Urban Childhood Research Articles

Do early school- and family-related factors predict midlife psychological well-being? Findings from A prospective Black childhood cohort study

The relationship between early school- and family-related factors and later psychological well-being (PWB) has been insufficiently studied. To address this gap, a comprehensive model was employed to investigate the effects of school and family predictors (ages < 14) on PWB, and a related construct, life satisfaction (LS), at age 35 for a large urban childhood cohort. 30-year follow-up data were analyzed for 72 % (N = 1,112) of the original 1,539 participants (93 % Black) in the Chicago Longitudinal Study, a prospective investigation on the impact of an early childhood education program. Hierarchical linear regression analysis revealed both parent (β = 0.51p = 0.013) and student educational attainment expectations (β = 1.48; p = 0.032) as well as peer social skills (β = 0.25; p = 0.003) were the most significant predictors of midlife PWB. Peer social skills (β = 0.02; p = 0.032), school mobility (β = -0.09; p = 0.012), and student educational attainment expectations (β = 0.17; p = 0.022) were strongly associated with midlife LS. Sex differences were also examined. Implications for shaping key components of school-family programs, services, and policies that foster positive development across different social ecologies are discussed. Further research should explore the mediational pathways to better understand the mechanisms behind these observed relationships.

Wellbeing of Urban Space: Child-friendly Approaches Exploring the Contextual and Subjective Paradigm

The environment in which children grows up plays a crucial role in their development. While urban areas offer bettereducational facilities, extracurricular activities, and diverse experiences, rapid urbanization poses unforeseenchallenges such as pollution, traffic, and loss of natural habitats. Adopting a child-friendly approach can redirect andalter the course of development in urban settlements. Solutions that benefit all stakeholders can be implementedby prioritizing the most vulnerable stakeholders. This paper is a systematic review of research literature that exploresthe relationship between the well-being of children, inhabitants and child-friendly approaches in the context ofurban space. It also brings the children's perspective and their experiences into focus to understand the perceptionand reality of risks in urban childhood spaces.

Standardizing play in the century of the car: the building information cards as shapers of the ideal urban childhood in Finland in the 1960s and 1970s

ABSTRACT Children’s playgrounds became part of the urban planning and evolution of Western cities at the turn of 19th and early 20th centuries. The overall objective was to improve urban children’s well-being and enhance safety by channelling play activities away from city streets towards designated play spaces. This article zooms in on the process of creating recommendations, norms and standards related to playgrounds. The subject under scrutiny is the standardization of childhood in Finland during the 1960s and 1970s, a period characterized by the most intense phases of urbanization, the establishment of welfare state institutions and the evolution of legislation pertaining to children's play spaces as well as vigorous discussions concerning children's environments. These planning discussions, norms and standards have had far-reaching consequences. They are not only prominently evident in today's Finnish cities but have also significantly influenced our contemporary perception of children's place within urban contexts. This study brings a social history approach to the academic discussion of the role of standardization in urban planning. Simultaneously, it examines the development of the increasingly standardized urban childhood in Finland in the 1960s and 1970s and asks what kind of childhood this standardization aimed to promote.

Associations between mitochondrial biomarkers, urban residential exposures and childhood asthma outcomes over 6 months

