Examining the effectiveness of education based on social learning theory in fostering self-care and social skills in school children: A randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of a training program prepared on the basis of the Social Learning Theory for teaching self-care and social competence behaviors in preschool children. DESIGN AND METHOD: The sample of the study consisted of 41 in the intervention, 41 in the control group. Data were collected with Demographic Assessment Form, the Self-Care Skills Assessment Scale and the Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation-30 Scale. Using five animated films created on the basis of the Social Learning Theory for fostering children self-care and social competence behaviors. RESULTS: The scores of the children in the intervention group on the three sub-dimensions of the self-care scale and the total score of the scale were found to be significantly higher than the control group (p < 0.05). The intervention group scored significantly higher on the self-care scale and social competence and behavior scales than the control group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: As a result of the research, it was seen that the applied training significantly affected the self-care and social competence behaviors in the intervention group. It was seen that using Social Learning Theory in teaching health behaviors has been effective in the learning process of preschool children. IMPLICATIONS TO PRACTICE: In preschool period, children learn by observing and imitating their adopted role models. Since, we suggest that health training program should be based on the stages of Social Learning Theory. Animated films that focus on the target health behaviors can be used as training tools.

Genetic and environmental influences on temperament development across the preschool period.

BACKGROUND: Preschoolers' temperament characteristics are associated with children's long-term development. Such links underscore the importance of understanding factors that shape temperament during preschool. This is the first study to examine genetic and environmental sources of developmental growth in three temperament dimensions: surgency, negative affectivity, and effortful control, during the preschool period. METHODS: Biometric latent growth curve modeling was used to examine genetic, shared, and nonshared environmental contributions to the invariant level of and developmental growth in temperament, using a sample of 310 same-sex twin pairs (MZ = 123, DZ = 187) assessed at 3, 4, and 5 years of age. Temperament was assessed using primary caregiver's report on the Child Behavior Questionnaire-Short Form. RESULTS: All three temperament dimensions demonstrated linear increases from ages 3 to 5 years. The invariant levels of all three temperament dimensions were explained by genetic and nonshared environmental factors. Growth in surgency was fully explained by nonshared environmental factors, while growth in negative affectivity was mainly explained by genetic factors. Growth in effortful control was explained by genetic and nonshared environmental factors, although neither were significant due to large bootstrap standard errors. For negative affectivity and effortful control, the genetic factors that contributed to developmental growth were independent from those associated with their invariant levels. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, these findings indicate that both genetic and nonshared environmental factors play important roles in the invariant levels of temperament. Findings also accord a critical role of children's nonshared environment in the development of surgency and to a lesser extent negative affectivity and effortful control. It is also notable that novel genetic effects contribute to developmental growth in negative affectivity and effortful control as children age, emphasizing the importance of integrating developmental models in genetic research.

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in children is related to maternal screen time during early childhood in Taiwan: a national prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: It is unclear to familial screen time in early childhood is associated with the subsequent diagnosis of attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Our study is to evaluate the association between screen time during early childhood in families and the incidence of ADHD. METHODS: We conducted a population-based birth cohort study by using the Taiwan Birth Cohort Study, which recruited 24 200 mother-child pairs when children were 6 months old. Screen time exposure for children and parents were collected at the age of 18 and 36 months. Whether the child has ever been diagnosed with ADHD was determined at a follow-up interview at age 8. Factors including socioeconomic factors and screen time were analyzed using logistic regression to determine their association with the rate of ADHD. RESULTS: A total of 16 651 term singletons were included in the final analysis. Of them, 382 (2.3%) were diagnosed as having ADHD before the age of 8 years. No significant relationship between children's or fathers' screen time and ADHD was noted. When compared to children whose mothers spent less time on screens, those whose mothers spent more than 3 h a day on screens when the child was 3 years old exhibited a higher incidence of ADHD (adjusted OR [aOR]: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.03-1.66). CONCLUSION: Higher maternal screen time when the child was 3 years old was associated with an increased incidence of ADHD in this population-based study. However, children's screen time did not find related to ADHD. We found that it was the mother's screen time, who typically serves as the primary caregiver in our study participants, not the child's, that mattered. In addition to superficial screen use time, future research is needed to replicate the findings and clarify mechanisms underlying this association.

