What nap times reveal about your child's brain development
July 28, 2023
Science Daily/University of East Anglia
Infants who nap a lot have smaller vocabularies and poorer cognitive skills -- according to new research from the University of East Anglia.
Parents the world over are prone to worry about their children getting either too little or too much sleep.
But a new study published today reveals that some children are more efficient at consolidating information during sleep, so they nap less frequently.
Meanwhile others, usually those with fewer words and poorer cognitive skills, need to nap more frequently.
The research team say that reducing naps for these children will not improve brain development, and that they should be allowed to nap as frequently and for as long as they need.
Lead researcher Dr Teodora Gliga said: "There is a lot of parental anxiety around sleep. Parents worry that their kids don't nap as much as expected for their age -- or nap too frequently and for too long.
"But our research shows that how frequently a child naps reflects their individual cognitive need. Some are more efficient at consolidating information during sleep, so they nap less frequently.
"Children with smaller vocabularies or a lower score in a measure of executive function, nap more frequently.
"Young children will naturally nap for as long as they need and they should be allowed to do just that," she added.
The research team studied 463 infants aged between eight months and three years during lockdown in 2020.
Parents were surveyed about their children's sleep patterns, their ability to focus on a task, keep information in their memory, and the number of words that they understood and could say.
They also asked parents about their socio-economic status -- including their postcode, income, and education -- and about the amount of screen time and outdoors activities their child engaged in.
Dr Gliga said: "Lockdown gave us an opportunity to study children's intrinsic sleep needs because when children are in childcare, they rarely nap as much as they need to.
"Because nurseries were closed, it meant less disturbance to the children's natural sleep patterns. None of the children taking part were attending day care.
"What we found is that the structure of daytime sleep is an indicator of cognitive development.
"Infants with more frequent but shorter naps than expected for their age had smaller vocabularies, and worse cognitive function.
"We also found that this negative association between vocabulary and frequency of naps was stronger in older children," she added.
"While the majority of parents told us that their child's sleep was unaffected by lockdown, parents from lower socio-economic backgrounds were more likely to report a worsening in sleep.
"Screen time increased during lockdown and outdoor activities decreased but these did not explain differences in children's sleep.
"Previous work suggested that caregivers should encourage frequent naps, in pre-school children.
"Our findings suggest that children have different sleep needs -- some children may drop naps earlier because they don't need them anymore. Others may still need to nap past three years of age.
"In the UK, preschools enrolling three to five-year-olds have no provisions for napping. Caregivers should use a child's mental age and not chronological age to ascertain a child's sleep needs," she added.
The study was led by UEA in collaboration with researchers at the University of Oxford, Oxford Brookes University, the University of Leeds and the University of Warwick. It was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230728113321.htm
Children's IQs not diminished by concussion
July 17, 2023
Science Daily/University of Calgary
A new study finds concussions don't reduce the IQ of children. Findings may help to reduce parental fears regarding these common and concerning head injuries. Researchers looked at socioeconomic status, patient sex, severity of injuries, concussion history, and whether there was a loss of consciousness at the time of injury. None of these factors made a difference. Across the board, concussion was not associated with lower IQ.
The angst parents feel when their children sustain injuries is surely one of the universal conditions of parenthood. That anxiety is heightened greatly when those injuries involve concussions. But a new study led out of the University of Calgary, published today in the medical journal Pediatrics, may set worried parental minds slightly at ease.
The findings -- taken from emergency room visits in children's hospitals in Canada and the United States -- show that IQ and intelligence is not affected in a clinically meaningful way by pediatric concussions.
The study compares 566 children diagnosed with concussion to 300 with orthopedic injuries. The children range in age from eight to 16 and they were recruited from two cohort studies. The Canadian cohort encompasses data collected from five children's hospital emergency rooms, including Alberta Children's Hospital in Calgary, along with those in Vancouver, Edmonton, Ottawa, and Montreal (CHU Sainte-Justine). In the Canadian hospitals, patients completed IQ tests three months postinjury.
