School-aged Girls Research Articles

Effects of Core Strength Training Using Stable Versus Unstable Surfaces on Lower Body Quality in 8th Grade Male and Female Students in a Junior High School in Bandung

Objective: To investigate the effects of core strength training performed on stable (CSTS) compared to unstable surfaces (CSTU) on physical fitness in school-aged boys and girls. Methods: In this study, 72 (36 males, 36 females) untrained healthy subjects (mean age: 14±1 years, age range: 13–15 years) were randomly assigned to a CSTS group for stable surface (n = 36; 18 males and 18 females) or a CSTU group for unstable surface (n = 36; 18 males and 18 females). Core strength training performed on stable as compared to unstable surfaces were assessed on pre- and post-tests. Training period lasted 6 weeks (2 sessions/week). The components of physical fitness were assessed using standing long jump test, stand-and-reach test, 20-m sprint test, jumping sideway test, and y balance test. Results: This study showed significant results in increased components of physical fitness in both CSTS and CSTU groups (p 0.05). Conclusion: Core strength training performed on unstable and stable surfaces increases all components of physical fitness in youths. Core strength training performed on unstable surface can better improve the physical fitness compared to the stable surface. There were differences of physical fitness between gender in both groups except for stand-and-reach test. Keywords: Resistance training, physical fitness, gender DOI: 10.15850/ijihs.v6n1.1050

Seasonal variations in Schistosoma haematobium egg excretion in school-age girls in rural KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa

Background. A predominant feature of Schistosoma haematobium infection is urinary egg excretion, and microscopic egg detection remains the accepted standard field diagnostic tool. Praziquantel is the drug of choice for schistosomiasis, and the World Health Organization recommends that it should be administered to all children >4 years of age living in schistosomiasis-endemic areas. The frequency of mass drug administration depends on the prevalence rate in the community. Urinary schistosome egg output has a day-to-day and hour-to-hour intrasubject variation. Therefore, it is important to assess possible seasonal variations in egg excretion to improve the planning of drug treatment. Objectives. To assess the influence of seasonality on urinary schistosome egg excretion in South Africa (SA). Methods. We performed a prospective cohort study, exploring seasonal variations of S. haematobium egg excretion in 184 girls aged 10 - 12 years from randomly selected schools in a rural area of KwaZulu-Natal Province, SA. The area has a subtropical climate characterised by a cool dry season and a hot humid season. For children, water contact is higher in the latter season. At baseline, 108 girls were examined in the hot season, and 76 in the cold season. In the next year’s cold season the untreated patients were re-investigated before treatment. Results. There was a decrease in infection in the group initially tested in the hot season compared with the group tested in the cold season at both time points when adjusted for age and water contact (adjusted odds ratio 3.61 (95% confidence interval 1.14 - 11.44); p =0.03). Conclusions. This unique study shows that schistosomiasis prevalence determined by microscopy exhibits seasonal variation, with a higher prevalence in the hot rainy season. Precise community prevalence estimations are key in decisions to treat communities. There was significantly lower egg output in the cold season, and sampling in that season may therefore underestimate the prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis. The study indicates that sampling in SA should be done in the hot season.

Seasonal variations in Schistosoma haematobium egg excretion in school-age girls in rural KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa.

A predominant feature of Schistosoma haematobium infection is urinary egg excretion, and microscopic egg detection remains the accepted standard field diagnostic tool. Praziquantel is the drug of choice for schistosomiasis, and the World Health Organization recommends that it should be administered to all children >4 years of age living in schistosomiasis-endemic areas. The frequency of mass drug administration depends on the prevalence rate in the community. Urinary schistosome egg output has a day-to-day and hour-to-hour intrasubject variation. Therefore, it is important to assess possible seasonal variations in egg excretion to improve the planning of drug treatment. To assess the influence of seasonality on urinary schistosome egg excretion in South Africa (SA). We performed a prospective cohort study, exploring seasonal variations of S. haematobium egg excretion in 184 girls aged 10 - 12 years from randomly selected schools in a rural area of KwaZulu-Natal Province, SA. The area has a subtropical climate characterised by a cool dry season and a hot humid season. For children, water contact is higher in the latter season. At baseline, 108 girls were examined in the hot season, and 76 in the cold season. In the next year's cold season the untreated patients were re-investigated before treatment. There was a decrease in infection in the group initially tested in the hot season compared with the group tested in the cold season at both time points when adjusted for age and water contact (adjusted odds ratio 3.61 (95% confidence interval 1.14 - 11.44); p=0.03). This unique study shows that schistosomiasis prevalence determined by microscopy exhibits seasonal variation, with a higher prevalence in the hot rainy season. Precise community prevalence estimations are key in decisions to treat communities. There was significantly lower egg output in the cold season, and sampling in that season may therefore underestimate the prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis. The study indicates that sampling in SA should be done in the hot season.

