School Children Research Articles

Geospatial analysis of malaria burden in Kagera region, northwestern Tanzania using health facility and community survey data

Abstract Background Malaria transmission in Tanzania has declined significantly over the last two decades due to scaled-up control interventions. However, recent confirmation of artemisinin partial resistance (ART-R) in Kagera region in northwest Tanzania threatens the ongoing efforts to eliminate malaria in the country. This study was conducted according to the World Health Organization recommendation to generate evidence of malaria burden in areas with confirmed ART-R as the first step before developing a response strategy to the resistance. Methods We assessed the local burden of malaria in Kagera region by geospatial analysis, using data collected retrospectively from health facilities (HFs) and community surveys from 2015 to 2023 to identify malaria hotspots. Results From 2017 to 2023, a total of 8,124,363 suspected malaria cases were reported by HFs, and 2,983,717 (36.7%, 95% range across wards: 22.7 - 50.7%) tested positive by rapid diagnostic tests. Test positivity rates were similar among under-fives (33.1%, 95% range: 19.7–46.5%) and patients aged ≥5 years (33.7%, 95% range: 21.0–46.5%). Malaria prevalence was 10.0% (95% range across wards: 5.1–14.9%%, n=84,999/853,761) in pregnant women and 26.1% (95% range across wards: 11.7–40.6%, n=3,409/13,065) in school children. Despite high temporal variations, we identified hotspots and coldspots, including persistently high burden in 69/192 (35.9%) wards. Conclusion Malaria burden in Kagera exhibited high temporal and spatial heterogeneity, with school children showing the highest prevalence. This demographic pattern underlines the need for targeted interventions and provides evidence for developing an ART-R response for the region.

Integration of displaced students into the culturally and linguistically different school environment

AbstractThe rapid increase in the number of refugees arriving in the last decade and the discussion about the integration of Syrian refugees into Turkish society has received special attention. As an important tool of socialisation in childhood, the educational system and school environment need to be structured using refugee‐friendly and equity‐based methods to meet the needs and expectations of refugee children. Based on the perceptions of school leaders and teachers, this study attempts to understand the challenges faced by Syrian refugee students during their integration into the school environment in Turkey and explore the practices of educators in meeting these challenges. A phenomenological qualitative design explored educators' beliefs, thoughts and experiences regarding the education of Syrian refugee children in Turkish schools. Participants of this research were 21 educators including 4 principals, 3 assistant principals, and 14 teachers working in primary and secondary schools with Syrian refugee students. The results show that Syrian refugee students in Turkey encounter various challenges as they adjust socio‐culturally, psychologically, and academically within the school setting. Although some of the teachers apply culturally relevant methodologies unconsciously, there is a gap in professional training on this. Educators declare the need for more practical and inclusive approaches despite the efforts by the Ministry of National Education. Hence, this study suggests the necessity of targeted training programmes because the purpose is to better equip teachers with effective strategies of integration. Thus, it is recommended that gradual language education and mutual cultural activities are widely applied to make refugee students feel more comfortable and to successfully improve their academic achievement. Context and implications Rationale for the study This research is motivated by the precarious situation of Syrian refugee students residing in Turkey. Why the new findings matter The new findings underline large gaps in culturally responsive pedagogy among educators and call forth the need for all‐round, hands‐on training programmes to better facilitate the academic and socio‐cultural integration of refugee children. The findings also reveal a gap in the familiarity and application of culturally responsive pedagogy among educators, pointing to a need for professional development in this area. Implications for practitioners, researchers and policy makers This paper, therefore, calls for the practical training of practitioners in culturally responsive pedagogy to become more supportive of their refugee students. A call is sent out to the framers of the educational policies, which incorporates comprehensive professional development along with inclusive education policies that address the requirements of refugee children. Building on these findings, researchers might explore systems, strategies, and interventions to effectively integrate displaced students into the classroom. The study thus requires collaborative efforts in the creation of supportive school environments that juxtapose socio‐cultural and academic success for quality education among refugee students.