The U.S. cohort was conducted at two children's hospitals in Ohio, wherein patients completed IQ tests three to 18 days, postinjury.
"Obviously there's been a lot of concern about the effects of concussion on children, and one of the biggest questions has been whether or not it affects a child's overall intellectual functioning," says Dr. Keith Yeates, PhD, a professor in UCalgary's Department of Psychology and senior author of the Pediatrics paper. Yeates is a renowned expert on the outcomes of childhood brain disorders, including concussion and traumatic brain injuries.
"The data on this has been mixed and opinions have varied within the medical community," says Yeates. "It's hard to collect big enough samples to confirm a negative finding. The absence of a difference in IQ after concussion is harder to prove than the presence of a difference."
Combining the Canadian and U.S. cohorts gave the Pediatrics study an abundant sample and it allowed Yeates and his co-authors -- from universities in Edmonton, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, Atlanta, Utah, and Ohio, along with Calgary's Mount Royal University -- to test patients with a wide range of demographics and clinical characteristics.
"We looked at socioeconomic status, patient sex, severity of injuries, concussion history, and whether there was a loss of consciousness at the time of injury," says Yeates. "None of these factors made a difference. Across the board, concussion was not associated with lower IQ."
The children with concussion were compared to children with orthopedic injuries other than concussion to control for other factors that that might affect IQ, such as demographic background and the experience of trauma and pain. This allowed the researchers to determine whether the children's IQs were different than what would be expected minus the concussion.
The findings of the study are important to share with parents, says Dr. Ashley Ware, PhD, a professor at Georgia State University and lead author of the paper. While the Pediatrics research was underway, Ware was a Killam Postdoctoral Fellow at UCalgary, where Yeates was her supervisor.
"Understandably, there's been a lot of fear among parents when dealing with their children's concussions," Ware says. "These new findings provide really good news, and we need to get the message to parents."
Dr. Stephen Freedman, PhD, co-author of the paper, a professor of pediatrics and emergency medicine at the Cumming School of Medicine, agrees. "It's something doctors can tell children who have sustained a concussion, and their parents, to help reduce their fears and concerns," says Freedman. "It is certainly reassuring to know that concussions do not lead to alterations in IQ or intelligence."
Another strength of the Pediatrics research is that incorporates the two cohort studies, one testing patients within days of their concussions and the other after three months.
"That makes our claim even stronger," says Ware. "We can demonstrate that even in those first days and weeks after concussion, when children do show symptoms such as a pain and slow processing speed, there's no hit to their IQs. Then it's the same story three months out, when most children have recovered from their concussion symptoms. Thanks to this study we can say that, consistently, we would not expect IQ to be diminished from when children are symptomatic to when they've recovered."
She adds: "It's a nice 'rest easy' message for the parents."
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230717115826.htm
Juggling multiple young children hinders vigorous physical activity for parents
Adults with multiple kids get 50-80 fewer minutes of vigorous physical activity each week
July 12, 2023
Science Daily/University of Houston
Physical activity is a crucial component of a healthy lifestyle, yet only one in three adults in the United States meets the weekly recommendation for exercise. The struggle to stay fit is complicated even further for parents, who often prioritize their children's needs over their own.
A new study, titled "The Association between Adult Sport, Fitness, and Recreational Physical Activity and Number and Age of Children Present in the Household," reveals that adults with multiple young children engage in significantly less vigorous physical activity compared to those with fewer or no children. The findings have important implications for adults who aspire to be more physically active but struggle to find the time due to their caregiving responsibilities.
Published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, the study is based on an analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning from 2007-2016, and included 2,034 adults aged 22 to 65.
The researchers examined the association between moderate and vigorous physical activities and the number and age of children in their household. Among the findings, adults with two or more children aged 0-5 reported 80 fewer minutes of weekly vigorous physical activity compared to those with no children or just one child in this age group. Similarly, adults with three or more children aged 6-17 reported 50 fewer minutes of weekly vigorous physical activity compared to those with no children, one or just two kids in the household. However, there were no significant differences in weekly moderate physical activity regardless of the number of children in the household.
