Maternal Depressive Symptoms in the First Year after Childbirth Predict Long-Term Developmental Risks in Sons and Daughters.

Under-diagnosed and thus under-treated, maternal depression remains the most common complication of childbearing. Varying symptoms suggest persistence up to more than a decade following childbirth. This implies distinct vulnerabilities for the physical and emotional care of children. Using a prospective-longitudinal sex-stratified birth cohort of 2120 infants, we examined the relationship between early maternal depression symptoms and subsequent child psycho-social and relational characteristics. Mothers self-reported the severity and frequency of depressive symptoms 5 months after childbirth. Parents, teachers, and target participants reported on child mental health and relationships with adults, from kindergarten to tenth grade. A series of least-squares regressions were estimated, while controlling for pre-existing/concurrent child and family confounds. Both sons and daughters of mothers with more depressive symptoms were at risk of experiencing greater psycho-social impairment, classroom rule defiance, difficult relationships with teachers, less enjoyable mealtimes (age 6 years) and sleep, and coercive or inconsistent parenting practices in childhood and adolescence. For boys, these prospective associations were mostly consistent through ages 12 and 15 years. Girls also experienced more problematic interactions through to age 15 years. This study provides observations of distinct long-term vulnerabilities for sons and daughters in association with early maternal distress at important transitional periods of development in early, middle, and later childhood.

Family Meal Environment Differentially Conditions the Prospective Association between Early Childhood Screen Time and Key Social Relationships in Adolescent Girls.

Background: Despite screen time recommendations, children are increasingly spending time on electronic devices, rendering it an important risk factor for subsequent social and developmental outcomes. Sharing meals could offer a way to promote psychosocial development. This study examines the interaction between family meal environment and early childhood screen time on key adolescent social relationships. Methods: Participants are 1455 millennial children (49% boys) from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development birth cohort. Parents reported on child screen use at ages 2 and 6 years and family meal environment quality at age 6 years. Parents and children reported on parent-child relationships and peer victimization experiences, respectively, at age 13 years. Sex-stratified multiple regression estimated the direct association between screen time trends, family meal environment quality, and their interaction on later social relationship outcomes. Results: For girls, when preschool screen time increased, sharing family meals in high-quality environments was associated with more positive and less conflictual relationships with their mothers, whereas meals shared in low- and moderate-quality environments were associated with fewer instances of victimization by their peers. Non-linear associations were not significant for boys. Conclusion: Capitalizing on family meal environment represents a simple/cost-efficient activity that can compensate for some long-term risks associated with increased screen use, above and beyond pre-existing and concurrent individual and family characteristics. Public health initiatives may benefit from considering family meals as a complementary intervention strategy to screen use guidelines.

Private screen access in early adolescence predicts subsequent academic and social impairment at the end of high school for boys and girls. / Accès aux écrans dans les espaces privés au début de l'adolescence et difficultés scolaires et sociales à la fin des études secondaires chez les garçons et les filles.

INTRODUCTION: Youth media guidelines in Canada and the United States recommend that bedrooms should remain screen-free zones. This study aims to verify whether bedroom screens at age 12 years prospectively predict academic and social impairment by age 17 years. METHODS: Participants were from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development birth cohort (661 girls and 686 boys). Linear regression analyses estimated associations between having a bedroom screen (television or computer) at age 12 years and selfreported overall grades, dropout risk, prosocial behaviour and likelihood of having experienced a dating relationship in the past 12 months at age 17 years, while adjusting for potential individual and family confounding factors. RESULTS: For both girls and boys, bedroom screens at age 12 years predicted lower overall grades (B = -2.41, p ≤ 0.001 for boys; -1.61, p ≤ 0.05 for girls), higher dropout risk (B = 0.16, p ≤ 0.001 for boys; 0.17, p ≤ 0.001 for girls) and lower likelihood of having experienced a dating relationship (B = -0.13, p ≤ 0.001 for boys; -0.18, p ≤ 0.001 for girls) at age 17. Bedroom screens also predicted lower levels of prosocial behaviour (B = -0.52, p ≤ 0.001) at age 17 years for boys. CONCLUSION: The bedroom as an early adolescent screen-based zone does not predict long-term positive health and well-being. Pediatric recommendations to parents and youth should be more resolute about bedrooms being screen-free zones and about unlimited access in private exposures in childhood.

Prospective Associations between Maternal Depressive Symptoms during Early Infancy and Growth Deficiency from Childhood to Adolescence.

