Beyond Sociodemographic and COVID-19-Related Factors: The Association Between the Need for Psychological and Information Support from School and Anxiety and Depression.

BACKGROUND In addition to sociodemographic and COVID-19- related factors, the needs of school support, including material, psychological and information support, have seldom been discussed as factors influencing anxiety and depression among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. MATERIAL AND METHODS In this cross-sectional study, 3351 college students from China were surveyed through questionnaires about their sociodemographic and COVID-19 characteristics, the needs of school support, and their experiences with anxiety and depression. RESULTS Anxiety and depression were reported by 6.88% and 10.50% of students, respectively. Married, higher education, non-medical, and urban students had significantly higher risks of anxiety or depression. Additionally, symptoms such as cough and fever, especially when following a possible contact with suspected individuals, quarantine history of a personal contact, going out 1-3 times a week, not wearing a mask, and spending 2-3 hours browsing COVID-19-related information were significantly associated with the occurrence of anxiety or depression. Those who used methods to regulate their emotional state, used a psychological hotline, and who had visited a psychiatrist showed higher anxiety or depression. Those who used online curricula and books, used preventive methods for COVID-19, and who had real-time information about the epidemic situation of the school showed lower anxiety and depression. CONCLUSIONS In addition to sociodemographic and COVID-19-related aspects, students' needs for psychological assistance and information from schools were also associated with anxiety and depression among college students.

Estimated Resource Costs for Implementation of CDC's Recommended COVID-19 Mitigation Strategies in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 Public Schools - United States, 2020-21 School Year.

As school districts across the United States consider how to safely operate during the 2020-21 academic year, CDC recommends mitigation strategies that schools can adopt to reduce the risk for transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (1). To identify the resources and costs needed to implement school-based mitigation strategies and provide schools and jurisdictions with information to aid resource allocation, a microcosting methodology was employed to estimate costs in three categories: materials and consumables, additional custodial staff members, and potential additional transportation. National average estimates, using the national pre-kindergarten through grade 12 (preK-12) public enrollment of 50,685,567 students, range between a mean of $55 (materials and consumables only) to $442 (all three categories) per student. State-by-state estimates of additional funds needed as a percentage of fiscal year 2018 student expenditures (2) range from an additional 0.3% (materials and consumables only) to 7.1% (all three categories); however, only seven states had a maximum estimate above 4.2%. These estimates, although not exhaustive, highlight the level of resources needed to ensure that schools reopen and remain open in the safest possible manner and offer administrators at schools and school districts and other decision-makers the cost information necessary to budget and prioritize school resources during the COVID-19 pandemic.

'Pro-tobacco propaganda': a case study of tobacco industry-sponsored elementary schools in China.

BACKGROUND: China is the largest producer and consumer of tobacco products worldwide. While direct marketing and advertisement of tobacco products is restricted, indirect marketing still exists under the guise of sponsorship and corporate social responsibility (CSR). This case study is focused on tobacco industry-sponsored elementary schools in Chinese rural areas. METHODS: Field visits were conducted in Yunnan province to interview students, teachers, school principals and parents to understand their perceptions of the tobacco industry and its sponsorship of schools. Interviews with tobacco control activists were conducted in Beijing to discuss national tobacco control efforts targeting tobacco industry sponsorship. Interview data were transcribed and coded, with key themes developed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: While health consequences of smoking are generally known, attitudes towards the tobacco industry and its CSR activities remain positive among the general public. Educators and parents do not perceive any impacts on schoolchildren from exposure to 'pro-tobacco propaganda' created by the industry's CSR activities. Attitudes among tobacco control activists were drastically different, with consensus that CSR activities constitute indirect marketing attempts that should be banned. CONCLUSION: National tobacco control legislation banning all forms of indirect marketing including CSR is needed in order to protect the health of future generations.

Early Emotion Knowledge and Later Academic Achievement Among Children of Color in Historically Disinvested Neighborhoods.

This study examined longitudinal relations between emotion knowledge (EK) in pre-kindergarten (pre-K; Mage  = 4.8 years) and math and reading achievement 1 and 3 years later in a sample of 1,050 primarily Black children (over half from immigrant families) living in historically disinvested neighborhoods. Participants were part of a follow-up study of a cluster randomized controlled trial. Controlling for pre-academic skills, other social-emotional skills, sociodemographic characteristics, and school intervention status, higher EK at the end of pre-K predicted higher math and reading achievement test scores in kindergarten and second grade. Moderation analyses suggest that relations were attenuated among children from immigrant families. Findings suggest the importance of enriching pre-K programs for children of color with EK-promotive interventions and strategies.

