School Performance Scores Research Articles

Health-related quality of life of “left-behind children”: a cross-sectional survey in rural China

To estimate the prevalence of children in rural China without constant parental guardians (i.e., "left-behind"), to examine whether left-behind children were associated with lower health-related quality of life (HRQOL) than their counterparts ("non-left-behind"). A stratified two-stage cluster survey was conducted among 640 children aged between 8 and 14 in a county of Shandong province. HRQOL was assessed in 606 participants using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL). The estimated prevalence of left-behind children in the area was estimated at 53.5% (324/606). The mean PedsQL total scores were lower in the left-behind children than the non-left-behind (84.1 vs. 88.4; P < 0.01), as were psychosocial summary, emotional functioning, social functioning and school performance scores, while mean physical subscale scores did not differ significantly (85.4 vs. 86.2; P = 0.31). As age, education level and economic status increased, HRQOL of the children was significantly improved. Left-behind children report poorer HRQOL than non-left-behind children due to psychosocial dysfunction. An assessment of such problems is essential to estimate the need of rural children, for the identification of those at particular risk for lower quality of life, and for planning and implementation of appropriate health interventions.

Health-Related Quality of Life in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Results from the Autism Treatment Network

We examined data collected as a part of the Autism Treatment Network, a group of 15 autism centers across the United States and Canada. Mean Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) scores of the 286 children assessed were significantly lower than those of healthy populations (according to published norms). When compared to normative data from children with chronic conditions, children with ASD demonstrated worse HRQoL for total, psychosocial, emotional and social functioning, but did not demonstrate differing scores for physical and school functioning. HRQoL was not consistently related to ASD diagnosis or intellectual ability. However, it was consistently related to internalizing and externalizing problems as well as repetitive behaviors, social responsiveness, and adaptive behaviors. Associations among HRQoL and behavioral characteristics suggest that treatments aimed at improvements in these behaviors may improve HRQoL.

Co-occurring Chronic Pain and Obesity in Children and Adolescents

Determine the impact of co-occurring chronic pain and obesity on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children and adolescents. Retrospective chart review of 319 children and adolescents (8 to 18 y) seen at a multispecialty chronic pain clinic. HRQOL was measured with the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (v.4.0). Total, physical and psychosocial summary scores, and subscale scores for emotional, social, and school functioning were compared for youth across weight groups (healthy weight, overweight, obese). Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated to assess the likelihood of impaired HRQOL with a combined impact of chronic pain and obesity compared with chronic pain alone. Using previously published data; we also assessed the likelihood of impaired HRQOL with a combined impact of chronic pain and obesity compared with obesity alone. Across all domains of functioning, children and adolescents in the obese group reported lower HRQOL than the overweight and healthy weight groups. Emotional functioning was the exception; the obese group reported lower scores than the overweight group, but not the healthy weight group. The likelihood of impaired HRQOL was higher [OR, 2.2; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1-4.4] for children and adolescents with chronic pain and obesity than with chronic pain alone and higher than children and adolescents with obesity alone (OR, 3.7; 95% CI: 1.8-7.8). Co-occurring chronic pain and obesity exacerbates the impact of chronic pain alone on the HRQOL of children and adolescents. Routinely screening pediatric patients with chronic pain for elevated body mass index is recommended.

Self-Perception of Quality of Life by Adolescents with Neuromuscular Diseases

Little is known about quality of life of adolescents with neuromuscular diseases or the factors that influence it. We searched whether physical impairment, physical disability, and medical complications were predictors of low quality of life. Motor function, health, orthopedic status, and rehabilitation were assessed in 43 adolescents with neuromuscular diseases (mean age, 13.8 years, standard deviation 1.7 year; sex ratio 2.9/1). Quality of life was measured with the VSP-A ("Vécu Santé Perçu par l'Adolescent"; self-perceived health state in adolescents), a validated health-related quality of life self-perception test. A mixed linear regression related quality of life to impairment, disability, and respiratory status. Comparisons were made with results from an age/sex-matched nondisabled group. On the average, the VSP-A scores in physically disabled adolescents were: (1) similar to those of the nondisabled group with regard to vitality, body image, relationships with parents and friends, and physical and psychological well-being; (2) higher with regard to school performance (score 68 vs. 52.8) and relationships with teachers (67.4 vs. 43.2); and (3) lower with regard to leisure activities (43.9 vs. 60.9). Physical disability and physical impairment were not negatively associated with seven of the nine VSP-A dimensions, but physical impairment was negatively associated with leisure activities and vitality (p < .001 and p < .01, respectively). Adolescents with ventilatory support did not express lower scores than adolescents not requiring ventilatory support (67.7+/-11 vs. 62.9+/-15, p=.39). These surprising results should lead us question our medical, educational, and rehabilitation practices. Already well-managed disabled adolescents should benefit from less compassionate but more daring and dynamic interpersonal contacts.

