Preterm postnatal complications and risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

AIM: To investigate the association between the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and preterm birth and determine how postnatal complications in children born preterm is associated with the risk of ADHD. METHOD: This population-based cohort study used data from the Hong Kong electronic medical records. We followed 359 614 children (48% female; 6-17 years old, mean 11 years 7 months, SD 3 years 2 months) born in public hospitals in Hong Kong from 1st January 2004 to 31st December 2014 and collected medical records and demographic details for mothers and children until 11th November 2020. RESULTS: The risk of ADHD was 4.0% in children born at term and 5.1% in children born preterm. The odds ratio for ADHD was 2.08 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.64-2.64) for children born extremely preterm, 1.64 (95% CI 1.46-1.85) for children born very preterm, and 1.15 (95% CI 1.08-1.23) for children born late preterm. Among preterm postnatal complications, only early respiratory disease, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), and intraventricular haemorrhage were significant predictors of ADHD after controlling for preterm birth, other risk factors, and sociodemographic variables. The excess risk of ADHD among children born very preterm or late preterm could be partly explained by respiratory disease. ROP partially mediated the risk of ADHD in children born very preterm. INTERPRETATION: Children born preterm in all subcategories, from extremely preterm to late preterm, have increased risk of ADHD. Early respiratory infection partially mediates the risk of ADHD in children born preterm.

Does obesity persist from childhood to adolescence? A 4-year prospective cohort study of chinese students in Hong Kong.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the progression of obesity from childhood to adolescence. This study aimed to longitudinally examine the obesity status in a cohort of children across their childhood and adolescence, and to identify the factors associated with persistent obesity. METHODS: The study used data from School Physical Fitness Award Scheme (SPFAS), a population-based programme in Hong Kong primary and secondary schools. Students were included if they participated in the SPFAS in both 2014 (Primary 1 and 2) and 2018 (Primary 5 and 6). Their anthropometric and physical fitness parameters were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 18,863 students were included. The baseline prevalence of obesity was 5.7 %. After 4 years, the prevalence increased to 6.7 %. Among those with obesity at baseline, 35.3 % remained obese after 4 years. The addition of baseline physical fitness level did not improve the prediction for persistent obesity. CONCLUSIONS: One-third of obese students in junior primary school remained to be obese into adolescence. Their baseline physical fitness level did not improve the predictive value for future obesity. Further studies should investigate the prognostic factors that may influence the natural course of childhood obesity.

Neurocognitive function, performance status, and quality of life in pediatric intracranial germ cell tumor survivors.

BACKGROUND: Intracranial germ cell tumors (GCT) are more common in Asia than in the West, accounting for about 15% of brain tumors in Asian children. The survival rate for intracranial GCT is excellent, but there are concerns about the effects of radiotherapy on neuropsychological function and quality of life of patients. METHODS: Intracranial germ cell tumors (GCT) are more common in Asia than in the West, accounting for about 15% of brain tumors in Asian children. The survival rate for intracranial GCT is excellent, but there are concerns about the effects of radiotherapy on neuropsychological function and quality of life of patients. Intracranial GCT survivors in Hong Kong aged ≥ 6 years who received cranial irradiation in the past 15 years were recruited. Neurocognitive function and performance status were assessed by the Hong Kong Wechsler Intelligence scale and Karnofsky/Lansky performance scales (KPS), respectively. Quality of life was assessed using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) Generic Core Scales. A chart review was performed for tumor characteristics and complications related to the tumor and its treatment. RESULTS: Twenty-five intracranial GCT survivors were recruited. Longer length of time since treatment was associated with lower IQ scores. Larger tumor size was associated with lower KPS scores. Hemiparesis, poor manual dexterity, and complications with multi-organ involvement were associated with significantly lower KPS scores. Higher irradiation dosage was associated with lower PedsQL physical scores. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of GCT survivors had average intellectual functioning, satisfactory performance status and relatively good quality of life, except in the physical aspect. Comprehensive evaluation and long-term follow-up of GCT survivors are essential to provide timely support and improve long-term outcomes.