Determining biomarkers of responses to environmental exposures and evaluating whether they predict respiratory outcomes may help optimize environmental and medical approaches to childhood asthma. Relative mitochondrial (mt) DNA abundance and other potential mitochondrial indicators of oxidative stress may provide a sensitive metric of the child's shifting molecular responses to its changing environment. We leveraged two urban childhood cohorts (Environmental Control as Add-on Therapy in Childhood Asthma (ECATCh); Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH)) to ascertain whether biomarkers in buccal mtDNA associate with airway inflammation and altered lung function over 6 months of time and capture biologic responses to multiple external stressors such as indoor allergens and fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Relative mtDNA content was amplified by qPCR and methylation of transfer RNA phenylalanine/rRNA 12S (TF/RNR1), cytochrome c oxidase (CO1), and carboxypeptidase O (CPO) was measured by pyrosequencing. Data on residential exposures and respiratory outcomes were harmonized between the two cohorts. Repeated measures and multiple regression models were utilized to assess relationships between mitochondrial biomarkers, respiratory outcomes, and residential exposures (PM2.5, allergens), adjusted for potential confounders and time-varying asthma. We found across the 6 month visits, a 0.64 fold higher level of TF/RNR1 methylation was detected among those with asthma in comparison to those without asthma ((parameter estimate (PE) 0.64, standard error 0.28, p = 0.03). In prospective analyses, CPO methylation was associated with subsequent reduced forced vital capacity (FVC; PE -0.03, standard error 0.01, p = 0.02). Bedroom dust mouse allergen, but not indoor PM2.5, was associated with higher methylation of TF/RNR1 (PE 0.015, standard error 0.006, p = 0.01). Select mtDNA measures in buccal cells may indicate children's responses to toxic environmental exposures and associate selectively with asthma and lung function.

Métodos Audiovisuais em Pesquisas com Crianças: A Relação com Câmeras e Vídeos

ABSTRACT This article aims to analyze the use of audiovisual methods in research with children. Four children participated in this research about the presence of digital technologies in their lives in an urban childhood context. The methodological procedures were conversation circles and the production of videos. Results show the participants’ interaction with the camera as an “other” that should be positioned, a transposition of meanings from audiovisual production to the research context, and the influence of the format of YouTubers’ videos on the production of a video in a group. In addition to functioning as recording instruments, cameras, and audiovisual products imply specific modes of interaction and positioning among children.

Rural-Urban Disparities in Health Access Factors Over Time: Implications for Cancer Prevention and Health Equity in the Midwest.

Purpose:Population-level environmental and socioeconomic factors may influence cancer burden within communities, particularly in rural and urban areas that may be differentially impacted by factors related to health care access.Methods:The University of Kansas (KU) Cancer Center serves a geographically large diverse region with 75% of its 123 counties classified as rural. Using County Health Rankings data and joinpoint regression, we examined trends in four factors related to the socioeconomic environment and health care access from 2009 to 2017 in rural and urban counties across the KU Cancer Center catchment area.Findings:The adult health uninsurance rate declined significantly in rural and urban counties across the catchment area (rural annual percent change [APC]=−5.96; 95% CI=[−7.71 to −4.17]; urban APC=−5.72; 95% CI=[−8.03 to −3.35]). Childhood poverty significantly decreased in rural counties over time (APC=−2.94; 95% CI=[−4.52 to −1.33]); in contrast, urban childhood poverty rates did not significantly change before 2012 (APC=3.68; 95% CI=[−15.12 to 26.65]), after which rates declined (APC=−5.89; 95% CI=[−10.01 to −1.58]). The number of primary care providers increased slightly but significantly in both rural and urban counties (APC=0.54; 95% CI=[0.28 to 0.80]), although urban counties had more primary care providers than rural areas (76.1 per 100K population vs. 57.1 per 100K population, respectively; p=0.009). Unemployment declined significantly faster in urban counties (APC=−10.33; 95% CI=[−12.16 to −8.47]) compared with rural counties (APC=−6.71; 95% CI=[−8.22 to −5.18]) (p=0.02).Conclusion:Our findings reveal potential disparities in systemic factors that may contribute to differences in cancer prevention, care, and survivorship in rural and urban regions.

Дети в городе в конце XX века: возможности социально-исторического анализа для сравнительных исследований настоящего и будущего

The article discusses the potential of historical and sociological analysis for designing comparative research projects focusing on dynamic and stable properties of modern childhood. In the article, urban childhood of the last decade of the last century is described through the lens of 16 sociological studies. Three main areas of study are identified: behaviour of adolescents in the urban environment (mainly outside family control), children as pedestrians and their behaviour as a source of road accidents and street child labour and begging. The article outlines the current methodology used to study children, with examples of research that is in line with the participating approach, and takes into account the agency of young people living in a city.

