Low Parental Education Level Research Articles

Medication compliance of children with epilepsy: a cross-sectional survey

BackgroundGood medication compliance is very important for the prognosis of children with epilepsy. We aimed to evaluate the status and influencing factors of medication compliance in children with epilepsy and to provide insights to the clinical nursing care of children with epilepsy.MethodsWe selected epileptic children admitted to Children’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from February 1, 2022 to August 31, 2022. Self-designed questionnaire and medication compliance scale were used to evaluate the characteristics and medication compliance of children with epilepsy. Pearson correlation analysis and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze the influencing factors of medication compliance.ResultsA total of 156 children with epilepsy were included, the incidence of poor compliance in children with epilepsy was 37.18%. Pearson correlation analysis indicated that age(r = 0.622), courses of epilepsy(r = 0.553), parental education level(r = 0.506), monthly household income(r = 0.652) and number of drugs taken(r = 0.577) were correlated with the compliance(all P<0.05). Logistic regression analyses indicated that age ≤ 6 y(OR = 2.104, 95%CI: 1.712 ~ 2.527), courses of epilepsy ≤ 3 years(OR = 2.661, 95%CI: 2.089 ~ 2.941), low parental education level(OR = 1.977, 95%CI: 1.314 ~ 2.351), monthly household income ≤ 5000 RMB(OR = 2.812, 95%CI: 2.194 ~ 3.181), number of drugs taken ≥ 3(OR = 3.025, 95%CI: 2.336 ~ 3.475) were the influencing factors of medication compliance in children with epilepsy(all P<0.05).ConclusionsThe medication compliance of children with epilepsy needs to be improved, and the medication compliance of children is affected by age, courses of epilepsy, parental education level, monthly household income and number of drugs taken. Clinical medical personnel take targeted nursing measures against these factors to improve the medication compliance of children with epilepsy.

Trends in social inequality and how mental wellbeing vary and covary among Norwegian adolescents and their families: the Young-HUNT Study.

The study had two aims: first, to investigate trends in socioeconomic inequalities in psychological distress and loneliness among Norwegian adolescents, and second, to study variation and covariation of psychological distress and loneliness within adolescents and between siblings within families. Multivariate mixed models were used to investigate trends in socioeconomic inequality in psychological distress and loneliness using three separate cohorts of Norwegian adolescents from the Young-HUNT study conducted in 1995-1997 (Young-HUNT1, n = 8980), 2006-2008 (Young-HUNT3, n = 8199) and 2017-2019 (Young-HUNT4, n = 8066). Register data on parental education level was used as a marker of socioeconomic position (SEP), and a unique family number was used to identify adolescents belonging to the same family. A three-level multivariate mixed model was created, consisting of the outcomes at level 1, adolescents at level 2 and families at level 3. No statistically significant difference in scores on loneliness and psychological distress was observed between low and high parental education level in Young-HUNT1, whereas in Young-HUNT4, low parental education level was associated with a higher score on both psychological distress (β = 0.09; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.03-0.14) and loneliness (β = 0.12; 95% CI 0.07-0.17). Analyses of covariation between psychological distress and loneliness showed that they were correlated within adolescents and strongly correlated within families across all timepoints. Increasing socioeconomic inequalities in psychological distress and loneliness among Norwegian adolescents is worrisome. Further, the family seems to be an important arena for potential prevention of psychological distress and loneliness among adolescents, regardless of parental education level.

Parent-Child Inpatient Treatment in Child and Adolescent Mental Healthcare: Predictors of Child Outcomes.

Family inpatient units in child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) services engage all admitted family members in the treatment of children's symptoms. Studies demonstrated improvements in child and family functioning following family inpatient treatment, but evidence regarding predictors of treatment outcome is lacking. We analyzed data of families (n = 66) who received a four-week inpatient treatment for families with severe parent-child interaction problems. Hierarchical linear regression analyses revealed that parents who recalled harsher parenting practices of their own fathers reported greater improvements in their children's externalizing and internalizing problems. Greater improvements in externalizing problems were further predicted by lower parental educational level, less adverse impacts of stressful life events, and less internalizing child problems prior to admission. We therefore conclude that family inpatient treatment was particularly effective for children in families with lower parental education and a history of harsh parenting.