National Gross Domestic Product, Science Interest, and Science Achievement: A Direct Replication and Extension of the Tucker-Drob, Cheung, and Briley (2014) Study.

We replicated the study by Tucker-Drob, Cheung, and Briley (2014), who found that the association between science interest and science knowledge depended on economic resources at the family, school, and national levels, using data from the 2006 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). In more economically prosperous families, schools, and nations, student interest was more strongly correlated with actual knowledge. Here, we investigated whether these results still held despite substantial changes to educational and economic systems over roughly a decade. Using similar data from PISA 2015 ( N = 537,170), we found largely consistent results. Students from more economically advantaged homes, schools, and nations exhibited a stronger link between interests and knowledge. However, these moderation effects were substantially reduced, and the main effect of science interest increased by nearly 25%, driven almost entirely by families of low socioeconomic status and nations with low gross domestic product. The interdependence of interests and resources is robust but perhaps weakening with educational progress.

The prevalence of headache in German pupils of different ages and school types.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Headache in pupils is underestimated and has a negative impact on learning and life. The aim of this study was to investigate headache prevalence and its collateral effects, in pupils of different ages and school types in a German city. METHODS: Anonymized questionnaires were distributed to 5419 pupils attending primary and secondary schools. Demographics, headache frequency, analgesic use, school absence and, for secondary school children, data on lifestyle were collected. RESULTS: The questionnaire was returned by 2706 children (49%), 1362 (50.3%) girls, 1344 (49.7%) boys. Of these, 36.6% indicated a frequency of 1, and 31.5% a frequency of ≥ 2 headache days per month within the last 3 months. Headache prevalence increased with school grade, age and secondary school type: 63.6%, 67.2% and 79.5% for primary school children, pupils attending 8-year and pupils attending 6-year secondary schools, respectively. With secondary school level I certificates, pupils are prepared for general professional training in 6 years. Secondary school level II results, after 8 years of training, in university entrance level II certificates, which are the precondition for university studies. Girls reported significantly more headache than boys (73% vs. 63.1%). A significant relationship has been observed between headache frequency and school absence and between headache intensity and headache frequency. Of pupils with headache at least twice a month, 48.1% reported analgesic intake. Ibuprofen (49.1%) and paracetamol (32.8%) were the most frequently used analgesics. Of those pupils with headache ≥ 2 days/month, 68.3% did not have a specific headache diagnosis. Concomitant diseases and regular drug intake, analgesic intake for another reason than headache, caffeine consumption and lack of participation in sports were positively correlated with headache. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of pupils suffer from headache at least once a month. Since frequent headache results in educational and social limitations, pupils at risk should be identified and referred to headache education programs. Efforts are needed to improve the management of juvenile headache patients.

The impact of school support on depression among adolescent orphans: a cluster-randomized trial in Kenya.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to determine if a school support intervention for adolescent orphans in Kenya had effects on mental health, a secondary outcome. METHODS: In this paper, we analyzed data from a 4-year cluster-randomized trial of a school support intervention (school uniforms, school fees, and nurse visits) conducted with orphaned adolescents in Siaya County, western Kenya, who were about to transition to secondary school. 26 primary schools were randomized (1:1) to intervention (410 students) or control (425 students) arms. The study was longitudinal with annual repeated measures collected over 4 years from 2011 to 2014. We administered five items from the 20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Revised, a self-reported depression screening instrument. RESULTS: The intervention prevented depression severity scores from increasing over time among adolescents recruited from intervention schools. There was no evidence of treatment heterogeneity by gender or baseline depression status. The intervention effect on depression was partially mediated by higher levels of continuous school enrollment among the intervention group, but this mediated effect was small. CONCLUSIONS: School support for orphans may help to buffer against the onset or worsening of depression symptoms over time, promoting resilience among an important at-risk population.