Visual Impairment and Its Impact on Health-related Quality of Life in Adolescents

To determine the impact of visual impairment on health-related quality of life (QoL) measures in adolescents. School-based, cross-sectional study. Adolescents aged 11 to 18 years from the Singapore Cohort Study of the Risk Factors for Myopia were analyzed. QoL scores were determined using parallel child-self and parent proxy-report of PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales. Refractive error was measured using the table-mounted autorefractor (model RK5 Canon Inc, Ltd, Tochigiken, Japan) and habitual distance logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution (logMAR) visual acuity charts were used. Data on 1,249 adolescents and 948 parents were analyzed. The prevalence of better eye presenting visual impairment > 0.3 logMAR was 5.7%. The mean (standard deviation) total, physical, and psychosocial health scores of all adolescents were 83.6 (11.8), 89.9 (11.8), and 80.3 (13.7). Healthy adolescents with visual impairment reported statistically but not clinically lower total (-3.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], -7.1 to -0.5; P = .03), psychosocial (-4.2; 95% CI, -8.1 to -0.3; P = .03), and school functioning scores (-5.5, 95% CI, -10.2 to -0.9; P = .02) than those with normal vision. However, no significant difference was observed in the parent proxy-reported scores between the two groups. Differences in total scores between high (1.9; 95% CI, -0.6 to 4.4) and low-myopes (0.2; 95% CI, -1.3 to 1.6) compared with nonmyopes were not significant. Comparable scores were also reported by hyperopes, astigmatism, and their counterparts, as well as their parents. Concordance between child and parent proxy-report was < 0.07. Healthy adolescents with visual impairment experienced statistically though not clinically impaired health related QoL, but refractive errors did not appear to have an impact on QoL.

Validity and reliability of Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory for 2- to 4-year-old and 5- to 7-year-old Turkish children

In this study, we attempted to examine the reliability and validity of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) 4.0) for 2- to 4-year-old and 5- to 7-year-old Turkish children. Parents of 223 children in the 2- to 4-year-old age group and 198 children in the 5- to 7-year-old age group and their parents were enrolled in the study. Children were grouped as healthy, those with acute health conditions, and those with chronic health conditions. Internal consistency reliability alpha coefficients (Cronbach's coefficient alpha) of the PedsQL 4.0's total scale score for the parent proxy reports of 2- to 4-year-old children and 5- to 7-year-old age groups and for the child' s self-report of the 5- to 7-year-old age group were 0.85, 0.86, and 0.80, respectively. Most subscale scores were acceptable for group comparisons. For all items in the child self-report and parent proxy report, item internal consistency was found to be more than 0, 40. Children with chronic health conditions scored less than healthy children and the children with acute health conditions in parent proxy reports. However, in the child self-reports of the 5- to 7-year-old group, there was no significant statistical difference in the scores between the groups. Generally, there was a low-medium inverse correlation between the total scale scores (and most subscale scores) and the indicators of morbidity and illness burden. The correlation between the child self-report and the parent proxy reports were significant direct but low correlations. No significant difference was observed in subscale scores between genders except in the school functioning scores in parent reports of healthy children 2-4 years of age and the acute health condition group of 5-7 years of age. School functioning scores of boys were significantly lower than for girls. The parent proxy reports of the Turkish translation of the PedsQL 4.0 may be used in research for group comparisons for 2- to 7-year-old Turkish children.