Childhood urbanicity interacts with polygenic risk for depression to affect stress-related medial prefrontal function

Urbanization is increasing globally, and is associated with stress and increased mental health risks, including for depression. However, it remains unclear, especially at the level of brain function, how urbanicity, social threat stressors, and psychiatric risk may be linked. Here, we aim to define the structural and functional MRI neural correlates of social stress, childhood urbanicity, and their putative mechanistic relevance to depressive illness risk, in terms of behavioral traits and genetics. We studied a sample of healthy adults with divergent urban and rural childhoods. We examined childhood urbanicity effects on brain structure as suggested by MRI, and its functional relevance to depression risk, through interactions between urbanicity and trait anxiety-depression, as well as between urbanicity and polygenic risk for depression, during stress-related medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) engagement. Subjects with divergent rural and urban childhoods were similar in adult socioeconomic status and were genetically homogeneous. Urban childhood was associated with relatively reduced mPFC gray matter volumes as suggested by MRI. MPFC engagement under social status threat correlated with the higher trait anxiety-depression in subjects with urban childhoods, but not in their rural counterparts, implicating an exaggerated physiological response to the threat context with urbanicity, in association with behavioral risk for depression. Stress-associated mPFC engagement also interacted with polygenic risk for depression, significantly predicting a differential mPFC response in individuals with urban but not rural childhoods. Developmental urbanicity, therefore, appears to interact with genetic and behavioral risk for depression on the mPFC neural response to a threat context.

Families, Resources, and Community: Illuminating the Structures of Culturally Relevant Education in an Urban Early Childhood Center

In this paper, we examine the enactment of culturally relevant education in an urban early childhood setting in the US. This descriptive case study used a sociocultural framework that emphasizes the relationship between structure and agency. The research question that guided the study was: How does an urban, non-profit early childhood educational center focused on the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students and families enact culturally relevant education? The findings indicated that both tacit and tangible structures supported the agency of all school stakeholders. Tacit structures included multilingual and multimodal communication, continuous, responsive reflection, and a schema of valuing family engagement, which permeated the institution’s culture. Tangible structures included the school’s faculty, administrators, and staff, the students and families who were served by the school, and the financial resources that were creatively leveraged by the staff and administration. The article concludes with implications and recommendations for stakeholders in a variety of schooling contexts who strive to enact authentic, sustained culturally relevant education.

The environmental attitude of the urban population living in Macapá City, Brazilian Amazon region

The human pressure on nature makes it imperative understanding how environmental issues can influence the world view of society. The aim of the current article is to measure the environmental attitude of the urban population living in the Macapa City, Amapa state, Brazilian Amazon region and to check whether this attitude is influenced by sociodemographic variables. We collected 387 full interviews conducted with individuals. In order to do so, we used the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) tool composed of 15 items distributed in five facets. Results showed positive correlations between the NEP scale and variables “education level” and “annual income,” as well as negative correlation between such scale and variable “age.” Urban childhood place recorded higher pro-ecological attitude rate than the rural one. All facets, except for limits, recorded moderate-to-high scores, thus indicating that the population has positive pro-environmental attitude profile, although it did not show much concern about the increased human population on Earth.

Does Education Really Cause Domestic Violence? Replication and Reappraisal of "for Better or for Worse? Education and the Prevalence of Domestic Violence in Turkey"