"Parents often face numerous challenges in finding the time and energy to engage in regular physical activity while caring for their children. By understanding these barriers, we can develop targeted interventions to help parents lead healthier and more active lives," said study co-author Bettina Beech, Chief Population Health Officer at the University of Houston, and clinical professor of population health at the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine.
The lead author of the study is Jerraco Johnson, an assistant professor of kinesiology, health promotion and recreation at the University of North Texas.
"Parents typically serve as the primary role models of health behaviors for their children. Finding ways to increase parents' physical activity could potentially influence the health trajectories these young children begin on, especially for those parents with multiple kids," he said.
Other researchers include Ailton Coleman, James Madison University; Jamila Kwarteng, Medical College of Wisconsin; Ahondju Holmes, University of Oklahoma; Dulcie Kermah, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science; and Marino Bruce, University of Houston.
The implications of these findings are significant for interventions and policies aimed at promoting physical activity among parents with multiple children. The study highlights the need for family based physical activity interventions to expand their focus beyond parent-child dyads or triads. Including multiple children in these interventions may have a more significant impact on overall physical activity levels, according to the researchers.
"Workplace wellness programs have been shown as effective avenues for intervention," said study co-author Marino Bruce, director of UH Population Health Collaboratories and associate dean of research at the Fertitta Family College of Medicine. "Parents often spend a majority of their time outside of parenting in the workplace, making it an ideal setting to promote physical activity. By offering incentives, feedback mechanisms and short bouts of physical activity throughout the workday, employers can support parents in achieving their activity goals and overcoming time-related barriers."
Interestingly, the study also found that the impact of children on physical activity did not significantly differ between mothers and fathers, despite previous studies which suggested that mothers might be more affected by parental responsibilities. This discrepancy could be attributed to the differing measurements of physical activity used in the studies, with the current research relying on self-reported sport, fitness and recreational activities.
The researchers note that further research is needed to explore this relationship among parents with children of various ages. The study's findings underscore the importance of addressing the specific needs of parents with multiple children to promote a healthier and more active population.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230712165203.htm
Board games are boosting math ability in young children
July 7, 2023
Science Daily/Taylor & Francis Group
Board games based on numbers, like Monopoly, Othello and Chutes and Ladders, make young children better at math, according to a comprehensive review of research published on the topic over the last 23 years.
Board games are already known to enhance learning and development including reading and literacy.
Now this new study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Early Years, finds, for three to nine-year-olds, the format of number-based board games helps to improve counting, addition, and the ability to recognize if a number is higher or lower than another.
The researchers say children benefit from programs -- or interventions -- where they play board games a few times a week supervised by a teacher or another trained adult.
"Board games enhance mathematical abilities for young children," says lead author Dr. Jaime Balladares, from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, in Santiago, Chile.
"Using board games can be considered a strategy with potential effects on basic and complex math skills.
"Board games can easily be adapted to include learning objectives related to mathematical skills or other domains."
Games where players take turns to move pieces around a board differ from those involving specific skills or gambling.
Board game rules are fixed which limits a player's activities, and the moves on the board usually determine the overall playing situation.
However, preschools rarely use board games. This study aimed to compile the available evidence of their effects on children.
The researchers set out to investigate the scale of the effects of physical board games in promoting learning in young children.
They based their findings on a review of 19 studies published from 2000 onwards involving children aged from three to nine years. All except one study focused on the relationship between board games and mathematical skills.
All children participating in the studies received special board game sessions which took place on average twice a week for 20 minutes over one-and-a-half months. Teachers, therapists, or parents were among the adults who led these sessions.
In some of the 19 studies, children were grouped into either the number board game or to a board game that did not focus on numeracy skills. In others, all children participated in number board games but were allocated different types e.g. Dominoes.
All children were assessed on their math performance before and after the intervention sessions which were designed to encourage skills such as counting out loud.
The authors rated success according to four categories including basic numeric competency such as the ability to name numbers, and basic number comprehension e.g. 'nine is greater than three'.
