Parents In Group Research Articles

Short-term outcomes from a pilot randomized controlled trial evaluating a virtual culturally adapted parenting intervention among Filipino parents of school-age children.

Filipino youth in the United States have significant behavioral health problems, including high rates of depression and suicidal behavior. Evidence-based parenting groups promote positive parenting practices and improve child behavior, yet few have been implemented online. This study tested the short-term effects of a culturally adapted hybrid version of the Incredible Years School Age Basic and Advance Programs when delivered online among groups of parents of Filipino children and estimated intervention effect sizes. Forty-nine parents of children aged 8-12 years recruited from schools, clinics, community organizations, and social media were randomly assigned to intervention or a wait-list control group that received literature from the American Academy of Pediatrics' Bright Futures program. The intervention consisted of 12 weekly 2-hr sessions. Parent perceptions of child behavior, parenting practices, and parenting stress as well as child surveys of anxiety and depression symptoms using validated assessments were obtained at baseline and 3-month postintervention follow-up. Forty parents completed both baseline and follow-up surveys with a mean attendance of 9.35 out of 12 sessions (n = 18). Analysis of covariance comparing 3-month (pre-/postintervention) changes revealed that the program had a statistically significant positive impact on parenting practices (positive verbal discipline, praise and incentives, and clear expectations); parent perceptions of their child's internalizing symptoms; and child-reported anxiety and depression symptoms. Results support the feasibility and potential effectiveness of offering an online evidence-based parenting program to promote positive parenting and decrease child anxiety and depression. This multigenerational approach to mental health prevention could potentially help address the growing mental health epidemic among youth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Reach and predictors of effects during nation-wide dissemination of the universal parenting program All Children in Focus

BackgroundParenting programs have the potential to improve population health, if widely disseminated. However, wide-scale dissemination is challenging. Also, more knowledge is needed of whether parenting programs are effective for the variability of families in the general population.MethodsThis study aimed to investigate who the universal parenting program All Children in Focus (ABC) reaches when offered in routine care in Sweden. A second aim was to investigate if the outcomes were predicted by factors related to family background, group leader experience, and homework completion. Questionnaires were collected before and after ABC from 1420 parents. Hierarchical regression analyses were performed to examine predictors of disruptive child behavior, parenting practices, and satisfaction.ResultsABC was available in about 40% of Swedish municipalities and reached a fairly representative population sample, with the exception that fewer fathers than mothers participated. The examined predictors explained a small proportion of the variance in the outcomes (2.5, 3.5 and 14.7%, respectively). Still, the effect on disruptive child behavior was statistically significantly larger for parents born in Sweden, with higher education, and older children. The effect on parenting practices was also larger for parents born in Sweden, for mothers, and for those practicing homework more frequently. Most examined predictors showed no statistically significant association with child and parenting outcomes. Parents were generally satisfied with ABC and the significant predictors of satisfaction had little practical meaning.ConclusionsA fairly representative group of parents across Sweden were reached by ABC. Background variables, homework completion, and group leaders’ experience explained a small proportion of variance in the outcomes. Meanwhile, the slightly lower intervention effects found for preschool children and parents born abroad calls for further investigation, since even small differences in effects can have an impact at a population level. The study also points to the importance of stressing homework completion and to increase the reach of universal parenting interventions to some underrepresented groups.

Up in smoke? Limited evidence of a smoking harm paradox in 17-year cohort study

BackgroundSocioeconomic differences in the impact of alcohol consumption on health have been consistently reported in the so-called “alcohol harm paradox” (i.e., individuals from higher socioeconomic backgrounds (SES) drink more alcohol than individuals from lower SES, but the latter accrue more alcohol-related harm). Despite the severe health risks of smoking however, there is a scarcity of studies examining a possible “smoking harm paradox” (SHP). We aim to fill this gap.MethodsWe conducted a prospective cohort study with adolescents from the Norwegian Longitudinal Health Behaviour Study (NLHB). Our study used data from ages 13 to 30 years. To analyse our data, we used the random-intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) with smoking and self-reported health as mutual lagged predictors and outcomes as well as parental income and education as grouping variables. Parental income and education were used as proxies for adolescent socioeconomic status (SES). Smoking was examined through frequency of smoking (every day, every week, less than once a week, not at all). General health compared to others was measured by self-report.ResultsOverall, we found inconclusive evidence of the smoking harm paradox, as not all effects from smoking to self-reported health were moderated by SES. Nevertheless, the findings do suggest that smoking predicted worse subjective health over time among individuals in the lower parental education group compared with those in the higher parental education group. This pattern was not found for parental income.ConclusionsWhile our results suggest limited evidence for a smoking harm paradox (SHP), they also suggest that the impact of adolescent smoking on later subjective health is significant for individuals with low parental education but not individuals with high parental education. This effect was not found for parental income, highlighting the potential influence of parental education over income as a determinant of subjective health outcomes in relation to smoking.

