Preschool Children Quality Research Articles

Preschool quality and developmental outcomes of preschool children in rural China: Evidence from longitudinal and subgroup analyses

Using a longitudinal data set developed from surveys of 1,285 children (and their families), as well as 683 preschools teachers in 382 preschools in rural western China, we examined the association between preschool quality and the development (cognitive and social-emotional skills) of preschool children. The findings showed that 55 % of the sample children were cognitively delayed, and 49 % of the children were social-emotionally delayed at age 3. The rates of delay decreased to less than 40 % when the children were at preschool age. Although other factors were associated with the decline in development delays, according to the findings, preschool attendance respectively led to an improvement of 0.47 SD (p = 0.001) in child cognitive development (i.e., the fall in delays). More specifically, the global quality and the structural quality of preschools improved child cognitive development by 0.11 SD (p = 0.001) and 0.09 SD (p = 0.004), respectively. The findings of the subgroup analyses suggested that children from disadvantaged backgrounds benefited more from being able to attend quality preschools. Preschool quality also helped to improve developmental outcomes (cognitive abilities and social-emotional skills): for children that were developmentally delayed before age 3, but not for those children that were not delayed when they were 3 years old; for children with lower educated parents, but not for those with more highly educated parents; for children that were from relatively poor families, but not for those that were from relatively rich families; and for children that were attending preschools in rural areas, but not for those who were attending a preschool in an urban area.

The effects of age on associations between pre-school children's eating behaviour traits and diet quality

Child eating behaviour traits are associated with several aspects of dietary intake of pre-school children, however the associations between child eating behaviour traits and overall dietary quality in pre-school children has not been examined. Additionally, it is unknown how these relationships vary by age. This study examines the associations between child eating behaviour traits and pre-school children's dietary quality and whether children's age moderates these associations. This study utilises cross-sectional online survey data collected from mothers (n = 1367) of pre-school aged children (2–5 years) from across Australia. The survey included a validated measure of four child eating behaviour traits and a validated measure of diet quality. Multiple linear regression assessed associations between child eating behaviour traits and dietary quality, including interactions between child eating behaviour traits and child age. The average age of the children was 3.3 years, with 50.2% reported as males. Enjoyment of food was positively associated with dietary quality (B coefficient: 2.51, p < 0.001). Food fussiness and satiety responsiveness were inversely associated with dietary quality (B coefficients: 2.59 and −2.25, respectively, p < 0.001), while food responsiveness was not related to diet quality. Child age moderated associations between food fussiness and dietary quality (B coefficient: 0.38, p = 0.025). The difference in dietary quality between lower and higher food fussiness is most pronounced among 5-year-old children. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that it is important for future interventions aiming to improve dietary quality of pre-school children to target children with lower food enjoyment, higher food fussiness or satiety responsiveness as possible ways to improve child dietary quality. Future interventions should also have a particular focus on strategies to reduce food fussiness for older preschoolers.

Effects of Trehalose Administration in Patients with Mucopolysaccharidosis Type III.

Mucopolysaccharidosis type III (MPS III) is a rare autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disease (LSD) caused by a deficiency of lysosomal enzymes required for the catabolism of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), mainly in the central nervous system. Trehalose has been proposed as a potential therapeutic agent to attenuate neuropathology in MPS III. We conducted a single- arm, open-label study to evaluate the efficacy of trehalose treatment in patients with MPS IIIA and MPS IIIB. Five patients with MPS III were enrolled. Trehalose was administrated intravenously (15 g/week) for 12 weeks. Health-related quality of life and cognitive function, serum biomarkers, liver, spleen, and lung imaging were assessed to evaluate trehalose efficacy at baseline and trial end (week 12). TNO-AZL Preschool children Quality of Life (TAPQOL) scores increased in all patients, and the mean scores for quality of life were increased after the intervention. Serum GAG levels were reduced in all treated patients (however, the differences were not statistically significant). Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were reduced in all patients post-treatment (p=0.0039). The mean levels of aspartate transaminase (AST) were also decreased after 12 weeks of treatment with Trehalose. Decreased serum pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance and increased GPX activity were observed at the end of the study. Decreases in mean splenic length were observed, whereas the liver volume did not change. Improvements in health-related quality of life and serum biomarkers (GAGs, liver aminotransferase levels, antioxidant status), as well as liver and spleen size, were found following 3 months of trehalose administration in patients with MPS IIIA and MPS IIIB.