Excessive Screen Time and Psychosocial Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Body Mass Index, Sleep Duration, and Parent-Child Interaction.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship between excessive screen time and psychosocial well-being in preschool children, and the potential mediating role of body mass index, sleep duration, and parent-child interaction. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Shanghai, China using stratified random sampling design. A representative sample of 20 324 children aged 3-4 years old from 191 kindergartens participated in this study. Parents completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and reported the child's time spent on screen exposure, sleep duration, height, weight, and parent-child interactive activities. RESULTS: Preschool children in Shanghai were exposed to 2.8 (95% CI 2.7, 2.9) hours/day of screen time, with 78.6% (95% CI 77.8,79.3) exceeding 1 hour/day and 53% (95% CI 52.0,53.9) exceeding 2 hours/day. Every additional hour of screen time was associated with increased risk for poor psychosocial well-being. Body mass index, sleep duration, and parent-child interaction mediated the effect of excessive screen time on children's psychosocial well-being, among which parent-child interaction contributed most. Parent-child interaction could explain 28.1% of the effect on total difficulties and 58.6% on prosocial behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Excessive screen time during early childhood exists in Shanghai preschool children. Excessive screen exposure was associated with poor psychosocial well-being in preschool children via a number of mediators, mostly by reducing parent-child interaction.

Linking Healthcare and Social Service Databases to Study the Epidemiology of Child Maltreatment and Associated Health Problems: Hong Kong's Experience.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the incidence and trend of child maltreatment and its associated health problems in Hong Kong by linking healthcare and social service databases. STUDY DESIGN: Data on 4816 children under the age of 18 years registered with the Child Protection Registry and matching health records in public hospitals in Hong Kong from 2003 to 2010 were extracted. Associations were examined between different types of child maltreatment and child's medical diagnosis according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision codes including suicidal attempt (X60-X84), nonchild maltreatment related injuries (S00-S99; T00-T98, excluding T74 and T76 that are maltreatment related injuries), mental health problems (F00-F99), and congenital malformations/chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99). RESULTS: Significant rising trends were found for child physical abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse during the period from 2003 to 2010. Psychological abuse remained stable. Risk of suicide attempt was higher among children suffering from sexual abuse, psychological abuse, and children experiencing multiple abuses; mental health diagnoses were more common in victims of psychological and multiple abuses. Congenital malformations and chromosomal abnormalities were more commonly found among neglected children. CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to the decreasing trend observed in the West during the study period, there has been an escalating trend in child maltreatment in Hong Kong and child maltreatment is strongly associated with major health problems. This is one of the first studies to demonstrate the power of linking healthcare and social service databases, which allows for both a better understanding of the impact of child maltreatment and as a guide future policy and service planning.

Childhood Obesity and Physical Activity-Friendly School Environments.

OBJECTIVE: Childhood obesity may be related to school environment, but previous studies often focused on food environment only. This study aimed to examine the relationship between school physical activity environment and childhood obesity. STUDY DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional study with multilevel data collected on school physical activity environment using teacher questionnaires, students' growth, and obesity status from electronic health records, and neighborhood socioeconomic status from census data. RESULTS: This study included 208 280 students (6-18 years of age) from 438 schools (45% of Hong Kong). Prevalence of obesity was 5.0%. After controlling for socioeconomic status and intraschool correlation, robust Poisson regression revealed a reduced obesity risk associated with higher teachers' perceived physical activity benefits (risk ratio 0.96, 95% CI 0.94-0.99, P = .02), physical activity teaching experience (0.93, 0.91-0.96, P < .001), school campus size (0.93, 0.87-0.99, P = .02), physical activity ethos (0.91, 0.88-0.94, P < .001), number of physical activity programs (0.93, 0.90-0.96, P < .001), and physical activity facilities (0.87, 0.84-0.90, P < .001). Students in schools with at least 3 physical activity-friendly environmental factors (11.7%) had a much lower risk of obesity (0.68, 0.62-0.75, P < .001) than those without (23.7%). CONCLUSIONS: A physical activity-friendly school environment is associated with lower risk of obesity. School physical activity environment should be considered in future epidemiologic and intervention studies.