Establishing priorities in child health: Giving parents and youth a voice.

Parents and youth across Alberta were engaged to identify specific research questions that are a priority to them. Two lists, containing 27 topics were developed with local parent and youth advisory groups, and sent to participants via online questionnaires. Topics were rated from one (least important) to five (most important) and ranked in order of priority. Initial questionnaires were completed by 263 (46%) parents and 308 (54%) youth. Parents rated five topics (behaviour, learning, and developmental disorders; mental health; food, environment and lifestyle; quality of health care; and vaccines) and youth rated four topics (brain and nerve health; mental health; quality of health care; and vaccines) as a high priority. Research questions stemming from 4 parent (12 [5%]) and 6 youth (21 [7%]) focus group discussions were then ranked in a second questionnaire, completed by 43 (43%) parents and 56 (56%) youth. Parents' highest ranked research question was 'What is the effect of screen time on cognition and neurodevelopment for children and adolescents?', while the highest ranked question from youth was 'What are the early signs of anxiety and depression and when should an individual seek help?'. These topics highlight areas that are important to parents and youth where funding, research, and knowledge mobilization efforts should be directed.

Comparison of immune defense and antioxidant capacity between broodstock and hybrid offspring of oriental river shrimp (Macrobrachium nipponense): Response to acute nitrite stress

Nitrite is an environmental pollutant in cultures of Macrobrachium nipponense and may induce oxidative stress and apoptosis. The oriental river prawn is an important economic aquaculture species in China, Japan, and Southeast Asia but is experiencing degradation of germplasm resources. Hybridization is a means of genetic improvement that could help to overcome this serious problem. In this study, the parental population (Dianshan Lake (DS) and Dongting Lake (DT)) and the hybrid population were exposed to 0 and 10 mg/L nitrite for 96 h. The survival rate of the hybrid group was significantly greater than the DS and DT groups (P < 0.05). The numbers of positive cells and apoptosis rates in the parental groups were significantly greater than in the hybrid group after nitrite exposure (P < 0.05). As the nitrite concentration increased, the antioxidant, non-specific immunity enzyme activities and antioxidant, immune-related genes in the hybrid group were significantly higher than in the parental groups (P < 0.05). Our findings suggested that the hybrid population had stronger stress resistance than their parental populations, which also provides a reference for follow-up genetic breeding.

Parental exposure to environmental cadmium causes developmental defects in the rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus) embryos: The association between ROS-mediated oxidative stress and developmental dysfunction

Cadmium is widely distributed in aquaculture systems. The exposure of parental fish species to cadmium is known to retard of growth and cause death in offspring. However, the potential mechanisms responsible for how parental cadmium exposure effects embryonic development yet to be elucidated. Herein, we investigated the effects of parental cadmium exposure on embryonic developmental abnormalities in rare minnow. Our results demonstrated that significantly increased rates of malformation were recorded in the parental cadmium exposure groups. The most significant impairments and morphological changes were egg condensation and spine curvature malformations. Parental cadmium exposure significantly increased the cadmium content of rare minnow embryos, thus increasing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Further investigation found that parental cadmium exposure reduced superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and significantly up-regulated the expression of antioxidative genes (gpx-1, cat and mn-sod) and detoxifying metallothionein (MT) in rare minnow embryos. In addition, stress-related genes (hsp70, ccyp1α and jnk) were significantly upregulated while developmental-related genes (wnt8α, vezf1 and mstn) were significantly downregulated in rare minnow embryos. Our analysis revealed that parental cadmium exposure in rare minnow caused developmental abnormalities in embryos via the accumulation of cadmium content which induced oxidative stress and developmental dysfunction. Collectively, our analysis suggested that environmental cadmium may pose a severe threat to the continuation of certain fish species.

