度地影响儿童发展的复杂神经发育障碍性疾病，早期规范诊断是个体化干预和康复的重要基础。本共识阐述了ASD病史采集、临床访谈、评估工具、诊断标准、鉴别诊断、共患病诊断以及病因学检查等，重点为6岁以下低龄儿童ASD的诊断提供指导及参考。.

Ocular Dimensions, Refractive Error, and Body Stature in Young Chinese Children with Myopia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

PurposeEyeball shape varies with refraction and body stature. Nevertheless, there are few reports on three-dimensional measurements of eyeball shape in children. The aim of this cross-sectional observational study was to investigate the associations between three-dimensional measurements of ocular dimensions, refractive error, and body stature in young Chinese children with myopia in Kuala Lumpur.Materials and MethodsThirty-five female and 35 male school children aged 8–9 years old were recruited in this study. Cycloplegic spherical equivalent (SE) and visual acuity (VA) were determined using a logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) chart. Body mass index (BMI), body height, and head circumference were ascertained. Three ocular dimensions, that is, longitudinal axial length (LAL), horizontal width (HW), and vertical height (VH), were determined using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).ResultsThere were significant differences among the ocular dimensions in the myopic children. Bonferroni-corrected pairwise t-tests showed that LAL was significantly longer (mean difference, 0.318 mm) than VH, which was in turn significantly longer (mean difference, 0.245 mm) than HW. Body height was significantly correlated with LAL (p < 0.001) and SE (p < 0.001), and multivariate linear regression confirmed that longer LAL and more myopic SE were associated with increased body height (p < 0.001 for both) but not BMI (p = 0.894 and p = 0.413) or head circumference (p = 0.305 and p = 0.226).ConclusionThis study confirms previous reports that changes in ocular dimensions are associated with body height in young children. Axial elongation (forming a prolate profile) occurs in myopic children of both genders at a young age.

Prevalence, correlates, and trajectory of screen viewing among Chinese children in Changsha: a birth cohort study

BackgroundHigh screen viewing time has detrimental effects on children’s health, development, and behavior developing. Children are being exposed to more and more media devices at an earlier age. This study was aimed to determine the amount of daily screen time and its variation and to assess potential factors of screen time by identifying the trajectory of screen time among children aged 1 to 5 years.MethodThis study was based on a representative sample of Changsha young children from a cohort study during 2015–2020. The demographic information and children’s screen viewing time were collected by parents or caregivers through face-to-face interviews. The Latent growth model was used to test the effects of outdoor play on screen viewing time at eight time points, meanwhile, unconditional and conditional models were examined sequentially.ResultAfter excluding respondents with missing key variables, we included 953 children in the final analysis. Children’s outdoor play was slightly increased at 18 months and subsequently declined at 24–60 months, with a maximum duration of 2.96 h per day. Children’s average screen time was increased at 18–36 months, and decreased at 42–54 months, with a slight increase at 60 months. The duration of media exposure peaked at 1.4 h/d at age of 36 months and 60 months. Standardized coefficients of the outdoor play at age of 12 months showed negative effects on the screen time in children, but with positive influence at age of 24, 36, and 42 months (P < 0.01).ConclusionHigh proportions of young Chinese children in Changsha had more screen time than the AAP recommended according to our analysis. Significant predictors of screen time included pregnancy computer use, paternal educational level, and outdoor play in this study, however, further understanding of risk factors is needed to promote great public health efforts to reduce children’s screen exposure.

Linguistic Indicators for Text Complexity in Picture Books for Young Chinese Children Learning English as a Foreign Language

We examined the linguistic features of texts in twenty-nine picture books used in an early English as a Foreign Language program in China. We used the software CLAN to automatically extract indices of linguistic complexity that are typically used to analyze child-directed speech and tested if these indices aligned with expert judgments on the books’ appropriate grade level (Kindergarten-1 through Kindergarten-3). Of the eleven characteristics investigated, seven showed significant between-level differences with moderate effect sizes. Across all levels, vocabulary complexity (i.e., frequency of types, frequency of tokens, and vocabulary diversity) and syntactic complexity (i.e., number of verbs per utterance, number of Developmental-Sentence-Scoring-eligible utterances, mean length of utterance in morphemes, and total number of non-zero morphemes) increased, also in alignment with experts’ judgments. Indices of child language development can thus be used to estimate text complexity in picture books. The study contributes to a better understanding of children’s picture book difficulty and has methodological implications for investigating text characteristics for very young children learning English as a foreign language.