Pengaruh Pendidikan Jasmani Bagi Anak Sekolah Dasar untuk Pembentukan Karakter di Era Modern

This research aims to examine the influence of physical education for elementary school children on character formation in the modern era. By using the literature review method, which begins with identifying relevant sources. The results of the research show that physical education in the modern era has a very important role in development. holistic children. Physical education does not only focus on physical aspects, but also includes cognitive, effective and psychomotor development. Physical education contributes to the formation of students' character and social skills in the modern era. In this context, the role of teachers as role models is crucial, where they are expected to deliver materials in creative and interactive ways, including utilizing digital platforms such as TikTok to attract students' interest. The research also highlights the challenges faced in implementing physical education, such as the lack of facilities and resources and the need for professional training for teachers to improve the quality of learning. Thus, physical education is expected to contribute not only to students' physical health, but also to the development of social skills and adaptability in an increasingly digitalized world.

Community perspectives of Ebola Viral Disease in high-risk transmission border regions of Tanzania: a qualitative inquiry

BackgroundTanzania faces ever-rising concerns due to the recurrence of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda. This necessitates a better understanding of the community perspectives in high-risk regions for effective risk communication and preparedness.MethodsThis rapid ethnographic assessment study used explorative qualitative methods to collect data. People from diverse backgrounds participated in 59 in-depth interviews, 57 Key Informant interviews, and 35 focus group discussions. Data was analysed using a thematic analysis approach.FindingThe study revealed existence of awareness of EVD and its symptoms, with radio and television being the main sources of information. However, there were varied perceptions of EVD’s cause and transmission, some attributed it to bats, monkeys, and wild animal meat, while others associated it with high fever, a dirty environment, changing dietary patterns, and the COVID-19 virus. Physical contact with an infected person’s body fluids and eating meat from infected animals were perceived as EVD transmission routes. Women, school children, boda-boda (motorcycle) riders, and fishermen were considered the most susceptible to EVD infections due to their daily activities. Preventive measures included avoiding physical contact, touching fluids, and refraining from eating wild animal meat. Prompt reporting of suspected cases to health facilities was deemed crucial for earlier outbreak identification and containment.ConclusionThe high-risk regions of Tanzania had a high level of awareness and perceived susceptibility to EVD, coupled with varying degrees of misperception about the etiology and its transmission. To improve community perspectives and preparedness in the case of an outbreak, there is a need for ongoing risk communication and participation in EVD prevention and responses.

Supplemental Material for Comparing Generating Predictions With Retrieval Practice as Learning Strategies for Primary School Children

Supplemental Material for Comparing Generating Predictions With Retrieval Practice as Learning Strategies for Primary School Children

CHILD PARTICIPATION IN CARTOONS: THE EXAMPLE OF TURKISH RADIO AND TELEVISION CORPORATION CHILDREN'S CHANNEL

It is considered necessary to support the participation of children socially, and media tools having a significant effect on individuals today should reflect child participation. The aim of this study was to examine the right to participate in cartoons prepared for primary school children. The study was conducted with a descriptive survey model. The sample of this study was determined by criterion sampling and consists of a total of 10 cartoons on the TRT Children’s channel for primary school children. The data were collected with a checklist and were analysed with descriptive analysis. As a result of the research, it was determined that in the cartoons, child-led participation was the most common level of participation, while collaborative participation was the least common. Furthermore, it was determined that the qualities of participation in cartoons were mostly related, voluntary and respectful and the safe and sensitive to risk were the least. Keywords: children’s participation, media, primary school children, right to participate

Impact of Weight Status on Hemodynamic Parameters and Aerobic Fitness in School-Aged Children: A Study in a Rural School Community.

