Home Circumstances Research Articles

The children of immigrants: Social and home circumstances

The children of immigrants: Social and home circumstances

Assessing changes of hospital admission in preschool children. Critical evaluation.

In discussing social class differentials in childhood mortality and morbidity a recent report on the British child health services suggests that it is possible to identify children at risk, and a government publication has indicated that health visitors (community nurses) could do this. The National Survey of Health and Development, a longitudinal study of over 5000 children regularly investigated from birth so far to age 31 years, gives an opportunity to test the usefulness of these propositions, since it has complete illness records of the study population and health visitors9 assessments of their home circumstances, maternal care, and use of child welfare services. This study shows that these assessments were not particularly successful in identifying children at risk of hospital admissions for certain illnesses, even when more than one hospital admission or a serious illness later occurred. The maximum reduction of hospital costs by such identification would be little better than one-third and there would be an unquantifiable, but very real, stress imposed on families in which children were wrongly identified as at risk. It is suggested that further development of health visitors9 work as family nurses would give a more effective form of child health care by providing greater sensitivity of surveillance, by involving parents in preventive care, and by making appropriate use of health visitors9 skills.

Factors Influencing School Achievement of Children from Low Socioeconomic Groups in Malaysia

A general model is proposed relating the social and nutritional factors involved in school performance of children from poor socio‐economic backgrounds. The model has been tested in a group of 263 primary school children who came from mainly lower‐class families in Malaysia. School performance was assessed by the mark in a national school examination; the factors considered were race, sex, type of school attended, nutritional status and score in the Goodenough‐Harris Draw‐a‐Man test, and also the family size, income and education of parents. Multiple linear regression and extended median test were used in the analysis. There were strong associations between poor school performance on the one hand and nutritional and socio‐economic conditions on the other. However, detailed analysis showed that, for most sub‐groups, nutritional status was not a direct causal factor in school performance. Both nutrition and school achievement reflected home circumstances, particularly family income. There were however significant differences among children of different races. Many of the pathways on the general model have been shown to be irrelevant in this group of children; those pathways which remain are likely to be causal. The Goodenough‐Harris test showed highly significant differences between children of different ethnic groups. The general model seems justified as a framework for investigating school performance. It has been shown that simple correlation between factors is not a good guide to cause‐and‐effect relationships. Each deprived group is likely to have its own significant pathways, so that each group should be analysed rather than applying generalisations derived from other populations.

Children of West Indian immigrants. III. Home circumstances and family patterns.

SUMMARYA total population survey was made of all 10‐yr‐old children in an inner London borough. As part of this study, systematic standardised interviews were held with random samples of parents of children from West Indian families and of children from non‐immigrant families. In contrast to the situation in the Caribbean, the nuclear family was the norm for West Indian families living in London, just as it was non‐immigrant families. In many respects the West Indians and non‐immigrant families were closely similar. No differences were found in rates of parental mental disorder or criminality and the quality of family relationships was the same in the two groups. However, the West Indian parents were more likely to hold semiskilled or unskilled manual jobs and to live in poor quality overcrowded housing. In spite of this, they were also more likely to own their own house. West Indian families had many more children and differed somewhat in their patterns of child rearing. The significance of these findings is discussed in terms of both likely effects on child development and also the future implications for West Indian families living in London.

Covert bacteriuria of childhood. A clinical and epidemiological study.

A 4-year screening programme for covert bacteriuria in Dundee primary schoolgirl entrants showed a prevalence of 1·6% and an annual incidence of 0·9%. Among 109 children with bacteriuria, 70% had symptoms of lower urinary tract infection, 35% had vesicoureteric reflux, and 23% radiological evidence of pyelonephritis. Both pyuria and a past history of urinary infection were related to radiological evidence of reflux or pyelonephritis. Covert bacteriuria was found more frequently in children from social classes IV and V; and their housing, home circumstances, and home care were worse than a control group, even when allowance was made for their social class differences. The children appeared generally healthy but were smaller than a control group. The data suggest that the great majority of these children are not seriously at risk and that there is at present not sufficient evidence to warrant prescriptive screening.