Maternal diet quality and associations with body composition and diet quality of preschool children: A longitudinal study.

Nutrition, associated with nutritional status, influences the growth of children. This study aimed to identify the association between maternal diet quality and the diet and body composition of their children. This is a prospective longitudinal study with mother-child pairs. To assess diet quality, nutritional status, and socioeconomic data, two interviews in the children's first and third months of life (2011-2016) and one interview when children were of preschool age (2017-2019) were performed. Diet quality was assessed based on daily food consumption and frequency, considering: 1) food groups, based on the Brazilian food pyramid; 2) level of processing, according to the NOVA classification (unprocessed and/or minimally processed foods, processed foods and ultra-processed foods). One-way ANOVA with Tukey post hoc and Kruskal-Wallis with Dunn's post hoc tests were used to evaluate the influence of factors on children's diet quality. Pearson and Spearman's correlations were used to evaluate the relationship between maternal and children's diet quality, maternal schooling level, and child age. Along with the nutritional assessment of children, multiple linear regression models assessed the impact of covariables on maternal and children's diet quality. Eighty-three mother-child pairs participated in this study. The more frequent the maternal consumption of unprocessed and/or minimally processed foods, the higher the consumption of these foods by children (r = +0.30; p = 0.006) and the lower their subscapular skinfold (SSF) thickness (p = 0.011; β = -0.278). On the other hand, the higher the maternal consumption of ultra-processed foods, the higher the children's tricipital skinfold (TSF) thickness (p = 0.010; β = +0.274) and SSF (p = 0.043; β = +0.222). Maternal diet quality was associated with the diet and body composition of children.

Effects of Parent-Child Sandplay Therapy for preschool children with autism spectrum disorder and their mothers: A randomized controlled trial

PurposeTo evaluate the effects of the Parent-Child Sandplay Therapy (PCST) Program on autism behaviors, social responsiveness and sleep quality among preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and their mothers' parenting stress. Design and methodsA prospective, randomized controlled, parallel-group trial was employed. Fifty-two child-mother dyads were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 26) or a control group (n = 26) from February 2017 to February 2019. The intervention group was treated with a 20-week PCST Program plus an Applied Behavior Analysis-based program (ABA-based program), whereas the control group received only the ABA-based program. Outcome measures included the Autism Behavior Checklist total scores, Social Responsiveness Scale scores, Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire scores, and Parenting Stress Index-Short Form scores, measured at baseline, post-intervention (20 weeks after baseline) and follow-up assessments (32 weeks after baseline). ResultsFinally, 43 dyads completed the study. The linear mixed model analysis resulted in a significant group*time interaction effect of ABC score (Est = 2.027, t = 3.277; p < 0.01), SRS score (Est = 3.377, t = 6.095; p < 0.01), PSI-SF score (Est = 3.873, t = 4.253, p < 0.01), and CSHQ score (Est = 3.158, t = 6.485; p < 0.05). ConclusionOur findings suggested that the PCST Program could potentially improve social interaction and sleep quality of preschool children with ASD while decreasing parenting stress. Practice implicationsThe PCST Program was found to be a feasible and a promising treatment for children with mild-to-moderate ASD as well as for their parents. It was a nurse-led program, which could be integrated into the usual nursing care of children with autism spectrum disorder in special education schools.Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trials Registry, ChiCTR2100047699.

Poorer Caregiver Mental and Social Health Is Associated With Worse Respiratory Outcomes in Preschool Children With Recurrent Wheezing

Mental and social health in caregivers of preschool children has been inadequately studied, but it may influence respiratory symptom recognition and management. To identify preschool caregivers at highest risk for poor mental and social health outcomes on the basis of patient-reported outcome measures. Female caregivers 18 to 50 years old (N= 129) with a preschool child aged 12 to 59 months with recurrent wheezing and at least 1 exacerbation in the previous year completed 8 validated patient-reported outcome measures of mental and social health. k-means cluster analysis was performed using the T score for each instrument. Caregiver/child dyads were followed for 6 months. Primary outcomes included caregiver quality of life and wheezing episodes in their preschool children. Three clusters of caregivers were identified: low risk (n= 38), moderate risk (n= 56), and high risk (n= 35). The high-risk cluster had the lowest life satisfaction, meaning and purpose, and emotional support and the highest social isolation, depression, anger, perceived stress, and anxiety that persisted for more than 6 months. This cluster had the poorest quality of life and marked disparities in social determinants of health. Preschool children from caregivers in the high-risk cluster had more frequent respiratory symptoms and a higher occurrence of any wheezing episode, but a lower outpatient physician utilization for wheezing management. Caregiver mental and social health is associated with respiratory outcomes in preschool children. Routine assessment of mental and social health in caregivers is warranted to promote health equity and improve wheezing outcomes in preschool children.

