The Pullout Program Day a Week School for Gifted Children: Effects on Social–Emotional and Academic Functioning

Background

Gifted children learn differently compared to their peers in several ways. However, their educational needs are often not met in regular schools, which may result in underachievement and social–emotional and behavioral problems. A pullout program, the “Day a Week School” (DWS), was offered to gifted children in 25 elementary schools from neighborhoods of higher and lower SES in Amsterdam.

Objective

To investigate whether DWS decreases children’s social–emotional and behavior problems and parents’ stress, and improves children’s self-concept, enjoyment at school, and academic achievement.

Methods

Gifted children (grades 3–5) were selected through a standardized identification procedure assessing “out-of-the box”, logical, and creative thinking and motivation (n = 89). Children, as well as both their parents and teachers, completed questionnaires before the start of DWS and after 2,5 months. Results were analyzed for all children and for at-risk children with higher levels of psychopathology before starting DWS.

Results

Analyses on the total group showed small positive effects on children’s self-reported self-concept dimensions, scholastic competence and behavioral conduct, as well as on fathers’ reported child prosocial behavior. In the at-risk group, children reported medium positive effects on scholastic competence and behavioral conduct, and on sleep problems and worry, and small improvements on enjoyment at school. Parents of at-risk children reported decreased child’s somatic complaints and decreased social–emotional and behavioral problems. Finally, teachers reported higher academic achievement and medium positive effects on inattention-hyperactivity in the at-risk group.

Conclusions

Day a Week School appears to be a promising pullout program for gifted children, particularly for children at-risk for psychopathology.     

Working conditions of female part-time and full-time teachers in relation to health status

Purpose

Teacher’s volume of employment and health status are controversially discussed in the current literature. This study focused on female teachers with part-time versus full-time jobs in association with working conditions and health status depending on age.

Method

A sample of 263 part-time and 367 full-time female teachers (average age 46.7?±?7.8 vs. 46.0?±?6.3) participated in an occupational health screening. Specific work conditions, stressors (job history-questionnaire) and effort–reward–imbalance ratio (ERI-Q) were measured and their relationships to mental and physical health were analysed. Health status was quantified by complaints (BFB questionnaire), general mental health status (GHQ-12) and cardiovascular risk factors.

Results

On average, teachers in part-time positions reported 36 and in full-time positions 42?h per week. The effort–reward ratios were significantly associated with the volume of employment. Teachers in part-time jobs had only a slightly lower ERI-ratio. There were no differences between full-time and part-time teachers regarding health status. Eighteen percentage of both groups reported impaired mental health (GHQ?≥?5), 48% of part-time teachers and 53% of full-time teachers suffered from high blood pressure. Low physical fitness was observed in 12% of part-time and 6% of full-time teachers. In this study, neither the volume of employment nor working conditions were found to be significantly correlated with health status.

Conclusion

Part-time and full-time employment status did not appear to influence health in the teaching profession. Although there are differences in quantitative working demands, while the health status does not differ between both teacher groups.     

Deliberate Self-harm Among Children in Tertiary Care Residential Treatment: Prevalence and Correlates

Background

Few studies have examined deliberate self-harm (DSH) among children in residential treatment in Canada. Most of the existing studies examined adolescent students or children from pediatric emergency departments.

Objectives

The objectives of this study were to examine the prevalence of DSH among children in tertiary care residential treatment and the factors associated with DSH.

Methods

Data on 284 children aged 5–17 years (M = 11.54 years, SD = 2.56) with mental health problems in tertiary care residential treatment were analyzed. Binary logistic regression was performed to examine the likelihood of engaging in DSH.

Results

About 35 % of children engaged in DSH. Suicidal talk emerged as the strongest factor to be associated with DSH. Children who used alcohol or drugs were also more likely to engage in DSH than those who did not use alcohol or drugs. Furthermore, symptoms of conduct problems were associated with the likelihood of engaging in DSH.

Conclusions

Identifying children at risk for engaging in DSH and suicidal behavior is of critical importance to mental health care providers. These factors could assist in identifying children who might require more specialized treatment related to self-harm during their stay in residential treatment.     