Intergenerational mobility around the world: A new database

Using individual data from over 400 household surveys, this paper compiles a global database of intergenerational mobility in education for 153 countries covering 97 percent of the world's population. Intergenerational mobility in education is estimated to be lower in the average developing country than in the average high-income country. Children in the developing world have been less successful at surpassing their parents' education, despite the lower levels of parental education. The poorer the country, the more likely it is that individuals born to parents who do not have an education lack the means to get an education. The world as a whole is estimated to be less mobile than the average country in it, which highlights the importance of the country in which one obtains his/her education.

Food consumption and nutrient intake of Finnish preschool children according to parental educational level.

We examined the association between parental educational level (PEL) and children's food consumption and nutrient intake in a sample of Finnish 3- to 6-year-old preschoolers (n 811). The data were obtained from the cross-sectional DAGIS project, conducted in eight municipalities in Finland during 2015-2016. The food consumption and nutrient intake were assessed using food records. The highest educational level of the family was used as the indicator of socio-economic status. Differences in diet by PEL were analysed using a hierarchical linear model adjusted for energy intake. Compared with high PEL, low PEL was associated with a child's lower consumption of fresh vegetables and salads, vegetarian dishes, berries, white bread, blended spread, skimmed milk and ice cream but higher consumption of milk with 1-1·5 % fat content, dairy-based desserts and sugar-sweetened soft drinks. Food consumption was also examined after disaggregating dishes into their ingredients. Low PEL was associated with lower consumption of vegetables, nuts and seeds, berries and fish but higher consumption of red meat. Children in the low PEL, compared with the high PEL group, had a lower intake of protein, fibre, EPA, DHA, vitamin D, riboflavin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, vitamin C, potassium, phosphorous, Ca, Mg, Zn and iodine but a higher intake of fat and saturated, trans and MUFA. The observed diet-related disparities highlight the need for policy actions and interventions supporting healthy eating patterns such as high consumption of vegetables, nuts and berries in childhood, paying special attention to those with low PEL.

Trends in adolescent secondhand smoke exposure at home over 15 years in Korea: Inequality by parental education level.

Low parental education level and parental smoking are major risk factors for household secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure among adolescents. We investigated the trend in household SHS exposure according to sex, school, and parental education level to determine whether the decline in household SHS exposure over time depends on parental education level. We used cross-sectional Korea Youth Risk Behavior datasets (2006-2020; 806829 subjects were eligible). We applied binary logistic regression to assess household SHS exposure trends and evaluated the interaction between period and parental education level. Household SHS exposure over 15 years has declined. The difference (0.121) was the smallest for male middle school students with low-educated parents. The slope for the estimated probability of household SHS exposure among students with high-educated parents was steeper than that for those with low-educated parents, except for female high school students (difference=0.141). Students with low-educated parents were at higher risk of household SHS exposure (male middle school students, adjusted odds ratio, AOR=1.52; 95% CI: 1.47-1.56; male high school students, AOR=1.42; 95% CI: 1.38-1.47; female middle school students, AOR=1.62; 95% CI: 1.58-1.67; female high school students, AOR=1.62; 95% CI: 1.57-1.67). The interaction between parental education level and period was significant. We also found a significant interaction between parental education level and parental smoking (other × present interaction, AOR=0.64; 95% CI: 0.60-0.67; low-low × present interaction, AOR=0.89; 95% CI: 0.83-0.95). Changes in parental education level over time mainly contributed to changes in adolescents' household SHS exposure. Adolescents with low-educated parents were at higher risk of household SHS exposure, with a slower decline. These gaps must be considered when creating and implementing interventions. Campaigns and community programs to prevent household SHS need to be emphasized among vulnerable adolescents.

The effect of COVID-19 vaccine literacy on attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccine among university students.

