Preschool Period Research Articles

The Importance of Health Education and Prevention in the Fight against Caries in the Preschool Period

The paper focuses on the influence of various factors causing caries in preschool children. The legal-formal rights in the field of primary dental care and medical and pedagogical caries prevention are analysed, as is the influence of professionals in the kindergarten and the family on the reduction of caries. With the help of data from the Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia (ZZZS), the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on the scope of preventive and curative dental services is determined in a group of preschool children according to individual statistical regions in Slovenia, as is the relationship between the impact of the epidemic on the scope of dental services in the group of preschool children in relation to the economic development of an individual region. The interruption of dental services during the epidemic was so extensive that the consequences will last several years. Preventive services are an integral part of the rights derived from compulsory health insurance; therefore, raising awareness and teaching children about the healthy foundations of life is important.

The development and effects of an online parent sexuality education programme for preschool children in Türkiye

ABSTRACT This study aimed to develop an online sexuality education programme for the parents of children aged 3–6 years, by enhancing their knowledge of sexuality education, their attitudes towards sexuality education, their use of positive communication during sexuality education, and their awareness of sexual abuse. A quantitative semi-experimental design, using a Solomon four-group model, was adopted. The sample consisted of 410 parents in Ankara, Türkiye. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Sexual Development Knowledge Scale, the Sexual Education Attitude Scale, the Sexual Communication Scale, and the Child Sexual Abuse Knowledge/Attitude for Parents Scale. The data were analysed using paired sample t-tests, independent sample t-test, and ANCOVA. The online Parental Sexuality Education Programme for the Preschool Period was found to have a significant effect on the sexual knowledge levels, attitudes, communication, and awareness of sexual abuse of the parents. According to findings of a follow-up test performed 12 weeks later, the programme exhibited retention in sexual development knowledge, positive attitudes towards sexual education, and sexual communication. Retention was not achieved in relation to sexual abuse knowledge/attitudes.

Developmental Mismatch Across Brain Modalities in Young Children.

Background: Brain development during the preschool period is complex and extensive and underlies ongoing behavioral and cognitive maturation. Increasing understanding of typical brain maturation during this time is critical to early identification of atypical development and could inform treatments and interventions. Previous studies have suggested mismatches between brain structural and functional development in later childhood and adolescence. The current study aimed to delineate the developmental matches and mismatches between brain measures from multiple magnetic resonance imaging modalities in young children. Methods: Brain volume, cortical thickness, fractional anisotropy, cerebral blood flow (CBF), amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and eigenvector centrality mapping (ECM) were included. Multi-modal neuroimages for 159 datasets from 67 typically developing preschoolers (2.0-7.6 years old) were collected and analyzed. Results: Functional measures (CBF, ECM, ReHo, ALFF) had similar developmental trajectories across regions, whereas development trajectories for brain volumes and cortical thickness were more heterogeneous. Furthermore, within individuals, brain volumes and cortical thickness were very good at predicting individual scans from prior longitudinal scans. Conclusions: These findings provide a more detailed characterization of the complex interplay of different types of brain development in the early years, laying the foundation for future studies on the impact of environmental factors and neurodevelopmental disorders on the development matches/mismatches patterns between brain areas and modalities.

Особенности структурных компонентов самосознания у детей 5–6 лет в аспекте детско-родительских отношений

This article presents the results of an experimental study devoted to the study of the features of the structural components of self-awareness in children aged 5–6 years in the aspect of child-parent relationships. Addressing the designated issue is associated with the presence of significant deformations in the system of child-parent relationships recorded in recent decades in modern families, which negatively affect the personal development of the younger generation. Particularly significant in this issue is the preschool period, when the fundamental foundations of the child's personality are formed, first of all, the ability to realize his or her Self. At the same time, despite the increased relevance of the designated problem, it can be stated that it has not been finally resolved. The purpose of the study is to identify the features of the structural components of self-awareness in children aged 5–6 years in the aspect of child-parent relationships. The research methods are theoretical analysis and generalization of scientific literature on the research problem, ascertaining experiment, quantitative and qualitative analysis of the obtained data, methods of their interpretation. Results of the study: during the experimental study, the hypothesis was confirmed that the features of the structural components of self-awareness in children aged 5–6 years in the aspect of parent-child relationships are as follows: harmonious relationships between parents and a child in the family contribute to the formation of a higher level of the "I-image", a claim to recognition, a sense of gender identity, a sense of oneself in time, an understanding of one’s rights and responsibilities compared to disharmonious ones.