Work-related consequences of losing a child with cancer: A nationwide population-based cohort study.

Parents who lose a child are at increased risk of impaired mental health, which may negatively affect their work ability. The aims of this study were to examine the risk for reduced labor market affiliation in parents who lost a child with cancer compared to a matched parent cohort, and factors associated with the bereaved parents' labor market affiliation. We conducted a nationwide population-based cohort study using Danish registry data. We followed bereaved parents (n=1609) whose child died with cancer at age less than 30 during 1992-2020, and a matched, population-based sample of parents (n=15,188) of children with no history of childhood cancer. Cox proportional hazard models and fractional logit models were performed separately for mothers and fathers. Cancer-bereaved mothers had an overall increased risk of long-term sick leave (hazard ratio [HR]=1.62; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.48-1.77), unemployment (HR=1.53; CI: 1.37-1.70), and lower odds of working in the first 2years following the loss (odds ratio [OR]=0.44; CI: 0.39-0.49), while bereaved fathers had lower odds of working (OR=0.65; CI: 0.53-0.79), and increased risk of permanently reduced work ability (HR=1.29; 95% CI: 1.01-1.66), compared to the matched cohort of parents of cancer-free children. Younger parental age, lower education, and being a single parent were identified as the main determinants of the bereaved parents' reduced labor market affiliation. Cancer-bereaved parents are at increased risk of reduced labor market affiliation, compared with a matched, population-based sample of parents. Certain groups of bereaved parents may be at particularly high risk, and targeted bereavement interventions are warranted.

Is This Us? Perceived Realism and Learning Outcomes of Entertainment Media Portrayals of Transracial Adoption

ABSTRACT Despite the increase in media portrayals of transracial adoption, little is understood about how viewers perceive these portrayals. Therefore, 36 interviews were conducted (20 with transracially adoptive parents and 16 with non-transracially-adoptive parents) to discover the perceived realism and learning outcomes of three entertainment transracial adoption portrayals. While transracially adoptive parents were generally more inclined to deem the clips realistic, the two groups reported similar elements of realism/unrealism. In line with social cognitive theory, several learning outcomes were reported by both groups of parents in addition to anticipated positive and negative effects of these portrayals. Results extend the applicability of perceived realism to transracial adoption portrayal and highlight nuances of social cognitive theory and the extended elaboration likelihood model among adoptive and biological parents.

Pelatihan Digital dengan Aplikasi Canva Sebagai Penunjang Kegiatan Promosi di TPQ Bina Ummah

TPQ Bina Ummah is a religious educational institution, especially Islamic religion and other religious materials. Every activity carried out by TPQ Bina Ummah needs to be documented as a means of information to parents or the community. Information on activities carried out at TPQ Bina Ummah so far has only been conveyed in the whatsapp group of parents of students or fellow staff and educators by sending photos of activities by adding words as information. This information is often unreadable because it is covered by comments from fellow members in the WhatsApp group. This very narrow range of information which only contains members of the group is one of the obstacles to information that should be able to reach the community, especially the people within the TPQ Bina Ummah environment. Therefore, it is necessary to understand how to process data to be more informative, especially in terms of design. The training conducted with Canva as a support for promotional and marketing activities at TPQ Bina Ummah aims to support the competence of staff and educators in the field of digital marketing, especially in processing activity data into more informative information. Based on the results of the questionnaire regarding the evaluation of Community Service activities that had been carried out, the participants gave very good ratings. As many as 72% of participants stated that this activity was very useful and 60% of the training participants stated that they were very interested in participating again in the next training.