University students are a large group of the population who should be vaccinated to prevent the spread of the pandemic. This research aimed to determine the effect of COVID-19 vaccine literacy on the attitudes towards the COVID-19 vaccine among university students. This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 2384 university students via online survey in September and October 2021. 'Demographic Information Form', 'COVID-19 Vaccine Literacy Scale', and 'Attitudes towards the COVID-19 Vaccine Scale' were used to collect the data. Data were evaluated via descriptive statistics, independent group t-test, ANOVA, Tukey HSD, and Pearson Correlation analysis. The mean score on the COVID-19 Vaccine Literacy Scale was 27.26 ± 6.49 (moderate). Demographic differences that significantly affected students' vaccine literacy scales included parents' education levels (lower levels of parental education associated with higher communicative/critical vaccine literacy). Health sciences students had more positive attitudes to the COVID vaccine than students of other disciplines. The higher the level of mother's education, the more positive the student's attitude towards the vaccine, and similarly the higher the student's socio-economic background the higher the positive attitude towards the vaccine. Examination of the relationship between the vaccine literacy scale and the attitudes towards the vaccine showed low levels of correlation. Students who had parents of lower education levels may have more responsibilities for explaining vaccination to their parents, thus improving their communicative/critical vaccine literacy. A vaccine literacy scale with separate functional literacy score and critical/communicative score helps to explain some of socio-demographic differences in students' scores, and similarly for attitude towards the COVID-19 vaccine (positive and negative attitude sub-scales).

What drives academic peer effects in middle school classrooms in China: Peer composition or peer performance?

This quasi-experimental study estimates academic peer effects in China's middle school (7th–9th grade) classrooms, using data from a large-scale nationally representative survey of middle schoolers in China. Our study design circumvents endogenous sorting by focusing on 52 schools that randomly assigned incoming 7th graders to different 7th-grade classes. Further, reverse causality is addressed by regressing students' 8th-grade test scores on their (randomly assigned) classmates' average 7th-grade test scores. Our analysis reals that all else equal, a one-standard-deviation increase in (8th-grade) classmates' average 7th-grade test scores raises an individual student's 8th-grade mathematics and English test scores, respectively, by 0.13–0.18 and 0.11–0.17 standard deviations. These estimates remain stable when peer characteristics examined in related peer-effect studies are included in the model. Further analysis reveals that peer effects work through raising individual students' time spent studying per week and their confidence in learning. Finally, classroom peer effects are found to be heterogeneous across subgroups: larger for boys, academically stronger students, students attending better schools (i.e., schools with smaller classes and urban schools), and students with relatively disadvantaged family backgrounds (e.g., lower levels of parental education and family wealth).

The latent category of resilience and its relationship with the mental health and coping styles of medical students

BackgroundMedical students suffer more pressure due to various reasons and their mental health problems get more attention. Resilience is a positive psychological perspective to explore the medical students’ mental health and coping style problems. This study focuses on the medical students in school and uses the method of latent category analysis (LCA) to analyze the classification characteristics of their resilience. Therefore, the study aims to help psychological educators in medical colleges to develop positive mental health education strategies for medical students.ObjectiveTo explore the potential categories of resilience of medical students and the relationship between these categories and mental health and coping style.MethodsA total of 1,457 medical students from four medical colleges in Anhui Province were selected as the research subjects by a convenience sampling method. A general information questionnaire, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), Kessler 10 and the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ) were used to investigate; SPSS 25.0 and Mplus 7 software were used for basic analysis and latent category exploration.Expected resultsThe medical students were divided into three potential categories of mental resilience: the low resilience group, moderate resilience self-improvement group and high resilience tough group. The optimism dimension level of the three categories was low. There were statistically significant differences in the distribution of resilience among medical students, such as gender, source of students, and paternal and maternal education level. There were significant differences in the mental health, positive coping style and negative coping style scores among the three categories. Female medical students with low parental education levels have a lower level of resilience. Logistic regression analysis showed that a lower maternal education level was a risk factor for resilience level, and a high positive coping style score and gender were protective factors for resilience level.DiscussionThere are group differences in the resilience of medical students, which suggests that school health workers should formulate targeted intervention programs for different types of students to improve their resilience and mental health, and further more, this study reminds mental health workers in colleges and universities to pay more attention to the mental health status of female medical students whose parents are less educated.