Gender differences in parent-reported age at diagnosis of children with autism spectrum disorder

BackgroundAutism spectrum disorders (ASD) are more commonly observed in boys than in girls. There is growing awareness of ASD in girls and recognition that under-diagnosis is common. The current study aimed to investigate any evidence of reduction in the average age at diagnosis for girls by assessing whether: 1) girls’ age at diagnosis has reduced, compared to boys’, across two age cohorts – children born between 1996–1999 and 2002–2005; 2) age at diagnosis differed between boys and girls diagnosed across childhood; 3) any characteristics are associated with earlier age at diagnosis in girls. MethodsData were available from large UK databases of children with ASD: The Database of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Living in the North East (http://daslne.org) and the Autism Spectrum Database–UK (www.asd-uk.com). ResultsThere was no differential reduction of parent-reported age at diagnosis for girls over time. For children receiving their diagnosis at age ≥60 months, boys received diagnoses an average of one year earlier than did girls (98.2 months, SD = 31.6 vs. 109.1 months, SD = 36.4). For boys and girls, earlier diagnosis was associated with toileting problems and temper problems. Having additional diagnoses (e.g., dyslexia, dyspraxia, and epilepsy) was associated with later diagnosis. ConclusionsAge at diagnosis has not decreased over time. Girls with ASD are diagnosed later than boys when aged 5 years or older. Health and education professionals would benefit from better understanding factors such as toileting problems, temper problems, and additional diagnoses that could potentially guide early identification of ASD in clinical practice for school-age girls.

The Role of Academic Skills in the Evolution of Conduct Problems and Depressive Symptoms Among Children With and Without Early Clinically Significant Conduct Problems

Youth with conduct problems present frequently depressive symptoms. Academic skills are thought to be a mediating variable by which conduct problems could lead to depressive symptoms. No studies have longitudinally compared this model among school-aged boys and girls with different levels of conduct problems. Cascade models were tested to examine the relations between conduct problems, depressive symptoms, and academic skills over a 3-year period, and whether the severity of conduct problems and gender moderated these associations. Participants were 381 children presenting early clinically significant conduct problems (44.9% female) and 363 children with low levels of conduct problems (48.8% female). While results did not show any cascade or indirect associations, they revealed different direct links between conduct problems or depressive symptoms and academic skills in the four groups. These findings suggest that conduct problems severity and gender differences should be considered in treatment planning.

Harmattan Winds, Disease and Gender Gaps in Human Capital Investment

Epidemics can worsen social inequality by increasing gender gaps in educational attainment through raising the direct and opportunity costs of investing in girls, particularly in poorer countries. We investigate this hypothesis by examining the effects of sudden exposure to the 1986 meningitis epidemic in Niger on the gender gap in education. We document a significant reduction in years of education for school-aged girls relative to boys following the epidemic. We explore several channels underlying the results and find evidence highlighting income effects of epidemics on households and increased early marriage of girls.

Son Preference and Human Capital Investment Among China's Rural-Urban Migrant Households

We use several datasets to study whether son preference prevails in the human capital investment among Chinese rural-urban migrant households. We find that son preference exists among the rural migrants' households and that it caused lower probabilities relative to that of their boy counterparts that school age girls will migrate with their parents - a difference that is absent for children of preschool age. We also find that (1) boys are more likely to migrate following the reduction in the number of rural primary schools, (2) migrant households with multiple children tend to take their sons to migrate more than they take their daughters, and (3) the fact that parents of boy students spend more on their children's education can be largely explained by the extra costs of schooling for migrant households. Finally, we show that the parents of rural children have higher expectations for boys than they do for girls. Our results suggest that son preference is detrimental to the human capital investment in girls in contemporary China when institutional arrangements result in high costs of schooling for migrants.