The other categories were deepened number comprehension -- where a child can accurately add and subtract -- and interest in mathematics.
In some cases, parents attended a training session to learn arithmetic that they could then use in the games.
Results showed that math skills improved significantly after the sessions among children for more than half (52%) of the tasks analyzed.
In nearly a third (32%) of cases, children in the intervention groups gained better results than those who did not take part in the board game intervention.
The results also show that from analyzed studies to date, board games on the language or literacy areas, while implemented, did not include scientific evaluation (i.e. comparing control with intervention groups, or pre and post-intervention) to evaluate their impact on children.
Designing and implementing board games along with scientific procedures to evaluate their efficacy, therefore, are "urgent tasks to develop in the next few years," Dr. Balladares, who was previously at UCL, argues.
And this, now, is the next project they are investigating.
Dr. Balladares concludes: "Future studies should be designed to explore the effects that these games could have on other cognitive and developmental skills.
"An interesting space for the development of intervention and assessment of board games should open up in the next few years, given the complexity of games and the need to design more and better games for educational purposes."
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230707111629.htm
Helping adolescents to feel competent and purposeful -- not just happy -- may improve grades
Study of 600 UK teenagers suggests that having stronger self-awareness and sense of purpose may raise GCSE Maths scores 'by a couple of grades'.
July 5, 2023
Science Daily/University of Cambridge
Encouraging adolescents to feel capable and purposeful -- rather than just happy -- could improve their academic results as well as their mental health, according to new research which recommends changing how wellbeing is supported in schools.
The University of Cambridge study, involving over 600 teenagers from seven English schools, examined two separate aspects of their wellbeing: life satisfaction and 'eudaimonia'. While life satisfaction roughly equates to how happy a person is, eudaimonia refers to how well that person feels they are functioning. It incorporates feelings of competence, motivation and self-esteem.
Researchers found that students with high levels of eudaimonia consistently outperformed their peers in GCSE-level assessments, especially Maths. On average, those achieving top Maths grades had eudaimonic wellbeing levels 1.5 times higher than those with the lowest grades.
No such link was found between academic performance and life satisfaction. Despite this, child wellbeing policy in England tends to focus on life satisfaction. The Government has, for example, recently added 'happiness' to national curricula as part of its Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) guidance, emphasising teaching adolescents how to feel happy and resilient while managing negative emotions.
Previous research has pointed to the importance of fostering adolescents' eudaimonic wellbeing by nurturing their personal values, goals and sense of self-worth. The new study appears to strengthen that case by demonstrating a positive link between eudaimonia and academic performance.
Its lead author, Dr Tania Clarke, is a psychologist of education who now works for the Youth Endowment Fund, but undertook the study for her doctoral research at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge. The findings are published in School Psychology Review.
"Wellbeing education often focuses on teaching students about being happy and not being sad." Clarke said. "That is over-simplistic and overlooks other vital qualities of wellbeing that are particularly salient during the formative period of adolescence."
"Adolescents also need to develop self-awareness, confidence, and ideally a sense of meaning and purpose. Judging by our findings, an adolescent who is currently getting a 3 or 4 on their Maths GCSE could be helped to rise a couple of grades if schools emphasised these qualities for all students, rather than just promoting positivity and minimising negative emotions."
The study involved 607 adolescents, aged 14-15. Participants completed an established psychological assessment called 'How I feel about myself and school', which measures both life satisfaction and eudaimonia, as well as feelings of interpersonal relatedness and negativity.
These measures were compared with their scores in mock English and Maths GCSEs. The research also assessed whether the students exhibited a 'growth mindset': a belief in their personal capacity for improvement. Many educators consider this essential for enhancing academic performance.
The students' overall wellbeing -- their eudaimonia and life satisfaction combined -- clearly correlated positively with their exam results. Those attaining top Maths grades (Grades 8 or 9) had, on average, a wellbeing score of 32 out of a possible 50. This was nine points higher than those with a Grade 1, and three to four points higher than the average for all 607 students.