Language development at ten months

Language development was followed from infancy to primary school age in order to examine the predictive significance for later language and scholastic outcome. Participants were from a prospective longitudinal study of a birth cohort of initially 362 children. A subsample of 90 children (54 boys, 36 girls) was administered with the Receptive-Expressive Emergent Language Scale (REEL) in order to obtain age-appropriate measures of expressive and receptive language at the age of 10 months. At 11 years, children completed a comprehensive test battery assessing various intellectual skills and language performance. Scholastic measures included a school performance score and a recommendation for type of secondary school. Both expressive and receptive language performance at 10 months were significantly associated with cognitive and educational outcome 10 years later. Infant language performance not only predicted later verbal and nonverbal skills but also school achievement at the end of primary school. Prediction was higher in girls than in boys and slightly better for verbal and academic than for nonverbal performance. The results demonstrate the importance of early language abilities in predicting cognitive and academic outcome at school age.

Excerpt from: 'National Model' or Flawed Approach? A Report by the United Teachers of New Orleans, Louisiana Federation of Teachers and the American Federation of Teachers, November, 2006

Recently, as the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina arrived, the media shined its spotlight on New Orleans' rebuilding and recovery efforts. Yet relatively little of this coverage focused on the city's public schools. Moreover, the limited coverage of the post-Katrina school system presented sketchy and incomplete picture of the major structural and operational changes that state officials made to the New Orleans public schools. In the weeks and months after Katrina, many bold promises were made to reinvigorate the city's public schools. In November 2005, Gov. Blanco called for the state to take control over most New Orleans schools, and she vowed to create birth of excellence and opportunity for the city's schoolchildren. (1) A document by state officials promoting the takeover plan identified the mission of the state-run Recovery School District (RSD) as creating world-class school system in which every decision focuses on the best interests of the children. (2) In April, Leslie Jacobs, BESE (Board of Elementary and Secondary Education) member, envisioned New Orleans as a new national model for urban schools. (3) Although it is early, initial evidence strongly suggests that the redesigned New Orleans public school system is unlikely to deliver on these and other promises. Why? * The dual-district structure created by state officials has proven confusing and cumbersome. Moreover, the confusion and disarray that were pervasive as the 2006-07 school year opened are likely to bedevil school operations for the rest of the year unless the seeds of these problems are adequately addressed. * The state's substantial takeover of the public school system was carried out clumsily and without fully engaging and involving parents, students, educators and other stakeholders. Any at meaningful and positive change will fall short unless state and local officials reconcile their policies and practices with the concerns and needs of these stakeholders. Over the past year, the people of New Orleans have endured great personal losses and tremendous hardships. As they struggle to rebuild their lives, they need public school system that is strong and stable--a school system that gives them reasons to believe that tomorrow can be better than today. The time for finger-pointed and political grandstanding is over. Reassessing the redesign of the city's schools is essential if state and local officials are to learn lessons, make necessary changes and create public school system that provides high-quality education to all of its students. Roughly 54 public schools were open in the city by September to accommodate an estimated 22,000 students. Public school enrollment in New Orleans is projected to increase to as many as 34,000 by January 2007, and most of these students will be left with no choice but to attend the RSD's non-selective schools because nearly all charter schools are full and turning away students. The Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) is the governing authority for 13 charter schools and 5 non-charter, selective-admission schools. OPSB's regular and charter schools scored above the average of the state's school performance score in 2004-05. * Regular schools--All staff in the five regular schools work for OPSB and are under the authority of OPSB's superintendent. * Charter schools--These schools are authorized and overseen by OPSB, which owns the buildings, but each of the 13 schools is run by an individual board, selects its own leadership and staff, and determines its academic and operational policies. Some regular public schools converted to charter status after Katrina because it was the most expedient and financially lucrative way to open the school. In 2005-06, the federal government awarded approximately $21 million to Louisiana for development of charter schools and will follow this with another $24 million in 2006-07. …

Use of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory to Assess the Health-Related Quality of Life in Children with Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis

The objective of this study was to use the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL), a 23-question modular instrument designed to measure the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children and adolescents, to compare the HRQOL in children with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) with the HRQOLs reported for healthy children and children with other chronic medical conditions. The PedsQL version 4.0 Generic Core Scales consist of 23 questions in 4 subscales (Physical, Emotional, Social, and School Functioning) for parent-proxy reporting on the HRQOL in children ages 2 to 4 years, parent reporting for children 5 to 18 years, and child self-reporting for ages 5 to 7 years (age-adjusted questions and rating scales) and 8 to 18 years. The questionnaires were administered in person or by telephone to 22 children with RRP and (or, for children 2 to 4 years of age) one parent recruited from a tertiary pediatric otolaryngology practice. The results were compared with validated norms for healthy children and scores for children whose parents reported a chronic medical condition. Compared with healthy controls, the children 5 to 18 years of age with RRP self-reported a significantly (p < .05) worse HRQOL as measured by the PedsQL Total Score, Psychosocial Health score (a combination of Emotional, Social, and School Functioning Scores), and Social Functioning and School Functioning scores. Self-reported scores for the children 5 to 18 years of age with RRP compared with children with other chronic illnesses followed the same trend, and the difference approached statistical significance (p = .05) for the School Functioning Subscale scores. The parent-proxy report (for children 2 to 18 years of age) scores for children with RRP were significantly lower (p < .0001) on every scale and in total compared with scores for healthy children. Compared with scores of children with other chronic medical conditions, the parent-proxy report scores were significantly lower for psychosocial health (p = .005) and school functioning (p < .0001). Children with RRP report a lower quality of life than do those who are healthy, and a quality of life similar to that of those who have other chronic medical problems. The parent reports also reflect a lower quality of life for children affected by this disease, as compared with healthy children. The PedsQL demonstrated a statistically significant low HRQOL in children with RRP; however, the clinical implications of this finding appear trivial. A distinct, disease-specific survey for RRP, if developed, would have enhanced responsiveness and sensitivity to change (due to the natural course of the disease and/or surgical treatments).

Health Related Quality of Life of Overweight and Obese Children

ContextThe negative effects of childhood overweight and obesity on quality of life (QOL) have been shown in clinical samples but not yet in population-based community samples.ObjectiveTo determine relationships between weight and health-related QOL reported by parent-proxy and child self-report in a population sample of elementary school children.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsCross-sectional data collected in 2000 within the Health of Young Victorians Study, a longitudinal cohort study commenced in 1997. Individuals were recruited via a random 2-stage sampling design from primary schools in Victoria, Australia. Of the 1943 children in the original cohort, 1569 (80.8%) were resurveyed 3 years later at a mean age of 10.4 years.Main Outcome MeasuresHealth-related QOL using the PedsQL 4.0 survey completed by both parent-proxy and by child self-report. Summary scores for children’s total, physical, and psychosocial health and subscale scores for emotional, social, and school functioning were compared by weight category based on International Obesity Task Force cut points.ResultsOf 1456 participants, 1099 (75.5%) children were classified as not overweight; 294 (20.2%) overweight; and 63 (4.3%) obese. Parent-proxy and child self-reported PedsQL scores decreased with increasing child weight. The parent-proxy total PedsQL mean (SD) score for children who were not overweight was 83.1 (12.5); overweight, 80.0 (13.6); and obese, 75.0 (14.5); P<.001. The respective child self-reported total PedsQL mean (SD) scores were 80.5 (12.2), 79.3 (12.8), and 74.0 (14.2); P<.001. At the subscale level, child and parent-proxy reported scores were similar, showing decreases in physical and social functioning for obese children compared with children who were not overweight (all P<.001). Decreases in emotional and school functioning scores by weight category were not significant.ConclusionThe effects of child overweight and obesity on health-related QOL in this community-based sample were significant but smaller than in a clinical sample using the same measure.