Health-related quality of life in rural children living in four European countries: the GABRIEL study

Objective

Measuring children’s health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is of growing importance given increasing chronic diseases. By integrating HRQOL questions into the European GABRIEL study, we assessed differences in HRQOL between rural farm and non-farm children from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Poland to relate it to common childhood health problems and to compare it to a representative, mostly urban German population sample (KIGGS).

Methods

The parents of 10,400 school-aged children answered comprehensive questionnaires including health-related questions and the KINDL-R questions assessing HRQOL.

Results

Austrian children reported highest KINDL-R scores (mean: 80.9; 95 % CI [80.4, 81.4]) and Polish children the lowest (74.5; [73.9, 75.0]). Farm children reported higher KINDL-R scores than non-farm children (p = 0.002). Significantly lower scores were observed in children with allergic diseases (p < 0.001), with sleeping difficulties (p < 0.001) and in overweight children (p = 0.04). The German GABRIEL sample reported higher mean scores (age 7–10 years: 80.1, [79.9, 80.4]; age 11–13 years: 77.1, [74.9, 79.2]) compared to the urban KIGGS study (age 7–10 years: 79.0, [78.7–79.3]; age 11–13 years: 75.1 [74.6–75.6]). Socio-demographic or health-related factors could not explain differences in HRQOL between countries.

Conclusions

Future increases in chronic diseases may negatively impact children’s HRQOL.     

Occupational hazards and self-reported health problems of butchers in Ibadan, southwest Nigeria

Aim

Butchers are engaged in small-scale enterprises and their work involves contact with live animals, their carcasses, blood and body fluids. The purpose of this study was to assess the occupational hazards and health problems of butchers in Nigeria.

Subjects and methods

A cross-sectional design was used. Questionnaires were administered to butchers in selected markets and abattoirs in Ibadan, southwest Nigeria to collect information on socio demographic and occupational characteristics, perceived occupational hazards and health problems. Their hands were examined for evidence of dermatitis. Chi-squared test was used to test associations between health problems and butchers’ characteristics.

Results

Four hundred and eighty-five butchers participated in the survey, 434 males (90 %) and 52 females (10 %). Perceived occupational hazards reported were knives, 400 (82 %), live cows 111 (23 %) and bones 28 (6 %) all of which cause injury. Other hazards reported were dirty environment, 17 (3 %), wet/slippery floors 7 (1 %) and hot water 6 (1 %). Current health problems were low back pain, muscular and joint pain, eye irritation and knife injuries. Apprentices reported more knife injuries than butchers, 22 and 12 % respectively x ²?=?9.42, p?=?0.04. Hand dermatitis was seen in 11 % of butchers and was more prevalent among females than males, 24 % and 9 % respectively x ²?=?7.63, p?=?0.02.

Conclusion

The main health problems reported by butchers were musculoskeletal disorders and injuries. Occupational health intervention for these workers should address injury prevention, wound care, the use of appropriate protective clothing and correct postures at work.     

Functional capacity of people with early osteoarthritis: a comparison between subjects from the cohort hip and cohort knee (CHECK) and healthy ageing workers

Objective

The prevalence of osteoarthritis (OA) increases, but the impact of the disorder on peoples’ functional capacity is not known. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare self-reported health status and functional capacity of subjects with early OA of hip and/or knee to reference data of healthy working subjects and to assess whether this capacity is sufficient to meet physical job demands.

Methods

Self-reported health status and functional capacity of 93 subjects from the Cohort Hip and Cohort Knee (CHECK) were measured using the Short-Form 36 Health Survey and 6 tests of the Work Well Systems Functional Capacity Evaluation. Results were compared with reference data from 275 healthy workers, using t-tests. To compare the functional capacity with job demands, the proportions of subjects with OA performing lower than the p₅ of reference data were calculated.

Results

Compared to healthy workers, the subjects (mean age 56) from CHECK at baseline reported a significantly worse physical health status, whereas the women (n = 78) also reported a worse mental health status. On the FCE female OA subjects performed significantly lower than their healthy working counterparts on all 6 tests. Male OA subjects performed lower than male workers on 3 tests. A substantial proportion of women demonstrated functional capacities that could be considered insufficient to perform jobs with low physical demands.