Maternal health represents an important predictor of child development; yet it often goes unnoticed during pediatric visits. Previous work suggests that mental state affects parenting. The relationship between infant exposure to maternal depressive symptoms suggests conflicting findings on physical growth. Body mass index (BMI) has not been rigorously examined across development. Using a prospective-longitudinal birth cohort of 2120 infants (50.7% boys), we estimated the prospective relationship between symptoms of maternal depressive symptoms at 5 months postpartum and later BMI in typically developing children. We hypothesized that maternal depressive symptom severity would predict later BMI through to adolescence. Mothers self-reported depressive symptoms at 5 months. Child BMI was measured by a trained research assistant at ages 6, 8, 10, 13, and 15 years. We estimated a series of sex-stratified regressions in which BMI was linearly regressed on maternal symptoms, while controlling for potential pre-existing/concurrent individual and family confounding factors. Boys born to mothers with more severe depressive symptoms at age 5 months had a significantly lower BMI than other boys at subsequent ages. There were no such associations observed for girls. Maternal depressive symptoms were prospectively associated with later BMI for sons and not daughters, predicting risk of faltering in growth through to adolescence. Health practitioners should routinely assess maternal psychological functioning during pediatric visits to optimize parent and child flourishment.

Prospective Associations Between Preschool Exposure to Violent Televiewing and Psychosocial and Academic Risks in Early Adolescent Boys and Girls.

OBJECTIVE: Risks of early exposure to media violence remain unclear. This study examines typical early childhood violent media exposure and subsequent psychosocial and academic risks. METHODS: Our longitudinal birth cohort comprised 978 girls and 998 boys. Child-reported and teacher-reported measures of adjustment at age 12 years were linearly regressed on parent-reported televised violence exposure at ages 3.5 and 4.5 years while adjusting for individual/family confounders. RESULTS: For girls, preschool violent televiewing was associated with increases in emotional distress (b = 0.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.13-0.49) and decreases in classroom engagement (b = -0.97; 95% CI, -1.55 to -0.40), academic achievement (b = -2.60; 95% CI, -3.48 to -1.72), and academic motivation (b = -0.58; 95% CI, -1.09 to -0.07) at age 12 years. For boys, preschool violent televiewing was associated with increases in emotionally distressed (b = 0.33; 95% CI, 0.13-0.53), inattentive (b = 0.25; 95% CI, 0.06-0.45), conduct disordered (b = 0.11; 95% CI, 0.00-0.21), and socially withdrawn behavior (b = 0.23; 95% CI, 0.05-0.40), as well as decreases in classroom engagement (b = -0.84; 95% CI, -1.57 to -0.12), academic achievement (b = -1.19; 95% CI, -2.15 to -0.23), and academic motivation (b = -0.58; 95% CI, -1.13 to -0.03) at age 12 years. CONCLUSION: Compared with no preschool exposure, violent televiewing is associated with distinct and enduring psychosocial risks by early adolescence. Acknowledging such risks remains a pertinent health literacy target for pediatric professionals, parents, and communities.

Associations Between Kindergarten Participation in Organized Physical Activity and Subsequent Healthy Body Weight and Leg Strength by the End of Second Grade.

BACKGROUND: Childhood sport helps children develop growth and maturation, while simultaneously offering self-regulation, motor, and social skills training. This study aims to estimate the influence of sport participation at age 6 years on indicators of health at age 8 years, using a prospective longitudinal birth cohort design. METHODS: Participants were 1492 children aged 6-8 years from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. Lower muscular power was measured with the standing long jump test. Girth used the children's waist circumference in centimeters. Body mass index was computed from child height and weight. We regressed these directly measured health indicators at age 8 years on parent-reported physical activity at age 6 years using linear Ordinary Least Squares regression. RESULTS: Boys who participated in more physical activity at age 6 years had better lower muscular power (b = 2.368; 95% CI, 0.341 to 4.395) and higher body mass index (b = 0.340; 95% CI, 0.055 to 0.626). No significant results were found for girls. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that physical activity in kindergarten has a positive impact on muscular power by the end of the second grade in boys. This supports the pertinence of implementing physical activity to a routine early in life to help children improve their general health.

From one year to the next: Video gaming life-style predicts subsequent psychosocial risk in adolescent boys and girls.