When they analysed the separate dimensions of wellbeing, however, the researchers found a positive relationship between eudaimonia and higher attainment, but no correlation with life satisfaction. In Maths, the average eudaimonic wellbeing score of Grade 9 students was 17.3 from a possible 25, while that of Grade 1 students was just 10.9. These results held true even when accounting for potentially confounding factors, such as school attended, gender, socio-economic status, or special educational needs.
The study also found that a growth mindset did not predict good academic results, although students with high eudaimonic wellbeing did tend to exhibit such a mindset. Other research has similarly struggled to draw a clear link between growth mindset and academic progress, but does link it more generally to positive mental health. This implies that eudaimonia, as well as supporting better attainment, may also underpin important aspects of self-belief, leading to broader mental health benefits.
Clarke's wider research suggests that various constraints currently limit schools' capacity to promote eudaimonic wellbeing. In an earlier Review of Education article she published the results of in-depth interviews with some of the same students, which highlighted concerns about a 'performativity culture' stemming from a heavy emphasis on high-stakes testing. These interviews indicated that many students associate 'doing well' with getting good grades, rather than with their own strengths, values and goals.
Students said they often felt worthless, inadequate or "dumb" if they failed to get high marks in tests. "You let your scores define you," one student told Clarke. "Then you feel really low about… your worth and everything. You think it's literally the end of the world." Ironically, the new findings suggest that by limiting teachers' capacity to support students' personal growth, the heavy emphasis on exam results and testing may be undermining academic progress, at least in some cases.
Clarke suggested that eudaimonic therapy, which increasingly features in professional mental health psychology for adolescents, could be incorporated more into wellbeing education. In particular, her study underscores the need to help students understand their academic work and progress in the context of their personal motivations and goals.
"There is a link between better wellbeing and a more nuanced understanding of academic success," Clarke said. "Because schools are under heavy pressure to deliver academic results, at the moment students seem to be measuring themselves against the exam system, rather than in terms of who they want to be or what they want to achieve."
Dr Ros McLellan, from the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, who co-authored the study, said: "Wellbeing education needs to move beyond notions of 'boosting' happiness towards deeper engagement, helping adolescents to realise their unique talents and aspirations, and a sense of what happiness means for them, personally. This would not just improve wellbeing: it is also likely to mean better exam results, and perhaps fewer issues for students later on."
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230705194618.htm
Memories of childhood abuse and neglect has greater impact on mental health than the experience itself
July 5, 2023
Science Daily/King's College London
New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London and City University New York, published today (Wednesday 5 July) in JAMA Psychiatry, has found that the way childhood abuse and/or neglect is remembered and processed has a greater impact on later mental health than the experience itself. The authors suggest that, even in the absence of documented evidence, clinicians can use patients' self-reported experiences of abuse and neglect to identify those at risk of developing mental health difficulties and provide early interventions.
Researchers conducted a large longitudinal study following 1,196 participants to age 40 years to investigate how experiences of childhood abuse and/or neglect (maltreatment) impact the development of emotional disorders in adulthood.
The study found that young adults who retrospectively self-reported experiences of childhood maltreatment before age 12 had a greater number of depressive or anxiety episodes over the subsequent decade than those who did not remember maltreatment, even if they had an official court record.
In contrast, participants who had an official record of childhood maltreatment, but no retrospective recall of the experience, had a similar number of emotional disorder episodes in adulthood as those with no experience of maltreatment.
Andrea Danese, Professor of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at King's IoPPN and joint author of the study, said: "Our study reveals that how a person perceives and remembers experiences of childhood abuse or neglect has greater implications on future emotional disorders than the experience itself. The findings show that, even in the absence of documented evidence of childhood maltreatment, clinicians can use information provided by their clients to identify those at greater risk for subsequent mental health difficulties. The findings also suggest that early interventions that help cope with memories of abuse and/or neglect may prevent emotional problems later on."
Participants were interviewed about their self-reported retrospective experiences of childhood maltreatment and their current and past mental health. They were then re-interviewed to measure the course of depression and anxiety symptoms.
