Youth Vaping During the Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic Period: Adjusted Annual Changes in Vaping Between the Pre-COVID and Initial COVID-Lockdown Waves of the COMPASS Study.

BACKGROUND: Adolescence is a critical period for vaping onset. The purpose of this article was to examine the effect of the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic period on youth vaping. METHODS: We used 3-year linked data from the COMPASS study, including 7585 Canadian (Quebec, Ontario) adolescents from which 1949 completed all three survey waves (pre-COVID-19 [2018, 2019] and online [2020] during the early pandemic period [May-July 2020]) and provided vaping data. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and difference-in-difference (DD) models were used to estimate pre-COVID-19 to initial COVID-19 pandemic period change (2019-2020) in vaping (monthly, weekly, daily) compared with 2018-2019 change to adjust for age-related effects. Models were adjusted for age of entry into the cohort and sociodemographic characteristics. RESULTS: In the SEM and DD models, the proportion of youth who were monthly and weekly vaping increased from 2018 to 2019 but decreased from 2019 to 2020; daily vaping increased across all waves. However, for all vaping outcomes modeled, the expected increases from the pre-COVID-19 wave (2019) to the initial COVID-19 period wave (2020) were lesser relative to the changes seen across the 2018 to 2019 waves. CONCLUSION: The early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic period appear to be associated with a reduction in the proportion of youth who were monthly and weekly vapers in our adjusted longitudinal models. While daily vaping increased over this same period of time, the magnitude of the increase in our adjusted longitudinal models appears attenuated by the early stages of the pandemic. IMPLICATIONS: This large prospective study of youth that included pre-pandemic data is unique in that we were able to identify that the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic period was associated with a reduction in the proportion of youth who were monthly and weekly vapers in our adjusted longitudinal models. Conversely, the proportion of youth who were daily vaping increased over this same period of time, but the magnitude of the increase appears smaller than expected during the early stages of the pandemic in our adjusted longitudinal models. This study provides novel robust evidence that the patterns of vaping most aligned with onset and progression (i.e., monthly and weekly use) appear attenuated during the initial pandemic period.

Birthweight, gestational age, and early school trajectory.

BACKGROUND: Birthweight and gestational age are important factors of not only newborn health by also child development and can contribute to delayed cognitive abilities. However, no study has analyzed the association of birthweight and gestational age with school trajectory measured simultaneously by school entry, grade repetition, and school dropout. This study aims, first, to analyze the association of birthweight or gestational age with school entry, and second, to explore the relationship between birthweight or gestational age and grade repetition and school dropout among children in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. METHODS: This study used longitudinal data from the Ouagadougou Health and Demographic Surveillance System. Our samples consisted of children born between 2008 and 2014 who were at least three years old at the beginning of the 2017-18 school year. Samples included 13,676, 3152, and 3498 children for the analysis of the school entry, grade repetition, and dropout, respectively. A discrete-time survival model was used to examine the relationship between birthweight or gestational age and school entry, grade repetition, and dropout. The association between birthweight or gestational age and age at school entry were assessed using a Poisson regression. RESULTS: The incidence rate of school entry was 18.1 per 100 people-years. The incidence of first repetition and dropout were 12.6 and 5.9, respectively. The probability of school entry decreased by 31% (HR:0.69, 95%CI: 0.56-0.85) and 8% (HR:0.92, 95%CI: 0.85-0.99) for children weighing less than 2000 g and those weighing between 2000 and 2499 g, respectively, compared to those born with a normal weight (weight ≥ 2500 g). The age at school entry of children with a birthweight less than 2000 g and between 2000 and 2499 g was 7% (IRR: 1.07, 95%CI: 1.06-1.08) and 3% (IRR: 1.03, 95%CI: 1.00-1.06) higher than children born at a normal birthweight, respectively. Gestational age was not associated with school entry or age at school entry. Similarly, birthweight and gestational age were not associated with grade repetition or dropout. CONCLUSION: This study shows that low birthweight is negatively associated with school entry and age at school entry in Ouagadougou. Efforts to avoid low birthweights should be part of maternal and prenatal health care because the associated difficulties may be difficult to overcome later in the child's life. Further longitudinal studies are needed to better understand the relationship between development at birth and school trajectory.