TikTok use and psychosocial factors among adolescents: Comparisons of non-users, moderate users, and addictive users

Short-video applications like TikTok are increasingly popular. This study examines the association between short-video application use (SVU) and psychosocial factors in 1,346 adolescents (Mage = 14.97, 51.8% female). 199 non-users and 1147 users (686 moderate users, 461 addictive users) were identified. Results revealed a high prevalence of addictive SVU in the sample. Addictive users exhibited worse mental health conditions than non-users and moderate users, including higher levels of depression, anxiety, stress, loneliness, social anxiety, attention problems, and lower life satisfaction and sleep quality. Addictive users also faced higher academic stress, poorer academic performance, more bullying victimization, worse parental relationships, more negative parenting styles, and lower parental education levels. Moderate users had different family environments than non-users, but no differences in mental health or school performance. Together, these findings suggest that addictive users experience a more disadvantageous situation across mental health, family, and school conditions, while non-users have advantageous family environments. Moderate SVU may not be associated with negative mental health condition or poor school performance. Moderate and addictive SVU should be considered distinct phenomena. Given the psychiatric symptoms present in addictive users of TikTok and similar apps, targeted interventions and treatments are urgently needed.

KARAKTERISTIKE OBITELJSKOG OKRUŽENJA I ZADOVOLJSTVO OBITELJSKIM ŽIVOTOM IZ PERSPEKTIVE ADOLESCENATA

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FAMILY AND ADOLESCENTS’ FAMILY LIFE SATISFACTION ABSTRACT The aim of this paper is to determine adolescents’ family life satisfaction and to investigate whether there are differences in adolescents’ family life satisfaction depending on the personal characteristics of the study participants (gender, age) and family characteristics (family structure, education and employment of parents). The study involved 10,138 students from all grades of high schools from five major Croatian cities: Zagreb, Osijek, Split, Pula, and Varaždin. The quota sample was stratified with respect to three Croatian secondary school programs, three- and four-year vocational schools and grammar schools, and individual orientations within each of the schools. In the total sample, 47.5% were young men (N = 4,595) and the mean age was Mage = 16.2 (SDage = 1.16). Of the total number of participants, 4.5% (N = 456) did not report their gender. The results show that there are differences in adolescents’ family life satisfaction in terms of gender, age, living with both parents or one parent, and parents’ educational and work status. The results point to the need for a timely implementation of effective parenting skills programs and preventive interventions aimed at the family or parents, considering the gender of adolescents. Low levels of parental education and unemployment are associated with lower levels of adolescents’ satisfaction with their family life. Systematic investments through national policies and programs that increase opportunities for (lifelong) education and employment for parents seem to be important for investing in the quality of the family environment. Key words: adolescents; family life satisfaction; family environment

PARENTS ACCOMPANIMENT TOWARD STUDY FROM HOME DURING THE PANDEMIC COVID-19 IN BANGLAS WEST

The condition of learning activities from home during the current pandemic is quite worrying. Several factors are caused by the non-optimal existence of parents as facilitators in assisting children's learning. This research is qualitative research with sources of information in this study consisting of two parts, namely primary data and secondary data. The primary data used in this study were the 267 parents of students at SDN 16 West Banglas. In this study, the research instrument was arranged in the form of a questionnaire or questionnaire relating to indicators of research variables and research subjects consisting of demographics and respondents' views. The role of parents in assisting children to learn from home during the pandemic and the low level of parental education and parental knowledge of the development of Information and Communication Technology which plays a role as much as long as children learn from home during the pandemic.