Parental folic acid deficiency delays neurobehavioral development in rat offspring by inhibiting the differentiation of neural stem cells into neurons

Maternal folate status during pregnancy is associated with the neurodevelopment of offspring; however, study results on the association between paternal folate status and offspring neurodevelopment are inconsistent. This study aimed to explore whether parental folic acid deficiency affects the neurobehavioral development of offspring by affecting the differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs) into neurons. In the present study, the offspring were divided into four groups: parental folic acid deficient group (D-D), maternal folic acid deficient and paternal folic acid normal group (D-N), maternal folic acid normal and paternal folic acid deficient group (N-D), and parental folic acid normal group (N-N). For in vivo study, neurobehavioral indexes, and neuron-specific nuclear protein (NeuN) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression in the brain hippocampus and cerebral cortex of offspring were measured at different time points. For in vitro study, NSCs were cultured from the hippocampus and striatum, and neuronal and astrocytic differentiation were measured. The results demonstrated that parental folic acid deficiency decreased the brain folate level in offspring, delayed early sensory-motor reflex development, impaired spatial learning and memory ability in adolescence and adulthood, decreased differentiation of NSCs into neurons and increased differentiation of NSCs into astrocytes in vivo and in vitro. These impacts on the neurodevelopment of offspring were most pronounced in D-D group, followed by D-N group and N-D group. In conclusion, parental folic acid deficiency inhibits the neurobehavioral development of offspring, possibly by inhibiting the differentiation of NSCs into neurons.

The Effect of Virtual Education in Parenting Skills on the Parenting Sense of Competence in First-time Mothers with a 0-2-year-old Baby: A Quasi-experimental Study.

Parental competence is a key aspect of parenting. Since they have no previous experience of having a baby, first-time mothers should acquire certain skills to be competent enough in caring for their baby. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of virtual education in parenting skills on the parenting competence of first-time mothers with a 0-2-year-old baby. This quasi-experimental study was conducted through convenience sampling; 72 first-time mothers were selected from 12 healthcare centers, 62 of whom met the criteria for entering the study, and divided into an experimental (n=31) and a control (n=31) group. The mothers in the experimental group received virtual education in parenting skills in six sessions, each lasting 10 minutes for two weeks. The data were collected using a demographics questionnaire and Gibaud-Wallston's parenting sense of competence scale. Sense of competence was assessed in three stages: before, immediately after, and one month after the completion of the intervention. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS v. 22 at a significance level of less than 0.05. Results showed a statistically significant increase in the experimental group's parenting competence mean score immediately and one month after the intervention (P<0.001). There was a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the study groups as measured immediately after (P=0.043) and one month after the intervention (P<0.001). Virtual education of parenting skills could have a positive impact on the mothers' parenting competence. It is suggested that first-time mothers should be educated in parenting skills on a face-to-face basis in maternity wards and online after discharge.

Parental Phubbing and Child Social-Emotional Adjustment: A Meta-Analysis of Studies Conducted in China.

Parental phubbing refers to the act of parents using mobile phones in the presence of their children instead of engaging with them. With increasing smartphone use in many households, parental phubbing is a potential threat to children's healthy development. This meta-analysis synthesized the existing evidence on the impact of parental phubbing on children's social-emotional development to examine the effect sizes and identify the moderators. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic search across multiple electronic databases (Web of Science, EBSCO, ProQuest, Springer, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure) from 2012 to May 2023. Our search included both English and Chinese literature, encompassing published journal articles as well as thesis. To assess the risk of bias, we utilized the Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies. Publication bias was evaluated using funnel plot interpretation and Egger's regression intercept. Our comprehensive search identified 42 studies with 56,275 children and 59 effect sizes. A random-effects meta-analysis revealed that parental phubbing was positively associated with children's internalizing problems (r = 0.270; 95% CI [0.234, 0.304]) and externalizing problems (r = 0.210; 95% CI [0.154, 0.264]), while negatively correlated with children's self-concept (r = -0.206; 95% CI [-0.244, -0.168]) and social-emotional competence (r = -0.162; 95% CI [-0.207, -0.120]). Furthermore, the parental phubbing group moderated the association between parental phubbingand internalizing problems, when both parents engage in phubbing, there is a stronger association with children's externalizing problems compared to when only one parent is engaging in phubbing. The findings of this meta-analysis provide strong evidence supporting the detrimental effects of parental phubbing on child social-emotional adjustment. Consequently, parents, researchers, and the government must collaborate to mitigate parental phubbing and promote the healthy development of children's social-emotional abilities.

