Status Of Preschoolers Research Articles

Do home gardens improve the nutrition of rural pre-schoolers in Lesotho?

In this study, the contribution of household gardens to the nutritional status of pre-schoolers in Lesotho was investigated. The anthropometric status of children under five years of age was measured in five randomly selected villages in five districts of Lesotho during November and December 1999. In each district, the nutritional status of an average of 538 children was assessed. Production from household gardens was investigated to determine whether households had access to vegetables throughout the year. Despite a significant association between the presence of home gardens and lower incidences of wasting and underweight, the nutritional status of children in households with or without home gardens in sampled areas is poor. Some 49 per cent of children from households with food gardens were stunted, 29 per cent were underweight, and 24 per cent showed wasting. Many households do not produce enough vegetables rich in vitamin A to meet both their consumption and nutritional needs. Recommendations include intensified production of a wider mix of crops that include starchy crops, vitamin A-rich vegetables and fruit trees to ensure a significant impact on children's nutritional status.

A Naturalistic Study of Affective Expression, Social Competence, and Sociometric Status in Preschoolers

Research findings. Naturalistic observation during freeplay was used to explore the role of affective expression and gender in preschoolers' social competence and sociometric status. Observers recorded occurrences of 4 types of affect: moderate and strong positive affect, anger, and distress among 56 children (M age = 50.3 months) in five classrooms. Teacher ratings of social competence and peer sociometrics were also collected. Social competence and peer acceptance were associated with strong, but not moderate positive affect. The correlates of anger and distress were moderated by the gender of the child. Girls' anger, but not distress, was negatively related to peer rejection. In contrast, boys' anger and distress were both positively related to peer rejection. Practice. These findings confirm the relations between affective expression and social competence, but also indicate that these relations may be different for boys and girls.

Effective community intervention to improve hemoglobin status in preschoolers receiving once-weekly iron supplementation

The effect of weekly iron supplementation with and without deworming on hemoglobin was investigated in a double-masked, placebo-controlled field trial. Subjects were 289 preschoolers who were randomly divided into three groups. Groups 1 and 2 received 30 mg Fe once weekly and group 3 received a placebo. Group 1 additionally received anthelminthic treatment. Supplements were administered by the mothers, who were educated about iron deficiency beforehand. In the iron-supplemented groups prevalence of anemia decreased from 37.2% to 16.2% (P < 0.001). Hemoglobin increased by an average of 6.9 +/- 9.8 g/L in the two iron-supplemented groups (n = 191), which was greater (P < 0.001) than the increase of 1.9 +/- 8.0 g/L in the placebo group. None of the subjects had hookworm, and anthelminthic treatment did not have an additional effect. Iron supplements administered once weekly by mothers reduced anemia without major involvement of health staff.

Early Intervention with Gifted Children

This study surveyed the status of preschool and kindergarten programs for gifted children in 50 states, 5 territories and Washington, D.C. We received responses from 100% of the states, 40% of the territories and Washington, D.C., for a 95% overall response rate. Fourteen states (28%) and one territory reported having a total of more than 51 preschool programs for gifted children. These programs are located at public schools, university campuses, and private sites. Twenty-nine states (58%) and one territory reported serving gifted kindergarten children in a total of more than 2,655 school districts. Kindergarten programs are funded through regular education (40%), special education (30%), a combination of regular and special education (17%) or other sources (13%). Sixteen states (52%) providing preschool or kindergarten programs reported that needs of gifted children from disadvantaged families are specifically addressed.

Evaluating the mental status of preschoolers through the use of diagnostic peer groups

Using diagnostic peer groups to supplement psychiatric evaluations in children was first proposed more than fifty years ago. The underlying premise of such groups is that children placed among peers will often display a broad spectrum of clinically significant behaviors that would not otherwise be evident. The information that emerges from a diagnostic peer group may validate the diagnostic profile obtained from other sources, such as the child's mental status examination. In addition, a suspected or tentative diagnosis may be clarified or elaborated upon as a result of a diagnostic peer group. Finally, the diagnostic peer group has potential for providing previously unsuspected data concerning the child's behavior. This paper discusses the application of the diagnostic peer group with preschool children.

Verbal Communication, Nonverbal Communication, and Private Speech in Lower and Middle Socioeconomic Status Preschool Children

Three types of communication--verbal, nonverbal, and private speech--were investigated in 4- and 5-year-old children. Multiple analyses of variance (MANOVAs) without IQ controlled and multiple analyses of covariance (MANCOVAs) with IQ as a covariate were computed and followed by ANOVAs and ANCOVAs to determine the effects of sex, age, and socioeconomic status (SES) on each of these types of communication. The ANOVAs and the ANCOVAs yielded the same conclusions. Results indicated that age and SES, but not sex, influence the use of the three communication types. From age 4 to age 5, private speech decreased for middle SES children and remained the same for lower SES children. Although lower SES children had more nonverbal communication at both age levels than middle SES children, nonverbal communication decreased for middle SES children and increased for lower SES children between the ages of 4 and 5 years. Both lower and middle SES groups increased in verbal communication between the two ages. The middle SES 4-year-olds used more verbal communication than their lower SES counterparts, and the difference was maintained at age 5. Although IQ is related to verbal communication, statistically controlling for the effects of IQ did not change the conclusions.

A Pilot Study of Differences in Play Behavior Between Children of Low and Middle Socioeconomic Status

Although play is an important activity of childhood, it is often a neglected modality in occupational therapy. Poverty has been identified as a factor that adversely affects the play of children when a limited number of factors are studied. The purpose of this pilot study was to explore multiple play behaviors that may be related to socioeconomic status. The developmental play ages of 41 middle socioeconomic status preschool children (22 boys, 19 girls) and 43 low socioeconomic status preschool children (24 boys, 19 girls) were assessed with a modified version of the Preschool Play Scale (Bledsoe & Shepherd, 1982; Knox, 1974). Teachers rated the children's play behavior after a minimum of 2 months of interaction in their preschool classrooms. No significant differences between these two groups of children were found for developmental play age, play dimensions, or play categories. It was concluded that the exposure to positive experiences, such as peer interaction and preschool setting, may minimize the effects of poverty conditions on the play behavior of children.

Training in Analogical Reasoning Processes: Effects on Low Socioeconomic Status Preschool Children

AbstractIn this investigation we examined the effects of a training program on low socioeconomic status 4- and 5-year-olds’ solutions of geometric analogy problems. Twenty-six 4- and 5-year-old children were assigned to training, play, or control groups. The trained subjects participated in three consecutive sessions, which were based on Sternberg’s (1977) component processes underlying analogical reasoning. Instructional procedures followed an explicit instruction model that emphasized teacher explanation, student participation in problem solution, continual teacher modeling and feedback, and independent student practice. Analyses revealed significant performance gains for the trained group (compared with the play and control groups). Additional analyses of group verbal responses reflected the trained group’s increased attention to the higher order relations in the analogy problems following training.

Prevention and Community Compliance to Immunization Schedules

Summary Examples of Bloom's (1968) three methods of effecting primary prevention were utilized in a single community agency to increase community compliance to immunization regimens. A milestone approach which utilized written prompts to parents delivered by school age children and school-based clinics produced large increases in the number of children immunized, with very low cost. A community wide DHEW public service media campaign did not result in an appreciable increase in immunizations obtained, but a community wide measles epidemic and accompanying free clinics also publicized by the media resulted in large increases in the number of individuals immunized. Finally, telephone contact, but not mail contact, with parents of high risk, low socioeconomic status preschool children produced a moderate improvement in immunization status. The implications of each of these specific interventions are considered, including explicit and implicit costs and benefits for the community.