Using the 2008 Turkish National Survey of Domestic Violence against Women, Erten and Keskin (2018, henceforth EK), published in AEJ–Applied Economics, find that women's education increases the psychological violence and financial control behavior that they face from their partners. The authors also claim that the incidence of financial control behavior rises because women become more likely to be employed—supporting the instrumental violence hypothesis. They present this evidence only for women who live in what they call areas during childhood. EK's findings are an artifact of the way the authors create two key variables: the variable that classifies women into rural vs. urban childhood location and the variable measuring financial control behavior. EK misclassify the variable on childhood rural status. We find that once this variable is defined properly, the evidence for all their findings vanishes. EK make use of two of the three variables related to financial control behavior in the dataset. We show that using all three variables—or any other combination of two of the three variables—generates no evidence of a policy effect on financial control behavior. Even after ignoring these problems, the evidence EK provide in their paper is highly specification sensitive and the standard checks of the continuity assumption in RDD fail for their key outcomes. Moreover, the results obtained from the analysis of urban areas—not provided in their paper—are inconsistent with the instrumental violence hypothesis. In addition, EK claim—using RDD graphs with high-order polynomials but no estimation results—that the policy has no effect on men's schooling, contrary to the findings of the previous literature. However, we show a clear and substantial policy effect on men's schooling, resulting in the failure of their exclusion restriction assumption.

Diabetes prevalence and risk factors of early-onset adult diabetes: results from the Indonesian family life survey

ABSTRACT Background Diabetes is increasing rapidly in South-East Asia. Studies have reported typical risk factors associated with all-age adult diabetes and highlighted the roles of economic transition and childhood development factors in diabetes in later life. However, little is known about whether these factors were associated with young adult diabetes risk. Objectives The study has two main aims: (1) estimate diabetes prevalence among adult participants of the Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS), and (2) identify childhood development factors associated with early-onset adult diabetes (diagnosed between age 20 and 40) in Indonesia. Methods Data were taken from adults participating in 4th and 5th IFLS (in 2007 and 2014) and linked to childhood history from previous surveys. Diabetes was ascertained from self-report and HbA1c testing in a subsample. Diabetes prevalence rates were estimated by age and source of diagnosis. Cox regression analysis was applied to assess potential risk factors for early-onset adult diabetes. Results A total of 34,767 participants were included in the study. Crude total prevalence estimate from self-report was 2,3% and increased with age. Including HbA1c measurements yielded nearly eight times higher prevalence estimates, depending on age. The proportion of yet undiagnosed cases is considerably higher in young age groups. Regression analyses showed that urban childhood residence and high education increased early-onset diabetes risk by 50–70%. Sex, childhood general health, socio-economic level and starvation exposure were not associated with early-onset diabetes risk. Conclusion Remarkable differences between diabetes prevalence rates based on self-report and HbA1c measurement indicated the need for better diagnosis, especially in young adults. Urban childhood residence and high education increased early-onset adult diabetes risk. Incorporating these factors and diabetes awareness in existing child health programs, together with screening of individuals at risk, could improve early diabetes detection and prevention strategies among young urban Indonesian adults.

Representations of childhood in Greek language school textbooks: from rural to urban childhood

ABSTRACT The study explores the representations of childhood in Greek language school textbooks for primary second graders within a broad chronological period, from 1934 to date. School textbooks are understood as social representations of social categories and social phenomena which Greek pupils are assumed to embed. Drawing from the “new sociology of childhood” which perceives childhood as a social construction we examine the representations of childhood in school textbooks concerning their positioning in different contexts, namely the rural versus urban contexts of children’s lives. Childhood representations are analysed through a thematic analysis of texts. Findings show different representations of childhood in rural and urban contexts that however change during the course of time. Representations of childhood in rural contexts construct a perception of a homogeneous, deficit, “adult-to-be” childhood, either evil or innocent, but mainly close to John Locke’s conception of the “immanent child”. On the other hand, as time goes by, and particularly after the 1980s, childhood images construct a dominant image of urban childhood, which depicts children as spontaneous, free to take the initiative and enact their interests relating in this way to the tribal childhood discourse with references to an agentic childhood. Overall, our findings show that childhood is not represented as an unchangeable continuum but its construction is affected by changes observed in the time period over which textbooks are written.

Access, demand, and utilization of childhood immunization services: A cross-sectional household survey in Western Area Urban district, Sierra Leone, 2019.