Diabetes trends in youth

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) prevalence in the 10- to 19-year-old population has doubled over the past two decades in the United States.1 It is present in nearly 2 persons per 1000 among Black and American Indian youth, in about 1 per 1000 among Hispanic youth, but in 0.2 per 1000 among non-Hispanic white youth, the incidence of T2D has similarly doubled among adolescents in the United States over this period, from 9 to 18 cases per 100 000 per year, with incidence again particularly high in Black and American Indian youth.2 The incidence of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in the United States also increased, from 20 to 22 per 100 000 persons age <20 during the same period,2 and its prevalence increased from 1.5 to 2.2 per 1000,1 with a different racial and ethnic composition, more common in non-Hispanic white, then Black, then Hispanic, then Asian and then American Indian. The numbers of youth with T1D and T2D in 2017 were 185 000 and 28 000, respectively, and, based on these increasing prevalence and incidence rates, the numbers are projected to be 335 000 youth with T1D and 220 000 with T2D in 2060, increases of 65% and 673%, respectively.3 Similarly, T2D and T1D in youth are increasing in incidence and prevalence worldwide. The number of youths with T2D is more than twice as great in China and 1.4-fold higher in India than in the United States based on the larger population of these countries, but with the United States showing the highest reported prevalence in a recent worldwide survey (Table 1).4 The prevalence of T1D among youth in Germany increased similarly from 1.4 per 1000 in 2002 to 2.5 per 1000 in 2020, and although T2D prevalence was considerably lower than in the United States, it again increased more markedly than T1D, from 0.03 to 0.11 per 1000.5 Over the period from 1989 to 2013, T1D in youth in Europe increased at an average annual rate of 3.4%, with the annual rate of increase ranging from approximately 1% in Spain and Italy to 6% in Poland, Romania, and Lithuania.6 To some extent, the growth in T2D is driven by high rates of obesity. Some 20% of US adolescents aged 10–19 years are obese, with the prevalence increasing from 2000 to 2018 and with obesity rates greater among adolescents from households with lower income or lower parental educational level.7 This alone does not seem to fully explain the increase in T2D, however, as it is noteworthy that prediabetes prevalence in adolescents in the United States showed a much greater increase than prevalence of obesity, increasing from 12% in 2000 to 15% in 2005 to 23% in 2011 and to 28% in 2017.8 Other factors may need to be considered. Genomic factors may play a role in the risk of T2D development.9 The concept of social and ethnic determinants of health has been valuable in understanding disparities in onset of T2D in youth and undoubtedly contributes to the burdens both of T1D and T2D in youth.10 Relatively poor glycemic control of youth both with T1D and T2D has been documented in the United States, with mean HbA1c between 8% and 9% and with trends for increasing levels over the past two decades.11 The pattern of worsening glycemic control over the past decade among patients with T2D in the United States has also been shown to extend to young adults at ages 20–44.12 The difficulty of treatment among youths with T2D is noteworthy. A recent study of insulin and/or metformin-treated youth with T2D having baseline HbA1c 8%–8.1% showed glycemic worsening with the dipeptidyl peptidase inhibitor linagliptin and only modest improvement with the sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor empagliflozin.13 Along with poor glycemic control there is evidence of development of complications of diabetes in T2D youth. A recent metaanalysis of 27 studies of 5924 youths with T2D showed prevalence of diabetic retinopathy of 2% at <2.5 years diabetes duration, of 5% at 2.5–5 years duration, and of 29% at >5 years duration.14 There is evidence of genomic factors contributing to risk of the development of complications in T2D youths.15 Understanding this burgeoning epidemic and developing more effective therapeutic approaches will be crucial in the coming years. None. None.

Associations between socioeconomic status and screen time among children and adolescents in China: A cross-sectional study.

Socioeconomic status (SES) is an important determinant of screen time (ST) in children and adolescents, however, the association between SES and ST is not fully understood in China. This study aimed to investigate the association between SES and ST (operationalized as meeting the ST guidelines; no more than 2 hours per day) in Chinese children and adolescents. Cross-sectional data of 2,955 Chinese children and adolescents aged 8 to 17(53.4% girls) were used. SES was measured using indicators of parental education and perceived family wealth. ST was assessed with detailed items from the Health Behaviour School-aged Children survey questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and a Chi-square test were used to report the sample characteristics and analyse ST differences across different sociodemographic groups. A binary logistic regression was then applied to analyse the association of SES indicators with ST in children and adolescents. Overall, 25.3% of children and adolescents met the ST guidelines. Children and adolescents with higher parental education levels were 1.84 [95% CI 1.31-2.57; father] and 1.42 [95% CI 1.02-1.98; mother] times more likely to meet the ST guidelines than those with lower parental education levels. Associations between SES and ST varied across sex and grade groups. Moreover, the associations of SES with ST on weekdays and weekends were different. This study demonstrated the association between SES and ST in children and adolescents, highlighting the importance of targeting children and adolescents with low SES levels as an intervention priority. Based on our findings, specific interventions can be tailored to effectively reduce ST. Future studies are encouraged to use longitudinal or interventional designs to further determine the association between SES and ST.