Children Learning About Secondhand Smoke (CLASS II): A Pilot Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Children exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS) are at increased risk of respiratory illnesses. We piloted a Smoke Free Intervention (SFI) and trial methods before investigating its effectiveness and cost-effectiveness in primary school children. METHODS: In a pilot cluster randomized controlled trial in Bangladesh, primary schools were allocated to usual education (control) or SFI, using minimization. Year-5 children were recruited. Masking treatment allocation was not possible. Delivered by schoolteachers, SFI consisted of two 45-min and four 15-min educational sessions. Our primary outcome was SHS exposure at two months post randomization, verified by children's salivary cotinine. The trial is registered at ISRCTN.com; ISRCTN68690577. RESULTS: Between April 1, 2015 and June 30, 2015, we recruited 12 schools. Of the 484 children present in Year-5, 481 consented. Six schools were allocated to both SFI (n = 245) and to usual education only (n = 236). Of them, 450 children (SFI = 229; control = 221) who had cotinine levels indicative of SHS exposure were followed-up. All schools were retained, 91% children (208/229) in SFI and 88% (194/221) in the control arm completed primary outcome assessment. Their mean cotinine at the cluster level was 0.53 ng/ml (SD 0.36) in SFI and 1.84 ng/ml (SD 1.49) in the control arm-a mean difference of -1.31 ng/ml (95% CI = -2.86 to 0.24). CONCLUSION: It was feasible to recruit, randomize, and retain primary schools and children in our trial. Our study, though not powered to detect differences in mean cotinine between the two arms, provides estimates to inform the likely effect size for future trials. IMPLICATIONS: In countries with high smoking prevalence, children remain at risk of many conditions due to secondhand smoke exposure. There is little empirical evidence on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of interventions that can reduce their exposure to secondhand smoke at homes. CLASS II trial found that a school-based intervention (SFI) has the potential to reduce children's exposure to SHS-an approach that has been rarely used, but has considerable merit in school-based contexts. CLASS II trial provides key information to conduct a future definitive trial in this area of public health, which despite its importance has so far received little attention.

The Costs and Benefits of Investing in Universal Preschool: Evidence From a Spanish Reform.

This study provides a cost-benefit analysis of expanding access to universal preschool education, focusing on a Spanish reform that lowered the age of eligibility for publicly provided universal preschool from age 4 to age 3. Benefits in terms of child development and maternal employment are estimated using evidence on the causal effects of this reform. In the baseline estimation the benefit-cost ratio is over 4, indicating sizeable net societal benefits of the preschool investment. The results show that the child development effects are the major determinant of the cost-benefit ratio; the employment gains for parents appear to play a relatively minor role. Overall, the cost-benefit analysis provides support for investing in high-quality preschool education.

The Segregation of Opportunity: Social and Financial Resources in the Educational Contexts of Lower- and Higher-Income Children, 1990-2014.

This article provides a rich longitudinal portrait of the financial and social resources available in the school districts of high- and low-income students in the United States from 1990 to 2014. Combining multiple publicly available data sources for most school districts in the United States, we document levels and gaps in school district financial resources-total per-pupil expenditures-and social resources-local rates of adult educational attainment, family structure, and adult unemployment-available to the average public school student at a variety of income levels over time. In addition to using eligibility for the National School Lunch Program as a blunt measure of student income, we estimate resource inequalities between income deciles to analyze resource gaps between affluent and poor children. We then examine the relationship between income segregation and resource gaps between the school districts of high- and low-income children. In previous work, the social context of schooling has been a theoretical but unmeasured mechanism through which income segregation may operate to create unequal opportunities for children. Our results show large and, in some cases, growing social resource gaps in the districts of high- and low-income students nationally and provide evidence that these gaps are exacerbated by income segregation. Conversely, per-pupil funding became more compensatory between high- and low-income students' school districts over this period, especially in highly segregated states. However, there are early signs of reversal in this trend. The results provide evidence that school finance reforms have been somewhat effective in reducing the consequences of income segregation on funding inequities, while inequalities in the social context of schooling continue to grow.

School Gardens in the United States: Current Barriers to Integration and Sustainability.

OBJECTIVES: To elucidate details about the barriers (time, funding, staffing, and space) to integrating and sustaining school gardens. METHODS: A total of 99 school gardeners from 15 states participated in an online survey in June 2017. The 29-item survey contained qualitative and quantitative items that we analyzed using descriptive statistics and inductive content analysis. RESULTS: In order of greatest to least barrier, gardeners ranked time, staff, funding, curriculum, and space. Time for classes to use the garden (66% of respondents) and time for staff training (62%) were the most frequently listed time-related challenges. Respondents also reported low engagement within the school community. An overall lack of funding was the most common funding-related barrier, and gardeners were unaware of how to obtain more funding. CONCLUSIONS: We identified 3 aspects of school gardens as opportunities to address time- and staff-related issues: strengthening of garden committees, professional development, and community outreach. Better channels are needed to disseminate funding opportunities within schools and to communicate with communities at large. Ultimately, doing so will strengthen existing school gardens as a vehicle to promote dietary, physical, and social health within communities.