Screen Time and ADHD Behaviors in Chinese Children: Findings From Longitudinal and Cross-Sectional Data

Objective: Research suggests that screen exposure presents a risk for ADHD behaviors in young children. However, the operationalization of screen exposure remains murky and longitudinal data is scarce. In this paper, we examined the relations between better operationalized daily screen time and behaviors of inattention and behaviors of hyperactivity/impulsivity in three cohorts of community samples of young Chinese children. Method: Study 1 was longitudinal and included 111 children who were 3.6 years old (Range = 2.4–4.9; SD = 0.4) at Baseline and 4.8 years old (Range = 3.9–6.0; SD = 0.4) at Follow-Up. Study 2 was cross-sectional and included 172 children aged 4.9 years (Range = 3.0–7.1; SD = 1.0). Study 3 was also cross-sectional and included 313 children who were 6.9 years old (Range = 5.7–8.3; SD = 0.4). In each study, the parents reported how much time that their children spent daily on iPad/tablet, smart phone, and online games and watching TV in the previous week, and their children’s behaviors of inattention (I/A) and hyperactivity/impulsivity (H/I). Results: Regression analysis revealed that in Study 1, controlling for child demographics, mother’s education, family SES, and corresponding I/A or H/I scores at Baseline, screen time at Baseline predicted I/A scores (β = .27, p < .01) and H/I scores (β = .32, p < .001) at Follow-Up. Similarly, controlling for covariates, screen time predicted I/A scores (β = .25, p < .01) and H/I scores (β = .25, p < .01) in Study 2; I/A scores (β = 0.16, p < .01) and H/I scores (β = .15, p < .05) in Study 3. Conclusion: Screen exposure was a risk for inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity behaviors in urban Chinese children.

Early motor development in China: secular trends among 4-year-olds

ABSTRACT Changes in physical activity levels and increases in screen time across different cohorts may affect young children’s motor skill development (MSD). This study examined cohort differences in MSD in China. Four-year-olds living in Shanghai and in Guizhou province were assessed, in individual sessions, in 2013 (n = 230) and in 2017 (n = 446). Controlling for age, parental education, gender, height, weight, and overall development, children’s MSD scores were significantly lower in 2017 than in 2013 in both Shanghai and Guizhou. Parental education moderated these differences. Declines in MSD scores may be due to increased screen time, higher levels of air pollution, and decreased access to safe, outdoor spaces. The overall decline in motor skills across both regions suggests that appropriate and timely interventions are needed to support young Chinese children’s MSD.

Characteristics and problems of unplugged computer science curriculum for young children

With the progress of computer science education in recent years, more and more educators have brought attention to computer science education among young children. Among all these strategies, the unplugged form has been shown to be more effective in teaching. However, recent studies have focused more on the impact of unplugged computer science courses on young children and less on whether these courses are appropriate for the developmental stage of young children. Therefore, this research summarized the curriculum characteristics by comparing different series of unplugged courses for young children from four nations. Then, in a 7-day workshop conducted in China's urban areas, we explored the issues that arise in the implementation of these courses. This research reveals that, although the existing courses cater to a young age range, four issues can still be found, including difficulty, ability difference, too much cooperation, and emphasis on abstraction. Some of these issues may be handled by instructors, while others need consideration of the connection between curriculum design and the physical and cognitive development levels of young children. Furthermore, this research explored the acceptance of unplugged computer science among Chinese young children as well as its impact on their computational thinking level, achieving positive results.

Three- and five-year-olds’ restorative intervention in moral transgressions

The present study applied an action-based paradigm to investigate young Chinese children’s sense of restorative justice in moral transgressions. A total of 49 3-year-olds (Mage = 3.57 years, SD = 0.33, 53% girls) and 48 5-year-olds (Mage = 5.02 years, SD = 0.21, 50% girls) participated in the study. We randomly assigned each child to one of four between-subject treatments (theft, unfairness, loss, and permitted taking) in both second- and third-party conditions. The children’s intervention levels and their spontaneous behavioral and verbal responses were rigorously coded and analyzed. The results indicated that three- and five-year-old children were likely to engage in restorative behavior. These findings basically replicated the results of Riedl and colleagues’ pioneering experiment (2015) conducted in Germany while revealing cultural nuances. The 3-year-olds’ demonstration of a stronger level of intervention than their 5-year-old counterparts constitutes a thought-provoking finding.