Family size and ordinal position: correlates of academic success.

The National Survey of 1960 Graduates, which included every woman and every other man who graduated from British universities in 1960, provided a unique opportunity to further our knowledge of the correlates of academic success measured in terms of the gaining of a university degree. A relatively large family appeared to be no impediment to the educational achievements of middle-class children, but for those with less privileged home circumstances a small family was an essential ingredient for success. First-born children were over-represented among this sample, though only children were not particularly favoured. In general, the likelihood of graduation appeared to decrease with each later position in the birth order.

The incidence and correlates of smoking among delinquent boys committed for residential training.

Among 441 bays committed to approved schools, the proportions admitting to be smokers ranged from about 33 per cent at ages 10 and 11 to 91 per cent at age 16. At all ages for which comparison could be made, the proportion of smokers among the approved school boys was higher than among State schoolboys interviewed by the Government Social Survey, but it was at the younger ages that approved school boys seemed to be particularly at risk. In addition, smokers among the approved school boys seemed to smoke muck more heavily than those at State schools. No relationships were found for the approved school population between amount smoked and variables of intelligence, educational attainment, delinquency involvement, personality (as measured by Cattell's H.S.P.Q.), social class, home circumstances, and family relationships and discipline, beyond a weak correlation at the age of 16 between smoking and number of court appearances. It was suggested that farther research on smoking among delinquent boys should concentrate on their life‐style and value‐systems.

They shoot horses don't they?

Children do not come to school barefoot any more: but they might take a few days off while their only shoes are mended, and there are still the delinquents whose court appearances eventually take them away from school altogether, the children from homes where the walls stream in winter and crawl with bugs in summer, reducing them to permanent ill‐health, and those whose home circumstances are so emotionally disturbed that the wonder is not that they have fits of violence but that they ever behave normally.

Spezielle pathologische Anatomie

STUDY OBJECTIVE--The aim was to investigate predictors of childhood lower respiratory tract illness in two generations, and predictors of adult lower respiratory disorders in the first generation. DESIGN--Data on respiratory health and environmental factors from a national birth cohort study were examined from birth to 36 years. Data were also collected on the parents of the subjects and on the subjects9 first born offspring from birth to eight years. Main outcome measures were: reports of lower respiratory tract illness before 2 years; lower respiratory tract illness of a week or more between age 20 and 36 years; regular phlegm production at 25 and 36 years; reports of wheeze or asthma at age 36 years; peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) at age 36 years measured by nurses during home visits; and mothers9 reports of lower respiratory illness in first born offspring before 2 years. SUBJECTS--Subjects were a sample of 5362 single, legitimate births taken from all those occurring in England, Wales, and Scotland in one week in 1946, and studied regularly from birth to age 43 years. Data on the subjects9 parents and on their 1676 first offspring born while they were aged 19-25 years were also collected. MAIN RESULTS--Lower respiratory tract illness before 2 years fell from 25% in the population born in 1946 to 13% in their first born offspring. In those born in 1946, poor home environment, parental bronchitis, and atmospheric pollution were the best predictors of lower respiratory illness before 2 years, and these three factors and childhood lower respiratory illness and later smoking were the best predictors of adult lower respiratory tract problems. Risk factors for lower respiratory illness in the offspring were manual social class, parental and grandparental lower respiratory disease, and parental smoking. CONCLUSIONS--Risks for adult lower respiratory problems accumulated in childhood through illness, poor social circumstances, and atmospheric pollution. Smoking exacerbated early life risks and was an independent risk factor. In the offspring generation, parental smoking was a risk factor for early life chest illness, together with parental illness and low social class. Reduction of prevalence in the offspring generation was probably accounted for by improvement in home circumstances, reduced atmospheric pollution, and lower rates of parental lower respiratory illness, but current rates of smoking seem likely to prevent much further reduction in early life lower respiratory illness, and thus in this aspect of risk for subsequent adult lower respiratory problems. The accumulation of risk in childhood and adolescence for later adult problems implies a long time scale for the reduction of adult lower respiratory disorders.