Prenatal Tobacco Exposure Shortens Telomere Length in Children.

INTRODUCTION: Preliminary evidence suggests a possible association between prenatal tobacco exposure and telomere length in children. This study was conducted to investigate whether maternal smoking during pregnancy was associated with telomere shortening in their children and whether prenatal and childhood exposure to environmental tobacco had any impact on this association. METHODS: This is a population-representative study on the association between prenatal tobacco exposure and telomere length in children. Ninety-eight Hong Kong Chinese children aged under 15 years with prenatal tobacco exposure and 98 age- and gender-matched controls were recruited from a population health study with stratified random sampling. RESULTS: Telomere length in children with prenatal tobacco exposure was significantly shorter than in those with no exposure (mean T/S ratio = 24.9 [SD = 8.58] in exposed vs. 28.97 [14.15] in control groups; P = 0.02). A negative dose-response relationship was observed between the T/S ratio and tobacco exposure duration: the longer the duration of maternal smoking in pregnancy, the shorter the child's telomere length. The association between the child's telomere length and prenatal tobacco exposure remained significant after considering the influence of family socioeconomic status and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke during pregnancy and childhood. CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal tobacco exposure was associated with telomere shortening in children. As this may impose significant health impacts through fetal genetic programming, more efforts should be made to reduce fetal tobacco exposure by educating pregnant women to not smoke and motivating smokers to quit in early pregnancy. IMPLICATIONS: As reflected by telomere shortening, prenatal tobacco exposure in children can cause premature aging and increased health risks, which we suggest is entirely preventable. Not smoking during pregnancy or quitting smoking is critical to improving the health outcome of our future generations as prenatal tobacco exposure may affect children's biological programming.

Sleep Duration and School Readiness of Chinese Preschool Children.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the average sleep duration in Chinese preschoolers and to investigate the association between sleep duration and school readiness. STUDY DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional study that included 553 Chinese children (mean age = 5.46 years) from 20 preschools in 2 districts of Hong Kong. Average daily sleep duration in the last week was reported by parents and school readiness as measured by the teacher-rated Chinese Early Development Instrument (CEDI). RESULTS: Most Chinese preschoolers had 9-10 hours of sleep per day. Only 11% of preschoolers had the recommended 11-12 hours of sleep per day. This group was associated with more "very ready" CEDI domains. Sleep deprivation (≤7 hours per day) was associated with a lower CEDI total score, lower scores in the emotional maturity and language/cognitive domain, and prosocial behaviors subdomain but a greater score in the hyperactivity/inattention subdomain. Children with a lower family socioeconomic index, lower maternal education level, infrequent parent-child interactions, and who used electronic devices for more than 3 hours per day had shortened sleep durations. CONCLUSIONS: Optimal sleep duration was associated with better school readiness in preschool children, whereas sleep deprivation was associated with lower school readiness, more hyperactivity and inattention, and less prosocial behavior.

Effectiveness of a culturally attuned Internet-based depression prevention program for Chinese adolescents: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Depression prevention among adolescents is crucial for reducing the global disease burden. Internet-based depression prevention approaches are found to be effective but they were mostly evaluated in a Western context. Grasping the Opportunity is a Chinese Internet intervention, which was translated and modified from CATCH-IT developed in the West. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Grasp the Opportunity in reducing depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents. METHODS: In this randomized controlled trial, Chinese adolescents aged 13 to 17 years with mild-to-moderate depressive symptoms were recruited from three secondary schools in Hong Kong. The participants (n = 257) were randomly assigned to receive either intervention or attention control. The primary outcome was the improvement in depressive symptoms according to the revised Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD-R) at the 12-month follow-up. Analyses were performed using intention to treat (ITT). RESULTS: The participants were randomly assigned to receive the intervention (n = 130) or attention control (n = 127). Follow-up data were obtained from 250 (97%) participants. Only 26 (10%) participants completed the intervention. Compared to the attention control, Grasp the Opportunity led to reductions in depressive symptoms at the 12-month follow-up with a medium effect size using ITT analysis (mean difference 2.6, 95% CI 0.59-5.55, effect size d = 0.36). CONCLUSIONS: Grasp the Opportunity is effective in reducing depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents over a long follow-up period. Poor completion rate is the major challenge in the study.