Does lung function in preschoolers help to predict asthma in later life?

The earliest respiratory function assessments, within or close to the neonatal period, consistently show correlations with lung function and with the development of asthma into adulthood. Measurements of lung function in infancy reflect the in utero period of lung development, and if early enough, show little influence of postnatal environmental exposures. Later in the preschool and school age periods, influences of the environment are superimposed on initial levels. Fetal exposures before birth such as maternal smoking during pregnancy, lead to reduced lung function and an increased risk of asthma in females particularly those with certain glutathione S-transferase genotypes. Lung function measurements later in the preschool period are also associated with development of asthma. Although lung function in preschoolers does help predict asthma in later life and these observations have increased our understanding of the physiology underlying asthma, the findings have not led to thewidespread use of lung function measurements being in preschoolers as clinical predictors of asthma due to the practicalities of testing in this age group.

Understanding Early Risk Factors of Preschool Disruptive Behaviors in a Population-Based Birth Cohort: Why Does Comorbidity Matter?

Research on early risk factors for disruptive behaviors (DBs: hyperactivity-impulsivity/HI, non-compliance/NC, or physical aggression/PA) has predominantly focused on individual DBs in silos (i.e., HI, NC, or PA) or the broader category of externalizing, reporting mostly common risk factors among them. However, studies addressing DB comorbidity, i.e., the simultaneous occurrence of more than one DB, showed differences in risk factors among DB comorbid profiles. Aiming to clarify this discrepancy, the present study compared the early risk factors associated with different longitudinal patterns (i.e., trajectories) of single-DBs (HI, NC, PA) with risk factors associated with monomorbid (HIonly, NConly, PAonly) and comorbid (HI + NC, NC + PA, HI + NC + PA) joint-DBs trajectories during the preschool period. In a population-based birth cohort (N = 2045), parents' pre-conception characteristics, pregnancy and perinatal conditions, and age 5 months child and family characteristics were used to compare children following single-DB and joint-DBs high trajectories to children following low or moderate trajectories. The DB trajectories were derived from mother ratings at ages 1½, 2½, 3½, 4½, and 5 years. More risk factors were identified for single-DB high trajectories than for joint-DBs high trajectories. On average, children on a single-DB high trajectory shared only 44.2% of their risk factors with children on a related joint-DBs high trajectory. Moreover, high trajectories of single-DBs shared a larger proportion of their risk factors than did high trajectories of joint-DBs. The findings show that categories of DBs include different subgroups of children based on their comorbidity patterns across DBs, which are differentially linked to early risk factors. Addressing comorbidity when investigating early risk factors of preschool DBs may improve our understanding of the etiological processes leading to these distinct but related behaviors and increase our ability to intervene upstream to prevent the earliest forms of potentially life-altering psychopathological conditions.

Multi-Informant Universal Mental Health Screening for Preschool-Aged Children by Parents and Educators: A PRISMA Systematic Review.

