The Effects of the Flint water crisis on the educational outcomes of school-age children.

In 2014, the municipal water source in Flint, Michigan was switched, causing lead from aging pipes to leach into the city's drinking water. While lead exposure in Flint children increased modestly on average, some children were exposed to high lead levels. Surveys of Flint residents show the water crisis was also associated with increased levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. We use Michigan's administrative education data and utilize synthetic control methods to examine the impact of the crisis on Flint's school-age children. We find decreases in math achievement and increases in special needs classification, even among children living in homes with copper (rather than lead) water service lines. Low socioeconomic status students and younger students experienced the largest effects on math achievement, and boys experienced the largest effects on special needs classification. Our results point toward the broad negative effects of the crisis on children and suggest that existing estimates may substantially underestimate the overall societal cost of the crisis.

Positive impacts of a strengths-based family program on Latino kindergarteners' narrative language abilities.

Narrative language abilities are foundational to literacy development and are a culturally grounded measure of early literacy for Latino children. This study evaluates the impacts on narrative language abilities and the costs of a 4-week, strengths-based program that leverages two valued sociocultural practices with built-in benefits, personal narratives, and family food routines (e.g., grocery shopping), for improving Latino kindergarteners' learning outcomes in the United States. Two-hundred and 34 children (M age = 67 months; 51% girls; 13 schools) and their parents participated in a cluster randomized trial. Children produced personal narratives at three time points: pretest, end-of-treatment, and 5-month follow-up. Four narrative features were measured: narrative coherence, elaborations, word types, and literate language features. Large positive impacts were observed on all four narrative features at the end-of-treatment posttest (d = 1.21-1.76). There was suggestive evidence of moderate impacts on one narrative feature (i.e., narrative coherence) at the 5-month follow-up (d = .59). The costs required to implement the family program were relatively low. Findings highlight the potential value of implementing this strengths-based program in schools serving Latino kindergarteners using a rigorous evaluation of its effectiveness. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

A strengths-based, culturally responsive family intervention improves Latino kindergarteners' vocabulary and approaches to learning.

Food routines are an ecocultural asset of Latino families. This cluster-randomized trial with 248 children (Mage  = 67 months; 50% girls; 13 schools) investigated the impact of a 4-week family program designed to capitalize on food routines in improving Latino kindergarteners' outcomes in the United States. There were moderate-to-large impacts on child vocabulary (especially food-related) at end-of-treatment and the 5-month follow-up, and suggestive evidence of moderate impacts on approaches to learning (ATL; including ATL math) and executive function at the 5-month follow-up (d = .38-.95). There were no statistically significant impacts on children's math or literacy skills. A strengths-based, culturally responsive family intervention that is integrated into Latino family life can improve the skills needed to succeed in school.

English and Spanish Predictors of Grade 3 Reading Comprehension in Bilingual Children.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the kindergarten, first-, and second-grade predictors of reading comprehension in bilingual children. Specifically, we evaluated the role that Spanish and English skills play in predicting English reading comprehension in third grade. Method As part of a longitudinal study, 248 bilingual children were followed from prekindergarten to third grade. Participants completed Spanish and English measures in the spring of each academic year. We reported results on measures of oral language, memory, and literacy skills that were 1administered in kindergarten, first, second, and third grade. Results Analysis under the structural equation modeling framework indicated that English oral language and word reading are the strongest predictors of English reading comprehension in third grade. Furthermore, results supported previous evidence indicating that Spanish language skills make significant direct and indirect contributions to the English oral language and word reading skills that predict reading comprehension. Discussion This study provides a comprehensive view of the language resources that Spanish-English bilinguals use for reading comprehension. In light of previous evidence, we discuss our findings and offer theoretical and practical implications. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.14083373.

The Role of Prekindergarten Spanish in Predicting First-Grade English Word Reading Among Dual-Language Learners.

Purpose The purpose of the current study was to examine the role that the 1st language, Spanish, at prekindergarten (pre-K) plays in predicting 2nd language (L2), English, word reading in 1st grade. In addition, it examines the role of conceptual vocabulary in predicting word reading in English. Method As part of a longitudinal study of predictors and models of reading comprehension from pre-K to 3rd grade, 248 children attending preschool programs completed Spanish and English measures in the spring of each academic year. In this article, we report the results of English and Spanish measures of oral language and literacy skills that were administered in pre-K and 4 measures of English word reading that were administered in 1st grade. Results Results from structural equation modeling indicated that Spanish oral language made significant direct and indirect contributions to English oral language and word reading. Further, results supported previous evidence indicating that L2 letter knowledge and L2 oral language proficiency are the strongest predictors of L2 word reading in 1st grade. Discussion Similar to findings with monolingual English-speaking children, results support findings that, in the early stages of reading development, oral language in both 1st language and L2 make a significant and independent contribution to word reading. This study has important implications for the support of oral language skills in Latino preschool children.

The Dimensionality of Oral Language in Kindergarten Spanish-English Dual Language Learners.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the latent dimensionality of language in dual language learners (DLLs) who spoke Spanish as their native language and were learning English as their second language. Method: Participants included 259 Spanish-English DLLs attending kindergarten. In the spring of their kindergarten year, children completed vocabulary, grammar, listening comprehension, and higher level language measures (comprehension monitoring and inferencing) in Spanish and English. Results: Two models with similar fits best describe the data. The first was a bifactor model with a single general language factor "l," plus 2 additional language factors, 1 for Spanish and 1 for English. The second model was a 4-factor model, 1 for English that included all English language measures and 3 additional factors that included Spanish vocabulary, Spanish grammar, and Spanish higher level language. Conclusions: These results indicate that a general language ability may underlie development in both Spanish and English. In contrast to a unidimensional structure found for monolingual English-speaking kindergarteners, oral language appears to be multidimensional in Spanish-English DLL kindergarteners, but multidimensionality is reflected in Spanish, not English.