BackgroundUrban childhood immunization programs face unique challenges in access, utilization, and demand due to frequent population movement between and within localities, sprawling informal settlements, and population heterogeneity. We conducted a cross-sectional household survey in the Western Area Urban district, Sierra Leone, stratified by slums and non-slums as defined by the United Nations Development Program.MethodsBased on data from child vaccination cards, weighted vaccination coverage was estimated from 450 children aged 12-36 months (household response rate = 83%). Interviews with 444 caregivers identified factors related to accessing routine immunization services. Factors associated with coverage in bivariate analyses were examined in multivariate models using backward stepwise procedure.ResultsCoverage was similar in slums and non-slums for 3-doses of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis-hepatitis B-Haemophilus influenzae type b (pentavalent) vaccine (86%, 92%) and second dose of measles vaccine (33%, 29%). In a multivariate logistic regression model, incomplete pentavalent vaccine coverage was associated with being second or later birth order (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 4.5 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.4-14.9), a household member not approving of childhood vaccinations (aOR = 7.55, 95% CI = 1.52-37.38), self-reported delay of child receiving recommended vaccinations (aOR = 4.8, 95% CI = 1.0-22.1), and living in a household made of natural or rudimentary materials (aOR = 3.5, 95% CI = 1.2-10.6). Overall, the majority (>70%) of caregivers reported occupation as petty trader and <50% reported receiving vaccination information via preferred communication sources.ConclusionsAlthough vaccination coverage in slums was similar to non-slums, study findings support the need for targeted interventions to improve coverage, especially for the second dose of measles vaccine to avoid large scale measles outbreaks. Strategies should focus on educating household members via preferred communication channels regarding the importance of receiving childhood vaccinations on time for all offspring, not just the first born. Vaccination coverage could be further improved by increasing accessibility through innovative strategies such as increasing the number of vaccination days and modifying hours.

0925 Associations Between Co-sleeping And Sleep Quality Of Urban Preschool Children

Abstract Introduction Perspectives on co-sleeping vary by family cultural background and socio-demographic characteristics; furthermore, families may choose to co-sleep based on family values or out of necessity. To better understand the role of co-sleeping in young children from ethnic minority backgrounds, the current study sought to test the relationship between co-sleeping and sleep outcomes in an urban early childhood setting. Methods 141 Parent-child dyads with children aged 1-5 years old (N=141,50.4% female, M=4.01 [SD=1.05]; 41% African American; 41% Latinx; median income $20-30,000) were recruited through an urban preschool. Parents completed demographic information and the Brief Child Sleep Questionnaire, which yielded insomnia and sleep hygiene indices. Step-wise regressions were used to examine the relationship between sleeping location and sleep outcomes (insomnia, sleep health, and child sleep quality), controlling for child age. Results Approximately half of the sample (n=71) reported that their child sleeps in a space shared by caregivers or siblings. Co-sleeping did not differ by race/ethnicity [χ 2(3)=1.45, p=.694], child age [F(1, 140)=2.15, p=.145], or income [χ 2(5)=7.05, p=.217]. Controlling for age, insomnia was higher in co-sleeping children [F(2,140)=4.10, p=.019], although sleep location was not a significant independent predictor. Sleep hygiene [F(2,140)=2.39, p=.095] and sleep quality [F(2,139)=0.94, p=.394] did not differ by sleeping location, when controlling for age. Conclusion Co-sleeping was common but was not related to sociodemographic factors as described in prior research. Controlling for age, co-sleeping predicted higher insomnia scores suggesting that co-sleeping may be related to symptoms of behavioral insomnia. Sleep hygiene practices and sleep quality did not differ by sleeping location, suggesting that in children without behavioral insomnia symptoms, co-sleeping may not affect sleep. Future studies that seek to better understand caregiver preference and intentions regarding co-sleeping may be important to intervention development seeking to improve behavioral insomnia in ethnic/minority samples. Support