Children develop rapidly in the preschool period, making accurate appraisals of mental health (MH) difficult. The preschool years are a key period for early identification of MH concerns and could benefit from multi-informant, universal MH screening (UMHS). This systematic review aimed to identify multi-informant UMHS measures for preschool-aged children, and to examine their clinical utility, effectiveness, and acceptability. Studies reporting the predictive and incremental validity, effectiveness or acceptability of parent and educator-report UMHS measures for children aged 3-5years were identified through CINAHL, Embase, ERIC, Medline, PsycINFO, Scopus and Web of Science. Studies were excluded if screening was not the primary focus, not universal, single informant, or primarily focussed on Autism Spectrum Disorder. A total of 11 studies using 10 measures was identified. Ten studies screened for broad MH difficulties. Three educator-report and one parent- and educator-report measures had acceptable predictive validity. One study reporting incremental validity found that adding educator-report to parent ratings significantly improved the identification of MH concerns. No studies reported on effectiveness. Three studies that explored acceptability reported strong support for either UMHS in general or specific measures. There are promising results that UMHS can accurately identify child MH concerns in the preschool period using parent and educator reports. However, with few of the examined measures reaching the benchmark standards for predictive validity and only one study examining incremental validity, further research is needed to establish clinical utility. UMHS with preschool populations appears to be acceptable; future studies should further examine multi-informant screening in preschool populations. This systematic review was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero ; registration number: CRD 42022383426).

Does 60‐ to 72‐Month‐Old Children's Attachment Predict Their Resilience?

ABSTRACTIn this study, the attachment and resilience levels of 60‐ to 72‐month‐old Turkish girls and boys were examined in terms of certain demographic characteristics, and the predictive role of attachment on resilience was investigated while controlling for these characteristics. The study was structured as a descriptive study within the scope of quantitative research methods of the survey model. Participants consisted of 361 children and 73 teachers. We collected the data for the study administering the Incomplete Stories with Doll Family Scale to each child for approximately 20 min by the researcher and having teachers complete the Preschool Period Resilience Scale. Independent samples t‐tests, one‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multiple regression analysis were applied. In the study, the least observed attachment style in children was negative, followed by secure, with avoidance the most prevalent. While the child's gender, parental education level and socio‐economic status explained 14% of resilience, it was determined that the attachment variable explained 57.9% of the variance in resilience when common independent variables were controlled. The results of the study highlight the significance of the impact of attachment styles on the resilience of young children.

Феноменология травматического стресса «нормотипичных» родителей и посттравматическая симптоматика

<p><strong>Aim.</strong> The present study explored the subjective picture of traumatic events in parenting life. The study examined its characteristics during different periods of the child's life and investigated the likelihood and content of parental post-traumatic stress (PTS). <strong>Materials and Methods</strong>. The research sample consisted of 89 participants. All participants had one to four children over the age of 20. The average age of the participants was 49,56 years (SD=6,8). A semi-structured interview method developed by the author was used. This method allowed for a retrospective examination of traumatic stress events in parenting life. Techniques such as «Lifeline», scaling, and «stress thermometer» were included. The scale for assessing the impact of traumatic events (D. S. Weiss, C. R. Marmar, and T. J. Metzler, adapted by N.V. Tarabrina) was also utilized<strong>. Results and Conclusions</strong>. A typology of traumatic stressors in parenting life was proposed, and their phenomenology was described. The majority of stressors were associated with threats to the health or life of the child at an early age. In the preschool and adolescent periods of the child's development, behavioral and emotional problems of the children become traumatic stressors for parents. Emotional disorders, particularly anxiety, predominated in the manifestations of traumatic stress in parents. Some parents who reported traumatic events (n=56) indicated the presence of PTS symptoms. 19% of parents noted a high intensity of these symptoms, experiencing physiological arousal and hyper-vigilance.</p>

Event-related potentials of familiar monosyllabic words with unexpected lexical tones: A picture-word study of Mandarin-speaking preschoolers with and without a history of late talking.