Daily Reports of Positive and Negative Affect and Alcohol and Marijuana Use Among College Student and Nonstudent Young Adults.

BACKGROUND: Daily affect and substance use covary among college students, but little is known about these associations among young adults not in college. OBJECTIVES: The current pilot study examines associations between positive and negative affect and alcohol and marijuana use, with a focus on differences between college student and nonstudent young adults. METHODS: High school seniors completed a baseline survey during the spring of 2012 and were then randomly selected to participate in an intensive measurement follow-up. Participants in the follow-up (N = 72, 40.3% men, 77.8% White, 66.7% full-time college students) completed up to 14 consecutive web-based daily surveys during the fall after high school completion. Multilevel models in which days (Level 1) were nested in persons (Level 2) were estimated. RESULTS: Weekend days were associated with increased alcohol use among all young adults, increased marijuana use among college students, and decreased marijuana use among nonstudents. For young adults not in college, greater daily positive affect was associated with increased likelihood of binge drinking, consuming a greater number of drinks, and lower odds of marijuana use; greater daily negative affect was associated with lower odds of alcohol use and lower odds of binge drinking for non-students. For college students, greater daily negative affect was associated with lower odds of marijuana use. CONCLUSIONS/IMPORTANCE: Daily affect and alcohol and marijuana use covary among young adults, though these associations differ between students and non-students. Results highlight the need to examine predictors of alcohol and marijuana use among young adults who do not attend college.

The Effect of Perceived Risk on the Combined Used of Alcohol and Marijuana: Results from Daily Surveys.

BACKGROUND: Studies looking at the association between perceived risk and simultaneous use of alcohol and marijuana are scarce. The present study has three purposes: (1) To examine the association between alcohol and marijuana use at the daily level; (2) To document how this association varies by the perceived risk of using alcohol and marijuana simultaneously; (3) To test whether the association varies by college attendance. METHODS: 89 young adults (Mean Age = 18.3 years, SD = 0.5) participated between October 2012 and May 2013. Participants completed a 30-minute survey followed by 14 brief daily surveys in each of three waves. RESULTS: Alcohol use on a given day was associated with increased odds of marijuana use that day, especially among young adults with lower perceived risk. For college students, the association between alcohol and marijuana was weaker than for non-students. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol and marijuana use were associated at a daily level, especially among young adults with lower perceived risk and those who were not attending college.

Examination of the association between lifestyle behavior changes and weight outcomes in preschoolers receiving treatment for obesity.

OBJECTIVE: Preschoolers (ages 2-5 years) have been significantly underrepresented in the obesity treatment outcome literature, despite estimates that 12.1% are already obese. As such, little is known about the most important intervention targets for weight management within this age group. The aims of this study were (a) to examine lifestyle behavior changes for 30 obese preschoolers participating in a weight-control intervention and (b) to explore which lifestyle behavior changes predicted changes in body mass index (BMI) z score. METHOD: Preschooler height, weight, diet (three 24-hr recalls), physical activity (accelerometry), and television use (parent report) were measured at baseline and posttreatment (6 months). A linear regression was conducted to examine pre- to posttreatment changes in diet (i.e., intake of calories, sugar-sweetened beverages, fruits and vegetables, and sweet and salty snacks) and activity (i.e., moderate-to-vigorous activity and television use) behaviors on changes in BMI z score. RESULTS: Despite significant reductions in sugar-sweetened beverage intake and television use, and increases in fruit and vegetable intake, only reductions in absolute caloric intake significantly predicted reductions in BMI z score. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that attaining healthy caloric goals may be the most important component of weight-control interventions for preschoolers. Future research using innovative methodologies, such as the Multiphase Optimization Strategy, may be helpful to prospectively identifying the lifestyle behavior changes that are most effective in helping families to achieve healthy weight outcomes for preschoolers and thereby improve intervention efficiency and decrease treatment burden for families.

Parental functioning and pediatric sleep disturbance: an examination of factors associated with parenting stress in children clinically referred for evaluation of insomnia.

BACKGROUND: Parenting stress is an aspect of parent functioning relevant in clinical settings. Within the context of behavioral sleep medicine, the role of parenting stress is not well understood. METHODS: Prospective evaluation of patients 1.5-10 years old with insomnia. Subjects were 156 primary caregiver-child pairs who completed the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF), Child Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). AIMS: (1) determine prevalence of clinically significant parenting stress in primary caregivers of children clinically referred for insomnia; (2) identify childhood sleep problems that play a role in parenting stress; (3) identify relevant correlates of parenting stress within the context of a behavioral sleep medicine clinic; and (4) identify the most salient child sleep and behavioral variables associated with parenting stress. RESULTS: Forty-seven percent of primary caregivers had clinically significant parenting stress. When examining the relationship between child sleep problems and parenting stress, bedtime resistance (p=0.030) and daytime sleepiness (p=0.0003) stood alone as having the most salient associations with parenting stress. When considering a broader range of covariates (child age and child gender) and clinically relevant variables (parent history of sleep problems, parent history of psychiatric conditions, child behavior problems and child sleep problems) in a single regression equation, both child externalizing behavior problems (ß=0.570, p<0.0001) and child daytime sleepiness (ß=0.152, p=0.028) independently explained significant variability in parenting stress. CONCLUSIONS: Many primary caregivers of children clinically-referred for insomnia evaluation and treatment have significant parenting stress. Parenting stress is associated with daytime behavioral problems and sleepiness in children with insomnia. Clinicians working with pediatric insomnia patients should carefully evaluate parenting stress and child daytime behavior as these aspects of functioning may have an impact on service delivery and treatment outcomes.