Terminal care in malignant disease.

Patients may be referred to hospital in the terminal stages of cancer for specific medical needs or because home circumstances are unsuitable. Other patients may be cared for in difficult conditions at home, because of the wishes of the patients or their rela tives. The aim of the present study was to categorize the terminal needs of patients dying from cancer in the city of Manchester, which has a population of over six hundred thousand.

Accidental hypothermia in Hertfordshire during the winters of 1966–7 and 1967–8

With the willing co-operation of colleagues in all branches of the National Health Service a medico-social survey was held of the home circumstances of cases of accidental hypothermia arising in Hertfordshire during the winters of 1966–7 and 1967–8. There were 25 cases reported, 15 of which were fatal. In many of these cases the death appeared to be the result of the primary disease, not the hypothermia. It is difficult to suggest any further simple specific measures in addition to those recommended by the B.M.A. Memorandum on accidental hypothermia (1964) and the report of the Committee on Accidental Hypothermia of the Royal College of Physicians (1966) to reduce the morbidity and mortality from this condition.

Hygienic Studies on The Actual Condition of The so-called Physically Weak Children and Thier Physical and Health Education (I)

In order grasp the actual condition of the so-called delicate children and pupils, I investigated the physique, physical strength, career of growth, and home circumstances of all the 89 children and pupils in the institutions of Chunichi Aoba, Shirahato, and Akabane from 1961 to 1962, with the following results. 1. The height, weight, girth of the chest, the index numbers of weight to height, girth of the chest to height, Vervaeck, and Tsurumi-Nakatate of the children and pupils are below the national average of children and pupils in both sexes and at almost all ages. Especially it is remarkable in the height, weight, girth of the chest of both males and females and weight to height of males. 2. In 50-metre running, standing broad-jump, soft-ball throwing, chinning exercises, Serjent jump, Berpeetest, strength of back, and vital capacity, they, male and fomale, are inferior to the national average of children and pupils, but it is not very remarkable in standing broadjump, Serjent jump, Berpeetest, and strength of grip. 3. 27.0% of those children and pupils are to delicate constitution, 11.2% are of tubercular weak constitution, 9.0% are of tuberculous parentage, and anotner 9.0% are in bad home circumstances. 4. As to occupation, 29.3% of their guardians have no definite occupations, and 24.0% are day labourers, outside workers and odd-jobbers, 17.3% are sala-Tied men and very few have regular occupations. As to health condition, 46.8% of their parents are in good health both father and mother, and the others are in poor health, both father and mother, or father or mother. As to blood relationship, 59.7% of their parents are real ones, 20.8% are real mothers and the others are real fathers and stepparents. 5. The male average of their weight at birth is 2.818kg and the female average is 2.85kg. As to lactation, 50% of them were fed on mother's milk, 25.9% on artificial milk and 24.1% on mixed milk. 6. 48.1% of their places of birth and growth are farm villages, 44.2% are fishing villages, 22.1% are commercial districts, and 23.4% are industrial districts.

Hygienic Studies on The Actual Condition of The so-called Physically Weak Children and Their Physical and Health Education (I)