AIM: The ubiquitous societal presence of screens and gaming software is ever growing in popularity. However, can this recreational life-style pose risks for children's psychosocial adjustment? We thus examine associations between gaming life-style and later psychosocial development. METHODS: The study sample originates from the 2120 boys and girls from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development birth cohort. At age 12, 625 boys and 702 girls from the original sample self-reported the number of hours engaged in video gaming per week and 1 year later, they self-reported psychosocial outcomes. RESULTS: Among boys, higher weekly video gaming frequency at age 12 forecasted increases in subsequent reactive aggression, emotional distress and ADHD symptoms at age 13. For girls, higher weekly video gaming frequency at age 12 predicted increases in subsequent reactive aggression and ADHD symptoms at age 13. No association between video game use and emotional distress was found for girls. CONCLUSION: In both boys and girls, a more intense video gaming life-style predicted subsequent risks for reactive aggression and ADHD symptoms, compared with their same sex counterparts reporting less intensity. For boys only, video gaming was associated with subsequent reactive emotional distress, likely due to the gender differences in violent content. Our data were collected at a time when there were less versatile screen-based technologies; therefore, our findings can be interpreted as very conservative compared to current estimates. Paediatric professionals and allied disciplines must take preventive measures to ensure that parents are aware of the risks associated with excessive use by their sons and daughters.

Physical Activity as Both Predictor and Outcome of Emotional Distress Trajectories in Middle Childhood.

OBJECTIVE: This prospective longitudinal study assesses the reciprocal relationship between physical activity, including sport participation, and depressive and anxiety symptoms, conceptualized as emotional distress, over time. METHOD: Boys and girls are from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development birth cohort (N = 1428). Trajectories of emotional distress symptoms from ages 6 to 10 years, assessed by teachers, were generated using latent class analysis. Multinomial logistic regression analyses examined sport participation at age 5 years, measured by parents, as a predictor of emotional distress trajectory outcomes. Analyses of covariance compared physical activity, measured by children at age 12 years, across different trajectories of emotional distress. RESULTS: We identified 3 emotional distress trajectories: "low" (77%), "increasing" (12%), and "declining" (11%). Boys who never participated in sport at age 5 years were more likely to be in the "increasing" (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01-2.63) or "declining" (adjusted OR = 2.19, 95% CI = 1.28-3.75) emotional distress trajectories compared with boys who participated in any sporting activity. Furthermore, boys in the "low" emotional distress trajectory demonstrated better physical activity outcomes at age 12 years (F(2, 1438) = 6.04, p < 0.05). These results, exclusively for boys, are above and beyond pre-existing individual and family factors. CONCLUSION: This study supports the relevance of enhancing current public health strategies to understand and promote physical activity and emotional adjustment in early childhood to achieve better a more active lifestyle and overall health across development. We underscore male needs for physical activity for health promotion.

Early school-age family meal characteristics matter for the later development of boys and girls.

Objective: Sharing a meal together offers an innovative approach to study the family environment. How often families eat together may not capture the distinct experience for sons and daughters. Instead, studying family meal characteristics might be more enlightening. This study aims to examine the prospective associations between family meal environment quality at age 6 years and later well-being at age 12 years in 734 boys and 758 girls. Method: Participants are from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development birth cohort. When children were aged 6 years, parents reported on their family meal environment experience. At age 12 years, child outcomes included parent-reported healthy lifestyle habits, teacher-reported academic achievement, and self-reported social adjustment. The relationship between early family meal environment quality and later child outcomes were analyzed using multivariate linear regressions. Results: For girls, better family meal environment quality at age 6 years predicted an earlier bedtime, a lower consumption of soft drinks and sweet snacks, more classroom engagement, and fewer behavior problems at age 12 years. For boys, better family meal environment quality at age 6 years predicted an earlier bedtime and less anxiety and more prosocial behaviour at age 12 years. These significant relationships were adjusted for a multitude of child/family characteristics. Conclusion: From a population-health perspective, our findings suggest that family meals represent a cost-efficient, effective protective factor that likely has long-term influences on bio-psycho-social development. Information campaigns that promote family meals as a health intervention could optimize the well-being of boys and girls.

Participation in organized sport and disruptive behavior in childhood: A prospective, population-based study.