Maintaining a high level of physical activity provides significant health benefits for children, particularly in enhancing cardiorespiratory fitness and maintaining a healthy weight. This study aimed to investigate the impact of weight status on children's hemodynamic parameters and aerobic fitness levels. This cross-sectional study included 350 rural primary school children (146 boys and 204 girls) aged 11-13 years, randomly selected from two schools in the King Cetshwayo District, KwaDlangezwa area of KwaZulu-Natal. The anthropometric measurements recorded included height, weight, waist circumference, and hip circumference, with percentiles calculated using Cole's Lambda, Mu, and Sigma method. Additionally, skinfold measurements were obtained at four sites (biceps, triceps, subscapular, and suprailiac). Hemodynamic measurements included systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate. Aerobic fitness was assessed using the 20 m shuttle run test, which evaluated speed, level, and age. The healthy group demonstrated significantly lower ratios in several measurements compared to those of the overweight group, i.e., the VO2max was 6% higher (<0.001), the waist-to-hip ratio was 6% lower (<0.001), the body fat percentage was 16% lower (<0.001), the waist circumference was 12% lower (<0.001), and the resting heart rate was 3% lower (p ≤ 0.055). Differences in systolic and diastolic blood pressure were also observed, with the systolic pressure 2% lower (p ≤ 0.116) and the diastolic pressure 3% lower (p ≤ 0.086) in the healthy group. The study revealed a significant association between body weight status, aerobic fitness, and blood pressure parameters. Conducted in rural primary schools in KwaDlangezwa, KwaZulu-Natal, the research highlights notable correlations among weight status, aerobic competence, and blood pressure (BP) in children aged 11 to 13 years. The findings indicate that children with a healthy body weight showed higher VO2max levels and a reduced risk of developing childhood obesity and hypertension, unlike their overweight or obese peers, who displayed lower aerobic fitness and higher blood pressure.

The Effects of Morphological Instruction on Literacy Outcomes for Children in English-Speaking Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

In this pre-registered meta-analysis, we investigated the effectiveness of morphology instruction on literacy outcomes for primary school children in English-speaking countries. We were interested in overall reading and spelling outcomes, but we also looked separately at results for trained and untrained words in order to determine whether there was evidence of transfer to untrained words. Further, we were interested in whether results transferred beyond the word level to reading comprehension outcomes. Our screening process revealed 28 eligible studies, which contributed 177 effect sizes to the analyses. Robust variance estimation methods were used to account for dependence between effect sizes. Overall, effect sizes on reading and spelling outcomes were small to moderate. Effect sizes were larger for trained words than untrained words. There was evidence of transfer to untrained words for spelling outcomes, but not for reading outcomes. There was also no clear evidence of effects on reading comprehension outcomes. In general, the evidence was characterised by large amounts of heterogeneity and imprecision, which was reflective of the wide variety within and between studies in terms of intervention content, outcome measures, intervention dosage and type of control group. We discuss the limitations of the current literature and make recommendations for future research and practice in the field of morphology instruction. (207 words – max 250).

МЕКТЕПКЕ ДЕЙІНГІ ЖӘНЕ КІШІ МЕКТЕП ЖАСЫНДАҒЫ БАЛАЛАРДЫҢ ЗЕРТТЕУШІЛІК ІС-ӘРЕКЕТІНІҢ САБАҚТАСТЫҒЫНДАҒЫ ЖОБАЛАУ ӘДІСІНІҢ ТИІМДІЛІГІ

In this article, we conducted a theoretical analysis of the works of scientists who studied the continuity of research activities of preschool and primary school children from a philosophical, psychological, and pedagogical point of view, partially focusing on the works of some methodologists. Also, on the basis of the methodology proposed in the article, in order to substantiate the validity of the forecast put forward by us, experimental work was carried out using the design method, in close connection with professional practical experience, the problem of continuity of research activities of preschool and primary school children was considered, recommendations for improving work for further development were given.

