RESUMO
Predation exerts strong selection pressure on morphological traits and is often studied in freshwater fishes. A common morphological ecophenotype driven by predation from pursuit predators is the predator-associated burst speed (PABS) ecophenotype. This ecophenotype, characterized by a smaller head, smaller body, and larger caudal region, is commonly found in western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) residing in environments with sunfish (family Centrarchidae) predators. However, the repeatability and transferability of the PABS ecophenotype across populations have not been tested. The four objectives of this study were to (1) assess the repeatability of methods to confirm the presence of the PABS ecophenotype in independent populations, (2) test whether morphology is correlated with predator abundance, (3) assess the repeatability of utilizing a discriminant function analysis (DFA) to accurately classify fish to predator status, and (4) use a DFA to conduct a cross-validation test of the PABS model using previously studied populations of G. affinis to predict predator status of newly studied populations. There was consistency in the occurrence of the PABS ecophenotype among populations with predators. Permuted MANOVA (PMANOVA) models fit to each dataset revealed a significant effect of collection site nested within predator status (i.e., presence or absence of predator), suggesting location-specific variations of the PABS ecophenotype. In addition, a PMANOVA model fit to body shape as a function of predator abundance (i.e., 0, 0.1-1.0, or >1.0 predators per minute of electrofishing) revealed a significant effect of predation level in the newly studied populations, suggesting morphology differs among populations with varying predator abundances. Cross-study validation of the DFA revealed low between-study accuracy compared to within-study accuracy, but elongation of the caudal region in the presence of predators was consistent across studies. Our findings ultimately suggest that although the PABS ecophenotype at studied locations provides partial predictive capacity at unstudied locations, the nature and magnitude of the PABS ecophenotype depend on environmental settings, encounter histories with predators, level of abundance of predators, or other spatially structured mechanisms.
Assuntos
Ciprinodontiformes , Comportamento Predatório , Animais , Ciprinodontiformes/fisiologia , Ciprinodontiformes/anatomia & histologia , Fenótipo , Tamanho Corporal , Análise Discriminante , Cadeia Alimentar , Reprodutibilidade dos TestesRESUMO
BACKGROUND: The AAP recommends "shared" reading from early infancy for healthy development. However, many families are uncertain how to read most enjoyably and effectively with infants, especially from underserved backgrounds. Shared reading quality (interactivity) moderates benefits yet is challenging to measure. SHARE/STEP is a new model of shared reading quality at this age incorporating evidence-based behaviors. OBJECTIVE: To test the SharePR parent-report measure of caregiver-infant reading quality. METHODS: This study involved mother-infant dyads in two unrelated trials in an obstetric (0-2 months old) and pediatric (6-9 months old) clinic. SharePR is a 10-item measure based on the SHARE/STEP model. Analyses involved descriptive statistics, measures of psychometric integrity, and correlations with home literacy environment (HLE). RESULTS: There were 99 dyads in the younger (1.2 + 0.5 months) and 108 dyads in the older groups (6.6 + 1.1 months). A majority were of non-white race (73%, 96%) and low-socioeconomic status (56%, 44% in-poverty). SharePR administration time was under 2 min and scores were normally distributed at each age. Psychometric properties were strong in terms of internal consistency and reliability. Scores were positively correlated with HLE for the older group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: SharePR may be an efficient tool to quantify shared reading quality with infants, warranting further investigation. CLINICAL TRIALS: Data for these analyses were collected via two unrelated trials led by the lead author (J.S.H.). For the younger cohort, this is registered on the ClinicalTrials.gov website, ID# NCT04031235. For the older cohort, this is registered on the ClinicalTrials.gov website, ID# 2017-6856. IMPACT: The AAP recommends caregiver-child ("shared") reading beginning in infancy, yet many families are uncertain how to do so. Verbal and social-emotional interactivity during shared reading ("quality") moderates benefits and is often low in families from disadvantaged backgrounds, yet is challenging to measure. SharePR is a 10-item parent-report measure of shared reading quality based on a novel conceptual model incorporating evidence-based behaviors (SHARE/STEP). SharePR exhibited promising psychometric properties in two separate samples of mothers of younger and older infants. SharePR is a potentially useful measure of shared reading quality at this formative age, for research and to frame early reading guidance.