Child disruptive behavior refers to ongoing patterns of disorganized, uncooperative, and defiant behavior. Sport involvement promotes positive child development. However, few longitudinal studies have tested the association between organized sport participation and the behavioral components of disruptive behavior. First, we aim to examine the link between inattentive, hyperactive, aggressive, and oppositional behavior at age 4 years and trajectories of organized sport participation from ages 6 to 10 years. Then, we compare children, according to trajectory membership, on outcome differences on these same behaviors at age 12 years. Data are from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (N = 1492). Child behavior was assessed by questionnaires completed by mothers at age 4 years and teachers at age 12 years. Preschool child inattention as perceived by mothers, significantly reduced the odds of middle childhood organized sport participation by 7% (95% CI = 1.00-1.15). Low or inconsistent participation in organized sport was subsequently associated with increased inattention (d = 0.28) by the end of sixth grade. These findings are above and beyond individual and family characteristics and baseline behavior. No other associations were statistically significant. Inattentive children who participated less in organized sport showed a greater likelihood toward increases in attention deficit by the end of sixth grade. To improve engagement from these children, coaches and trainers should use strategies that support positive experiences such as developing a one-to-one alliance with the child, favoring social cooperation through team spirit, and focusing on the performance experience rather than the outcome of winning or losing.

Healthy body, healthy mind: Long-term mutual benefits between classroom and sport engagement in children from ages 6 to 12 years.

Past research suggests that the relationship between health and schooling is axiomatic. Physical activity, including sport participation, putatively facilitates school performance. However, the direction of this link lacks clarity. We examine the mutual links between sport and classroom engagement in 452 boys and 514 girls from ages 6 to 12 years. Participants are from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, a prospective-longitudinal birth cohort. First, trajectories of classroom engagement from ages 6 to 10 years, assessed by teachers, were generated using latent class analysis. Second, analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) compared leisure time physical activity, self-reported by children at age 12 years, across trajectories of classroom engagement. Third, ANCOVAs compared classroom engagement, measured by teachers at age 12 years, across trajectories of extracurricular sport between ages 6 to 10 years. We identified two classroom engagement trajectories: 'High' (77%) and 'Moderate' (23%). For girls, being in the 'High' trajectory predicted significantly higher levels of physical activity (F(1, 966) = 5.21, p < .05). For boys, being in the 'Consistent participation' extracurricular sport trajectory predicted significantly higher levels of classroom engagement (F(1, 966) = 6.29, p < .05). Our analyses controlled for pre-existing individual and family factors. Our findings suggest that sport participation and engaged classroom behavior positively influence each other during childhood. They support the pertinence of investing financial resources in youth intervention so that children can develop their potential both in sporting contexts and in the classroom to foster optimal growth and development.

Kindergarten Readiness, Later Health, and Social Costs.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate associations between kindergarten readiness and academic, psychological, and health risks by end of high school. METHODS: This study is based on 966 Canadian children. At age 5, trained examiners assessed child number knowledge and receptive vocabulary. Teachers reported kindergarten classroom engagement. At age 17, participants reported academic grades, school connectedness, anxiety sensitivity, substance abuse, physical activity involvement, and height and weight. High school dropout risk was also estimated for each participant on the basis of grades, school engagement, and grade retention. RESULTS: Kindergarten math skills contributed to better end-of high school grades (ß = .17, P < .01) and lower dropout risk (ß = -.20, P < .001), whereas receptive vocabulary predicted lower anxiety sensitivity (ß = -.11, P < .01). Kindergarten classroom engagement predicted higher end of high school grades (ß = .17, P < .001), lower dropout risk (ß = -.20, P < .01), better school connectedness (ß = .15, P < .01), lower risk of substance abuse (ß = -.21, P < .001), and more physical activity involvement (ß = .09, P < .05). Kindergarten classroom engagement was also associated with a 65% reduction (odds ratio = 0.35) in the odds of being overweight at age of 17. Analyses were adjusted for key child (sex, weight per gestational age, nonverbal IQ, and internalizing and externalizing behaviors) and family (parental involvement, maternal depression and immigrant status, family configuration, and socioeconomic status) characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Early childhood readiness forecasts a protective edge by emerging adulthood. With these findings, we build links between education and health indicators, suggesting that children who start school prepared gain a lifestyle advantage. Promoting kindergarten readiness could reduce the health burden generated by high school dropout.

Childhood exercise as medicine: Extracurricular sport diminishes subsequent ADHD symptoms.