Do family characteristics contribute to a socioeconomic gradient in overweight in early childhood? – Single mediation analyses of data from German preschool children

Children’s overweight is strongly associated with family socioeconomic position (SEP) and family characteristics (FC). There is limited research on the extent to which FC account for a socioeconomic gradient in childhood overweight. This study examined whether FC explain SEP differences in the prevalence of overweight. The study used baseline data of preschool-aged children from the German ‘PReschool INtervention Study’. The sample (n = 872, 48% girls) was recruited at kindergartens in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Data included children’s measured weight status and parents’ reports on socioeconomic indicators (e.g., school education, vocational education, income) and FC. Variables represent main determinants of overweight (nutrition: sweets consumption in front of TV, soft drink consumption, regular breakfast, child sets table; physical activity: outdoor sports; parental role model). In single mediation analyses indirect effects of SEP on overweight were analysed (OR[95%CI]). Preschool girls and boys with low parental education had higher odds for overweight than children with high parental education. Among boys, low levels of parental education contributed to the odds of overweight via indirect effects by both factors ‘sweets consumption in front of TV’ (OR = 1.31[1.05–1.59]) and ‘no sports’ (OR = 1.14[1.01–1.38]). Among girls, FC measured did not explain SEP differences in overweight. Family nutrition and parental/family physical activity contribute to inequalities in overweight among preschool boys, but not girls. Research is needed to identify FC that explain inequalities in overweight for both.

Impacts of parental breakfast consumption literacy on children's home breakfast consumption.

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between parental breakfast consumption literacy and their children's home breakfast consumption. Methods: This study, employing a cross-sectional design, conducted in September 2021, consisted of a total of 275 children aged 6-7 years and 275 parents. One-way analysis of variance and independent-sample t-test were applied to compare children's home breakfast consumption amongst sub-groups. The relationship between parental breakfast consumption literacy and children's home breakfast consumption was assessed utilising multiple linear regression models controlling for socio-demographic factors. All data were analysed by the software of R Commander. Results: Parents with inadequate breakfast consumption literacy had less children's home breakfast consumption (p = 0.006), such relationship (p = 0.002, 95% CI: 4.76-7.65) had significance controlling for socio-demographic factors. Living in urban areas (p = 0.006, 95% CI: 6.43-9.92), parental unemployment (p = 0.004, 95% CI: 5.47-9.43), and low parental educational level (p = 0.005, 95% CI: 2.34-4.76) were significantly associated with less children's home breakfast consumption. Conclusion: Adequate parental breakfast consumption literacy was associated with more children's home breakfast consumption. Parental-based health education interventions show promise in promoting home breakfast consumption in the family setting. Residential status, parental level of education, and parental employment were associated with children's home breakfast consumption. Future research should understand more about the experiences and contexts of children's home breakfast consumption within the family environments, with a focus on employing qualitative approaches.

Factors of heavy social media use among 13-year-old adolescents on weekdays and weekends

BackgroundFew studies have investigated which factors were related to adolescents’ social media use. This study aimed to evaluate which factors were associated with heavy social media use on weekdays and weekends among 13-year-old adolescents.MethodsWe analyzed data from 3727 children from the Generation R Study, a population-based cohort study in the Netherlands. Associations of demographic factors (child age, sex, ethnic background, and family situation), socioeconomic position (parental educational level, parental employment status, and net household income), screen-based behaviors (computer playing and TV viewing), and the home environment (communication, supervision, and restriction) with adolescents’ heavy social media use (≥ 2 hours/day) were assessed separately on weekdays and weekends. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied.ResultsThe prevalence of heavy social media use was 37.7% on a weekday and 59.6% on a weekend day. Being a girl, living in a one-parent family, and more time spent playing on the computer were associated with heavy social media use on weekdays and weekends (all P < 0.05). Low socioeconomic position adolescents (low parental educational level and low household income) were more likely to show heavy social media use only on weekends (all P < 0.05). Children whose social media use was restricted by parents on weekdays or children whose social media use was supervised by parents on weekends had lower odds of heavy social media use (all P < 0.05).ConclusionsBeing a girl, living in a one-parent family, or having a longer computer playing time were associated with heavy social media use on weekdays and weekends. More studies are needed to understand the factors associated with heavy social media use and the impact of heavy social media use on child health.