Physical activity improves mental health through resilience in Hong Kong Chinese adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Adolescent mental health problems are global public health concern. Primary prevention through physical activity (PA) has been suggested as a potential approach to tackling this problem. Studies in Western countries have provided some evidence of a relationship between PA and adolescent mental health, but the evidence in China is not sufficient. Furthermore, the mechanism behind this relationship has not been empirically tested. The present study aimed at testing the association between PA and mental well-being of Chinese adolescents and to investigate whether a psychological (self-efficacy and resilience) and social (school and family connectedness) mediation model is valid to explain such a relationship. METHODS: A total of 775 Chinese students in Grades 7 and 8 were recruited in this cross-sectional study. The participants were given questionnaires to assess their PA level, mental well-being, and the potential mediators. Path models were used to analyse the association between PA and mental well-being, and the roles of potential mediators. RESULTS: The PA level was significantly correlated with the adolescent's mental well-being (r = 0.66, p < 0.001), self-efficacy (r = 0.21, p < 0.001), and resilience (r = 0.25, p < 0.001), but not with school connectedness (r = 0.05, p = 0.15) or family connectedness (r = 0.06, p = 0.13). After adjusting for potential confounders in the path model, the PA level was significantly associated with mental well-being (b = 0.52, p < 0.001), and resilience was the only significant mediator (b = 0.31, p < 0.001), which contributed to 60% of this relationship. CONCLUSIONS: There was a significant positive association between the PA level and mental well-being of Chinese adolescents. Resilience mediated the majority of this relationship. Promoting physical activities that build up resilience could be a promising way to improve adolescent mental health.

Validation and application of health utilities index in Chinese subjects with down syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the study were (1) to validate the Chinese version of Health Utilities Index (HUI-Ch); (2) to examine the Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL) of Chinese subjects with Down syndrome (DS); and (3) to study the impact of chronic health conditions on HRQoL of Chinese with DS. METHODS: The multiple choice questionnaire for scoring Health Utilities Index Mark 2 (HUI2) and Health Utilities Index Mark 3 (HUI3) was translated and validated. In addition to the HRQoL scores from HUI2 and HUI3, proxy-data on socio-demographics, and 10 common chronic health conditions for people with DS were collected and analyzed. Data analysis involves multiple imputation and multiple regression analysis to predict variations in HRQoL in relation to different factors. Lastly, a gradient interval was constructed on the number of chronic health conditions in relation to HRQoL. RESULTS: HUI-Ch was validated according to standard guidelines. People with DS were found to have a lower HRQoL as compared to the general population, with the majority categorized as moderate or severe on the scale. Behavioral and hearing problems on HUI2, and hearing problems on HUI3 were found to be statistically significant predictors of a lower HRQoL score. A significant gradient relationship existed showing when the number of health problems increased, the HRQoL scores decreased. CONCLUSIONS: HUI-Ch is a valid instrument to assess HRQoL. It can have broad application in Chinese subjects with DS including the study of the impact of different chronic health conditions on their quality of life. The quantifiable nature of HUI-Ch will facilitate longitudinal study on the well-being of subjects with DS and evaluation of effectiveness of intervention programs in the near future.

Associations Between Child Maltreatment and Adolescents' Health-Related Quality of Life and Emotional and Social Problems in Low-Income Families, and the Moderating Role of Social Support.