Extracurricular sport has been a valued educational investment to promote both physical and mental health in children and adolescents. Few longitudinal studies have tested whether extracurricular sport is associated with inattentive/hyperactive symptoms. Using a prospective-longitudinal birth cohort of 758 girls and 733 boys, we examined the prospective relationship between consistent middle childhood participation in extracurricular sport and subsequent ADHD symptoms. We hypothesized that engaging in extracurricular sport will promote reductions in symptoms. As a predictor, mothers reported on whether the child participated in sport or organized physical activities with a coach/instructor at ages 6, 7, 8, and 10 years. Developmental trajectories of the sport predictor, from ages 6 to 10 years, were generated using longitudinal latent class analysis. At age 12 years, sixth grade teachers reported on child ADHD symptom outcomes observed in the school setting over the last 6 months. ADHD symptoms were linearly regressed on trajectories of participation in organized sport in boys and girls, while controlling for pre-existing child and family characteristics. For girls, consistent participation in organized sport significantly predicted lower subsequent ADHD symptoms, compared with girls with low-inconsistent participation (unstandardized B = 0.07, p ≤ .05, 95% CI, 0.01-0.14). Early sustained middle childhood involvement in organized sport seems beneficial for the subsequent behavioral development of girls but no associations were found for boys. Middle childhood participation in structured venues that demand physical skill and effort with a coach or instructor may thus represent a valuable policy strategy to promote this aspect of behavioral development for girls.

Clinically Historical and Prospective Associations Between Learning Disorders and Concussion in Young Adult Athletes.

Background. Athletes with specific learning disorder (LD) tend to score lower on neuropsychological tests and are at increased risk of personal injury than their counterparts without such disorders. Using a retrospective historical and prospective design, we examined whether adult athletes with LD, the most prevalent of neurodevelopmental disorders, experience greater chances of past and future concussions than their counterparts without LD. We expected to find that young athletes with LD would show greater risk of past (historical) and future (prospective) cerebral concussions. Methods. Participants (95 men and 53 women aged 18 to 25 years) were recruited from university sports teams and followed during an entire season. Of these, 38 participants had a history of LD and 101 had a history of at least 1 concussion (72 males, 29 females) at the preseason baseline. One-third experienced a new concussion. Data analytic procedures include inferential cross-tabulations. Results. Athletes with LD were twice more likely to have a concussion history at baseline and to have a history of multiple concussions than athletes without LD; 95% CI = [0.86, 4.92] and [0.77, 3.40], respectively. Athletes with LD were twice more likely to incur a new concussion than those without LD; 95% CI = [0.86, 4.92]. Conclusions. Adult athletes with LD experience greater chances of previous and future concussions compared with counterparts without LD. Preventive practices regarding individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders may not only prevent the biopsychosocial consequences of brain trauma for the individual, but also represent a cost-effective public health measure.

Two Lifestyle Risks Intertwined: Parental Smoking Predicts Child Gambling Behavior at Age 12 Years.

BACKGROUND: Parental smoking can create a toxic environment for child development. A parental smoking lifestyle can predispose children to executive deficits, influencing precocious risk activities. Using a prospective birth cohort design, we examine the association between 2 lifestyle factors by estimating the relative contribution of long-term parental household smoking in predicting subsequent precocious child gambling behavior. METHOD: Parents reported on the amount of household smoke exposure from ages 1.5 to 7.5 years for children from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. The main outcome measure was children's self-report of gambling behavior (at age 12 years). RESULTS: Sixty percent of parents reported that their children were never exposed to secondhand smoke in the home, while 27% and 13% reported transient and continuous levels of secondhand smoke, respectively. Overall, 16% of children reported gambling participation. When compared with never-exposed children, children exposed to secondhand smoke had 18% more chances of having participated in gambling at age 12 years (odds ratio = 1.18; 95% CI = 1.080-1.293). These results are adjusted for competing explanations and possible individual and family confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Higher levels of early childhood household smoke exposure are associated with greater odds of reporting gambling participation at age 12 years, which is more than several years before it is normative youthful behavior. By connecting the neurotoxic influence of one lifestyle factor on another, we show a nontrivial link between 2 public health issues (smoke exposure and precocious gambling) associated with considerable individual and societal costs that are amenable to community information campaigns.

Consistent participation in organized physical activity predicts emotional adjustment in children.

BACKGROUND: The objectives of this study were to derive trajectories of childhood participation in organized physical activity (PA) and to examine how these trajectories are associated with pre-existing and subsequent emotional adjustment. METHODS: Trajectories of mother-reported participation in organized PA were derived from age 6 to 10 for 1492 children from the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development birth cohort. Parents and teachers reported on internalizing behavior (emotional distress, anxiety, shyness, social withdrawal) at ages 4 and 12, respectively. RESULTS: Longitudinal latent class analysis identified two typical trajectories of participation in organized PA. The Consistent Participation trajectory (61%) included children with elevated probability of participation at all ages. The Low-Inconsistent Participation trajectory (39%) included children who did not participate or participated only once or twice, generally in late childhood. Pre-existing internalizing behavior at age 4 did not predict trajectory membership. However, children in the Low-Inconsistent Participation trajectory showed higher subsequent emotional distress (B = 0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.46-1.28), anxiety (B = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.18-1.04), shyness (B = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.39-1.44), and social withdrawal (B = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.37-1.34) at age 12 than those in the Consistent Participation trajectory. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that early and sustained involvement in organized PA is beneficial for children's emotional development.