Stunting, age at school entry and academic performance in developing countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM: To review evidence of the effects of stunting, or height-for-age, on schooling level and schooling trajectories, defined as the combination of school entry age, grade repetition and dropouts. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of studies (last update 20 March 2021) that assessed the association between stunting, or height-for-age, and at least one component of school trajectory using five databases (PubMed, Embase, Education Resources Information Center [ERIC], Web of Science and PsycINFO). Two independent reviewers performed study selection and data extraction. Pooled effects were calculated using the generic inverse variance weighting random-effect model. The risk of bias was assessed using the ROBINS-I tool (PROSPERO ID: CRD42020198346). RESULTS: We screened 3944 articles, and 16 were eligible for the qualitative and quantitative syntheses. Meta-analysis showed that an increase in height-for-age leads to an increase in early enrolment [OR = 1.34 (95% CI, 1.07-1.67)], a reduction in late enrolment [OR = 0.63 (95% CI, 0.51-0.78)], an increase in schooling level [MD = 0.24 (95% CI, 0.14-0.34)] and a reduction in school overage [OR = 0.79 (95% CI, 0.70-0.90)]. Stunted children were more likely to repeat a grade than non-stunted [OR = 1.59 (95% CI, 1.18-2.14)]. CONCLUSION: This review suggests that stunting in childhood might negatively affect school trajectories. Future research should evaluate the effect of stunting on school trajectories and the modification effect of socioeconomic status.

Examining the impact of the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic period on youth cannabis use: adjusted annual changes between the pre-COVID and initial COVID-lockdown waves of the COMPASS study.

BACKGROUND: Given the high rates of cannabis use among Canadian youth and that adolescence is a critical period for cannabis use trajectories, the purpose of this paper was to examine the effect of the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic period on youth cannabis use in the context of a natural experiment. We used 3-year linked data from the COMPASS study, including 7653 Canadian (Quebec, Ontario) adolescents from which 1937 completed all 3 survey waves (pre-COVID-19 [2018, 2019] and online [2020] during the early pandemic period [May-July 2020]). Structural equation modeling (SEM) and double difference (DD) models were used to estimate pre-COVID-19 to initial COVID-19 pandemic period change (2019-2020) in cannabis use (monthly, weekly, daily) compared to 2018 to 2019 change to adjust for age-related effects. Models were adjusted for age of entry into the cohort and sociodemographic characteristics. RESULTS: In the SEM and DD models, monthly, weekly, and daily cannabis use increased across all waves; however, the expected increases from the pre-COVID-19 wave (2019) to the initial COVID-19 period wave (2020) were lesser relative to the changes seen across the 2018 to 2019 waves. The cross-sectional data from May to July 2020 identified that the majority of youth who use cannabis did not report increased cannabis use due to COVID-19 or using cannabis to cope with COVID-19. CONCLUSION: During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic period, there does not appear to be a detrimental effect on youth cannabis use, when adjusted for age-related changes. Further prospective research is needed to explore the impact of the ongoing pandemic response on youth cannabis use onset and progression.

An Impact Analysis of the Early Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health in a Prospective Cohort of Canadian Adolescents.

PURPOSE: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent mental health is a global concern; however, most research is cross-sectional or started after the pandemic response began and thus unable to evaluate within-individual change. The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate the effect of the initial COVID-19 response on adolescent mental health and ill-health as a natural experiment. METHODS: We used 3-year linked data from the COMPASS study, including 7,653 Canadian (Quebec, Ontario) adolescents from which 2,099 completed surveys in all three waves (pre-COVID-19 [2018 and 2019] and online [May-July 2020], 2-3 months into the pandemic). A structural equation modeling approach to fixed effects and a difference-in-differences design were used to estimate pre-COVID-19-to-early lockdown change in mental health (psychosocial well-being [flourishing-reverse scored]) and ill-health (depression and anxiety symptoms), compared with 2018-to-2019 change. Models were adjusted for self-selection, age of entry into the cohort, and sociodemographics. RESULTS: Depression, anxiety, and reverse-flourishing scores increased across all waves; however, the mental health changes from the pre-COVID-19 wave (2019) to 2020 were not greater relative to the changes seen across the 2018-to-2019 waves. CONCLUSIONS: Our results do not support a detrimental effect of the initial stages of the COVID-19 lockdown measures on adolescent mental health. The deterioration in mental health in the early COVID-19 response was less than the decline found over a prepandemic period. Further prospective research is needed to explore the impact of the prolonged pandemic and related measures on adolescents and inequitable effects in population subgroups.