This study aimed to examine the associations between different types of child maltreatment and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and emotional and social problems in adolescents, and to examine the moderating effect of social support on those associations. A cross-sectional survey was conducted between January and June 2016 in Hong Kong. The sample comprised 351 parent and adolescent dyads from low-income families. The parents reported on child maltreatment (physical abuse, psychological aggression, and neglect), and the adolescents reported on their HRQoL, emotional problems, and social problems. The adolescents' perceived social support was included as a potential moderator. Results of the study show that child physical abuse was strongly associated with emotional and social problems (B = 0.91-1.45, p < .05). Lower overall HRQoL was associated with psychological aggression (B = -3.96, p < .05) and neglect (B = -4.14, p < .05). Physical functioning was affected by psychological aggression (B = -3.16, p < .05), and emotional functioning was affected by neglect (B = -4.82, p < .05). Social functioning was impacted by all three types of maltreatment (B = -9.16 to -5.26, p < .05). This study extends previous literature by showing the varying effects of different types of child maltreatment on children's health in the context of low-income families. The findings of this study also support that peer social support may buffer the effects of child physical abuse on adolescents' emotional and social problems.

Brain Microstructural Changes Associated With Neurocognitive Outcome in Intracranial Germ Cell Tumor Survivors.

BACKGROUND: Childhood intracranial germ cell tumor (GCT) survivors are prone to radiotherapy-related neurotoxicity, which can lead to neurocognitive dysfunctions. Diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) is a diffusion MRI technique that is sensitive to brain microstructural changes. This study aimed to investigate the association between DKI metrics versus cognitive and functional outcomes of childhood intracranial GCT survivors. METHODS: DKI was performed on childhood intracranial GCT survivors (n = 20) who had received cranial radiotherapy, and age and gender-matched healthy control subjects (n = 14). Neurocognitive assessment was performed using the Hong Kong Wechsler Intelligence Scales, and functional assessment was performed using the Lansky/Karnofsky performance scales (KPS). Survivors and healthy controls were compared using mixed effects model. Multiple regression analyses were performed to determine the effects of microstructural brain changes of the whole brain as well as the association between IQ and Karnofsky scores and the thereof. RESULTS: The mean Intelligence Quotient (IQ) of GCT survivors was 91.7 (95% CI 84.5 - 98.8), which was below the age-specific normative expected mean IQ (P = 0.013). The mean KPS score of GCT survivors was 85.5, which was significantly lower than that of controls (P < 0.001). Cognitive impairments were significantly associated with the presence of microstructural changes in white and grey matter, whereas functional impairments were mostly associated with microstructural changes in white matter. There were significant correlations between IQ versus the mean diffusivity (MD) and mean kurtosis (MK) of specific white matter regions. The IQ scores were negatively correlated with the MD of extensive grey matter regions. CONCLUSION: Our study identified vulnerable brain regions whose microstructural changes in white and grey matter were significantly associated with impaired cognitive and physical functioning in survivors of pediatric intracranial GCT.

Effect of Pokémon Go on Self-Harm Using Population-Based Interrupted Time-Series Analysis: Quasi-Experimental Study.

BACKGROUND: Pokémon Go is a very popular location-based augmented reality game with widespread influences over the world. An emerging body of research demonstrates that playing Pokémon Go can lead to improvements in physical activity and psychosocial well-being; however, whether Pokémon Go reduces self-harm incidence at the population-level is still questionable. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to quantify how the launch of Pokémon Go in Hong Kong affected the incidence of self-harm using a quasi-experimental design. METHODS: An interrupted time-series design with Poisson segmented regression adjusted for time and seasonality trends was used on data from 2012 to 2018 to detect any changes in the number of accident and emergency attendances due to self-harm, after Pokémon Go was launched. The findings were validated using a baseline control period and using other intentional injuries and minor noninjuries as control outcomes. We also assessed intervention effects by age group. RESULTS: From January 1, 2012 to July 31, 2018, there were 13,463 accident and emergency attendances due to self-harm in Hong Kong. During the period after launching Pokémon Go, self-harm attendances dropped by 34% (adjusted incidence rate ratio: 0.66, 95% CI 0.61-0.73). When analyzed by age group, a reduction in self-harm incidence was only apparent in adults (18 to 24 years of age: adjusted incidence rate ratio: 0.78, P=.02; 25 to 39 years of age: adjusted incidence rate ratio: 0.75, P<.001; 40 years of age and older: adjusted incidence rate ratio: 0.57, P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Self-harm incidence in the population, particularly in adults, showed a significant decline in the period after Pokémon Go was launched. Augmented reality games such as Pokémon Go show great promise as a tool to enhance psychosocial well-being and improve mental health.