Food quality in pre-school and school children in Chile during the COVID-19 pandemic

the COVID-19 pandemic can affect the quality of food and nutrition of preschoolers and schoolchildren through an increase in food insecurity of families, by measures such as confinement and closure of educational establishments, which affects the daily structure, feeding schedules, and quality of food. analyze the overall food quality of preschool and school children in Chile during the COVID-19 pandemic. five hundred and fifty-one schoolchildren (22.5 % boys and 77.5 % girls) from five Chilean cities distributed in northern, central, and southern macro zones participated in a convenience sampling. The Global Food Quality Index was applied. The data were analyzed in the IBM SPSSV24 statistical program. Differences in proportions were analyzed employing crossed tables. schoolchildren from rural areas presented lower eating quality than their urban peers (p = .005). Schoolchildren who eat with the whole family had better indicators of eating quality than those who ate alone (p = .002). In nine out of 12 dietary components, evaluated females present higher compliance with dietary recommendations. further research is needed on changes in dietary intake and dietary quality of children and their families during the pandemic. This will allow us to analyze the impact of the pandemic on eating behavior and its possible consequences.

Development of the Chinese preschooler dietary index: a tool to assess overall diet quality

BackgroundDiet quality in early childhood has a long-term impact on health outcomes. However, there are scarce dietary indexes for Chinese preschool children, and the existing indexes had limited validity and reliability. This study thus aimed to develop a dietary index for preschool children based on the Chinese Dietary Guideline and Chinese Dietary Reference Intakes and to assess their overall diet quality using the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS).MethodsThe Chinese Preschooler Dietary Index (CPDI) included 11 components, covering 9 food group components and two nutrient components. The total scores of CPDI ranged from 0 to 90, with a higher score indicating greater diet quality. This study assessed the diet quality of 1742 preschoolers aged two to five years old from CHNS using the CPDI. Dietary intake data were obtained using three-day 24-h diet recalls, and sociodemographic information was also collected. Cochran-Mantel-Haensel (CMH) test was used to explore the association between demographic and CPDI total scores. The principal component analysis, correlation analysis and Cronbach’s alpha were used to evaluate the relative reliability and validity of the CPDI. Finally, a stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to explore potential influencing factors of CPDI.ResultsAmong the 1742 CHNS preschool children, more than 70% resided in rural areas and 41.2% of the sample were raised in a low-income family. The mean CPDI score of the preschoolers was 38.8 ± 12.9. Higher diet scores were correlated with higher energy and nutrient intake. Children with higher age (β = 0.93, SE = 0.26, P = 0.0003), raised in a home with higher household income (β = 3.11, SE = 0.27, P < 0.0001) or living in urban areas (β = -4.44, SE = 0.66, P < 0.0001) were associated with higher CPDI scores.ConclusionsThe CPDI is useful in evaluating the diet quality of preschool children. Based on the CPDI, the diet quality of Chinese preschoolers needs to be improved, especially in rural areas.

Health-related quality of life 6months after pediatric intensive care unit admission for bronchiolitis: a prospective single-center cohort study.

Significant differences in several HRQoL domains were found after PICU admission for bronchiolitis compared to normative data. Whereas the domains lung and stomach problems showed significantly impaired scores, most domains revealed HRQoL levels comparable with healthy peers. This study may contribute to the optimization of HRQoL PICU outcomes by highlighting specific HRQoL domains to focus on at admission and during follow-up. •With the decline in PICU mortality, HRQoL became an important outcome measure. Yet, the currently limited number of studies on HRQoL outcomes often involve heterogeneous patient groups. • Bronchiolitis is one of the most frequent reasons for PICU admission, and although a significant part of children admitted for bronchiolitis has a medical history, compared with other reasons for PICU admission, this patient group is relatively homogeneous in terms of age, disease course, and treatment. •In the present study, six months after PICU admission for bronchiolitis, children scored differently on multiple HRQoL domains compared to healthy peers. • Significantly impaired HRQoL scores were reported on lung and stomach problems in comparison to normative data.