Conclusions

Functional capacity and self-reported health of subjects with early OA of the hips and knees were worse compared to healthy ageing workers. A substantial proportion of female subjects did not meet physical job demands.     

Intergenerational educational mobility on general mental health and depressive symptoms in young women

Purpose

To investigate how intergenerational educational mobility between women and their parents influences mental health/depressive symptoms in women.

Method

We studied 5,619 women aged 31–36 years in 2009 from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health. The short-form-36 Mental Component Summary Scores [MCS] measured mental health and the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale [CES-D] measured depressive symptoms. Multiple regression analyses, with adjustment for confounders, were used.

Results

Greater downward mobility from mothers (mother high to self low) [MCS regression estimate [β] ?3.35; 95 % confidence interval [CI] ?5.6,?1.1; CES-D β 1.94; 95 % CI, 0.7,3.2], and greater (father high to self low MCS β,-2.53; 95 % CI ?4.8,?0.3] and moderate (father high to self intermediate MCS β ?1.71; 95 % CI ?3.3,?0.1] downward mobility from fathers were associated with poorer mental health in women. Another strongly consistent influence on poor mental health was answering ‘don’t know/not applicable’ about parental education [mother–self MCS β ?1.34; 95 % CI, ?2.3,?0.4; mother–self CES-D β 0.52; 95 % CI 0.01,1.0; father–self MCS β ?1.19; 95 % CI ?2.1,?0.3].

Conclusions

There are subtle differences for same and opposite-sex parent–daughter relationships on the impact of downwards intergenerational educational mobility on mental health in young women. These results suggest the effect of own educational attainment on mental health depends on the degree of disparity between self and parent. Future studies should consider ‘don’t know’ as a separate category rather than treating it as a ‘missing’ response.     

Nativity and cognitive disability among children: a unique comparison with reduced selection bias

Objectives

We examined the impact of nativity on self-reported cognitive disability by comparing children who were born outside of the USA (first-generation immigrants) with US-born offspring (second-generation immigrants) of foreign-born parents.

Methods

We analyzed a diverse, nationally representative, sample of 77,324 first-generation immigrant and second-generation immigrant children (aged 5–17 years) from the 2009 American Community Survey. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the association between nativity and self-reported cognitive disability after adjustment for demographics and household characteristics.

Results

Self-reported cognitive disability was observed in 1.7 % of the sample. The prevalence was higher among first second-generation immigrants than among second first-generation immigrants (1.9 vs 1.1 %, p < 0.001). After multivariate adjustment, the advantage of being foreign-born remained (OR = 0.63, 95 % CI = 0.53–0.75). Further analysis revealed effect modification of the immigrant health advantage by household income (p = 0.003).

Conclusions

We observed an immigrant advantage in self-reported cognitive disability; however, it was only evident among economically disadvantaged children. Future research should examine the contribution of the accumulation of poverty over time to the relationship between nativity and children’s health.     

Development of the Healthy Pathways Child-Report Scales

Purpose

The Child Health and Illness Profile (CHIP) has separate child (6–11 years) and adolescent (12–21 years) editions that measure youth’s self-assessed health, illness, and well-being. The purpose of this study was to revise the CHIP by combining the two editions to create the Healthy Pathways Child-Report Scales.

Methods

We modified the original CHIP domains of Comfort, Risk Avoidance, Satisfaction, and Resilience to reflect advances in child health conceptualization. Classical test and item response theory psychometric analyses were conducted using data collected from 2,095 children (49% boys, 80% White, 17% African-American, 3% Hispanic, Age: M = 10.6, SD = 1.0) in grades 4–6 at 34 schools.

Results

After minor revisions, 16 of the 17 scales were found to measure unidimensional self-assessed health, illness, and well-being constructs comprehensively, but with a minimal number of items. Scales were unbiased by age, gender, survey modality, and geographic location. Construct validity was demonstrated by the instrument’s capacity to differentiate among children with and without chronic illnesses and to detect expected age and gender differences.

Conclusions

The Healthy Pathways Child-Report Scales may be used to reliably and accurately assess unidimensional aspects of health, illness, and well-being in clinical and population-based research studies involving youth in transition from childhood to adolescence.     