Programirano fizičko vežbanje u funkciji razvoja motoričkih sposobnosti devojčica mlađeg školskog uzrasta

This paper aims to determine the development of motor abilities in younger schoolgirls through programmed physical exercise. The subject of the research were the following motor abilities: precision, coordination, strength, speed, agility, fine motor skills, in-hand manipulation skills. For the assessment of the level of motor abilities basic motor tests were administered: coordination with a club; wide-legged forward bend; threading beads on a string; shooting a horizontal target with a small ball; drawing geometric shapes around a given rectangle; standing long jump; rolling a ball under a chair; 20 meter running; lifting and carrying; cone drill 4 x 5m. The population from which the research sample was taken consisted of girls of younger school age, i.e. first grade pupils from elementary schools from Kikinda, 117 girls in total. At the end of programmed physical exercise a significant statistical difference between the control and the experimental group. The results obtained lead to the conclusion that enables defining a clear limit related to motor abilities in the final test in favor of the experimental group of respondents, which confirms the alternative research hypotheses.

Epidemiologic Characteristics of Injured School-age Patients Transported via Emergency Medical Services in Korea.

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics of injuries of school-aged children transported via emergency medical services (EMS) that occurred in schools by comparing with injuries that occurred outside of school.MethodsData from the 119 EMS from 2012 to 2014 were analyzed. School and non-school injuries were analyzed in children 6 to 17 years of age. The epidemiologic characteristics were assessed according to school-age groups; low-grade primary (6–8 years), high-grade primary (9–13 years), middle (13–15 years) and high (15–17 years) school. Gender-stratified multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to estimate the risks of school injury in each age group.ResultsDuring the study period, a total of 167,104 children with injury were transported via 119 ambulances. Of these injuries, 13.3% occurred at schools. Boys accounted for 76.9% of school injuries and middle school children accounted for a significantly greater proportion (39.6%) of school injuries (P < 0.001). The most frequent mechanisms of injury at school were falls (43.8%). The peak times for school injury occurrence were lunch time (13:00–13:59) in all age groups. Multivariate regression identified the risky age groups as high-grade primary (odds ratio [OR], 1.14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09–1.20) and middle school-aged boys (OR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.74–1.90) and middle school-aged girls (OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.21–1.40).ConclusionNotable epidemiologic differences exist between in- and out-of-school injuries. The age groups at risk for school injuries differ by gender.

Age dynamic of physical condition changes in pre-school age girls, schoolgirls and students, living in conditions of Eastern Siberia

Purpose: to analyze dynamic of physical condition, considering sex (females) and age of the tested, living in region with unfavorable ecology. Material: we studied pre school age girls (n=1580, age 4-7 years). In the research we did not include children with chronic diseases, who were under observation. We tested schoolgirls (n=3211, age 7-17 years) and girl students (n=5827, age 17-21 years, 1-4 years of study. Girl students were divided into five age groups: from 17 to 21 years. All participants lived in conditions of Eastern Siberia (Irkutsk). This region is characterized by unfavorable ecology and climate geographic characteristics. Results: in dynamic of physical condition of pre-school girls, schoolgirls and students we marked out three substantial periods of it characteristics' changes. Age 7-8 years is critical (transition from 1st to 2nd stage). The least values of these characteristics are found in older (after 17-18 years) ages. In students we observed relative stabilization of these indicators. Conclusions: the received results shall be considered in building physical education training process in pre-school educational establishments, secondary comprehensive schools and higher educational establishments.

"Back Off Buddy, This Is My Body, Not Yours": Empowering Girls Through Self-Defense.

Although growing recognition is being given to the benefits of teaching self-defense skills to college women, very little research attention has considered the impacts of providing such courses to school-aged girls. This article presents the findings from a large-scale evaluation of self-defense programs provided to three different age groups of schoolgirls from diverse backgrounds in New Zealand, drawing on survey responses from the girls themselves, supplemented by qualitative data provided by key informant interviews with their school and self-defense teachers. The findings provide clear evidence of the many positive benefits that can result for girls of all ages who participate in feminist self-defense courses taught by carefully trained instructors with a strong empowerment focus.