From November in 1956 to March in 1967, in order to grasp the actual condition of the so-called physically weak children and pupils and to inquire into the causes, I questioned all the institutions for weak children in the whole country on their birth and growth, home circumstances and physique. 9 of them answered my questionnaire, in which there are 1, 174 children (733 boys and 441 girls), whose average age is 6.82%±2.85 years (boys, 6.96±2.57; girls, 6.56±2.68). I mentioned the results of this investigation in Volume I (from Part 1 to Part 3). In this part I have generalized them, with the following results. 1. Home circumstances.It is not too much to say that healthy children are born of healthy mothers. From this point of view, healthy mothers are very few (65.6%). In delivery, 11.2% of the children are. difficult or abnormal and 15.8% are premature. Their parents are in narrow circumstances (57.4% are in the lowest class) and their interest in the health of children is . not great (37.8 are quite indifferent). As to lactation, 35.5% of them were fed on mother's milk, 16.8% on artificial milk and 47.7% on mixed milk. 2. Places of birth.90.6% of them were born in their own homes, and 2.4% in institutions (hospitals, clinics and maternity homes). 48.7% of their places of birth are cities, 23.3% are towns, 20.1% are villages and 8.0% are unknown. 3. Various, conditions centering around their weight at birth. They have many brothers (the average number of brothers is 2.46 the highest is 7 and the lowest is 1). 11.5% of them are eldest children, 51.7% are youngest children, and 36.8% are intermediate ones. In dividing the number of brothers into three classes, I exclude one and two brothers. The age of their parents at their birth is 31.94±6.85 years for fathers and 27.89±5.92 years for mothers. This is insignificant in statistics, but the older mothers are, the heavier children weight at birth (r= 0.016 for boys, r=0.029 for girls).The birth rate of premature infants is as high as 17.5% (13.5%, or boys, 24.0% for girls). Many of those who are inferior in weight at birth were born in cities, .especially in commercial and industrial disrticts or amusement centers. Children with four brothers are heaviest in weight (3.11kg±0.41 for boys, 2.93kg for girls), while children with two brothers for boys (2.78kg±0.45), and one brather for girls (2.82kg±0.60) are lightest. The latter's weight at birth is lighter then that of the former by about 0.1kg (2.991kg±0.438 for boys, 2.920kg±0.444 for girls). 4. Conditions of growth. 27.4% of the children had been housed in other institutions before they entered these institutions. They began to syeak fifteen months after birth and to walk seventeen months after. Their intelligence quotient (Tanaka's B form) is 90.5, and generally they are slow in developing intellectual faculties. The tuberculin test proved positive for 54.3%. (negative for 5.9%). 5. Physical features at entrance and the growth of . them after entrance.Their height, weight girth of the chest are about one year below the national average. Especially, they are inferior in height and weight, but one year after entrance, the rate of increase is more than two-thirds higher than the national average of all the items. 6. The classification of the reasons for entrance.The 610 reasons for entrance may be classified into three groups : undergrowth and undernourishment (41.6%), diseases (25.6%), and suspected tuberculosis (15.1%). They form the majority of the reasons (82.3%). From the above-mentioned results the physical weakness. of children arises from the mother's body. I can safely say that the respect and protection of motherhood and the prope education and management of children after entrance will enable them, to regain their physical and mental health.

Hygienic Studies on The Actual Condition of The so-called Physically Weak Children and Their Physical and Health Education (III)