Assuntos
Mães , Leitura , Feminino , Gravidez , Humanos , Lactente , Criança , Recém-Nascido , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Mães/psicologia , Alfabetização , PobrezaRESUMO
MAIN CONCLUSION: Domestication affected the abundances and diversity of maize root volatiles more than northward spread and modern breeding, and herbivore preference for roots was correlated with volatile diversity and herbivore resistance. Studies show that herbivore defenses in crops are mediated by domestication, spread, and breeding, among other human-driven processes. They also show that those processes affected chemical communication between crop plants and herbivores. We hypothesized that (i) preference of the herbivore (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera) larvae for embryonic roots of maize (Zea mays mays) would increase and (ii) root volatile diversity would decrease with the crop's domestication, northward spread to present-day USA, and modern breeding. We used Balsas teosinte (Zea mays parviglumis), Mexican and USA landrace maizes, and US inbred maize lines to test these hypotheses. We found that herbivore preference and volatile diversity increased with maize domestication and northward spread but decreased with modern breeding. Additionally, we found that the abundances of single volatiles did not consistently increase or decrease with maize domestication, spread, and breeding; rather, volatiles grouped per their abundances were differentially affected by those processes, and domestication had the greatest effects. Altogether, our results suggested that: the herbivore's preference for maize roots is correlated with volatile diversity and herbivore resistance; changes in abundances of individual volatiles are evident at the level of volatile groups; and maize domestication, but not spread and breeding, affected the abundances of some green leaf volatiles and sesquiterpenes/sesquiterpenoids. In part, we discussed our results in the context of herbivore defense evolution when resources for plant growth and defense vary across environments. We suggested that variability in relative abundance of volatiles may be associated with their local, functional relevance across wild and agricultural environments.
Assuntos
Sesquiterpenos , Zea mays , Animais , Humanos , Domesticação , Herbivoria , Melhoramento Vegetal , Produtos AgrícolasRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Parental feeding styles, including the emotional environment parents create to modify a child's eating behaviors, have been associated with measures of adiposity in cross-sectional studies. The longitudinal relation between parental feeding styles in early infancy and adiposity in later infancy/toddlerhood are scant and have shown mixed results, particularly in families from low-income households. OBJECTIVES: This study examined the relation between parental feeding styles and infant BMI z-score trajectories between 6 and 18 mo in families from low-income households. METHODS: Parent-infant dyads were recruited during the infant's 6-, 9-, or 12-mo well-child visit. Feeding styles were assessed using the Infant Feeding Style Questionnaire (IFSQ). Infant anthropometrics from birth through 18 mo were extracted from the electronic medical record. BMI z-score slopes were estimated for each infant between 0-6 mo and 6-18 mo. Associations between feeding styles and BMI z-score slopes were examined using mixed models controlling for demographic, clinical, and feeding covariates. RESULTS: The final analytic sample included 198 dyads (69% Black; median infant age: 9.0 mo; IQR: 6.8-10.3 mo). The predominant parent feeding styles included the following: laissez-faire (30%), restrictive (28%), responsive (23%), and pressuring (19%). In adjusted models, the predominant feeding style at enrollment was associated with the BMI z-score slope between 6 and 18 mo, with the responsive feeding style exhibiting a steeper increase in BMI z-score than other feeding styles. Infant feeding style was not associated with BMI z-score slope between birth and 6 mo of age. Infants of parents who exhibited restrictive feeding styles were more likely to have a BMI ≥85th percentile at their last measurement. CONCLUSIONS: The predominant parent feeding style during infancy in a low-income population was associated with infant BMI z-score between 6 and 18 mo of age, but not earlier. Further studies are needed to better understand how predictive factors collectively contribute to BMI increase in the first 2 y.
Assuntos
Poder Familiar , Pobreza , Índice de Massa Corporal , Criança , Estudos Transversais , Comportamento Alimentar/psicologia , Humanos , Lactente , Obesidade , Poder Familiar/psicologia , Pais/psicologia , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
Many species show replicated ecophenotypy due to recurring patterns of natural selection. Based on the presence or absence of pursuit predators, at least 17 species of fish repeatedly differentiated in body shape in a manner that increases burst swimming speed and the likelihood of predator escape. The predator-associated burst speed (PABS) ecophenotype is characterized by a small head and trunk and enlarged caudal region. Mechanisms promoting replicated phenotype-environment association include selection (without evolution), a single instance of adaptive evolution followed by biased habitat occupation, repeated instances of local adaptation, or adaptive phenotypic plasticity. Common garden rearing of mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis, demonstrated a likely heritable basis for PABS phenotypy, but it is unknown whether populations are otherwise genetically distinct or whether replicated ecophenotypy represents a single or replicated instances of adaptation. To genetically characterize the populations and test hypotheses of single or multiple adaptations, we characterized variation in 12 polymorphic DNA microsatellites in the previously studied G. affinis populations. Populations were genetically distinct by multilocus analysis, exhibited high allelic diversity, and were heterozygote deficient, which effects were attributed to G. affinis's shoaling nature and habitat patchiness. Genetic and phenotypic distances among populations were correlated for non-PABS but not PABS morphology. Multilocus analysis demonstrated ecophenotype polyphyly and scattered multivariate genetic structure which support only the replicated-adaptation model. As all of the diverse tests performed demonstrated lack of congruence between patterns of molecular genetic and PABS differentiation, it is likely that divergent natural selection drove multiple instances of adaptive evolution.