Intergenerational Spaces: Designing for urban childhoods

More recently, an emerging global child-friendly cities movement shifted the focus onto children’s right and participation. While this movement’s values were and are beyond approach, it has had very little influence on the built form of cities. The research question in this paper is what a sustainable, successful, healthy city looks like. Hence, the objectives are (1) to describe and identify the different critical terminologies of the urban landscape and its inter-relation with sustainability and (2) to illustrate the landscape architectural forms and spaces through visualization and expression of space in the way of presentation.Keywords: urban childhood; landscape; sustainabilityeISSN: 2398-4295 © 2019. The Authors. Published for AMER, ABRA &amp; cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning &amp; Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.21834/ajbes.v4i17.183

Playing out: a grassroots street play revolution

ABSTRACTPlaying Out began as a simple, direct action by two mothers on their own street in Bristol, UK. Over eight years, it has grown into a UK-wide movement driven by parent and resident activists and involving over 800 street communities. This case study sets out the background and context for this modern street play movement, provides evidence of its impact for children and communities and makes an argument for the restoration of street play as a normal part of urban childhood.

Examining the connection between residential histories and obesity among Ghanaians: evidence from a national survey

This paper examined the connection between residential histories and obesity in Ghana. In the last two decades, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have witnessed the fastest growth in obesity incidence. These obesity trends in many LMICs including Ghana are associated with rapid economic growth and urbanisation. Features of the urban food and built environments contribute to obesity in LMICs in many ways, including exposure to unhealthy foods, sedentary lifestyles, and passive transportation. The analytical sample consisted of 4368 adults (aged 18 and above) drawn from the World Health Organisation’s Study on Global Ageing and Health in Ghana. We employed descriptive statistics and multivariate regression models to examine the relationship between residential histories and obesity in later life using STATA 14. Significant differences were observed among respondents, based on their childhood and adult residential histories. For instance, 44% of respondents who spent their childhood and adult life in the same urban area were obese, compared to 18% of those who spent their childhood and adulthood in the same rural area. Multivariable analysis revealed that cumulative exposure to urban environment was significantly associated with obesity. For example, respondents who spent their childhood and adulthood in different urban areas and childhood and adulthood in the same urban area were significantly more likely to be obese than respondents who lived in rural areas during childhood and adulthood (OR = 2.37, p < 0.001 and OR = 1.44, p < 0.001, respectively). Our findings show that urban residence during childhood and later in life may present cumulative risks for adult obesity. Locally appropriate public health strategies that encourage healthy lifestyles among urban dwellers will be critical in the fight against obesity.

How urban early childhood educators used positive guidance principles and improved teacher-child relationships: a social-emotional learning intervention study

ABSTRACTTwenty-four early childhood educators in an urban city in the United States completed a social-emotional learning course as part of an intervention to explore how teachers learn to value and practice positive guidance principles. Affection between 124 teacher-child dyads was tracked weekly to measure change in teacher-child relationships. Phenomenological collaborative inquiry and inferential statistics were used. Findings: (1) positive relational principles (e.g. validate feelings; provide choices; demonstrate love, and others) succeeded in redirecting child behaviour, solving inter-personal conflicts and improving teacher-child relationships, (2) the extent to which teachers valued and became proficient using 8 principles significantly increased (avg. ES = .35), (3) teacher-child affection significantly increased by the end of the course (ES = .91–2.18). Providing competency-based coursework in social-emotional learning with ample opportunities for educators to practice positive guidance approaches can improve the extent to which loving relationships are experienced. Recommendations for practice, policy and research are shared.

Urban Migration of Sexual Minorities in the United States: Myth or Reality?

It is often suggested that sexual minorities in the United States, especially gay men and lesbian women, move to urban areas at a higher rate than heterosexual individuals. Existing analyses of this claim are limited for one or more reasons, such as only examining patterns of current residential context without considering movement between contexts or only examining movement for partnered sexual minorities. Utilizing the General Social Survey, a probability survey of the US adult population, we compare patterns of residential context in childhood and adulthood for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and heterosexual individuals. Initial findings do suggest that gay and lesbian individuals are slightly more likely than heterosexual individuals to reside in more urban areas as adults. However, this difference is explained away by the more urban childhood contexts of gay or lesbian individuals relative to heterosexual individuals. In sum, we find no robust sexuality effect on urban migration.