Young children’s screen habits are associated with consumption of sweetened beverages independently of parental norms

Objectives

This study investigated the associations between children’s screen habits and their consumption of sweetened beverages. Because parents might be disposed to regulate their child’s screen and dietary habits in a similar direction, our specific aim was to examine whether these associations were independent of parental norms.

Methods

In the Swedish sample of the European Identification and prevention of dietary and lifestyle-induced health effects in children and infants (IDEFICS) study, parents filled in questionnaires about their 2 to 9-year-old children’s (n = 1,733) lifestyle and diets.

Results

Associations between screen habits and sweetened beverage consumption were found independent of parental norms regarding sweetened beverages. A longitudinal analysis revealed that sweetened beverage consumption at 2-year follow-up was predicted by exposure to commercial TV at baseline (OR 1.4, 95 % CI 1.1–1.9). Cross-sectional analysis showed that the likelihood of consuming sweetened beverages at least 1–3 times per week increased for each hour/day watching television (OR 1.5, 95 % CI 1.2–1.9), and for being exposed to commercials (OR 1.6, 95 % CI 1.3–2.1). TV viewing time and commercial exposure contributed to the associations independently of each other.

Conclusions

The results strengthen the assumption that it is possible to influence children’s dietary habits through their TV habits.     

Sleep behavior of underrepresented youth

Aim

In a disadvantageous socioeconomic context, minority children’s sleep ecology and hygiene may promote poor sleep.

Subjects and methods

A de-identified questionnaire was randomly distributed in local community centers. Subjects were a posteriori stratified into lower class (59.5 %), middle class (22.2 %) and upper class (18.4 %), and into the age categories used in the National Sleep Foundation Polls.

Results

The sample (n?=?221) comprised 85.4 % African Americans, 9.1 % Hispanics and 5.6 % Mixed Ethnicities, which were equally distributed across classes. The respondent was primarily the mother (64.4 %), and the questionnaire information reflected the sleep of 7.0?±?4.5 year olds, 49.5 % of which were girls. Co-sleeping was done by 43.5 %, and 76.8 % had a television in the room. Almost 45 % of the children went to bed on their own. Given the age range, the already insufficient amount of nighttime sleep was further reduced by poor sleep hygiene or ecology by about an hour. Sleep problems reported indicated difficulties with initiating and maintaining sleep.

Conclusion

Underrepresented youth have problematic sleep, which is characterized by difficulties initiating and maintaining sleep, or sleep-impeding circumstances. Sleep interventions in the underprivileged aiming at improving sleep hygiene and ecology should be developed.     

The health promoting hospital movement in Taiwan: recent development and gaps in workplace

Objective

To examine the development in healthcare workplace health promotion (WHP) in Taiwan through the Health Promoting Hospital (HPH) initiative.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a self-administered questionnaire, involving all 55 hospitals committed to the HPH approach (HP hospitals) as of the end of 2009; 52 completed the questionnaire.

Results

Fifty of 52 hospitals perceived a change in organizational capacity which mainly occurred in the areas of re-aligning strategies (96 %) and more resources (71 %). Regarding re-aligning strategies, 85 % of the hospitals engaged in increased staff participation, 66 % in staff-oriented health services.

Conclusions

The HPH initiative has led to new developments in capacity building of WHP among HP hospitals in Taiwan, and this study has mapped a pattern of such developments.     

Psychosocial determinants of quality of life in parents of obese children seeking inpatient treatment

Purpose

To examine and identify predictors of parental health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a sample of obese and very obese children participating in an inpatient program for treating obesity.

Methods

Data are part of a prospective multicenter randomized-controlled intervention trial. Parents (n = 463) of obese and very obese children (7–13 years) completed standardized questionnaires assessing their own and their child’s HRQoL, psychosocial functioning, demographics and parental weight-specific self-efficacy on the child’s admission to an inpatient pediatric weight management program. Weight and height of the children were measured by trained personnel; parental weight was assessed via self-report.