Shyness and Socio-emotional Adjustment Difficulties in Urban Chinese Kindergartners: The Moderating Role of Child Effortful Control

ABSTRACT Research Findings: The goal of the present study was to examine the moderating role of child effortful control (EC) in the relation between shyness and social-emotional adjustment difficulties among young Chinese children. Participants included 195 children (117 boys, 78 girls, Mage = 4.28 years, SD = 0.31) enrolled in 6 classes attending kindergartens, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China. Mothers provided ratings of their children’s temperament (shyness, EC) at Time 1, teachers and mothers rated children’s social-emotional adjustment at Time 2 (one and a half years later). Results from SPSS PROCESS MACRO revealed several significant interaction effects between shyness and EC in the prediction of outcome variables. Follow-up simple slope analyses indicated that among children with higher levels of EC, shyness was negatively related to mother-reported social-emotional adjustment difficulties, while among children with lower levels of EC, shyness was not associated with mother-reported social-emotional adjustment difficulties. However, among children with lower levels of EC, shyness was positively associated with teacher reported social-emotional adjustment difficulties. In contrast, among children with higher levels of EC, shyness was not associated with teacher-reported social-emotional adjustment difficulties. Practice or Policy: The findings provide evidence to suggest that the combination of shyness and EC may contribute to children’s social adjustment, which in turn may promote or attenuate socio-emotional adjustment difficulties.

The Influence from English Teaching Apps on Young Chinese Children’s Second Language Learning

This research aimed to explore how English teaching apps affect young Chinese children’s second language learning. Besides, it also discussed how Chinese parents mediate their pre-school children learn language through using apps.

Validation of the Preschool Reading Attitude Scale in Young Chinese Children: A Longitudinal Study

The present study validated the Preschool Reading Attitude Scale (PRAS) using a longitudinal sample of young Chinese children in Hong Kong (N = 197; age: mean [SD] = 52.38 [3.32] months at the first wave of assessment). Children were asked to rate their own attitudes toward reading in a Likert format with pictorial aids, and received individual assessments of literacy skills. Parents rated children’s interest in reading activities. The results showed that a two-factor model featuring institutional reading attitude and global reading attitude fitted the data the best. The two subscales demonstrated acceptable internal consistency reliabilities and satisfactory convergent correlations with parent-report child reading interest. In terms of the relation between attitudes and performance, child-reported institutional reading attitude was positively associated with receptive vocabulary and word reading concurrently and longitudinally. Moreover, this study provided evidence for the stability of the PRAS and weak measurement invariance across the two-year period. The results suggest that the PRAS is a reliable, valid, and developmentally suitable instrument.

The Experiences of Chinese Children 5- to 7-year-old during Cancer Treatment Reflected Through Interviews and Drawings.

Background: For children with cancer, the experience during treatment can be challenging. There is a limited number of studies on self-reported treatment experiences of younger Chinese children with cancer using qualitative methods. Objectives: This study aimed at exploring the experience of Chinese children aged 5 to 7 years during cancer treatment reflected through interviews and drawings. Methods: This study used a descriptive qualitative design with the technique of "draw-and-tell." Participants were enrolled from the pediatric oncology inpatient department of one national children's medical center in China. They were asked to draw a picture of "your feelings in the hospital." An inductive content analysis approach was used. Results: Twelve participants were enrolled (8 male, mean age 5.7 years). Four themes were established: (1) suffering from adverse treatment effects; (2) perceiving changed relationships; (3) being thankful for others; and (4) trying out coping strategies. Conclusion: Chinese children aged 5 to 7 years expressed multiple cancer treatment impacts. They appreciated others' support and had their own way to cope with treatment demands. The authors also extended the dynamic nature of using the "draw-and-tell" methodology. Study findings highlight the importance of inviting and hearing the voice of young children during their cancer treatment, with particular consideration of the influence of disease, treatment, child development, family dynamics, and culture.

Phoneme Awareness Predicts Character Reading Ability in Young Chinese Children Through Phonemic Mismatch Negativity

The current literature suggests mixed findings regarding the relationship between visual spatial skill and Chinese reading ability. In this longitudinal study, 106 kindergarteners in Hong Kong were tested on visual spatial skill and Chinese character reading ability in their first, second, and third years of kindergarten (K1, K2, and K3) with 12-month intervals between the three testing points. Cross-lagged path analysis showed a bidirectional relationship between visual spatial skill and Chinese character reading ability from K1 to K2. Children's visual spatial skill in K1 predicted their reading ability in K2 (B = 0.35, SE = 0.17, p < .05, β = .17), and their reading ability in K1 explained the unique variance of visual spatial skill measured in K2 (B = 0.29, SE = 0.12, p < .05, β = .25). In total, it explained 19.4% (p < .01) and 35.8% (p < .001) variance of visual spatial skill at T2 and reading ability at T2. However, the bidirectional relationship diminished between K2 and K3. The results demonstrate the developmental course of the relationship between visual spatial skill and reading ability as well as the reciprocal facilitation of the two skills in the beginning phase of reading development but not later phases.