Understanding maternal food choice for preschool children across urban-rural settings in Vietnam.

Improving diet quality ofpreschool children is challenging in countries undergoing food environment and nutrition transition. However, few studies have sought to understand how mothers in these countries decide what and how to feed their children. This study aims to explore maternal experiences, perspectives and beliefs when making food choice decisions for preschool children in urban, peri-urban and rural areas in northern Vietnam. Two focus group discussions and 24 in-depth interviews were carried out and analysed using thematic analysis. The results showed that mothers across the urban-rural spectrum shared the intention to feed children safe, nutritious food for better health and weight gain while satisfying child food preferences to improve appetite and eating enjoyment. These food choice intentions were embedded within family food traditions, whereby mothers emphasised nutritious food and adopted strict feeding styles during lunch and dinner but were flexible and accommodating of child preferences during breakfast and side meals. These intentions were also embedded within the physical food environment, which provided a mix of healthy and unhealthy food through informal food retailers. Despite these intentions, mothers faced financial constraints and difficulties in managing children's refusal to chew, changes in eating mood and strong eating temperament. These findings support policies to limit the presence of unhealthy food in informal food retail and encourage meal-specific feeding strategies to help children enjoy nutritious food, transition from soft to textured food and become more cooperative during mealtime.

The Use of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Daily Clinical Practice of a Pediatric Nephrology Department.

(1) Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is lower in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) compared to the general population. In 2011, the KLIK PROM portal was implemented in the Emma Children’s Hospital to monitor and discuss HRQoL in daily care. This study describes and assesses the implementation and use of the KLIK PROM portal in the pediatric nephrology department. (2) Methods: CKD patients (self-report, if 8–18 years of age) and their parents (proxy-report, if 1–8 years) were invited to complete HRQoL patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs): TNO-AZL Preschool children Quality Of Life (TAPQOL) or Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory for Children (PedsQL). The PROMs were completed before and discussed during outpatient consultations. The adaptation rate—the proportion of patients/parents who were invited and completed at least one PROM—was calculated. Reported HRQoL scores of CKD patients were compared to the general population. (3) Results: In total, 142 patients (proxy- and self-report) were invited, 112 patients completed at least one PROM (adaptation rate 79%). Patients (n = 84 with informed consent for scientific use) with CKD reported lower HRQoL and HRQoL was more often impaired compared to the general Dutch population. (4) Conclusions: The implementation of KLIK was successful and its use is feasible for daily care. Using KLIK, HRQoL problems can be easily identified and monitored.

A multi-component tailored intervention in family childcare homes improves diet quality and sedentary behavior of preschool children compared to an attention control: results from the Healthy Start-Comienzos Sanos cluster randomized trial

BackgroundChildcare settings are important environments for influencing child eating and physical activity (PA). Family childcare homes (FCCH) care for many children of low-income and diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds who are at greater risk for poor diet quality, low PA, and obesity, but few interventions have targeted this setting. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a multicomponent intervention conducted in FCCH on the diet quality and PA of 2–5 year old children in their care.Trial designCluster randomized trial.MethodsThe cluster-randomized trial, Healthy Start/Comienzos Sanos (2015–2019) evaluated an 8-month nutrition and PA intervention that included four components: (1) monthly telephone calls from a support coach using brief motivational interviewing, (2) tailored reports, newsletters and videos, (3) group support meetings, and (4) active play toys. After completing baseline measurement, FCCH were randomized into intervention or comparison groups in matched pairs. Both groups received the same intervention components but on different topics (intervention: nutrition/PA vs. comparison: reading readiness/literacy). Evaluation staff were blinded to group assignment. Child primary outcome measures collected at baseline and 8-months included: 1) Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2015) scores calculated from diet observation, and 2) accelerometer measurement of PA. Process measures were collected from field data and provider surveys. Generalized Estimating Equation Models assessed changes in HEI-2015 scores and PA over time by experimental condition.ResultsEthnically diverse FCCH providers (n = 119) and 2-to-5-year-old children in their care (n = 377) were included in the final analysis. Process evaluation showed high participation in all intervention components except for group meetings. Compared to children in comparison group FCCH, children in intervention FCCH increased total HEI-2015 scores by 7.2 points (p < .001) including improvement in component scores for vegetables (0.84 points, p = .025) and added sugar (0.94 points, p = .025). For PA, compared to children in the comparison group, children in intervention FCCH decreased sedentary time by 5.7% (p = .021).ConclusionsThe multicomponent Healthy Start intervention was effective in improving diet quality and sedentary behavior of children in FCCH, which demonstrates the promise of obesity prevention interventions in this setting. Future research could include enhancing the Healthy Start intervention to strengthen the PA component, considering virtual peer support, and determining how to best translate and disseminate the intervention into FCCH nationally.Trial registrationNational Institutes of Health, NCT02452645. Registered 5 May 2015.