Health-related quality of life in Chinese boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and their families.

This study aims to assess the family functioning and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in Chinese boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and their parents using Pediatric Quality-of-Life Family Impact Module (PedsQL FIM) and Pediatric Quality-of-Life Inventory (PedsQL) 4.0. Findings from 15 families with DMD were compared with 15 unaffected families. The HRQOL, as measured by the mean PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scale scores for the boys with DMD were significantly lower than those of age-matched healthy boys, for overall (p < 0.05, parent-report; p <0.001, self-report), physical (p < 0.001, parent-report and self-report), and social (p < 0.05, parent-report) functioning, but the emotional functioning is not affected. The parent-child concordance of our affected DMD families was generally in the moderate-to-good agreement range (intraclass correlation coefficients from 0.51 to 0.73), except for emotional (0.28) and social (0.31) functioning. The PedsQL FIM total score showed an inverse relationship with the affected child's age (correlation coefficient: -0.55; p < 0.01) and the disease stage (correlation coefficient: -0.63; p < 0.01) confirming that parental HRQOL and overall family functioning worsened as the child increased in age with advancing disease stage.

The Longer-Term Psychosocial Development of Adolescents: Child Development Accounts and the Role of Mentoring.

Objective: To examine the long-term development of adolescents who participated in the Child Development Fund (CDF), which was a community intervention that consisted of Child Development Accounts (CDAs) and mentorship components. Design: This was an evaluative study of the CDF community intervention and was conducted between January and June 2016 in Hong Kong. Participants: A total of 902 adolescents from low socioeconomic backgrounds participated in this study (552 in the CDF and 350 in the comparison group). All CDF participants completed the 3-year CDF program between 2011 and 2015. Main outcome measures: We assessed different developmental aspects of the adolescents, including health in terms of health-related quality of life; behavioral problems; attitude in terms of hope; cognitive capacity in terms of schooling; and social aspects in terms of social support. Results: Compared to the non-participants, the CDF participants appeared to have fewer behavioral problems, higher levels of perceived social support, higher levels of hope, better understanding of academic subjects, higher levels of motivation to study, fewer school withdrawal behaviors, and better quality of life related to social functioning. The male gender moderated the program's effect on hope. Results also show that higher levels of mentorship quality moderated the program's effect on social support, hope, self-perceived understanding of academic subjects, and motivation to study. Conclusion: Adolescents who participated in the CDF program appeared to perform better than the non-participants in regard to behavioral, academic, attitudinal, and social aspects. Good quality of mentorship had a positive influence on the program's effects. The CDF appears to be a promising program offering long-term and multi-dimensional benefits to participants.

Rasch validation of the Chinese parent-child interaction scale (CPCIS).

BACKGROUND: Proper parent-child interaction is crucial for child development, but an assessment tool in Chinese is currently lacking. This study aimed to develop and validate a parent-reported parent-child interaction scale for Chinese preschool children. METHODS: The Chinese parent-child interaction scale (CPCIS) was designed by an expert panel based on the literature and clinical observations in the Chinese context. The initial CPCIS had 14 parent-child interactive activity items. Psychometric properties of the CPCIS were examined using the Rasch model and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Convergent validity was investigated by the associations between CPCIS and family income, maternal education level, and children's school readiness. RESULTS: The study recruited 567 Chinese parent-child pairs from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, who completed the CPCIS. Six out of the 14 items in the initial CPCIS were dropped due to suboptimal fit values. The refined 8-item CPCIS was shown to be valid and reliable by Rasch models and CFA. The person separation reliability and Cronbach's α of the CPCIS were 0.81 and 0.82, respectively. The CPCIS scores were positively associated with family's socioeconomic status (η2 = 0.05, P < 0.001), maternal education level (η2 = 0.08, P < 0.001), and children's school readiness (η2 = 0.01, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: CPCIS is an easily administered, valid, and reliable tool for the assessment of parent-child interactions in Chinese families.