This study examined how Mandarin-speaking preschoolers with and without a history of late talking (LT) process familiar monosyllabic words with unexpected lexical tones, focusing on both phonological and semantic violations. This study initially enrolled 64 Mandarin-speaking toddlers: 31 with a history of LT (mean age: 27.67 months) and 33 without a history of LT (non-LT) (mean age: 27.85 months). Event-related potentials were recorded at the age of 4 years during a picture-word mismatch task (LT mean age: 51.36 months; non-LT mean age: 51.20 months); in this task, the participants were presented with auditory words either matching (Tone 3) or mismatching with images in terms of their lexical tones; the mismatches encompassed acoustically dissimilar (Tone 1) and similar (Tone 2) mismatches. A significant difference in the phonological mapping negativity (PMN) responses to Tones 1 and 3 was observed only in the non-LT group. However, differences in the N400 responses to Tones 1 and 3 remained consistent across both groups. In addition, greater differences in the PMN responses between Tones 1 and 3 were associated with higher language proficiency during the preschool period. The PMN response serves as an indicator of neural correlates in lexical tone processing, reflecting challenges encountered by preschoolers with a history of LT when processing the lexical tones of familiar words. Furthermore, the PMN response was correlated with concurrent language abilities. These findings indicate the importance of early tonal perception development for Mandarin speakers with a history of LT. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Preschoolers with a history of late talking (LT), similar to preschoolers without such a history, can establish word expectations and detect the lexical tone violation in real time. However, those with a history of LT require additional time to process acoustic cues and differentiate between word semantics based on lexical tone information. The phonological mapping negativity response serves as an indicator of neural correlates in lexical tone processing, reflecting challenges encountered by preschoolers with a history of LT when processing the lexical tones of familiar words. The present findings indicate the importance of early intervention for Mandarin speakers with a history of LT, with an emphasis on lexical tone processing from toddlerhood.

Unravelling self-regulation in early childhood: protocol for the longitudinal SPROUTS study

BackgroundEnough is known about self-regulation to establish it as a priority target for education and intervention efforts beginning in early childhood, yet not enough to meaningfully and reliably alter developmental trajectories. Rather than resigning our aspirations, we need more nuanced and integrative understanding of self-regulation abilities and change.MethodsLaunching in 2024, SPROUTS is a 3-year longitudinal study of early self-regulation, beginning in the pre-school period (3–5 years old at Wave 1) with retrospective data back to birth and annual data collection across the transition to school period (ages 5–7 years at Wave 3). Data will be collected on children’s self-regulation, related abilities, outcomes, as well as prior and current contexts. One nested study within each Wave–that contributes complementary insights via supplementary and in-depth methods and data–will enable further exploration of contemporary issues related to self-regulation.DiscussionInsights generated can potentiate more effective intervention and education efforts by: improving intervention cost-benefit ratios; identifying likely mechanisms of change; easing burdens of unhealthy and antisocial behaviours associated with low self-regulation; and, most importantly, contributing to giving children the best early start to life. These benefits are timely in the context of intense policy and educational interest in fostering children’s self-regulation.Trial RegistrationOpen Science Framework: osf.io/maqdg. Date of registration: 26 Sep 2024.

Artificial Intelligence Supported Analysis of Children's Pictures: Preschool Period Applications

The aim of this study is to investigate the role of artificial intelligence tools in analyzing preschool children's drawings and to determine whether they are effective in analyzing children's drawings. The study group of the research consists of 4 preschool students in the age group of 5 within the scope of Melik Ahmet Gazi Primary School in Tokat province. The research is based on a qualitative research method called multiple case study and documents and semi-structured interview forms were used to collect data. The study group, which was determined by simple random sampling method, was administered the people, family, tree and house drawing tests and each child drew 4 pictures from each test. The data were analyzed and compared in detail by content analysis method using MaxQDA analysis program. The results show that both methods have strengths and weaknesses. While researchers evaluate in detail the first impression, developmental appropriateness and positioning of the drawings, AI has the advantages of speed and objectivity. AI is effective in identifying specific patterns and structures and excels in fast and accurate processing of objective data. Researchers are more successful with contextual and qualitative data.

MƏKTƏBƏQƏDƏR YAŞLI UŞAQLARDA ŞƏXSİYYƏTİN İNKİŞAF XÜSUSİYYƏTLƏRİ

When we consider the personality development of children in the preschool period, we see that the personality is a person who develops in society and establishes relationships with other individuals through communication, is aware of the situation he lives in, has strong self-control, and understands the complexity and consequences of the situation. It is important for parents to take a conscious approach to the formation of the personality process of their children. Parents play a major role in the development of the child's personality, however, they sometimes prevent the child from becoming free and finding himself.