6.15%: Taking Numbers at Interface Value

This article discusses a number, 6.15%, as it comes into being in the course of an evaluation study of education in a southern Afghan province. This number indicates that out of 100 school-aged girls 6.15 go to school. While this kind of number may invite refl ections on its epistemic accuracy, more often it draws attention to its inherent negative — the girls that do not go to school — substantiating a need for sustained international commitment. As this article will show, numbers work to establish girls as research entities, as part of populations, and as a concern for the Afghan government and the international intervention. This interfacing work of numbers — between girls, states, interventions, and research protocols — is often absent from academic work that takes numbers to be stable and passive tools with which the world can be known. This article, instead, takes numbers to have an internally complex multiplicity and to actively engage with their environments. In this article, I use the interface between numbers and environment as a space for ethnographic exploration of world-making. By describing three moments in the lifecycle of the number — data cleaning, analysis and presentation — I describe three distinct moments of interfacing in which the number comes to act in three capacities: effecting reference, constituting proportional comparison, and evoking doubt and certainty. Detailed understanding of numbering practices provides an opportunity to not just critically assess numbers as end products but to carefully assess the worlds that emerge alongside numbering practices and the ways in which numbers contribute in processes of governance.

Salivary Oxytocin Concentration Changes during a Group Drumming Intervention for Maltreated School Children.

Many emotionally-disturbed children who have been maltreated and are legally separated from their parents or primary caregivers live in group homes and receive compulsory education. Such institutions provide various special intervention programs. Taiko-ensou, a Japanese style of group drumming, is one such program because playing drums in a group may improve children’s emotional well-being. However, evidence for its efficacy has not been well established at the biological level. In this study, we measured salivary levels of oxytocin (OT), a neuropeptide associated with social memory and communication, in three conditions (recital, practice, and free sessions) in four classes of school-aged children. Following the sessions, OT concentrations showed changes in various degrees and directions (no change, increases, or decreases). The mean OT concentration changes after each session increased, ranging from 112% to 165%. Plasma OT concentrations were equally sensitive to drum playing in school-aged boys and girls. However, the difference between practice and free play sessions was only significant among elementary school boys aged 8–12 years. The results suggest that younger boys are most responsive to this type of educational music intervention.

Dynamics of morphological and functional parameters of the physical condition of secondary-school age girls with impaired vision under the influence of aerobic exercises in a complex physical rehabilitation.

To assess the impact of the rehabilitation complex on the physical condition of schoolchildren, 90 girls of secondary school age with impaired vision were examined. The evaluation of the physical condition was carried out by the express method of G.L.Apanasenko. The results of the initial survey showed that average indicators of physical condition of girls with impaired vision are low. Under the influence of the rehabilitation complex, there were statistically significant positive changes in the indices of the main groups of girls, in addition to this, the total score in all investigated criteria increased. In adolescence, the variability of anthropometric characteristics of the organism changes in close connection with individual motor activities. On this basis aerobic exercises can be recommended in the complex physical rehabilitation of secondary-school age girls with poor vision.

Exploring Girls’ Science Affinities Through an Informal Science Education Program

This study examines science interests, efficacy, attitudes, and identity—referred to as affinities, in the context of an informal science outreach program for girls. A mixed methods design was used to explore girls’ science affinities before, during, and after participation in a cohort-based summer science camp. Multivariate analysis of survey data revealed that girls’ science affinities varied as a function of the joint relationship between family background and number of years in the program, with girls from more affluent families predicted to increase affinities over time and girls from lower income families to experience initial gains in affinities that diminish over time. Qualitative examination of girls’ perspectives on gender and science efficacy, attitudes toward science, and elements of science identities revealed a complex interplay of gendered stereotypes of science and girls’ personal desires to prove themselves knowledgeable and competent scientists. Implications for the best practice in fostering science engagement and identities in middle school-aged girls are discussed.

Investigating Canadian parents' HPV vaccine knowledge, attitudes and behaviour: a study protocol for a longitudinal national online survey

IntroductionHuman papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection, can cause anogenital warts and a number of cancers. To prevent morbidity and mortality, three vaccines have been licensed and are recommended by...