Molar Incisor Hypomineralization and Related Risk Factors among Primary School Children in Jeddah: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Molar Incisor Hypomineralization (MIH) is a prevalent multifactorial developmental dental defect with unclear etiology. This study aimed to identify potential risk factors for MIH among primary school children in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study including children aged 7 to 10 years old, recruited from twelve randomly selected schools located in three regions of Jeddah city, was carried out. The children were examined for MIH and dental caries using the European Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Criteria (2003) and the DMFT/dmft WHO index. Parents were asked to provide medical and socio-demographic information on their children from their first two years of life. A total of 2010 children were examined, with 888 parents responding to the survey (a 44.2% response rate). Lower maternal education was found to be significantly associated with a decreased adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of MIH (Model 1: p = 0.014, AOR = 0.646, and 95% CI = 0.456 to 0.915; Model 2: p = 0.019, AOR = 0.658, and 95% CI = 0.465 to 0.933). Being an only child, a child's birth order, type of delivery, breastfeeding, and medical conditions were not associated with MIH. The significant association between MIH and maternal education suggests that further research is needed to explore the underlying mechanisms and identify other potential confounding variables.

Health-Related Field-Based Fitness Tests: Normative Values for Italian Primary School Children.

Background/Objectives: conducting fitness tests in educational settings can lead to advantages for both individuals and groups, beyond just enhancing fitness. With the aim of appropriately interpreting performance, this study was conducted to establish sex- and age-specific percentile normative data for a physical fitness (PF) protocol and to define a compound measure of physical performance. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a short, feasible, and easy-to-administer test battery was performed for 5106 school children, aged 6-10 years. Gender- and age-specific percentiles for the PF tests were constructed, and a Physical Fitness-Motor Competence Performance Index (PF-MC PI) was calculated according to the percentiles. Results: Boys scored higher in all the PF tests when compared to girls (p < 0.001). There was also a trend towards increased PF levels as the age increased in both genders (p < 0.0001). Correlations between scores on individual test items were moderate to high (r from 0.549 to 0.700), and all individual test item scores significantly correlated with the PF-MC PI (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: the provided percentile values will enable the correct interpretation and monitoring of the fitness status of children and the PF-MC PI can be used for easily rating children's health-related fitness qualities.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of myopia prevalence in Brazilian school children

Systematic review and meta-analysis of myopia prevalence in Brazilian school children

Co-resident grandparent and maternal employment. A Northern Ireland cross-sectional administrative data analysis

The trade-off between the costs of childcare provision and the benefits of having an increased proportion of women, particularly women with dependent children, in employment is one of the most taxing social issues for Western governments. In countries like Northern Ireland, the limited subsidised childcare provision for preschool and primary school children has been partially offset by a rise in informal childcare though this has been considerably hard to assess both in terms of magnitude and effect. Using the entire 2011 Census cohort of mothers with children aged 1 to 16 years of age, we argue that co-resident grandparents have a substantial positive impact on maternal labour force participation in Northern Ireland. The presence of a co-resident grandparent was associated with an increase of 3.7 percentage points in employment for single-parent mothers and 2 percentage points for mothers in two-parent households. Mothers with co-resident grandparents report an increase of 2.7 percentage points for a single mother and of 3.7 percentage points for a mother in a two-parent household being in full-time employment than mothers without. Overall, the presence of a co-resident grandparent was associated with at least a 3.2 percentage point increase in labour force participation among mothers with primary-school-age children.

Estimating the risk and spatial spread of measles in populations with high MMR uptake: Using school-household networks to understand the 2013 to 2014 outbreak in the Netherlands.