Health-Related Quality of Life of Overweight and Obese Children

The negative effects of childhood overweight and obesity on quality of life (QOL) have been shown in clinical samples but not yet in population-based community samples. To determine relationships between weight and health-related QOL reported by parent-proxy and child self-report in a population sample of elementary school children. Cross-sectional data collected in 2000 within the Health of Young Victorians Study, a longitudinal cohort study commenced in 1997. Individuals were recruited via a random 2-stage sampling design from primary schools in Victoria, Australia. Of the 1943 children in the original cohort, 1569 (80.8%) were resurveyed 3 years later at a mean age of 10.4 years. Health-related QOL using the PedsQL 4.0 survey completed by both parent-proxy and by child self-report. Summary scores for children's total, physical, and psychosocial health and subscale scores for emotional, social, and school functioning were compared by weight category based on International Obesity Task Force cut points. Of 1456 participants, 1099 (75.5%) children were classified as not overweight; 294 (20.2%) overweight; and 63 (4.3%) obese. Parent-proxy and child self-reported PedsQL scores decreased with increasing child weight. The parent-proxy total PedsQL mean (SD) score for children who were not overweight was 83.1 (12.5); overweight, 80.0 (13.6); and obese, 75.0 (14.5); P<.001. The respective child self-reported total PedsQL mean (SD) scores were 80.5 (12.2), 79.3 (12.8), and 74.0 (14.2); P<.001. At the subscale level, child and parent-proxy reported scores were similar, showing decreases in physical and social functioning for obese children compared with children who were not overweight (all P<.001). Decreases in emotional and school functioning scores by weight category were not significant. The effects of child overweight and obesity on health-related QOL in this community-based sample were significant but smaller than in a clinical sample using the same measure.

Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders and Teacher-Reported School Functioning of Normal Children

Correlations between scores on the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale, a questionnaire for measuring symptoms of anxiety disorders and a report of school functioning by teachers were computed for 317 primary school children and 13 teachers in The Netherlands. Analysis showed a small but significant negative correlation between scores for total anxiety and school functioning (r = -.20, p < .001). The finding is consistent with the notion that high symptoms indicating anxiety disorders in children are accompanied by less optimal functioning in school.

Intelligence in preterm children at four years of age as a predictor of school function: a longitudinal controlled study

The aim of the study was to examine whether school performance was reduced in children with very‐low birthweight beyond what could be explained by the deficit in intelligence‐score at 4 years of age. Participants (n=333) examined at 4 years of age included three subgroups on the basis of birthweight: very‐low birthweight (VLBW &lt;1501g; n=102), low birthweight (LBW 1500–2300g; n=139), and normal birthweight (NBW ·2500g; n=92). The general cognitive index index (CGI) from the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities was used as an intelligence measurement at this assessment. At 18 to 20 years of age a telephone interview concerning school performance was conducted. Two hundred and fifty‐seven participants (53% male, 47% female) entered the analysis. A model with School Performance score after the last year of compulsory school as the outcome variable, and McCarthy GCI and birthweight group as predicting variables, was used in linear regression analyses. Twenty‐four per cent of the variance was explained. Birthweight had no influence in this model. In conclusion, the study did not find that birthweight influenced school performance beyond that represented by the McCarthy GCI found at age 4 years.

Die prestasievooruitsigte in verskillende universitêre vakrigtings: 'n internasionaal vergelykende ondersoek