Effectiveness of the positive discipline program applied to parents of preschool children: A randomized-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Although the Positive Discipline Program is used extensively internationally, there are very few evidence-based studies on it. This study aims to examine the experimental results of the Positive Discipline Program. METHOD: This randomized-controlled study had the following types of groups: intervention, active control, and non-contact control. The study sample consisted of 72 parents with children aged between 3 and 6 years. The intervention group participated in an eight-session online Positive Discipline Program, the active control group participated in an eight-session online free interaction program, and the non-contact control group received no intervention. RESULTS: Parents in the intervention group demonstrated an increase in cooperation with their children after the training and during the follow-up period. In the intervention group, parents' oppressive and authoritarian attitudes decreased after the training and during the follow-up period; spouses' democratic attitudes increased after the training and their overprotective attitudes decreased in the follow-up period. Parent-child communication and unhindered listening increased in the intervention and active control groups. The problem-solving skills of the intervention group increased after the training and during the follow-up period, and sensitivity increased in the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: As one of the few experimental studies implementing the Positive Discipline Program, this study revealed the strengths of the program as well as culture-specific aspects that need to be improved. Further, this program was effective in improving parents' relationships with their children, attitudes, and problem-solving skills, and it provided evidence for the program's positive contributions to raising a child. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The Positive Discipline Program can guide parents in solving the developmental and school-related problems of preschool children as well as school and adolescence children.

Prospective relations between sleep in preschool years and academic achievement at school entry.

It is often assumed that adequate sleep is a key ingredient of children's school success. Research to date, however, suggests modest associations between child sleep and academic achievement. Adopting a developmental perspective, this report investigates the associations between age-related changes in sleep across the preschool period and academic achievement at school entry. Sleep was assessed by actigraphy at ages 2, 3 and 4 among 128 children from mostly White middle-class families, and their performance in reading and mathematics was tested in Grade 1. The results revealed that children whose sleep duration decreased more rapidly across the preschool period showed better performance in both reading and mathematics. These results suggest that age-related developments may be a key characteristic of sleep in the preschool years.

Persistent Changes in Child Behavior After Early Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

OBJECTIVE: To document longitudinal changes in internalizing and externalizing behavioral symptoms after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) sustained in early childhood (i.e., between 18 and 60 months of age). METHODS: Participants (N = 226) were recruited to one of three groups: children with mTBI, typically developing children and orthopedic injured children. The Child Behavior Checklist was used to document the presence of internalizing and externalizing behaviors at 6, 18, and 30 months postinjury. Linear mixed-model analyses were used to examine group effects on the trajectory of internalizing and externalizing behavioral manifestations over 30 months postinjury. RESULTS: Children who sustain mTBI during the preschool period have higher rates of internalizing and externalizing behavioral symptoms at the initial assessment time point and these symptoms persist up to 30 months postinjury. Moreover, results indicate that for up to 18 months postinjury, significantly more children with mTBI present behavioral difficulties that may require some form of clinical attention (i.e., scores in the borderline or clinical range), than do their orthopedically injured and noninjured peers. CONCLUSIONS: Sustaining mTBI early in life may lead to long-lasting behavioral changes in young children (i.e., at least 30 months). These changes are likely the product of a complex interplay between neurological and non-neurological factors, both contributing to generating and maintaining behavioral difficulties.

Validation of the Preschool Attachment Rating Scales with child-mother and child-father dyads.

Growing evidence points to the theoretical and statistical advantages of continuous (rather than categorical) assessments of child-caregiver attachment. The Preschool Attachment Rating Scales (PARS) is a continuous coding system to assess preschool attachment that is complementary to the categorical MacArthur Preschool Attachment Coding System (PACS). The current study aims to evaluate the reliability and validity of the PARS to measure both child-mother and child-father attachment during the preschool period. Participants included 144 preschool-aged children (M = 46.89 months, SD = 8.77; 83 girls) and their parents. Results support the reliability and validity of the PARS: good inter-rater reliability, expected associations between scales, convergence with the PACS, and association with parental sensitivity and child externalizing problems. These findings support the application of continuous assessments of child-caregiver attachment in the preschool years. They also align with previous work on child-mother attachment, and present avenues for future research on child-father attachment.

Investigation of peer relations of preschool refugee and non-refugee children.

The purpose of this study is to compare the peer relations of refugee and non-refugee children in preschool period. The study has a causal-comparative design. The study sample included a total of 40 children, of whom 20 were refugee children and 20 were non-refugee children. In the study in which the random sampling and purposeful sampling method were used, the data were collected by using "General Information Form", "Ladd-Profilet Child Behavior Scale" and "Peer Victimization Scale". FINDINGS: It was found as a result of the study that even though there was no significant difference in terms of the items of "aggressive with peers", "fearful-anxious towards peers", "prosocial behaviors with peers", "excluded by peers", the hyperactivity and peer victimization in refugee and non-refugee children, a significant difference was found between the asocial behaviors of refugee and non-refugee children. According to their mean ranks, it was observed that the refugee children who showed less aggression with peers and prosocial behaviors towards their peers were more anxious/fearful and displayed asocial behaviors, were excluded more by their peers, were less hyperactive and were exposed to more peer violence. According to these results, it can be recommended to develop social skill programs for refugee and non-refugee children and determine the current situation by spreading the sample to larger groups.