Confirmatory factor analysis of the Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire in a Chinese urban preschooler sample

BackgroundUnderstanding young children's eating behaviours is vital to childhood obesity prevention. However, the widely used Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ) has not been validated in Chinese young children. Thus, the present study aimed to assess the validity of the CEBQ in a Chinese urban sample of preschool children.MethodsParticipants included 389 mothers with preschool children residing in Beijing, China. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted, and measurement invariance between child genders was evaluated.ResultsThe modified 8-factor structure of the CEBQ exhibited acceptable model fit in our sample, and no measurement bias against any gender was observed. The associations between the CEBQ factors and child age showed that desire to drink, emotional overeating, and emotional undereating significantly decreased with age, but food responsiveness increased with age. The relation between child BMI and the CEBQ factors provided convergent validity for the CEBQ.ConclusionsOur study supported the validity of the CEBQ as a measurement tool for examining preschool children's eating behaviours in a Chinese urban sample.

Longitudinal change in components of astigmatism and its association with axial length-corneal radius ratio in Chinese young children: the Nanjing Eye Study.

To assess the longitudinal change in components of astigmatism from age 4 to 7years and its association with axial length-corneal radius ratio (AL/CR). Children born between September 2011 and August 2012 in Yuhuatai District of Nanjing were invited to participate in the Nanjing Eye Study for a comprehensive eye examination annually since 2015. The data presented in this paper were obtained in 2016, 2017, and 2019. At each study encounter, noncycloplegic autorefraction and ocular biometric parameters were measured. Changes of total astigmatism (TA), corneal astigmatism (CA), anterior corneal astigmatism (ACA), residual astigmatism (RA), and internal astigmatism (IA) were analyzed in clinical notation (Cyl) and vector notation (J0, J45). Nine hundred fifty-four children (mean ± standard deviation of baseline age: 4.63 ± 0.29years, 53.7% boys) had complete data and were included in this study. Mean slopes of longitudinal changes in Cyl notation were significantly negative for TA, CA, and ACA, but positive for IA. TA, CA, ACA, and RA of J0 notation had a shift toward increasing with-the-rule (WTR) astigmatism and/or decreasing against-the-rule (ATR) astigmatism. TA of J45 notation showed an increase in astigmatism at axis 135° and/or a decrease in astigmatism at axis 45°, while CA and ACA of J45 notation showed an opposite change. Longitudinal changes in ACA and IA were negatively correlated in J0 notation, but not in J45 notation. Based on compensation factor (CF, defined as the minus ratio of IA and ACA), the compensation proportions for J0 in varying degrees (CF: 0.1-2) in 2016, 2017, and 2019 were 91.3%, 93.5%, and 90.0%, respectively, while these for J45 were 74.9%, 76.5%, and 34.6%, respectively. Higher AL/CR increase was associated with less decrease or more increase in CA and ACA of Cyl notation, and a shift toward increasing WTR and/or decreasing ATR in these of J0 notation. The compensatory role of IA was persistent and prominent from 4 to 7years old for J0 notation in Chinese young children. The progression of AL/CR was correlated with astigmatism originated from the cornea.

CULTURAL DISCONTINUITY : THE DISPERSED OF CHINESE DESCENT FROM THE “LITTLE CHINA” CHINATOWNS OF LASEM

This article aims to analyze how fading the Chinese diaspora culture from Lasem Chinatown over several generations. Previous studies show that Chinese descent's identity and orientation disappeared due to assimilation with the local community during the new order. In fact, there was a tendency for them not to show their Chinese identity from the beginning. This did not pay enough attention to the local context, social situation, and the cultural heritage of Chinese descent between generations. This case study is conducted by interviews, observation, and document study. The data is analyzed using the NVivo Program. Bauböck &amp; Faist’s new concept of diaspora is used to review the phenomenon of the spread of Chinese descent from Lasem Chinatown. This research shows that the Indonesian Chinese people in Lasem tend to refer to themselves as 'Indonesian Chinese Peranakan and are increasingly detached from their identity relationship with their referent origin, China. Their Chinese identity is starting to fade since Chinese cultural heritage through religious rituals has been largely abandoned. Young Chinese children scattered out of Lasem Chinatown and lost their Chinese identity. The novelty in this research is that the assimilation and integration of Peranakan Chinese into local society are precisely related to the acceptance of the Lasem community, instead of Chinese culture's fading.Keywords: Chinese, Descent, Diaspora, Discontinuity, Dispersed