Further analyses revealed that the association between self-reported experiences of childhood maltreatment and a greater number of subsequent anxiety and depression episodes was partly explained by participants' current and past mental health, which was reported during their first interview. The authors explain that this could be because emotional disorders can negatively bias memories, making participants' more likely to recall negative events.
Professor Danese said: "A better understanding of how memories of child maltreatment are maintained and exacerbated over time, and of how the memories affect daily functioning, could provide new insights to develop effective interventions."
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230705122459.htm
Treating childhood ADHD with stimulant meds not associated with increased substance use later in life
July 5, 2023
Science Daily/University of Pittsburgh
Children taking a prescription stimulant to manage symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) do not have more substance use or substance use disorder (SUD) as adolescents or young adults, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Published today in JAMA Psychiatry, the study may provide some reassurance to parents and clinicians who may be hesitant to prescribe ADHD stimulant medications for fear that they may lay the groundwork for future substance use.
"Stimulants are the first-line treatment recommended for most individuals with ADHD -- the drug class is an evidence-based treatment with few side effects," said Brooke Molina, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry, psychology and pediatrics at Pitt. "Because stimulant medications are classified by the Drug Enforcement Administration as schedule two substances with the potential for misuse, many people fear that harmful substance use could result."
ADHD is a neurobehavioral condition marked by chronic patterns of inattention, hyperactivity or impulsivity, or a combination of the three, that affects a person's day-to-day functioning. Although ADHD can be managed with medication and other therapeutic approaches, it is a chronic condition that must be monitored throughout an individual's life.
Molina and her colleagues assessed patients with ADHD over a 16-year period from childhood through adolescence to early adulthood to see if there was any association between stimulant treatment and subsequent substance use. The study conducted at Pitt is among the first to address the relationship between childhood use of prescription stimulants and later SUD by accounting for dozens of demographic, clinical and psychosocial factors that may predispose an individual to treatment and substance use.
"Our study not only accounted for age, but also used a statistical method that adjusted over time for the many characteristics that may distinguish treated from non-treated individuals," said study co-author Traci Kennedy, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry at Pitt. "Considering these factors allowed us to more accurately test the relationship between stimulants and substance use."
While other studies have sought to uncover and define a possible connection between prescription stimulant use for ADHD and SUD, the association between the two has remained controversial. The results of some studies suggested a protective effect of prescription stimulant use on the risk of having SUD later in life, while others failed to find an association.
When factoring in age and other time-varying characteristics, such as household income, behavior problems and parental support, Pitt researchers found no evidence that prescription stimulant treatment in childhood provided protection against developing a SUD for adolescents or young adults with ADHD. However, researchers likewise did not find an association between stimulant use during childhood and increased substance misuse in the future
While some study participants self-reported an increase over time in heavy drinking, marijuana use, daily cigarette smoking and using other substances, an association with age was also found for stimulant treatment, with older participants being less likely to continue taking medication. When these trends were paired with rigorous statistical analysis, results provided no evidence that prolonged stimulant use is associated with reduced or increased risk for SUD.
"We hope the results of this study will help educate providers and patients," Molina said. "By understanding that stimulant medication initially prescribed in childhood is not linked to harmful levels of substance use, I anticipate that parents' and patients' fears will be alleviated."
Pitt researchers plan to study individuals who were first diagnosed with ADHD and treated with stimulants in adulthood. The study aims to learn if there are differences in the characteristics and outcomes of these adults compared to people who were diagnosed and first treated with stimulants in childhood.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230705115144.htm
Fewer teens now perceive themselves as overweight -- international study of more than 745,000 adolescents
Changes in body weight perception could undermine public health interventions to tackle obesity
July 4, 2023
Science Daily/Taylor & Francis Group
A study involving more than 745,000 adolescents from 41 countries across Europe and North America identified an increase in the amount of teenagers who underestimate their body weight.
Tracking data from 2002 to 2018, the peer-reviewed findings, published today in Child and Adolescent Obesity, demonstrate a noticeable decrease in those who overestimate their weight too.