Behavioral consequences of mild traumatic brain injury in preschoolers.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of long-term disability in children and adolescents worldwide. Amongst the wide array of consequences known to occur after pediatric TBI, behavioral impairments are among the most widespread and may particularly affect children who sustain injury early in the course of development. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems 6 months after preschool (i.e. 18-60 months old) mild TBI. METHODS: This work is part of a prospective, longitudinal cohort study of preschool TBI. Participants (N = 229) were recruited to one of three groups: children with mild TBI, typically developing children and orthopedic injured (OI) children. Mothers of children in all three groups completed the Child Behavior Checklist as a measure of behavioral outcomes 6-month post-injury. Demographics, injury-related characteristics, level of parental distress, and estimates of pre-injury behavioral problems were also documented. RESULTS: The three groups did not differ on baseline characteristics (e.g. demographics and pre-injury behavioral problems for the mild TBI and OI groups) and level of parental distress. Mothers' ratings of internalizing and externalizing behaviors were higher in the mild TBI group compared with the two control groups. Pre-injury behavioral problems and maternal distress were found to be significant predictors of outcome. CONCLUSION: Our results show that even in its mildest form, preschool TBI may cause disruption to the immature brain serious enough to result in behavioral changes, which persist for several months post-injury.

To which extent social withdrawal at the age of 1 year is associated with IQ at 5-6 years old? Results of the EDEN mother-child cohort.

The present study aims to determine to which extent social withdrawal at 1 year is associated with the child's IQ at the end of the preschool period. Children (N = 1045) from the EDEN mother-child cohort were assessed for social withdrawal behaviours at 1 year by trained midwives using the Alarm Distress BaBy (ADBB) scale. Midwives also examined infants' language and motor development at 1 year. At the age 5-6 years, IQ scores were based on the WPPSI-III. Linear regression models were used to determine the association between IQ and ADBB, adjusted for a broad range of pre- and postnatal environmental factors and for language and motor skills scores at 1 year. After adjusting for environmental factors, children with social withdrawal at 1 years (ADBB ≥5; N = 195) had significantly lower IQ scores at 5-6 years (-2.81 IQ points; p value 0.007) compared to children without social withdrawal (ADBB <5; N = 847). When motor and language skills at 1 year were included in the previous model, no association between social withdrawal and IQ at 5-6 years was found. Being socially withdrawn at 1 year is associated with lower IQ scores at 5-6 years. The potential influence of these developmental aspects on each other (withdrawal behaviour and language/motor skills) may occur early in development. Our results improve our understanding of the outcomes of early social withdrawal behaviour and call for early detection of delay in acquisition of language/motor skills among socially withdrawn young children.

Parents' Perspective on Probiotics in Preschool Children: A Cross-sectional Survey.

Introduction: The composition of the human gut microbiota, which can also be regulated by the consumption of probiotics, has a significant impact on host health. The main source of probiotics can be foods such as fermented foods, yogurts, fermented drinks and/or probiotic supplements. While parents play a critical role in ensuring the well-being of their children, this cross-sectional study is focused on parents' perspectives regarding the use of probiotics in the preschool period. Methods: The self-administered online survey consisted of 24 questions arranged across two thematic sections. The final data analysis included 102 parents (96% F; 4% M), aged between 22 and 47. Their children were aged up to 6 years. Results: The majority (52%) of the parents were familiar with the term 'probiotics' and 86.3% were including probiotics in their children's diet at the time of the survey. The main source was probiotic food (36.3%), of which yoghurt was the most commonly consumed (87.2%). The inclusion of probiotic supplements in a child's diet was positively correlated with parents' consumption and level of knowledge about the term 'probiotics'. Digestive tract-related disorders were the most frequently reported motive for the initial introduction of probiotics into children's diet. Conclusions: Based on our study results, parents are familiar with probiotics and include them in their children's diet. However, an attempt should be made to close the gaps in parents' knowledge that our research identified. Further studies are needed to determine the recommended amount of probiotic foods, as well as strategies to educate parents about the benefits of including probiotic foods in their children's diet.