KAMİL İNSAN FORMALAŞDIRMAQ TƏHSİLİN ANA XƏTTİDİR

The article shows that the main value in preschool education is the child. The pre-school period is not only the stage of preparation for school life, but also the most responsible and important period of human life, during which the foundation of all moral values is laid in a person. It is known that the foundation of moral and spiritual qualities should be laid from an early age. Be-cause the future of the new world depends on how the growing generation acquires spiritual and moral qualities. It is from this point of view that today the human factor is gaining more and more importance in our globalized world. We all know that a country with citizens who are physically and morally healthy, culturally and intellectually high is considered the richest country in the world.

Center-based childcare during infancy: The relations with functional brain networks and self-regulation in young children

Given the substantial increase in children attending center-based childcare over the past decades, the consequences of center-based childcare for children’s development have gained more attention in developmental research. However, the relation between center-based childcare and children’s neurocognitive development remains relatively underexplored. The aim of this study was therefore to examine the relations between quantity of center-based childcare during infancy and the neurocognitive development (both functional brain networks and self-regulation) of 584 Dutch children. Small-world brain networks and children’s self-regulation were assessed during infancy (around 10 months of age) and the preschool period (2–6 years of age). The findings revealed that the quantity of center-based childcare during infancy was unrelated to individual differences in children’s functional brain networks. However, spending more hours per week in center-based childcare was positively related to the development of self-regulation in preschool age children, regardless of children’s sex or the levels of exposure to risk and maternal support in the home environment. More insight into the positive effects of center-based childcare on children’s development from infancy to toddlerhood can help to increase our insight into a better work–life balance and labor force participation of parents with young children. Moreover, this study highlights that Dutch center-based childcare offers opportunities to invest in positive child outcomes in children, including self-regulation.

An Examination of Noun And Verb Bias In Turkish Preschool Story Books

The aim of this study is to examine the frequency of nouns and verbs in preschool storybooks designed for children acquiring Turkish, to determine the dominance of word types. For this research, four different storybooks from a publishing house were randomly selected. These selected books were analyzed in detail using corpus content analysis to determine the frequency of word types. During the analysis process, all words in the storybooks were categorized, and the frequencies of these categories were calculated. The frequency analyses revealed that nouns were used more frequently than verbs in each of the four books. When these four books are evaluated collectively, it becomes evident that the usage of nouns is significantly higher than that of verbs. The results are consistent with the literature suggesting that nouns are acquired earlier and more frequently than verbs in the language acquisition process of children. Furthermore, these findings indicate that nouns play a more significant role in language development, as reflected in the design of educational materials used in the preschool period. These results provide important data to consider in the fields of language development and pedagogical material design, offering valuable insights into the role of word types in children's language learning processes.

Overcoming the streetlight effect: Shining light on the foundations of learning and development in early childhood.

Developmental theory has long emphasized a range of skills that young children need for healthy development across the life course. Nevertheless, most evaluations of early childhood programs and policies have focused on measuring a somewhat limited set of competencies. In this article, we explore this "streetlight effect" in early childhood intervention research and propose an initial set of skills that we argue should be prioritized alongside traditionally measured outcomes as targets of intervention during the preschool period (i.e., between ages 3 and 5 years). These skills, which we call the foundations of learning and development (FOLD) skills, include both well-studied and emerging constructs such as curiosity, creativity, self-regulation and executive function, critical thinking, perspective taking, and internal representations of self. To better understand FOLD skills' potential as more practical, effective, and inclusive targets of early childhood programs and policies, we review research regarding each skill's malleability, measurability, predictive validity, and universality. We end with a set of future directions for the field, including the need to (a) formulate a more inclusive taxonomy of FOLD skills that incorporates currently omitted competencies relevant to marginalized populations, (b) measure these skills in scalable and actionable ways, and (c) enhance or modify intervention strategies to optimize the development of these FOLD skills in the preschool period. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Specific Learning Disability from the Perspective of Preschool Teachers: Symptoms and What to Do