The team of international experts, who carried out the research, warn these shifting trends in body weight perception could reduce the effectiveness of public health interventions aimed at weight reduction in young people.
"During this impressionable age, body weight perception may influence a young person's lifestyle choices, such as the amount and types of food they eat and their exercise habits," says lead author Doctor Anouk Geraets, from the Department of Social Sciences, at the University of Luxembourg.
"So it's concerning that we're seeing a trend where fewer adolescents perceive themselves as being overweight -- as this could undermine ongoing efforts to tackle increasing levels of obesity in this age group. Young people who underestimate their weight and therefore do not consider themselves to be overweight may not feel they need to lose excess weight and, as a result, they may make unhealthy lifestyle choices."
A person's perception of their body weight may not accurately reflect their actual weight. A discrepancy in body weight perception (BWP) may either be an underestimation (where actual weight is higher than perceived weight) or an overestimation (where actual weight is lower than perceived weight).
In the present study, the researchers examined survey data from 746,121 11-, 13- and 15-year-olds from 41 countries collected at four-yearly intervals between 2002 and 2018 in the International Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC), a WHO collaborative study.
The team modeled trends in BWP among adolescents across different countries over time, making adjustments for age, gender, and family socioeconomic status. They found:
Underestimation of weight status increased, and overestimation of weight status decreased over time among both sexes, with stronger trends for girls.
Correct weight perception increased over time among girls, while it decreased among boys.
Changes in correct weight perception, underestimation and overestimation of weight status differed across different countries -- but these changes could not be explained by an increase in country-level overweight/obesity prevalence.
The authors speculated that the observed differences between girls and boys in BWP may support the idea there are sex differences in body ideals -- and that these body ideals have changed over time. Notably, the increased underestimation and decreased overestimation of weight status over time for girls may be explained by the emergence of an athletic and strong body, as a new contemporary body ideal for both sexes.
"This study has clinical and public health implications. The increase in correct weight perception and the decrease in overestimation may have a positive effect on unnecessary and unhealthy weight loss behaviors among adolescents, while the increase in underestimation might indicate the need for interventions to strengthen correct weight perception," says lead author Doctor Anouk Geraets.
"More research is now needed to understand the factors underlying these time trends and to develop effective public health interventions."
While the large number of participating countries is a strength of the present study -- but as these only included countries in Europe, the USA and Canada, the results can't be generalized to other regions. In addition, although steps were taken to adjust the models for certain potential confounding factors, several other factors -- such as body image, dieting, changing eating patterns, or migration -- may also have played a role in the observed trends over time.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230704110936.htm
Getting adults on board with messy nature play
June 30, 2023
Science Daily/University of South Australia
Climbing trees, making mud pies, or simply playing outside, parents and educators know that being in nature is an important part of every childhood. But when it comes to messy or risky play, it's a whole different story according to new research from the University of South Australia.
Talking to parents and early childhood educators, researchers found that parents and educators will happily open the door to 'safe' or 'clean' nature play but are more reluctant to let children engage in 'messy' activities or play that may be perceived as 'risky'.
UniSA researcher and PhD candidate Kylie Dankiw says that parents and educators act as important gatekeepers when it comes to nature play.
"Nature play is well known for its positive effects on children's health, development, and wellbeing," Dankiw says, "and this was a common theme when interviewing parents and carers alike.
"Nature play helps improve emotional regulation, physical skills, and learning outcomes, and can encourage children to develop their creativity and imagination.
"Parents and educators also identified that nature play can help children form a connection with the natural world and learn about sustainable practices.
"Importantly, parents and carers felt that nature play experiences could be used to offset technology use such as TV and screens.
"But despite the known benefits, parents and carers can find it difficult when it comes to engaging children in nature play, especially if activities are messy or dirty (such as water or mud play) or are thought of as being risky (such as climbing).
"Educators tell us that safety regulations and time restrictions can limit what they choose as outdoor activities, especially when they need to change children's clothes after muddy play, or when parents expect for their child to come home clean from childcare.
"There can be a conflict between encouraging children to experience nature, and what adults need to deal with in the so-called aftermath."