Measles outbreaks are still routine, even in countries where vaccination coverage exceeds the guideline of 95%. Therefore, achieving ambitions for measles eradication will require understanding of how unvaccinated children interact with others who are unvaccinated. It is well established that schools and homes are key settings for both clustering of unvaccinated children and for transmission of infection. In this study, we evaluate the potential for contacts between unvaccinated children in these contexts to facilitate measles outbreaks with a focus on the Netherlands, where large outbreaks have been observed periodically since the introduction of mumps, measles and rubella (MMR). We created a network of all primary and secondary schools in the Netherlands based on the total number of household pairs between each school. A household pair are siblings from the same household who attend a different school. We parameterised the network with individual level administrative school and household data provided by the Dutch Ministry for Education and estimates of school level uptake of the MMR vaccine. We analysed the network to establish the relative strength of contact between schools and found that schools associated with low vaccine uptake are highly connected, aided by a differentiated school system in the Netherlands (Coleman homophily index (CHI) = 0.63). We simulated measles outbreaks on the network and evaluated the model against empirical measles data per postcode area from a large outbreak in 2013 (2,766 cases). We found that the network-based model could reproduce the observed size and spatial distribution of the historic outbreak much more clearly than the alternative models, with a case weighted receiver operating characteristic (ROC) sensitivity of 0.94, compared to 0.17 and 0.26 for models that do not account for specific network structure or school-level vaccine uptake, respectively. The key limitation of our framework is that it neglects transmission routes outside of school and household contexts. Our framework indicates that clustering of unvaccinated children in primary schools connected by unvaccinated children in related secondary schools lead to large, connected clusters of unvaccinated children. Using our approach, we could explain historical outbreaks on a spatial level. Our framework could be further developed to aid future outbreak response.

Lifestyle and risk of developing myopia in school children in Chongqing, China.

Myopia has emerged as a leading global reason for poor vision in children and adolescents. this study aims to investigate the influence of lifestyles on myopia in schoolchildren in Chongqing, China. This cross-sectional study was conducted on primary and junior high school graduates in Chongqing City, China. Students who came to the assigned hospital for the physical examination of their upgrade school enrollment were recruited. In addition to regular examination and eyeusing questionnaire, visual acuity and non-cycloplegic autorefraction were measured. Of all 1806 eligible students, 1,623 students (89.87%) were included in the analysis. The prevalence of myopia in elementary and junior middle school graduates was 73.1 and 81.8%, respectively. According to the multivariate logistic regression analysis, 1 h more homework (OR = 1.272, p = 0.032), attending out-school courses (OR = 1.973, p = 0.006), frequently checking of eyes (OR = 1.337, p = 0.015) and using eye-protecting lamp (OR = 2.528, p < 0.001) were more likely to be associated with myopia (p < 0.05). While 1 h more outdoor activity in weekday (OR = 0.811, p = 0.033) and weekend (OR = 0.796, p = 0.034) were less likely to have myopia. The current prevalence of myopia among elementary and junior high school students in Chongqing is high. Academic pressures, bad habits of using eyes, and limited time for outdoor activity mainly contribute to the epidemic of myopia. Various policies in and out of schools related to reducing academic pressures, increasing outdoor activities, and improving eye habits may help control the prevalence of myopia in teenagers.

Tour guides as facilitators of learning under field trips

ABSTRACT Students embark on museum field trips with the goal of having enjoyable and educational experiences outside of the traditional classroom setting. This study investigated how museum tour guides helped primary school children in Zimbabwe learn school curriculum content while on field excursions. The study employed qualitative research approaches where a sample of conveniently chosen 320 school children, 12 teachers, and 40 museum tour guides was used. It is revealed that there are three different categories of tour guides that are found in Zimbabwean museums and these are: evangelists, dictators, and benevolent demonstrators. It was discovered that students go on field trips in order to engage with and learn about the curriculum. According to the investigation, nine (9) tour guides were classified as benevolent demonstrators, ten (10) as dictators, and twenty-one (21) as evangelists. It was shown that evangelist and dictator tour guides hindered effective learning because they treated students like epistemic slaves. During field visits, benevolent demonstrators used active techniques of content delivery to encourage effective learning. According to the study’s findings, most tour guides fall short when it comes to promoting effective learning, and they should receive pedagogy and customer service training.