Specific Learning Disability (SLD) is a type of special needs that can be diagnosed in primary school. However, research shows that there are some symptoms that are reported to be present in the pre-school period in the spatial semantic processes, in the visual and tactile processes, in the auditory processes and in the balance and motor control. It is thought that it is important for okul öncesi teachers to be aware of these symptoms and to inform primary school teachers and parents. To help achieve this, this study aimed to find out what preschool teachers think about SLD. The research was designed using basic qualitative research, one of the qualitative research methods. Snowball sampling, one of the purposive sampling methods, was used to identify the study group. A demographic information form and semi-structured interview questions developed by the researchers were used as data collection tools. Content analysis was used to analyse the data. As a result of the research, it was found that preschool teachers generally focus on reading, writing, speaking and listening skills; it was found that regarding a child with suspected SLD, they mostly meet with the parents and contact the school counselling service and they believe that symptoms of SLD may appear in the preschool period. The findings show similarities with the relevant literature.

Temporal trend of the global prevalence rate of tension-type headache in children and adolescents in 1990-2021

To investigate the prevalence of tension-type headache (TTH) in children and adolescents aged 0-19 years globally in 1990-2021, and to provide a basis for the prevention and treatment of TTH. Based on the Global Burden of Disease Study data, the age-standardized prevalence distribution of TTH and its changing trend were analyzed among the children and adolescents aged 0-19 years, with different sexes, age groups, sociodemographic index (SDI) regions and countries/territories. The age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR) of TTH in children and adolescents aged 0-19 globally in 2021 was 17 339.89/100 000, which was increased by 1.73% since 1990. The ASPR in females was slightly higher than that in males (1990: 17 707.65/100 000 vs 16 403.78/100 000; 2021: 17 946.29/100 000 vs 16 763.09/100 000). The ASPR in adolescence was significantly higher than that in school-aged and preschool periods (1990: 27 672.04/100 000 vs 10 134.16/100 000; 2021: 28 239.04/100 000 vs 10 059.39/100 000). Regions with high SDI exhibited a higher ASPR than the other regions, with significant differences in prevalence rates across different countries. From 1990 to 2021, there was a slight increase in global ASPR, with an average annual percentage change (AAPC) of 0.06%. Females experienced a smaller increase than males based on AAPC (0.04% vs 0.07%). There was reduction in ASPR in preschool and school-aged groups, with an AAPC of -0.02%, while there was a significant increase in ASPR in adolescence, with an AAPC of 0.07%. ASPR decreased in regions with low-middle and low levels of SDI, with an AAPC of -0.02% and -0.04%, respectively, while it increased in regions with middle SDI, with an AAPC of 0.24%. There is a consistent increase in the ASPR of TTH in children and adolescents aged 0-19 years globally, with significant differences across sexes, age groups, SDI regions and countries/territories.

An Insight into developmental changes in reasoning skills among Indian Preschoolers: A cross-sectional study using a story-based approach.

Background: Considering the importance of exploring the development of reasoning skills during preschool period and the suitability of using a culturally linguistically relevant story-based approach for the same, the present research intended to profile the reasoning skills in typically developing Indian preschool children between 36 and 72 months using a story-based approach. The specific objectives were to determine the test-retest and inter-rater reliability of reasoning tasks within an existing story-based cognitive-communicative assessment tool and to use this tool to assess the reasoning skills of typically developing Indian preschool children. Method: Reasoning tasks across explanation, prediction and inference domains were evaluated for its psychometric properties and administered to 63 typically developing Indian preschool children attending English medium schools in Mangalore. The preschoolers were equally divided into three age groups. The responses obtained across the age groups were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Results: The developed tasks were confirmed to have good psychometric properties like test-retest and inter-rater reliability. The age comparisons of reasoning abilities using one-way ANOVA suggested an increase in reasoning abilities with age during the preschool period. The qualitative analysis further suggested that with increasing age, the nature of reasoning changed from content-based reasoning to reasoning based on prior knowledge which was integrated with the story content. Conclusion: The study describes reasoning skill development using a story-based task in Indian preschoolers. The study findings further provide clinical and educational implications to assess and foster reasoning abilities among preschoolers.