Impact of Intravenous Trehalose Administration in Patients with Niemann-Pick Disease Types A and B.

Background and Aims: Niemann–Pick disease (NPD) types A (NPA) and B (NPB) are caused by deficiency of the acid sphingomyelinase enzyme, which is encoded by the SMPD1 gene, resulting in progressive pathogenic accumulation of lipids in tissues. Trehalose has been suggested as an autophagy inducer with therapeutic neuroprotective effects. We performed a single-arm, open-label pilot study to assess the potential efficacy of trehalose treatment in patients with NPA and NPB patients. Methods: Five patients with NPD type A and B were enrolled in an open-label, single-arm clinical trial. Trehalose was administrated intravenously (IV) (15 g/week) for three months. The efficacy of trehalose in the management of clinical symptoms was evaluated in patients by assessing the quality of life, serum biomarkers, and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the lungs at the baseline and end of the interventional trial (day 0 and week 12). Results: The mean of TNO-AZL Preschool children Quality of Life (TAPQOL) scores increased in all patients after intervention at W12 compared to the baseline W0, although the difference was not statistically significant. The serum levels of lyso-SM-509 and lyso-SM were decreased in three and four patients out of five, respectively, compared with baseline. Elevated ALT and AST levels were decreased in all patients after 12 weeks of treatment; however, changes were not statistically significant. Pro-oxidant antioxidant balance (PAB) was also decreased and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity was increased in serum of patients at the end of the study. Imaging studies of spleen and lung HRCT showed improvement of symptoms in two patients. Conclusions: Positive trends in health-related quality of life (HRQoL), serum biomarkers, and organomegaly were observed after 3 months of treatment with trehalose in patients with NPA and NPB. Although not statistically significant, due to the small number of patients enrolled, these results are encouraging and should be further explored.

Gender features of the life quality of preschool children living in Dushanbe

Aim. To assess the parameters and gender characteristics of the life quality of preschool children and the influence of a complex of factors on them.Material and methods. A study of the quality of life of 354 children was carried out. Ther were divided into two subgroups - younger (3-4 years old, 97 children) and senior preschool age (5-7 years old, 257 children). The PedsQL ™ 4.0 questionnaire was used to assess the QoL of children.Results and discussion. It was found that with age, the parameters of QOL increase on the scale of “emotional functioning”, and on the scale of “functioning in kindergarten” - decreases. The children of 5-7 years old themselves rated such aspects of QOL as emotional and role functioning significantly higher. Gender differences had specificitiesthe QOL of boys in the younger preschool group was higher in terms of emotional functioning. According to children, differences were established on the scale of “social functioning”, where this indicator was significantly higher in girls. The interrelation of various risk factors on the QOL indicators of children has proved to be valid.Conclusion. The results of the survey showed that parents tend to assess the QOL of their children in this age category somewhat lower than the children themselves. The results once again confirm the influence of various medical and social factors on the QOL of children.

Groups of mothers based on feeding practices and their associations with dietary quality of pre-school children: A latent profile analysis