Verskeie statisties beduidende korrelasies wat in grootte wissel van matig tot hoog is gevind tussen 'n indeks van die prestasievooruitsigte in 14 vakrigtings aan 'n Suid-Afrikaanse universiteit en die ooreenstemmende indekse wat dekades vroeer aan twee universiteite in die VSA verkry is. Hierdie indeks het matig tot hoe, statisties beduidende, negatiewe korrelasies getoon met elk van die volgende eienskappe van hierdie vakrigtings: die gemiddelde matriekprestasies van studente daarin, die aanwesigheid van voorvereistes, en die getal geakkrediteerde vaktydskrifte daarin. Die verkree bevindings ondersteun die algemeenheid van die verskynsel dat vakrigtings ten opsigte van prestasievooruitsigte van mekaar verskil en suggereer dat hierdie verskynsel nie uitsluitlik aan die nasienoptrede van dosente toegeskryf kan word nie, maar dat die aard van die vakrigtings ook daarmee verband hou. Summary Previous research unequivocally suggests that even the same group of students tends to obtain different marks in different academic disciplines. Authors such as Goldman and Widawski (1976), Elliott and Strenta (1988) and Young (1993) attribute such between-course mark noncomparability to differential grading standards, by which they mean that if the same group of students obtains a higher mean in one course than in another, the marking standards are more lenient in the former than in the latter course. In this article it is proposed that the present phenomenon could more appropriately be referred to as the varying achievement prospects in these disciplines, because the differences observed cannot be attributed solely to the marking actions of lecturers. To determine an index of the leniency or strictness of the grading standards of an academic department, Goldman and Widawski (1976) identified the groups of students that took courses in both that department and any other department, and computed for each such group the difference between their means in the two departments. They used the mean of these pairwise differences (each difference being obtained between the department in question and another department) as the index for that department. Elliott and Strenta (1988) extended this procedure to obtain such adjustment indices for grading standards between courses within departments by determining the mean of the students in a course minus the mean of the means that these students obtained in their respective sets of remaining courses in the same department. Several studies demonstrated increases in the correlations between predictors (eg, high school performance and aptitude-test scores) and university performance after the latter has been adjusted in terms of the present indices. In this study, achievement prospect indices were derived on the first-year marks of three intakes of students at a South African university. This was done by applying the Elliott-Strenta approach for 14 disciplines for whom Goldman and Widawski (1976) and Elliott and Strenta (1988) developed indices at different universities in the United States of America several decades ago. Furthermore, reasons for the present phenomenon proposed by Goldman and Hewitt (1975) were investigated by correlating objective indices of these potentially explanatory variables with the locally determined achievement prospect indices. Their suggestion that more objective facts had accumulated in the natural sciences than in the social sciences and the humanities, was investigated by correlating these indices with the number of journals in these disciplines that were accredited by the National Department of Education. Their notion that the contents of the natural sciences were hierarchically structured and hence more complex than those of the social sciences and the humanities was investigated by correlating the present indices with the presence/absence of prerequisites for the disciplines involved. The idea that students gravitated towards the disciplines that were best suited to their abilities was examined by correlating the present indices with the mean matriculation symbol point totals of students in these disciplines. Correlations of medium to large sizes (Cohen 1992) were obtained. Moreover, despite the small samples (of disciplines) involved, the majority of the results for two of the three intakes of first-year students were statistically significant, some even at the one percent level. These results support the comparability of the indices of achievement prospects obtained locally and those determined earlier in the United States and suggest that the present phenomenon cannot be explained satisfactorily in terms of the grading practices of lecturers only, but that the nature (structure, complexity, extensiveness) of the disciplines involved also needs to be taken into consideration. The present findings call for a reinterpretation and renaming of the well established finding that disciplines differ in terms of the ease with which students earn marks in them. For the present, a more neutral term, such as achievement prospects, rather than grading standards, seems to be appropriate. South African Journal of Higher Education Vol.16(3) 2002: 139-147

Family Environment Scale Predictors of Academic Performance

Relationships between high school and college academic performance and Family Environment Scale scores were examined within a sample of 346 college students. Low high-school grade point averages (GPA&lt;2.5) were two to four times as common among students with high Conflict, or low Expressiveness, Cohesion, or Recreation scores. Moral–Religious subscale scores were also associated with favorable high school academic performance as well as increased college classroom attendance. Control variables included the Beck Depression Inventory, Shipley Institute of Living Scale, and reports of parental divorce or bereavement histories. A primary objective was achieved in providing simple guidelines for the identification of students at high risk for psychosocial problems using the Family Environment Scale.

Prepubertal sons of substance abusers: Influences of parental and familial substance abuse on behavioral disposition, IQ, and school achievement

In order to better understand the transgeneration liability for a substance abuse disorder, we investigated the impact of parental and familial substance abuse disorders on prepubertal boys. Specifically, the influence of each parent's substance abuse history and the effects of significant family aggregation of substance abuse disorders were tested as predictors of the child's behavioral disposition, IQ, and school achievement scores, while controlling for socioeconomic status (SES). Sons of substance abusing fathers were found to have higher externalizing and internalizing problem-behavior scores, lower IQ scores, and lower school achievement scores. Internalizing and externalizing problem-behavior scores were most strongly associated with bilineal parental substance abuse, whereas SES and paternal substance abuse were most strongly associated with IQ and school performance scores. The results are compatible with the hypothesis that although paternal substance abuse has an adverse impact on the son's functioning, bilineal parental substance abuse is associated with the greatest behavioral deviancy among prepubertal males and is associated with a greater liability for substance abuse.