Results

Parents reported lower mental HRQoL compared to healthy adults and even lower than reference values for acute or chronic illness. With respect to physical HRQoL, parents of obese children reported higher scores than both groups. Effect sizes were small to medium. Overweight parents reported a lower physical HRQoL. Mental HRQoL was higher for married parents with a higher educational level and a higher self-efficacy and for those whose children depicted fewer behavioral problems and reported a higher HRQoL. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that weight-specific self-efficacy explained 3 % of variance in mental HRQoL in addition to the demographic and child psychosocial variables. Parental self-efficacy also partially mediated the association between the child’s HRQoL and parental mental HRQoL.

Conclusion

Childhood obesity is associated with reduced parental HRQoL. Interventions for obesity in children should consider the parents’ psychosocial situation as well. Enhancing parental self-efficacy may be a promising approach.     

Feasibility, reliability, and validity of the EQ-5D-Y: results from a multinational study

Purpose

To examine the feasibility, reliability, and validity of the newly developed EQ-5D-Y.

Methods

The EQ-5D-Y was administered in population samples of children and adolescents in Germany, Italy, South Africa, Spain, and Sweden. Percentages of missing values and reported problems were calculated. Test–retest reliability was determined. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients with other generic measures of HRQOL were calculated. Known groups’ validity was examined by comparing groups with a priori expected differences in HRQOL.

Results

Between 91 and 100% of the respondents provided valid scorings. Sweden had the lowest proportion of reported problems (1–24.9% across EQ-5D-Y dimensions), with the highest proportions in South Africa (2.8–47.3%) and Italy (4.3–39.0%). Percentages of agreement in test–retest reliability ranged between 69.8 and 99.7% in the EQ-5D-Y dimensions; Kappa coefficients were up to 0.67. Correlation coefficients with other measures of self-rated health indicated convergent validity (up to r = ?0.56). Differences between groups classified according to presence of chronic conditions, self-rated overall health and psychological problems provided preliminary evidence of known groups’ validity.

Conclusions

Results provide preliminary evidence of the instrument’s feasibility, reliability and validity. Further study is required in clinical samples and for possible future applications in economic analyses.     

The relationship between body mass index and health-related quality of life in urban disadvantaged children

Introduction

The study’s aim was to establish, for children living in urban disadvantage, the nature and extent of the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), including the role of individual and family factors in influencing this relationship.

Methods

Within the context of a longitudinal design, 255 children aged 7–12 years (50 % male) self-reported their HRQoL (Kidscreen-27) and had their height and weight measured at year one and two. One parent/guardian for each child was also assessed at year one with the OSLO Social Support Scale and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Regression analysis was also conducted.

Results

BMI was weakly inversely associated with ‘total HRQoL’ (r = ?.15, p < .05), ‘physical well-being’ and ‘autonomy and parent relations’. Significant differences were found between normal weight and obese children on all but the latter dimension. Neither weight group, however, fell below the average European HRQoL range. BMI predicted physical well-being a year later and vice versa, whilst autonomy and parent relations also predicted BMI a year later. In terms of ‘overweight’ children (38 %), those approaching adolescence had poorer physical and school well-being than younger children, and those whose parents had moderate-to-severe levels of depression fared worse on school well-being than children whose parents were not depressed.

Conclusion

The findings suggest that obesity programmes could aim to prevent/reduce obesity and optimise HRQoL in urban disadvantaged preadolescent children whilst also targeting parental mental health difficulties. Future research should examine mediators of the effect of BMI on HRQoL.     

Utility of the PedsQL™ family impact module: assessing the psychometric properties in a community sample

Purpose

Research on families coping with pediatric chronic illnesses has established that children and parents are affected by the illness. Therefore, optimal assessment of parent and family functioning is clinically important. The PedsQL? family impact module (FIM) assesses parents’ health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and family functioning. While the FIM has been shown to be reliable and valid in multiple chronic illness groups, there is little data on its use in non-clinical groups. The study’s objective was to assess the reliability, validity, and factor structure of the FIM in a community sample.

Methods

Nine hundred and twenty-nine community parents of children 2–17 years old completed an anonymous online survey. The mean age of the participants was 37.6 years (SD = 8.6), and the majority were mothers (63.6 %), white (82.9 %), and married (74.8 %). The mean age of the children being reported on was 8.8 years (SD = 3.9), and the majority were female (52.3 %) and 41.2 % were reported as having at least one chronic condition.