Parents' feeding practices are associated with children's food intake. However, little is known about the patterns of feeding practices used by groups of mothers or how these groupings of practices influence children's dietary intake. Therefore, the aims of this study are to classify and describe groups of mothers according to their patterns of feeding practices and to examine the associations between the groups of maternal feeding practices and pre-school children's dietary quality.In 2018, 1349 mothers based in Australia of children aged 2–5 years completed an online survey including validated measures of nine feeding practices and dietary quality, measured using thirteen summed dietary items. Latent profile analysis was used to identify distinct groups of mothers who shared similar feeding practices. Linear regression models were fitted to examine associations between the feeding practice profiles and child dietary quality.A three-profile model was chosen based on interpretation, profile size and statistical model fit criteria. Profile 1 had lower mean scores of structure-related feeding practices than the other profiles; profile 2 had mean scores reflecting slightly higher use of most structure-related feeding practices and lower mean scores of some non-responsive feeding practices; profile 3 had higher mean scores of non-responsive feeding practices than the other profiles. Profile 1 (−2.95, CI: 3.97; −1.92) and profile 3 (−2.81, CI: 3.49; −2.13) had lower mean child dietary quality scores compared with profile 2.Profile 2, which reflected the most engagement in structure-related feeding practices combined with least non-responsive feeding practices, was associated with higher child diet quality, compared with the other two profiles. The identification of these unique profiles could help to tailor future interventions to consider patterns of feeding practices used by groups of mothers.

Cow’s milk protein allergy, quality of life and parental style

Introduction: Cow’s milk protein allergy requires changes in family habits to maintain children’s health.&#x0D; Objective: This study evaluated the effects of cow’s milk protein allergy on the health of children, the quality of life of parents and children, and the adopted parental styles.&#x0D; Methods: Control case study. The case group consisted of children with cow’s milk protein allergy, from eight months to five years old, and those guardians, and the Control Group, for healthy children of the same age group, and their parents. The quality of life of the child (TNO-AZL Preschool Children Quality of Life) and the caregiver (SF-36) were evaluated; parental style (Parental Beliefs and Care Practices Scale); and socioeconomic and health data of the child. The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare the groups (p &lt;0.05).&#x0D; Results: 76 dyads from the case group and 44 from the control group participated. Children with cow’s milk protein allergy had a lower quality of life in the health dimension, worse nutritional status, followed up with a larger number of health professionals. Those in charge of the case group offered less body stimulation to the children. Those in the control group had a lower quality of emotional life.&#x0D; Conclusions: Cow’s milk protein allergy had an impact on the health and nutritional status of children, on the corporal stimulation received by the children, and on the quality of emotional life of those guardians.

How is the Quality of Preschool Children's Books in Raising Awareness About Individuals with Special Needs?

Bu çalışmanın amacı özel gereksinimli karakterler içeren çocuk kitaplarının niteliklerini betimleyerek okul öncesi eğitimde özel gereksinimli bireylere yönelik farkındalık geliştirmek için başvurulabilecek kitapları belirlemektir. Bir doküman incelemesi olan bu nitel çalışmada özel gereksinimli karakterler içeren çocuk kitaplarının içerikleri değerlendirilmiştir. Örneklemin belirlenmesinde Türkiye’de kitap satışı yapan üç web sitesi ve çeşitli yayınevlerinin web siteleri taranmış ve ulaşılabilir örnekleme ile toplam 58 çocuk kitabına ulaşılmıştır. Bu kitaplardan seçim ölçütlerini karşılayan 20 tanesi belirlenmiştir. Kitaplar, araştırmacılar tarafından uluslararası bir araç kullanılarak değerlendirilmiş ve puanlayıcılar arası güvenirlik hesaplanmıştır. Bulgular, kitapların genel özellikleri, kişisel tasvirler, sosyal etkileşimler ve özel gereksinimli karakterlerin deneyimlediği örnek uygulamalar açısından olumlu veya kabul edilebilir nitelikte bulunan eserlerin özel gereksinimli bireylere yönelik farkındalık geliştirmede öğretmenler tarafından kullanılabileceğine işaret etmektedir. Ancak, bazı kitaplar için duyulan uyarlama gereksinimi, bazı yetersizliklerin kitaplardaki düşük temsili ve Türkçe yazılmış kitapların sayıca azlığı özel gereksinimli karakter içeren okul öncesi çocuk kitapları konusunda önemli bir boşluğa işaret etmektedir.

Examination of the effects of technological device use on preschool children's quality of life: An exploratory and cross-sectional study.