장애 자녀를 둔 부모의 자조모임 관련 연구 동향

This study systematically analyzed domestic and foreign studies on self-help groups for parents of children with disabilities. This is performed in order to examine the characteristics and outcomes of parent self-help groups and to not only suggest directions for self-help groups in future, but also showcase implications for supporting these groups. A total of 17 articles dealing with self-help groups for parents or caregivers of children with disabilities published over the past 20 years were selected and analyzed in terms of overall research trends, characteristics, and outcomes of self-help groups. The results are as follows. First, four were quantitative studies and 13 were qualitative studies. The number of qualitative studies is more than three times higher than that of quantitative studies. Second, the most representative outcomes of self-help groups reported in four quantitative studies were the reduction of parenting stress and improvement of the quality of family life. Third, in 13 qualitative studies, parents shared their difficulties through self-help groups and provided emotional support to each other. During the process, parents gained confidence and began to support other parents who had similar difficulties. Based on these results, the directions and revitalization plan for self-help groups for parents of children with disabilities in Korea were proposed.

Delays in the vaccination of infants between 2 and 18 months of age: associated factors in Chile

IntroductionInfant vaccination has significantly reduced the morbidity and mortality of transmittable diseases worldwide. Its coverage is high (85%); however, partial or suboptimal vaccination has been an important public health problem. This study aimed (1) to design and explore the psychometric features of a questionnaire to determine the reasons for this partial or suboptimal vaccination; and 2) to determine the factors associated with delaying Diphtheria, Tetanus, Poliomyelitis (DTaP) vaccination.Material and methodsThis study contained two parts. In Part One, a questionnaire was created by the research team and then validated by a committee of experts in the field and a group of parents. It included the following contents: sociodemographic variables, features of the vaccination services, history of vaccination, and attitudes and perceptions about vaccination. Part Two was a cross-sectional study, recruiting private and public healthcare centers to explore the psychometrics features of the instrument, performing exploratory factor analysis, and determining the associated factors with DTaP vaccination delay throughout multivariable regression models.ResultsInitially, six experts validated the questionnaire. For instance, on a scale of 1 to 5, the general evaluation of the questionnaire was ≥ 4 for all the experts. Additionally, five experts considered that most of the questions were easy to understand, and all thought the questionnaire had a clear and logical organization. The resulting questionnaire included the “Trust and positive attitude towards vaccination” scale, which had a good structure of items and internal consistency (α = 0.7918). Six healthcare centers were recruited in the second part of the study, and 715 people answered the questionnaire. Not being the mother who brings the child to the health center, having more than one child, and having a history of previous vaccination delays increased the risk of delaying vaccination. Attending the healthcare center for a reason other than only vaccination, obtaining information about vaccines from the Internet, and having higher trust and positive attitudes to vaccination reduced the risk of delay.ConclusionsFirst study during the pandemic to explore the role of different factors on the risk of DTaP vaccination delay in Latin America. The findings highlighted the importance of trust in the vaccination system. The instrument presented in this article may help the scientific community evaluate future interventions to increase trust and positive attitudes toward the vaccination process.

Grounded Theory Approach to Understand Self-Management of Opioid Recovery Through Pregnancy and Early Parenting

ObjectiveTo develop a theory to explain the processes women use to self-manage recovery from opioid use disorder during pregnancy, the postpartum period, and early parenting. DesignConstructivist grounded theory approach. ParticipantsWomen (N = 16) who gave birth during the past 12 months and used medication for opioid use disorder for recovery through pregnancy and the postpartum period. MethodsWe recruited participants through seven medication-assisted treatment clinics in a mid-size Midwestern city and the surrounding suburbs and through online parenting and recovery community groups with national-based memberships. We conducted semistructured, individual audio interviews from November 2020 to July 2021. Interviews continued until we reached theoretical and meaning saturation. We used constant comparative methods during initial and intermediate coding. ResultsParticipants described a central process, Growing as a Healthy Dyad, that included six processes they used to self-manage recovery: Maintaining Vigilance, Performing Self-Care, Putting in the Work of Recovery, Advocating, Navigating Social Support, and Acquiring Skills and Knowledge. These processes were affected by personal and social contextual factors. ConclusionsThe grounded theory, Self-Management of Opioid Recovery Through Pregnancy and Early Parenting, can be used to explain the unique processes of self-management by women in opioid recovery and highlights the need for a strengths-based approach to caring for the maternal–infant dyad.