From November in 1956 to March in 1967, in order to grasp the actual condition of the so-called physically weak children and pupils and to inquire into the causes, I questioned all the institutions for weak children in the whole country on their birth and growth, home circumstances and physique. 9 of them answered my questionnaire, in which there are 1, 174 children (733 boys and 441 girls), whose average age is 6.82%±2.85 years (boys, 6.96±2.57; girls, 6.56±2.68). I mentioned the results of this investigation in Volume I (from Part 1 to Part 3). In this part I have generalized them, with the following results. 1. Home circumstances.It is not too much to say that healthy children are born of healthy mothers. From this point of view, healthy mothers are very few (65.6%). In delivery, 11.2% of the children are. difficult or abnormal and 15.8% are premature. Their parents are in narrow circumstances (57.4% are in the lowest class) and their interest in the health of children is . not great (37.8 are quite indifferent). As to lactation, 35.5% of them were fed on mother's milk, 16.8% on artificial milk and 47.7% on mixed milk. 2. Places of birth.90.6% of them were born in their own homes, and 2.4% in institutions (hospitals, clinics and maternity homes). 48.7% of their places of birth are cities, 23.3% are towns, 20.1% are villages and 8.0% are unknown. 3. Various, conditions centering around their weight at birth. They have many brothers (the average number of brothers is 2.46 the highest is 7 and the lowest is 1). 11.5% of them are eldest children, 51.7% are youngest children, and 36.8% are intermediate ones. In dividing the number of brothers into three classes, I exclude one and two brothers. The age of their parents at their birth is 31.94±6.85 years for fathers and 27.89±5.92 years for mothers. This is insignificant in statistics, but the older mothers are, the heavier children weight at birth (r= 0.016 for boys, r=0.029 for girls).The birth rate of premature infants is as high as 17.5% (13.5%, or boys, 24.0% for girls). Many of those who are inferior in weight at birth were born in cities, .especially in commercial and industrial disrticts or amusement centers. Children with four brothers are heaviest in weight (3.11kg±0.41 for boys, 2.93kg for girls), while children with two brothers for boys (2.78kg±0.45), and one brather for girls (2.82kg±0.60) are lightest. The latter's weight at birth is lighter then that of the former by about 0.1kg (2.991kg±0.438 for boys, 2.920kg±0.444 for girls). 4. Conditions of growth. 27.4% of the children had been housed in other institutions before they entered these institutions. They began to syeak fifteen months after birth and to walk seventeen months after. Their intelligence quotient (Tanaka's B form) is 90.5, and generally they are slow in developing intellectual faculties. The tuberculin test proved positive for 54.3%. (negative for 5.9%). 5. Physical features at entrance and the growth of . them after entrance.Their height, weight girth of the chest are about one year below the national average. Especially, they are inferior in height and weight, but one year after entrance, the rate of increase is more than two-thirds higher than the national average of all the items. 6. The classification of the reasons for entrance.The 610 reasons for entrance may be classified into three groups : undergrowth and undernourishment (41.6%), diseases (25.6%), and suspected tuberculosis (15.1%). They form the majority of the reasons (82.3%). From the above-mentioned results the physical weakness. of children arises from the mother's body. I can safely say that the respect and protection of motherhood and the prope education and management of children after entrance will enable them, to regain their physical and mental health.

The Ability and Attainment of Short-Sighted Pupils

In a national study short-sighted children are found to be hard working and attentive in class, to have many academic hobbies and, take relatively little interest in sport: they are successful at school and have high ambitions for further education and employment. In non-verbal tests their scores are similar to those of children with perfect vision, but in attainment tests they have a considerable advantage. These findings are related to the age of onset of short sight and home circumstances. The hypothesis is put forward that families with a history of short sight have over the generations acquired academic interests and a high valuation of non-manual or professional employment that are passed on to the children.

Guidance: The Ecology of Students

This article, concerning school guidance theory and practice, has as its central theme the idea that school counselors may be able greatly to enrich their services to students by investing themselves in a study of the interactions between a student and his learning environments. Evidence is reviewed concerning the relative influences upon educational outcomes of (1) the individual's characteristics, (2) the home and family circumstances, (3) school characteristics, and (4) peer relationships. Guidance practice is examined within their context and implications are suggested.

A RESEARCH INTO TRUANCY*

Summary. A study of 137 truants charged at Court, and a comparison between forty representative truants and a group of non‐truant children, revealed that adverse home circumstances and a lack of satisfaction in home or school are probably the most important conditions of truancy.

Early childhood in broken families

Summary In the course of a national questionnaire inquiry concerning child health and development, the growth and behaviour of young children living in broken families was compared with those of a matched sample of children living in stable households. It was found that while home circumstances differed considerably, the children of broken homes were not excessively retarded, nor on the whole were they more prone to suffer from childhood ailments or behaviour disturbances than those in stable families. These findings relate only to children in the pre-school years.

Improvement in Mental Defectives in Colonies

Although one of the important objects of a mental deficiency colony is the return of patients to the general population, the number of cases on licence, or discharged from the provisions of the Mental Deficiency Acts, is not an accurate indication of the improvement-rate. Cases proceed on licence because their behaviour is sufficiently satisfactory for the houses to which they go. A defective may show no change whilst in the colony, but the environment to which he goes may be better than that which he left before entering the colony. Alternatively, the defective may return to the same home circumstances which he left, but he may have improved. All gradations of combinations of change of environment or of defectives occur.

Report of the Home Circumstances of Necessitous Children in Twelve Selected Schools

Report of the Home Circumstances of Necessitous Children in Twelve Selected Schools