Linguistic camouflage in girls with autism spectrum disorder

BackgroundAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is diagnosed more frequently in boys than girls, even when girls are equally symptomatic. Cutting-edge behavioral imaging has detected “camouflaging” in girls with ASD, wherein social behaviors appear superficially typical, complicating diagnosis. The present study explores a new kind of camouflage based on language differences. Pauses during conversation can be filled with words like UM or UH, but research suggests that these two words are pragmatically distinct (e.g., UM is used to signal longer pauses, and may correlate with greater social communicative sophistication than UH). Large-scale research suggests that women and younger people produce higher rates of UM during conversational pauses than do men and older people, who produce relatively more UH. Although it has been argued that children and adolescents with ASD use UM less often than typical peers, prior research has not included sufficient numbers of girls to examine whether sex explains this effect. Here, we explore UM vs. UH in school-aged boys and girls with ASD, and ask whether filled pauses relate to dimensional measures of autism symptom severity.MethodsSixty-five verbal school-aged participants with ASD (49 boys, 16 girls, IQ estimates in the average range) participated, along with a small comparison group of typically developing children (8 boys, 9 girls). Speech samples from the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule were orthographically transcribed and time-aligned, with filled pauses marked. Parents completed the Social Communication Questionnaire and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales.ResultsGirls used UH less often than boys across both diagnostic groups. UH suppression resulted in higher UM ratios for girls than boys, and overall filled pause rates were higher for typical children than for children with ASD. Higher UM ratios correlated with better socialization in boys with ASD, but this effect was driven by increased use of UH by boys with greater symptoms.ConclusionsPragmatic language markers distinguish girls and boys with ASD, mirroring sex differences in the general population. One implication of this finding is that typical-sounding disfluency patterns (i.e., reduced relative UH production leading to higher UM ratios) may normalize the way girls with ASD sound relative to other children, serving as “linguistic camouflage” for a naïve listener and distinguishing them from boys with ASD. This first-of-its-kind study highlights the importance of continued commitment to understanding how sex and gender change the way that ASD manifests, and illustrates the potential of natural language to contribute to objective “behavioral imaging” diagnostics for ASD.

분노조절과 규칙수용에 문제를 보이는 ADHD 아동의 놀이치료 사례: 게임놀이의 활용

분노조절과 규칙수용에 문제를 보이는 ADHD 아동의 놀이치료 사례: 게임놀이의 활용

Greater delay discounting among girls, but not boys, with ADHD correlates with cognitive control

ABSTRACTCognitive neuroscience models suggest both reward valuation and cognitive control contribute to reward-based decision-making. The current study examined the relationship between cognitive control and delay discounting (i.e., choosing smaller, immediate over larger, delayed rewards) in a large sample of boys and girls diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; N = 95) and typically developing control children (TD; N = 59). Specifically, we examined performance on multiple measures of cognitive control (i.e., Go/No-Go task, Stop Signal task, and Spatial Span task) and delay discounting (i.e., Classic Delay Discounting and Real-Time Delay Discounting tasks), as well as the relationship between these measures. Results indicated that sex moderated the effects of group on task performance. Specifically, girls with ADHD, but not boys with the disorder, exhibited atypical delay discounting of real-time rewards. Results from correlational analyses indicated that delay discounting and cognitive control were not significantly correlated in the overall sample. Multiple regression analyses demonstrated that among girls with ADHD poorer spatial working memory and inhibitory control predicted greater real-time discounting. Collectively, findings provide support for distinct patterns of cognitive control and delay discounting among school-aged girls and boys with ADHD. Additionally, findings suggest that among girls with ADHD, those who exhibit relatively poor working memory and inhibitory control might be a particularly vulnerable subgroup with the greatest propensity to exhibit maladaptive decision-making.

Urinary bisphenol A and pubertal development in Chinese school-aged girls: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundAnimal studies suggest that bisphenol A (BPA) may perturb pubertal development in females. However, evidence from human studies is limited.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study to investigate the association between BPA exposure and pubertal development in school-aged girls. A total of 655 girls aged 9–18 years were selected from three schools in Shanghai, from May to June 2011. We collected one single spot urine sample from each girl. Urine BPA concentrations were measured by modified high-performance liquid chromatography and categorized according to LOD and the median of those above LOD. Pubertal development status was assessed by using Tanner staging, and age at menarche was collected as a milestone for mid-puberty. Modified Poisson regression was used to estimate adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).ResultsAfter adjustment for potential confounders, girls with detected BPA were more likely to have delayed menarche, a mid-puberty event, compared with girls with undetectable BPA; the prevalence ratios (PR) were 0.73 (0.56, 0.95) for those with moderate BPA(LOD-median) and 0.72 (0.52, 0.99) for those with high BPA(>median), respectively. Girls aged 9–12 years with detected BPA were more likely to have reached pubic hair stage 2, the indicator of pubarche; while among girls aged >15 years, those with detected BPA were less likely to have reached pubic hair stage 5, the late stage of pubic hair development.ConclusionsBPA exposure was associated with alterations in the timing of pubertal development. Results in the present study should be interpreted with caution because of its cross-sectional nature and the limited sample size in each age group.