Обізнаність майбутніх батьків щодо вакцинації

Purpose - to assess the intentions of students of different universities to vaccinate their future children and the factors that influence their decision. Materials and methods. A Google form with 20 questions was developed. The data were obtained from an online survey conducted among students who have not yet had children. The questions concerned the attitude to immunoprophylaxis, as well as information about the age, gender and occupation of the respondents (of particular interest are those who have or are obtaining a medical education). Results. A total of 145 students took part in the survey, including 79.5% from healthcare and 20.5% from non-healthcare sectors. The majority of those who took part in the survey were female, aged 18 to 30. According to the data, after giving birth to children, 77.2% of respondents expressed a desire to invest in disease prevention and enjoy a full life, while almost 8% consider it appropriate to treat diseases that have already occurred, and more than 14% are undecided about medical tactics. In general, 81% have a positive attitude towards vaccination; 16% have a reservation, more than 2% are undecided, and almost 1% have a negative attitude. According to the attitude towards vaccination of their future children, five distinct parental groups were identified among the respondents: “unquestioning acceptors” - 57% of respondents indicated that they intend to vaccinate their future children with all vaccines available in Ukraine, 43.9% - “cautious acceptors” - will choose only mandatory vaccinations; 8.8% are undecided and slightly less than 2% are “refusers” from all vaccines. The first place among the main reasons for refusing to vaccinate children is the fear of adverse reactions and post-vaccination complications; the second place is distrust of the manufacturer and the third is caution because of so-called contraindications. The survey also found that when determining contraindications to vaccinating an unborn child, respondents would most likely listen to the opinion of the following specialists: pediatrician - 87.7%; immunologist - 56.1%; family doctor - 46.5%. Conclusions. The level of awareness of vaccination among young people is generally satisfactory. There is no difference between doctors and non-physicians. To maximize protection of children from vaccine-preventable infections, pediatricians should effectively counsel parents on the benefits of vaccines and the risks of delaying or refusing vaccination. To increase understanding and benefit of vaccines among the general population and reduce vaccine hesitation/refusal, vaccine education should begin as part of a healthy lifestyle and disease prevention program long before university and continue after medical and non-medical training. Basic knowledge about vaccines should be included in the curriculum of not only medical but also non-medical universities. The research was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration. The study protocol was approved by the Local Ethics Committee of the participating institution. No conflict of interests was declared by the authors.

Exploring the Mediating Role of Parental Anxiety in the Link between Children's Mental Health and Glycemic Control in Type 1 Diabetes.

Pediatric diabetes type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D), as a chronic, incurable disease, is associated with psychoemotional and socioeconomic burden for the whole family. Disease outcomes are determined by the metabolic compensation of diabetes, characterized by the level of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). The caregivers play a critical role in the metabolic control of children with T1D. The aim of this study was to investigate which environmental factors may explain the relationship between diabetes compensation and anxiety and depression of a child. The cross-sectional interdisciplinary study recruited dyads from adolescents and their parents (N = 251). Adolescent and parent groups were screened for anxiety and depression. General linear model (GLM) mediation analysis was performed to determine the potential mediating effect of surrounding factors on the relationship between dependent variables (glycated hemoglobin) and independent variables (the child's anxiety and depression symptoms). The study revealed that the relationship between HbA1c and the child's anxiety and depression is fully mediated (B = 0.366, z = 4.31, p < 0.001) by parental anxiety. Diabetes metabolic control in adolescents with T1D is related to adolescents' mental health via parents' anxiety. This means that parents' anxiety plays a more significant role in the level of HbA1c than the anxiety and depression of the adolescent.

Parental age at birth and biomarkers of fecundity in young Danish men.