Investigation of the Predictive Effect of Parents' Life Positions on Preschool Children's Behavior Problems.

The aim of the study was to examine the effect of parents' life position on the prediction of behavioral problems of preschool children. The sample of the study consisted of 364 children enrolled in independent kindergartens and preschools of primary schools affiliated to Altindag District Directorate of National Education in Turkey and their parents (290 mothers and 97 fathers). In the study, the survey model, which aims to determine the current situation among quantitative research methods, and the relational model, which aims to reveal the link between two or more variables and the strength of the link, were used (Frankel et al., 2011). The data obtained from the study in which "Family Information Form, Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scale and Life Positions Scale" were used as data collection tools were analyzed with Pearson Correlation Coefficient and Multiple Regression analysis methods. When the findings of the research were examined, it was found that as the "I am Okey, You are Okey" life position of the parents increased, the children's total behavior problems, which consisted of internalizing, externalizing and a combination of internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, decreased whereas "I am not Okey, You are Okey" and "I am not Okey, You are not Okey" life positions increased, the children's internalizing, externalizing and total behavior problems increased. Moreover, the regression analysis results of the study showed that parents' life positions had a statistically significant effect in predicting their children's behavior problems.

Relations of Maternal Borderline Personality Disorder Features With Preschooler Executive Functioning and Theory of Mind.

Although children of mothers who have elevated borderline personality disorder (BPD) features are a high-risk group, there remains little research examining developmental mechanisms that place these offspring at risk for emerging psychopathology. The current study included 68 mother-preschooler dyads, in which mothers with elevated BPD features were oversampled. Preschoolers (aged 3 and 4 years) completed a battery of executive functioning (EF) and theory of mind (ToM) measures. Accounting for several covariates (family income, maternal depression, child age, and child cognitive ability), maternal BPD features were associated with preschoolers' poorer EF and, although not associated with the overall ToM measure, were associated with affect perspective taking, a component of ToM.

Evaluation of pulmonary functions in preschool children born late-preterm.

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the pulmonary functions of preschool children born late-preterm. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Children aged between 3-7 years who were born at 340/7-366/7 weeks' gestation represented the target sample. Patients with a diagnosis of congenital cardiac, pulmonary and/or muscle diseases were excluded. Respiratory symptoms were evaluated using the modified asthma predictive index and International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood criteria for children aged under and over 6 years, respectively. Skin prick tests were performed. Age-matched healthy controls were chosen according to the criteria proposed by the American Thoracic Society. Lung functions were evaluated using impulse oscillometry study in both groups. Data were recorded in the SPSS program. RESULTS: A total of 139 late-preterms and 75 healthy controls participated in the study. The mean gestational week of the late-preterms was 35.3±0.9 weeks. The main admission diagnosis to neonatal intensive care unit was respiratory distress. In the postdischarge period, 54.1% were hospitalized for pulmonary infections at least once, and 57.8% were passive smoking currently. Aeroallergen sensitivity was detected as 25.8% in the late-preterm group; 34.5% and 15.1% were diagnosed as having asthma and non-asthmatic atopy, respectively. Impulse oscillometry study parameters of R5, R10, and Z5 were higher and X10 and X15 were lower in late-preterms than in controls (p<0.05). Late-preterms with and without respiratory distress in the postnatal period revealed no statistical differences for any parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that presence of increased peripheral airway resistance in late-preterms as compared to term-born controls.

The Sexual Development and Education of Preschool Children: Knowledge and Opinions from Doctors and Nurses.

This descriptive study was carried out in order to determine the knowledge levels and attitudes of doctors and nurses regarding children's sexual development and sex education. The study was conducted with doctors and nurses who work at various clinics of two state hospitals located in the province of Istanbul. The data collection tool consisted of 58 questions. The Statistical Program for the Social Sciences, version 18.0 (SPSS 18.0) was used for data analysis. It was determined that females comprised the majority of the respondents (61 %) and were over 36 years of age (54.1 %) (37.81 ± 8.82). Of the participants in the study, 63.5 % had bachelor's degrees and 62.1 % were medical doctors. It was determined that the number of correct responses given by the respondents regarding some behaviors observed in children aged between 3 and 6 years and children's sexual development and sex education showed significant differences according to age group (p = 0.007), marital status (p = 0.004), the status of having children (p = 0.004), educational status (p = 0.005) and occupation (p = 0.000). However, in a review of the study findings, it was observed that culture had an important impact on sex-related approaches and that embarrassment and shyness is very common.