This exploratory and cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the effects of technological device use on preschool children's life quality. One hundred twenty-five preschool students were recruited from two kindergartens affiliated to the Directorate of National Education in provincial centre of Zonguldak, Turkey. Personal Information Form and Quality of Life Scale for Young Children (KINDL Quality of Life Scale) were tools for data, collected by the researcher herself from parents through face-to-face interview method. It was found in the study that 54.4% of the parents and 42.4% of their children who were involved in the study were frequently used technological devices. Mean score of the children's KINDL Quality of Life Scale was 79.2 (9.5; range 57-99). When comparing this score and its subscales with children's desire to not sleep due to playing virtual games and so forth, the differences between all the other subscales except self-esteem were significant (p<0.05). A significant difference was also found between the children's sleeping hours and subscales such as self-esteem, physical and emotional health (p<0.05). The results show that more than half of the parents and their children frequently use the technological devices. Healthcare providers should inform the parents regarding the possibly negative consequences such as negatively affecting the children's quality of life.

Optimization of social functioning quality of preschool children with cerebral palsy

Among the children with violation of supporting-motor apparatus, the largest group is comprised of those with cerebral palsy (CP). The lack of diagnostic toolkit adequate to pedagogical tasks does not allow to examine such children from the point of view of educational capabilities and socialization. The aim of research is development and scientific substantiation of innovative technology of pedagogical examination of preschool children with CP, aimed at differential evaluation of their educational capabilities and determination of specificity of educational demands. Analysis of the experimental results has allowed to formulate a set of conclusions determining scientific novelty of the research: educational potential of preschool children with CP is characterized by indicators of different levels, which stipulates variability and specificity of demands of psychological and pedagogical support; educational capabilities of preschool children with CP can be manifested at optimum, medium, low, critical levels, each of which is characterized by similar patterns irrespective of age; during the research no direct correlation between the manifestation rate of motor disorders of preschool children with CP and the level of their educational capabilities has been revealed; the educational potential of preschool children with CP significantly depends on the manifestation rate of intellectual disabilities stipulating features of mental development and is not correlated with the severity of motor impairment; the obtained experimental results have allowed to reveal peculiarities of educational capabilities of preschool children with CP, which is the key point in development of individual remedial programs; differentiation of preschool children with CP on the basis of level-driven approach allows to optimize the content of psychological and pedagogical assistance and the selection of remedial actions.

Mutual prediction of peer relationship and internalizing problem of preschool children

Objective To investigate the mutual prediction relationship between peer relationship and internalizing problem. Methods One-year follow up survey was conducted with a sample of 220 preschool children from 4 kindergartens in Shandong province. The quality of peer relationship and degree of internalizing problem were evaluated with the Peer Relationship Scale and the Child Behavior Checklist Cross-lagged panel analysis was used for mutual prediction among variables. Results The quality of preschool children’s peer relationship showed an increasing trend with grade ( F = 6.40, 4.81, P <0.01), while the degree of internalizing problem showed a downward trend ( F = 7.65, 5.46, P <0.01). The predictive effect of pre-test peer relationship and internalizing problem on post-test corresponding behaviors were all statistically significant ( β = 0. 56, 0. 49, P < 0. 01). The predictive effect of pre-test peer relationship on post-test internalizing problem was statistically significant( β = -0.19, P <0.05). Conclusion Both peer relationship and internalizing problem has a certain stability across time, and early peer relationship and internalizing problem could predict later corresponding behaviors. Early peer relationship can predict later internalizing problem, while early internalizing problem cannot predict later peer relationship. 【摘要】 目的 考察学龄前儿童同伴关系和内化问题之间的相互预测关系, 为有效改善儿童青少年心理健康状况提供参 考依据。 方法 采用整群抽样方法, 使用儿童社会性发展量表和儿童行为核对表对山东省荷泽市4所幼儿园220名学龄 前儿童进行为期1年的追踪调查, 采用交叉滞后分析考察主要变量之间的相互预测关系。 结果 随着年级升高, 学龄前儿 童的同伴关系得分呈上升趋势 ( F 值分别为6.40和4.81, P 值均<0.01), 而内化问题得分则呈下降趋势 ( F 值分别为7.65 和5.46, P 值均<0.01);学龄前儿童前测时的同伴关系和内化问题对后测对应行为的预测作用均有统计学意义 ( β 值分别 为0.56,0.49, P 值均<0.01);前测同伴关系对后测内化问题的预测作用有统计学意义 (β = -0.19, P<0.05)。 结论 同伴关 系和内化问题均表现出跨时间的稳定性, 早期同伴关系和内化问题均能预测后期的对应行为。早期同伴关系能够预测后 期内化问题, 而早期内化问题无法预测后期同伴关系。