Results

All of the FIM’s scales demonstrated excellent internal consistency reliability. Confirmatory factor analysis of the measure supported the current structure. The measure correlated in the expected direction with validated measures of anxiety, depression, child HRQOL, and number of chronic conditions endorsed. Independent t tests indicated that the measure has discriminant validity between parents who reported having a child with a chronic condition to those who did not.

Conclusion

The results of this study suggest the FIM is a reliable and valid measure of parent HRQOL and family functioning within a community sample, and facilitate its use in comparative studies.     

Young children’s perceptions of health warning labels on cigarette packages: a study in six countries

Aim

Health warning labels on cigarette packages are one way to reach youth thinking about initiating tobacco use. The purpose of this study was to examine awareness and understanding of current health warning labels among 5 and 6 year old children.

Subjects and methods

Researchers conducted one-on-one interviews with urban and rural 5 and 6 year olds from Brazil, China, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Russia.

Results

Among the 2,423 participating children, 62 % were unaware of the health warnings currently featured on cigarette packages, with the lowest levels of awareness in India and the highest levels in Brazil. When shown the messages, the same percentage of participating children (62 %) showed no level of message understanding.

Conclusion

While youth are receiving social and informational messages promoting tobacco use, health warning labels featured on cigarette packages are not effectively reaching young children with anti-smoking messages.     

The Reliability and Validity of the Dominic Interactive: A Computerized Child Report Instrument for Mental Health Problems

Background

Children and youths’ self-report of mental health problems is considered essential but complicated.

Objective

This study examines the psychometric properties of the Dominic Interactive, a computerized DSM-IV based self-report questionnaire and explores informant correspondence.

Methods

The Dominic Interactive was administered to 214 Dutch children, 6–11 year old, 122 attended special education schools and 92 children attended public schools. Within 2 weeks 155 children were reassessed. Parents of 211 children completed a paper version of the Dominic Interactive.

Results

The findings showed moderate to good internal consistency and test-retest reliability, although stability increased with age. Factor structure concerning generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder displayed ambiguous results. Comparing special education with public school children revealed that both parents and children in special education reported significantly more problems on almost all scales. The results on informant correspondence revealed that discrepancies in reports were not consistent across individual pairs; they were due to a few extreme cases. Eliminating these cases increased the agreement in reports.

Conclusions

Although more research is needed to determine the value of the Dominic Interactive, the Dominic Interactive has the potential to contribute with its unique features to the existing self-report instruments for screening and assessing child mental health.     

Musculoskeletal disorders among dentists in the Greater Athens area, Greece: risk factors and correlations

Aim

To quantify the magnitude of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in dentists working in the Greater Athens area in relation with personal characteristics, work and psychological risk factors.

Methods

Using cross-sectional methodology and by means of a self-administered questionnaire, 80 dentists provided information on personal characteristics, employment history, use of specific dental instruments, working and personal habits, perception of the job’s physical and psycho-social demands, general health status, need for recovery at the end of a regular working day, the affected body region and the MSDs frequency.

Results

A total of 83 % dentists reported at least one MSD (past year), 54 and 70 % reported monotonous/repetitive movements and strenuous back postures, respectively, while 38 % sought medical help for MSDs of the cervical/shoulder and back region. Direct vision in the oral cavity was significantly related with a higher frequency of chronic pain in the cervical region (odds ratio, OR?=?6.8). Absence of a dental assistant and use of manually handled endodontic instruments were significantly related with a higher prevalence of hand senso-neural disorders (OR?=?3 and 3.4 respectively). Passive free-time activities were significantly related with a higher prevalence of MSDs in the shoulder region (OR?=?4.16). Smokers had significantly higher need for recovery at the end of a working day compared to non-smokers (OR?=?2.6).

Conclusions

Dentists could prevent or alleviate MSDs, by adopting appropriate work practices and by modifying personal habits. Education in dental ergonomics and correct working postures is of paramount importance and should preferably be introduced during undergraduate dental practice.