Prospective associations between participation in leisure-time physical activity at age 6 and academic performance at age 12.

For many children, leisure time represents a privileged moment to engage in physical activity. This study aims to examine prospective associations between kindergarten participation in leisure-time physical activity and academic performance by the end of sixth grade. Gender-specific associations are also explored. Participants are from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, a 1997-1998 birth cohort from the province of Quebec, Canada (n = 2837). When children were age 6 (2004), mothers reported on their child's participation in three types of leisure-time physical activity (sports, other structured physical activities, and unstructured physical activities). At age 12 (2010), children's academic indicators were reported by teachers and by children themselves. Academic outcomes were then linearly regressed on leisure-time physical activity participation, while controlling for individual and family confounders. Unstructured physical activities were the most popular among both girls and boys. Sports were the second most popular activity among boys, whereas other structured physical activities were the second most popular among girls. Higher overall participation in leisure-time physical activity at age 6 was associated with better teacher-reported grades in language and math (ß = 0.075 and ß = 0.102, respectively) and self-reported grades in language (ß = 0.103), as well as with higher classroom engagement (ß = 0.077,) at age 12. Regression coefficients are standardized. All the associations were significant (p ≤ .05). Promoting leisure-time physical activity may be an effective way to encourage children to be active and to help them improve their academic performance, both leading to long-term wider benefits.

Prospective associations between television in the preschool bedroom and later bio-psycho-social risks.

BACKGROUND: North American child media guidelines suggest screen-free zones without offering clear evidence and alternative harm-reduction strategies. Our hypothesis is that having a bedroom television during the preschool years will be prospectively associated with mental and physical health risks in adolescence. METHODS: Participants are from a prospective-longitudinal birth cohort of 907 girls and 952 boys from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. Child outcomes at ages 12 and 13, measured by multiple sources, were linearly regressed on having a bedroom television at age 4. RESULTS: Bedroom television at age 4 predicted a higher body mass index at age 12 (standardized B = 0.10, p < 0.001), more unhealthy eating habits at age 13 (B = 0.10, p < 0.001), higher levels of emotional distress (B = 0.12, p < 0.001), depressive symptoms (B = 0.08, p < 0.001), victimization (B = 0.07, p < 0.001), physical aggression (B = 0.09, p < 0.001), and lowers levels of sociability (B = -0.09, p < 0.001) at age 12, above and beyond pre-existing individual and family factors. CONCLUSION: The bedroom as a screen-based preschool zone does not bode well for long-term cardio-metabolic wellness, mental health, and social relationships.

Witnessing violence in early secondary school predicts subsequent student impairment.

BACKGROUND: Past research suggests that adolescents who witness violence are at risk of adjustment problems. However, few studies have implemented a longitudinal design and have accounted for direct experiences of victimisation and other major confounders. This prospective study examines the relationship between witnessing school violence and subsequent impairment and whether such associations depend on the kind of violence witnessed. METHODS: 3936 adolescents from Quebec (Canada) were followed from ages 12 through 15 years. Linear regression tested associations between witnessing school violence at age 13 and subsequent antisocial behaviour (drug use, delinquency), emotional distress (social anxiety, depressive symptoms) and academic adjustment (school achievement, engagement) at age 15. We compared the relative contribution of differing forms of witnessing school violence versus being victimised directly. RESULTS: General school violence predicted later impairment. The adjusted associations between indirectly experiencing violence as a bystander and subsequent impairment were comparable to those of direct victimisation. Witnessing covert and major violence was associated with drug use and delinquency. Witnessing minor violence was associated with increases in drug use, social anxiety, depressive symptoms and decreases in school engagement. CONCLUSIONS: Almost all students witnessed school violence, which predicted impairment. Witnessing violence was associated with risk of subsequent adjustment problems 2 years later. Directly experienced victimisation showed a comparable magnitude of risk. This suggests that when it comes to symptoms of conduct disorder, witnessing violence might have the same impact as experiencing it directly. Witnessing earlier covert and major violence predicted social impairment whereas minor violence predicted psychological and academic impairment.