Academic stress and coping in high school adolescents

Background: Education stress is widely recognized as one of the most important precursors leading to depression in adolescent life. This study explores the prevalence of academic stress among high school going adolescents, contributing factors and the coping strategies used by students. The finding of this study aids the teaching institutes to better the understanding of the stress due to present teaching methods. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2020 at both private and government schools of Kozhikode, Kerala. 371 students were selected randomly. A questionnaire was developed incorporating educational stress scale for adolescent (ESSA), academic stress scale (ASC) and simplified coping styles questionnaire (SCSQ). Results: 70.8% students have minimal stress, 25.8% moderate stress, 0.002% high stress, 0.02 did not have stress. Female participants experienced more stress compared to male participants (p value=0.04). Participants with less educated father (p value &lt;0.001) and with less educated mother (p value &lt;0.001) experienced more stress. Last year final exam grade (p value=0.005) and parental pressure (p value=0.008) were important factors contributing to stress. With regard to deployment of coping strategies 0.5% never used any coping strategies, 53.6% students used coping occasionally, 45% often used coping, 0.8% used coping frequently. Conclusions: Most of the children studying in high school have minimal to moderate stress. The main factors that contribute to stress more are female gender, low parental education level, and poor final exam grade. Positive association for factors like parental pressure with increasing age was present. Most of the students used different coping strategies to cope with the education stress. Students often use active coping strategies compared to passive coping strategies.

Parental Abuse of Children in Saudi Arabia: Nature, Prevalence and Effects

BackgroundThe physical abuse of children is a worldwide problem, which has received much attention in developed countries but remains less well-attended in developing and third-world nations.ObjectiveThe current study sought to determine the nature, prevalence and effects of physical abuse of children by parents in Saudi Arabia.Participants and settingThe participants included high school students in two Saudi cities together with parents of students from the same schools.MethodA semi-structured questionnaire was administered to a random sample of 768 of students and, in addition, interviews were conducted with 20 parents. Analysis of responses involved demographic patterns, weighted means of Likert scores, chi square analysis, and correlation and regression analyses.ResultsResults indicated that 37% of adolescents had been subjected to some form of physical violence by parents. The most common form of violence reported was being struck with an object other than a stick. A small but significant number of students were subject to burning, punching, or whipping, in some cases on a daily basis, and some reported having been scarred or hospitalised as a result of their injuries. No significant gender difference was found for types of physical abuse. However, a correlation was found between lower levels of parental education with the frequency of certain types of violent behaviour.ConclusionsThe study indicates that a high level parental physical violence persists in Saudi Arabia, including regular extreme forms that have severe health consequences. Recommendations are made for future research.

General health status and psychological impact of COVID19 pandemic and curfew on children aging 3 to 12 years

BackgroundCOVID-19 is an infectious disease that was declared as a pandemic and public health emergency in late 2019 and has impacted children's mental health worldwide. This study aimed to assess the general and mental health status of children during different stages of COVID-19 pandemic, and to identify the associated factors.MethodsA cross-sectional study conducted on children aging 3 to 12 years in Kuwait during three different stages of COVID19 pandemic (pre-total curfew, during total curfew, and post-total curfew). The psychological status was assessed using the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria.ResultsOf 2157 children between the age of 3 to 12 years old, 853 (39.5%) reported increased level of aggression, 789 (36.6%) over-crying, 749 (34.7%) sadness, 493 (22.9%) anxiety, 429 (19.9%) anhedonia, 383 (17.8%) confusion, 274 (12.7%) nightmares, 177 (8.2%) avoidance, 174 (8.1%) physical symptoms and 121 (5.6%) bedwetting during the pandemic. General health status was also affected with reported disturbed sleeping pattern (84.6%), altered appetite (50.9%) and weight changes (36.9%), mainly weight gain. Risk factors included being non-national, as well as having lower parental educational level and lower socioeconomic status; while protective factors involved meeting classmates, indoor and outdoor activities, and less screen time.ConclusionsCOVID19 crisis had drastic impact on children's mental and general health, requiring serious action regarding evaluating this generation and intervening accordingly.