High parental age is associated with adverse birth and genetic outcomes, but little is known about fecundity in male offspring. We investigated if high parental age at birth was associated with biomarkers of male fecundity in a large population-based sample of young men. We conducted a study of 1057 men from the Fetal Programming of Semen Quality (FEPOS) cohort, a sub-cohort of sons born 1998-2000 into the Danish National Birth Cohort. Semen characteristics and reproductive hormone concentrations were measured in samples provided by the men 2017-2019. Testis volume was determined by self-measurement. Data on the parental age was drawn from registers. Adjusted relative difference in percentage with 95% confidence intervals were estimated for each outcome according to pre-specified maternal and paternal age groups (<30 (reference), 30-34 and ≥ 35) as well as for combinations of parental age groups, using multivariable negative binomial regression models. We did not observe consistent associations between parental age and biomarkers of fecundity, although sons of mothers ≥ 35 years had lower sperm concentration (-15% (95% CI: -30, 3)) and total sperm count (-10% (95% CI: -25, 9)). The analysis with parental age combinations showed lower sperm concentration with high age of the parents (both ≥ 35 years: -27%, 95% CI: -40, -19) when compared to the reference where both parents were below 30 years. We found no strong association between higher parental age and biomarkers of fecundity in young men. However, we cannot exclude poorer semen characteristics in sons born by older mothers or with high age of both parents.

The development of SIBS-ONLINE, a group-based video conference intervention for siblings of children with chronic disorders and their parents

ObjectiveDuring the last decade a knowledge-based group intervention called SIBS, aiming to prevent psychological difficulties in siblings of children with chronic disorders, has been developed and empirically evaluated. The results are promising, but SIBS has been difficult to implement in areas with low population density. To address the needs of low-density health regions a video conference-based version of SIBS, “SIBS-ONLINE”, was developed. MethodSIBS-ONLINE was developed in three phases: 1) Gaining experience by delivering five support groups for siblings during the Covid-19 pandemic over video conference; 2) Developing the SIBS-ONLINE intervention based on the experiences of Phase 1; 3) Pilot testing the SIBS-ONLINE intervention with four groups (14 families). ResultsThe end-product was SIBS-ONLINE, an intervention for siblings aged 10–16 years and their parents. SIBS-ONLINE consists of three separate sibling and parent groups and three joint sessions delivered over video conference. Intervention materials to enable delivery were developed, such as a manual comprising specification of communication techniques in video conference groups, technical advice, and a detailed description of sessions. ConclusionThe developmental process resulted in a feasible group-based video conference intervention for families of children with chronic health disorders. InnovationA unique group-based video conference intervention is described and general advice for developers and deliverers of future interventions provided.

School distress and the school attendance crisis: a story dominated by neurodivergence and unmet need.

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought into sharp focus a school attendance crisis in many countries, although this likely pre-dates the pandemic. Children and young people (CYP) struggling to attend school often display extreme emotional distress before/during/after school. We term this School Distress. Here we sought to elucidate the characteristics of the CYP struggling to attend school in the United Kingdom. Using a case-control, concurrent embedded mixed-method research design, 947 parents of CYP with experience of School Distress completed a bespoke online questionnaire (February/March 2022), alongside an age-matched control group (n = 149) and a smaller group of parents who electively home-educate (n = 25). In 94.3% of cases, school attendance problems were underpinned by significant emotional distress, with often harrowing accounts of this distress provided by parents. While the mean age of the CYP in this sample was 11.6 years (StDev 3.1 years), their School Distress was evident to parents from a much younger age (7.9 years). Notably, 92.1% of CYP currently experiencing School Distress were described as neurodivergent (ND) and 83.4% as autistic. The Odds Ratio of autistic CYP experiencing School Distress was 46.61 [95% CI (24.67, 88.07)]. Autistic CYP displayed School Distress at a significantly earlier age, and it was significantly more enduring. Multi-modal sensory processing difficulties and ADHD (among other neurodivergent conditions) were also commonly associated with School Distress; with School Distress CYP having an average of 3.62 NDs (StDev 2.68). In addition, clinically significant anxiety symptomology (92.5%) and elevated demand avoidance were also pervasive. Mental health difficulties in the absence of a neurodivergent profile were, however, relatively rare (6.17%). Concerningly, despite the striking levels of emotional distress and disability reported by parents, parents also reported a dearth of meaningful support for their CYP at school. While not a story of exclusivity relating solely to autism, School Distress is a story dominated by complex neurodivergence and a seemingly systemic failure to meet the needs of these CYP. Given the disproportionate number of disabled CYP impacted, we ask whether the United Kingdom is upholding its responsibility to ensure the "right to an education" for all CYP (Human Rights Act 1998).