Abnormal growth of cultured skin fibroblasts associated with poor premorbid history in schizophrenic patients

The relations of abnormal growth of cultured skin fibroblasts, as manifest in prolonged doubling time, and a history of impaired childhood premorbid functioning, separately for social and school (instrumental) functioning were examined in 22 schizophrenic patients. Prolonged doubling time (>2 weeks) was significantly associated with poorer childhood social functioning, even after controlling for variance due to age, sex, race, and age at onset of illness. Doubling time was not associated with school performance scores. The findings indicate that the cellular or molecular process(es) underlying abnormal growth of skin fibroblasts may be involved in, or associated with, aberrant biological processes that contribute to early dyssocial behavior in schizophrenic patients.

Routine ultrasonography in utero and school performance at age 8-9 years

Most fetuses in developed countries are exposed in utero to diagnostic ultrasound examination. Many pregnant women express concern about whether the procedure harms the fetus. Since most routine ultrasound examinations are done at weeks 16-22, when the fetal brain is developing rapidly, effects on neuronal migration are possible. We have sought an association between routine ultrasonography in utero and reading and writing skills among children in primary school. At the age of 8 or 9 years, children of women who had taken part in two randomised, controlled trials of routine ultrasonography during pregnancy were followed-up. The women had attended the clinics of 60 general practitioners in central Norway during 1979-81. The analysis of outcome was by intention to treat: 92% of the "screened" group had been exposed to ultrasound screening at weeks 16-22, and 95% of controls had not been so exposed, but there was some overlap. 2428 singletons were eligible for follow-up, and the school performance of 2011 children (83%) was assessed by their teachers on a scale of 1-7; the teachers were unaware of ultrasound exposure status. A subgroup of 603 children underwent specific tests for dyslexia. There were no statistically significant differences between children screened with ultrasound and controls in the teacher-reported school performance (scores for reading, spelling, arithmetic, or overall performance). Results from the dyslexia test sample showed no differences between screened children and controls in reading, spelling, and intelligence scores, or in discrepancy scores between intelligence and reading or spelling. The test results classified 21 of the 309 screened children (7% [95% confidence interval 3-10%]) and 26 of the 294 controls (9% [4-12%]) as dyslexic. The risk of having poor skills in reading and writing was no greater for children whose mothers had been offered routine ultrasonography than for those whose mothers had not been offered the procedure.

School performance and IQ‐test scores at age 13 as related to birth weight and gestational age

The cohort in the present longitudinal research program consisted of 873 children in an entire school grade, in a Swedish community. The present results showed a main effect of birth weight; low birth weight (LBW) children had lower school performance and intelligence-test (IQ) scores at age 13 than did normal birth weight (NBW) children irrespective of parental SES. Second, there was no significant main effect of gestational age (GA) on scholastic performance and IQ-test scores. Third, there was a significant main effect of the combination of birth weight and GA on scholastic performance and IQ-test scores. The LBW children born at term (38-40 pregnancy weeks; pw) had significantly lower scores and school grades as compared to the control group while the LBW children born with short gestational age (34-37 pw) and with very short gestational age (less than 34 pw) had significantly lower scores and marks in fewer areas of academic attainment.

Effect on School Performance of Prenatal Exposure to the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb.

As a part of the continuing assessment of the effects on the developing embryonic and fetal brain of exposure to ionizing radiation, the school performance of prenatally exposed survivors of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and a suitable comparison group have been studied. In this report, the changes in performance in seven school subjects according to dose are compared under the dosimetry system (DS86) instituted in 1986 at the Radiation Effects Research Foundation. The sample involves 929 children whose fetal absorbed dose are known and includes 14 severely mentally retarded persons. The findings can be summarized as follows: 1) Damage to the 8-15 week fetal brain appears to be linearly related to the absorbed dose, as judged by the simple regression of average school-performance score on dose. Damage to the fetus exposed at 16-25 weeks after fertilization appears similar to that seen in the 8-15 week group. Canonical and multiple correlations also show a highly significant relationship of exposure 8-15 weeks and 16-25 weeks after fertilization to achievement in school. This trend is stronger, however, in the earliest years of schooling. 2) In the group exposed within 0-7 weeks following fertilization, or 26 or more weeks after fertilization, there was no evidence of a radiation-related effect on scholastic performance. 3) These results parallel those previously found in prenatally exposed survivors with respect to achievement in standard intelligence tests in childhood and development of severe mental retardation.