Associations of paternal postpartum depressive symptoms and infant development in a Chinese longitudinal study.

Although fathers actively provide infant care and support to their partners in modern societies, data on fathers' difficulties and mental health problems is still limited. This study examined paternal postpartum depression and its adverse impact on infants, and the possible mediating role of father-infant attachment in the link between fathers' depressive symptoms and infants' outcomes. Pregnant women and their partners were recruited from the antenatal clinics of two public hospitals in Hong Kong. Information about paternal and maternal depression, paternal-infant attachment, and infant development were collected at antenatal period, 6 weeks and 6 months postpartum. Linear regression was employed to examine risk factors for paternal depression symptoms, and mediation analysis was conducted to examine the mediating mechanisms. 121 couples joined the longitudinal study and completed all the assessments. Paternal postpartum depression symptoms were associated with fathers' prenatal depression symptoms, and mothers' postpartum depression symptoms. Fathers with postpartum depression symptoms experienced reduced paternal-infant attachment, which also acted as mediators between postpartum depression in fathers and adverse infants' social development. Effective assessment and interventions targeted at preventing or identifying and reducing paternal postpartum depression and improving father-infant relationship would help to lower the risk of infant disorders and poor development. Strategies improving the fathers' mental health during antenatal period and their partner's psychosocial well-being may also reduce paternal postpartum depression.

Stock Market Fluctuations and Self-Harm among Children and Adolescents in Hong Kong.

Although a few studies investigated the impact of stock market fluctuations on population health, the question of whether stock market fluctuations have an impact on self-harm in children and adolescents remain unanswered. This study therefore investigated the association between stock market fluctuations and self-harm among children and adolescents in Hong Kong. Daily self-harm attendance records were retrieved from all 18 local Accident and Emergency Departments (AED) from 2001 to 2012. 4931 children and adolescents who committed self-harm were included. The results indicated positive correlation between daily change in stock market index, Hang Seng Index (∇HSI, per 300 points), and daily self-harm incident risk of children and adolescents, without time lag between the two. The incident risk ratio for ∇HSI was 1.09 (p = 0.0339) in children and 1.06 (p = 0.0246) in adolescents. Importantly, non-trading days were found to impose significant protective effect in both groups against self-harm risk. Our results showed that stock market fluctuations were related to self-harm behaviors in children and adolescents. Parents and professionals should be educated about the potential harm of stock market fluctuations and the importance of effective parenting in reducing self-harm among children and adolescents.

Fall-related attendance and associated hospitalisation of children and adolescents in Hong Kong: a 12-year retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to examine the trends and characteristics of fall-related attendance in accident and emergency department (AED) by injury type and the trend in associated average length of stay (LOS) among children and adolescents in Hong Kong. DESIGN: A retrospective approach was adopted. SETTING: AED, involving all local public emergency departments from 2001 to 2012. PARTICIPANTS: 63 557 subjects aged 0-19 years with fall injury record were included in the analysis. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Fall-related injury number and rates were calculated and reported. Poisson and negative binomial regression models were used to study the trends of injury incidence rate at different body regions. RESULTS: AED fall-related attendance rate increased significantly with an annual percentage change of 4.45 (95% CI 3.43 to 5.47%, p<0.0001). The attendance number of male subjects was persistently higher than female subjects. The standardised rate of fracture injury increased by 1.31% (95% CI 0.56 to 2.05%, p<0.0001) and that of non-fracture injury increased by 9.23% (95% CI 7.07 to 11.43%, p<0.0001) annually. Upper limb was the most frequently fractured location. It included forearm/elbow, shoulder/upper arm and wrist/hand with descending order of frequency. On the contrary, head was the most frequent non-fracture location, followed by forearm/elbow. CONCLUSIONS: The rates of fall-related attendance have been increasing and still remain high. There were significant increases in non-fracture injuries. Fractures were most frequently found in the upper extremity of a child while the most common non-fracture location was head. It appears that more efforts should be made and preventive measures should be implemented for children and adolescents in Hong Kong.