Lifestyle Patterns among Adolescents in Selected Schools of District Rohtak, Haryana: A Cross Sectional Study

Introduction: - Adolescence is a period in which an individual undergoes major physical and psychological changes. There is convincing evidence between lifestyle diseases and unhealthy habits which are acquired during adolescence and persist in adulthood. An early investigation of the lifestyles of adolescents will probably prevent their progression into serious diseases. Methods: - The present cross-sectional study recruited 600 adolescents studying 9th to 12th in the selected schools of Rohtak, Haryana, India. The lifestyle-related behavior and practices were assessed based on a structured proforma with the following domains: - home &amp; environment, education, eating habits, and sexuality. Ethical permission was obtained from the concerned authorities. Results: - The mean age of the study subjects was 15.9 (SD-1.4) and most of them were males (61%). More than half of the study subjects (52.7%) were having BMI of 18 to 25 Kg/m2 and 39.8% of them belonged to lower middle socio-economic status. A major proportion of the students felt happy to go to school (64%) and were regular in attending school (90%). The majority of them reported having some spiritual beliefs (88%). A major proportion of the students reported that they own smartphones (83%) and were using various social networking sites (83%). Around 63% of the subjects reported eating fast food on monthly basis. About 11% of the subjects reported the usage of alcohol in the current 3 months. Around 20% of the subjects reported knowledge regarding HIV/STD. Conclusion: - The study documents the presence of unhealthy dietary practices, higher levels of usage of mobile phones along with alcohol use in the school children in this setting. The current study provides some preliminary data for policymakers so that they can modify the current policies and interventions according to the needs of adolescents.

Pola Implementasi Pelatihan Batik Cap Interaktif Motif Khas Pacitan untuk Anak Usia Sekolah Dasar

The implementation pattern of interactive stamp batik training with typical motifs of Pacitan Regency for elementary school children is designed based on adaptive learning and digital technopreneurship. The purpose of this training is to introduce batik skills from an early age and equip children with technological and entrepreneurial skills. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, data was collected through observation, interviews, and document analysis. The results showed a significant increase in children's understanding and skills in making batik stamps, as well as a greater appreciation of local cultural heritage. Training also contributes to the development of technology-based entrepreneurial skills. Challenges related to limited access to technology and training materials have been successfully overcome with an adaptive and collaborative approach.

The effect of classroom acoustics and noise on preschool children’s listening, learning, and wellbeing: A scoping review

Preschool is an important time for children to grow in their experiences, abilities, and knowledge before entering formal school. Therefore, it is vital that the classroom acoustic environment supports children’s listening, learning, and wellbeing. The aim of this scoping review was to determine what is known from the literature about the effect of classroom acoustics and noise on preschool children’s listening, learning, and wellbeing, and what the knowledge gaps are. The scoping review followed the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Seven papers met the criteria to be included in the review. The findings suggest that poor classroom acoustic conditions and particularly high noise levels, can have a negative effect on preschool school children’s listening and wellbeing, but may not affect word learning at the SNRs investigated. Nevertheless, it would be beneficial to install acoustic solutions and manage noise in preschool classrooms to enhance children’s listening, learning, and wellbeing. Future research avenues are discussed.

THE USE OF DANCE-MOVEMENT THERAPY IN CORRECTIONAL WORK WITH PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN WITH NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS

This study analyses the effectiveness of innovative methods of psychological support aimed at primary school children with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Based on the theory of movement behaviour of N. A. Bernstein and approaches of V. M. Sechenov, V. M. Bekhterev, and other prominent specialists in the field of defectology, special and clinical psychology, the article makes a significant contribution to the practice of correcting the psychoemotional state and behavioural reactions of children with the mentioned disorders. The central aspect of the work is the assessment of the use of the mirror dance method for children with autism and adaptation of specialised approaches of psychological support for children with ADHD. The study includes 50 participants aged 6 to 10, selected through educational and medical institutions. The results demonstrate the significance of individualised approaches in correcting behavioural and emotional problems, emphasising that targeted psychological intervention facilitates adaptation to school life and reduces emotional discomfort in children...