Nearly 50% of Australia's children aged 0-12 years (two million) spend time in formal or informal early childhood education care, with long day care being the most common type of care for children aged 0-4 years.
Paediatric expert UniSA's Dr Margarita Tsiros says given the large number of children in care, further education and training for both early childhood educators and parents could help overcome some of the challenges that might be linked with nature play.
"Our research highlights that opportunities for young children to engage in nature play is influenced by other people in their lives," Dr Tsiros says.
"While parents and educators recognise the benefits of nature play, they can struggle with certain aspects of being in nature, particularly risk.
"Understanding these barriers can help inform strategies to promote nature play for different age groups. It can also help inform policies and practices to promote enabling factors.
"A key move will be to boost educators' knowledge about nature-based learning, what constitutes nature play, and how they can use natural resources to facilitate nature play experiences.
"In a time where screens threaten to consume children's interest, it's vital that we present opportunities for them to engage in nature play, and to achieve this, we need to have parents and educators on board."
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/06/230630123225.htm
Combining maths with music leads to higher scores, suggests review of 50 years of research
June 29, 2023
Science Daily/Taylor & Francis Group
Children do better at maths when music is a key part of their lessons, an analysis of almost 50 years of research on the topic has revealed.
It is thought that music can make maths more enjoyable, keep students engaged and help any ease fear or anxiety they have about maths. Motivation may be increased and pupils may appreciate maths more, the peer-reviewed article in Educational Studies details.
Techniques for integrating music into maths lessons range from clapping to pieces with different rhythms when learning numbers and fractions, to using maths to design musical instruments.
Previous research has shown that children who are better at music also do better at maths. But whether teaching music to youngsters actually improves their maths has been less clear.
To find out more, Turkish researcher Dr. Ayça Akin, from the Department of Software Engineering, Antalya Belek University, searched academic databases for research on the topic published between 1975 and 2022.
She then combined the results of 55 studies from around the world, involving almost 78,000 young people from kindergarten pupils to university students, to come up with an answer.
Three types of musical intervention were included the meta-analysis: standardised music interventions (typical music lessons, in which children sing and listen to, and compose, music), instrumental musical interventions (lessons in which children learn how to play instruments, either individually or as part of a band) and music-maths integrated interventions, in which music is integrated into maths lessons.
Students took maths tests before and after taking part in the intervention and the change in their scores was compared with that of youngsters who didn't take part in an intervention.
The use of music, whether in separate lessons or as part of maths classes, was associated with greater improvement in maths over time.
The integrated lessons had the biggest effect, with around 73% of students who had integrated lessons doing significantly better than youngsters who didn't have any type of musical intervention.
Some 69% of students who learned how to play instruments and 58% of students who had normal music lessons improved more than pupils with no musical intervention.
The results also indicate that music helps more with learning arithmetic than other types of maths and has a bigger impact on younger pupils and those learning more basic mathematical concepts.
Dr Akin, who carried out the research while at Turkey's National Ministry of Education and Antalya Belek University, points out that maths and music have much in common, such as the use of symbols symmetry. Both subjects also require abstract thought and quantitative reasoning.
Arithmetic may lend itself particularly well to being taught through music because core concepts, such as fractions and ratios, are also fundamental to music. For example, musical notes of different lengths can be represented as fractions and added together to create several bars of music.
Integrated lessons may be especially effective because they allow pupils to build connections between the maths and music and provide extra opportunities to explore, interpret and understand maths.
Plus, if they are more enjoyable than traditional maths lessons, any anxiety students feel about maths may be eased.
Limitations of the analysis include the relatively small number of studies available for inclusion. This meant it wasn't possible to look at the effect of factors such as gender, socio-economic status and length of musical instruction on the results.
Dr Akin, who is now based at Antalya Belek University, concludes that while musical instruction overall has a small to moderate effect on achievement in maths, integrated lessons have a large impact.
She adds: "Encouraging mathematics and music teachers to plan lessons together could help ease students' anxiety about mathematics, while also boosting achievement."
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/06/230629125739.htm