Effectiveness of the 'Girls Active' school-based physical activity programme: A cluster randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Globally, adolescent girls' physical activity (PA) levels are low. The 'Girls Active' secondary school-based programme, developed by the Youth Sport Trust, aims to increase PA in adolescent girls. This paper explores the effectiveness of the 'Girls Active' school-based PA programme. METHODS: A random sample of girls aged 11-14 from 20 secondary schools (Midlands, UK) participated in a two-arm cluster randomised controlled trial. Ten schools received Girls Active and 10 continued with usual practice. Measurements were taken at baseline, seven- and 14-month follow-up. PRIMARY OUTCOME: wrist-worn accelerometer measured moderate- to vigorous-intensity PA (MVPA). SECONDARY OUTCOMES: overall PA, light PA, sedentary time, body composition, and psychosocial outcomes. Generalised estimating equations, adjusted for school cluster and potential confounders, were used and A priori subgroup analysis was undertaken. Micro-costing and cost-consequence analyses were conducted using bespoke collection methods on programme delivery information. Outcomes for the cost-consequence analysis were health related quality of life measured by the Child Health Utility-9D and service use. RESULTS: Overall, 1752 pupils participated, 1211 (69.1%) provided valid 14-month accelerometer data. No difference in MVPA (mins/day; 95% confidence intervals) was found at 14 months (1.7; -0.8 to 4.3), there was at seven months (2.4; 0.1 to 4.7). Subgroup analyses showed significant intervention effects on 14-month in larger schools (3.9; 1.39 to 6.09) and in White Europeans (3.1; 0.60 to 6.02) and in early maturers (5.1; 1.69 to 8.48) at seven months. The control group did better in smaller schools at 14-months (-4.38; -7.34 to -1.41). Significant group differences were found in 14-month identified motivation (-0.09; -0.18 to -0.01) and at seven months in: overall PA (1.39 mg/day; 0.1 to 2.2), after-school sedentary time (-4.7; -8.9 to -0.6), whole day (5.7; 1.0 to 10.5) and school day (4.5; 0.25 to 8.75) light PA, self-esteem. Small, statistically significant, differences in some psychosocial variables favoured control schools. Micro-costing demonstrated that delivering the programme resulted in a range of time and financial costs at each school. Cost-consequence analysis demonstrated no effect of the programme for health related quality of life or service use. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with usual practice, 'Girls Active' did not affect 14-month MVPA. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN10688342.

Evaluation of Let's Move! active schools activation grants.

Let's Move! Active Schools (LMAS), now Active Schools, is a national initiative in the United States (US) that aims to engage schools to increase students' opportunities to be physically active. This evaluation describes changes in school-level practices related to physical education (PE) and physical activity (PA) among schools that received an LMAS-partner grant from ChildObesity180 or Fuel Up to Play 60 (FUTP60). ChildObesity180 and FUTP60 asked grantee schools to complete nine common questions, between October 2013 and August 2014, before and after receiving the grants to assess progress in implementing practices for PE and PA. "Yes" responses indicated presence of PE/PA-supportive practices. For schools with complete pre and post data (n=972), frequencies of "yes" responses were calculated for each practice at pre/post. Schools receiving a FUTP60 partner grant reported statistically significant improvements from pre to post across five practices for PE and PA, and ChildObesity180 grantees reported significant increases on all practices except daily recess, which was already in place at 95% of schools at pre-survey. Schools across both grant programs reported the largest increases for promoting PA via messaging, implementing classroom PA breaks, and providing PA before and after school. Schools in both programs reported smaller, but statistically significant, increases in requiring the recommended minutes of PE. This study illustrates the feasibility of offering small grants, at a national scale, for schools to make changes that support PA throughout the day. Results suggest that schools can shift PA policies and practices over the course of a school year.

The Costly Consequences of not Being Socially and Behaviorally Ready to Learn by Kindergarten in Baltimore City.

Social, emotional, and behavioral skills are foundational to learning and long-term success. However, poverty and exposure to adverse childhood experiences reduce the chances of children entering kindergarten socially-behaviorally ready to learn. This study examined the unique impact of 5-year-old children (N = 11,412) entering kindergarten not socially-behaviorally ready on three costly school outcomes by fourth grade in Baltimore City Public Schools: being retained in grade, receiving services and supports through an IEP or 504 plan, and being suspended/expelled. Controlling for all other types of school readiness, students not identified as socially-behaviorally ready for kindergarten were more likely to experience all three school outcomes. Findings underscore the importance of early prevention and intervention strategies targeting parents and social-behavioral readiness skills during the first 5 years of life.

Protecting progress against childhood obesity--the National School Lunch Program.

Two years after their implementation, new school-nutrition standards are at risk. In response to complaints about food waste and difficulties in meeting certain goals, among other issues, lawmakers have proposed granting schools waivers if they are losing revenue.

Revising the economic imperative for US STEM education.

Over the last decade macroeconomic studies have established a clear link between student achievement on science and math tests and per capita gross domestic product (GDP) growth, supporting the widely held belief that science, technology, engineering, and math(STEM) education are important factors in the production of economic prosperity. We critique studies that use science and math tests to predict GDP growth, arguing that estimates of the future economic value of STEM education involve substantial speculation because they ignore the impacts of economic growth on biodiversity and ecosystem functionality, which, in the long-term, limit the potential for future economic growth. Furthermore, we argue that such ecological impacts can be enabled by STEM education. Therefore, we contend that the real economic imperative for the STEM pipeline is not just raising standardized test scores, but also empowering students to assess, preserve, and restore ecosystems in order to reduce ecological degradation and increase economic welfare.

Associations between demographic characteristics and physical activity practices in Nevada schools.

Schools are important settings for not only providing and promoting children's physical activity (PA) but also for reducing PA disparities. We investigated associations between school-level demographic characteristics (racial/ethnic and socioeconomic composition, urban-rural status, and student-to-teacher ratio) and 16 PA-promoting practices in 347 Nevada public elementary, middle, and high schools in 2014. We found that low-cost and easy-to-implement practices are most prevalent. There is relative demographic equity in ten of 16 PA practices and significant differences in six PA practices in Nevada schools. Schools with comparatively larger percentages of Black students are the most disadvantaged, as they have the fewest PA-supportive practices in place. Higher percent black was associated with lower odds of providing classroom activity breaks (AOR=0.632, 95% CI=0.453-0.881) and bike racks (AOR=0.60, 95% CI=0.362-0.996), greater odds of withholding recess/PE for disciplinary reasons (AOR=1.377, 95% CI=1.006-1.885), and lower odds of having recess supervisors who are trained to promote PA (AOR=0.583, 95% CI=0.374-0.909). Schools with greater percentages of Hispanic students have lower odds of providing before-school PA programs (AOR=0.867, 95% CI=0.761-0.987), whereas schools with greater percentages of low-SES students have greater odds of providing after-school PA programs (AOR=1.135, 95% CI=1.016-1.268). Higher student-to-teacher ratio was also associated with greater odds of providing after-school PA programs (AOR=1.135, 95% CI=1.016-1.268). Urban-rural status was unrelated to all PA practices.

The ventilation problem in schools: literature review.

Based on a review of literature published in refereed archival journals, ventilation rates in classrooms often fall far short of the minimum ventilation rates specified in standards. There is compelling evidence, from both cross-sectional and intervention studies, of an association of increased student performance with increased ventilation rates. There is evidence that reduced respiratory health effects and reduced student absence are associated with increased ventilation rates. Increasing ventilation rates in schools imposes energy costs and can increase heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning system capital costs. The net annual costs, ranging from a few dollars to about 10 dollars per person, are less than 0.1% of typical public spending on elementary and secondary education in the United States. Such expenditures seem like a small price to pay given the evidence of health and performance benefits.

The effect of new purchase criteria on food procurement for the Brazilian school feeding program.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of the school feeding program purchase criteria on the quantity, variety and origin of food products acquired for school meals in a municipality in Brazil. METHOD: Analysis of purchase lists for two years prior and two years after implementation of the purchase criteria (2010). The origin (family farms (FF)/other providers (OP)) and nutritional characteristics (recommended/controlled) of food products were studied, registering annual varieties (n) and daily quantities (kg/day); contrast of proportions was applied. RESULTS: The acquisition of recommended products increased, and the quantity of controlled products decreased (p = 0.005). Purchase of legumes and vegetables (p < 0.05) increased and high sugar foods decreased (p = 0.02). The majority of food products in 2010 and 2011 were acquired from OP (64% and 61%), although FF provided the greatest proportion of legumes and vegetables. Ten new varieties of recommended products were incorporated, 9 of which were acquired from FF. CONCLUSION: The criteria of direct purchase from family farms resulted in an increase in the variety and quantity of healthy foods in the schools in the municipality.