Assuntos
Ciprinodontiformes , Animais , Evolução Biológica , Ciprinodontiformes/genética , Ecossistema , Genética Populacional , Fenótipo , Seleção GenéticaRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To assess whether a citywide structured book-sharing program (NICU Bookworms) designed to promote reading to infants while admitted in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) would increase parental reading behaviors (≥3-4 days/week) in the NICU and after discharge home, including high-risk parents who do not themselves enjoy reading. STUDY DESIGN: The NICU Bookworms program comprised staff training, parent education, and building a literacy-rich environment. In this quasi-experimental intervention study, parents of medically high-risk NICU graduates <6 months of age were administered a questionnaire at their first NICU follow-up clinic visit. The survey incorporated questions from the StimQ-I READ subscale to assess home reading environment and shared reading practices. RESULTS: A total of 317 infants were enrolled, 187 in an unexposed comparison group and 130 in the intervention group. Parents exposed to Bookworms were significantly more likely to read ≥3-4 days per week while in the NICU (34.5% vs 51.5%; P = .002; aOR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.2-4.0), but reading at home did not differ (67.9% vs 73.1%; P = .28; aOR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.5-1.8). However, among parents who did not themselves enjoy reading, frequency was significantly higher both in the NICU (18.4% vs 46.1%; P = .009; aOR, 5.0; 95% CI, 1.2-21.5) and at home (36.9% vs 70%; P = .003; aOR, 3.7; 95% CI, 1.1-12.9). A qualitative thematic analysis found that Bookworms decreased parental stress, enhanced bonding, and supported positive parent-infant interactions. CONCLUSIONS: A book-sharing intervention in the NICU increased parent-reported reading aloud during hospitalization and among parents disinclined to read for pleasure, both in the NICU and following discharge. This change may have been mediated by enhancement of parent-infant interactions.
Assuntos
Unidades de Terapia Intensiva Neonatal , Pais , Leitura , Feminino , Humanos , Lactente , Recém-Nascido , Masculino , Apego ao Objeto , Relações Pais-Filho , Estresse Psicológico/prevenção & controle , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Screen-based media use is prevalent in children and is associated with health risks. American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations involve access to screens, frequency, content, and co-viewing. The aim of this study was to test the ScreenQ, a composite measure of screen-based media use. METHODS: ScreenQ is a 15-item parent report measure reflecting AAP recommendations. Range is 0-26, higher scores reflecting greater non-adherence. With no "gold standard" available, four validated measures of skills and parenting practices cited as influenced by overuse were applied as the external criteria, including expressive language, speed of processing, emergent literacy, and cognitive stimulation at home. Psychometric analyses involved Rasch methods and Spearman's ρ correlations. RESULTS: Sixty-nine families were administered ScreenQ. Child age ranged from 36 to 63 months old (52 ± 8; 35 girls). Mean ScreenQ score was 9.6 (±5.0; 1-22). Psychometric properties were strong (rCo-α = 0.74). ScreenQ scores were negatively correlated with CTOPP-2 (Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing, Second Edition) (rρ = -0.57), EVT-2 (Expressive Vocabulary Test, Second Edition) (rρ = -0.45), GRTR (Get Ready to Read!) (rρ = -0.30) and StimQ-P (rρ = -0.42) scores (all p ≤ 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: ScreenQ shows potential as a composite measure of screen-based media use in young children in the context of AAP recommendations. ScreenQ scores were correlated with lower executive, language and literacy skills, and less stimulating home cognitive environment.
Assuntos
Cognição , Programas de Rastreamento/métodos , Poder Familiar , Inquéritos e Questionários , Pré-Escolar , Feminino , Fidelidade a Diretrizes , Humanos , Masculino , PsicometriaRESUMO
AIM: This study aimed to define whether individuals with drug-resistant focal epilepsy also used regions related to cognitive control to facilitate reading. METHODS: We focused on patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy in 2011-2014, who were aged 8-20 years and were being treated at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital, USA. They performed a verb generation functional magnetic resonance imaging task known to involve language and cognitive control, as well as a formal reading assessment. The reading scores were correlated with functional connectivity of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) using seed-to-voxel analysis. RESULTS: There were 81 potential patients and 13 (seven females) met the inclusion criteria. Their age at seizure onset was 0-13 years, and they had a mean age of 12.66 ± 3.17 years at the time of the study. Individuals with epilepsy demonstrated average intelligence and word reading ability. Their reading scores were positively correlated with functional connectivity between the ACC and regions related to emotional processing (right amygdala), learning and language processing (left cerebellum) and visual processing. CONCLUSION: Our results support the role that the ACC plays in proficient reading among children with drug-resistant epilepsy, even in those with epileptogenic foci in areas related to language.
Assuntos
Preparações Farmacêuticas , Leitura , Adolescente , Adulto , Encéfalo , Mapeamento Encefálico , Criança , Cognição , Feminino , Humanos , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética , Adulto JovemRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: To compare prevalence and severity of diaper dermatitis (DD) in infants and toddlers (babies) across three countries (China, USA, and Germany), including diapered skin measures and caregiver practices. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 1791 babies (~600 from each country) was recruited at each clinical site. Based on regional toilet-training habits, exclusively diaper-wearing infants were recruited between ages 2-8 months in China and 2-18 months in the USA and Germany. DD was measured, as well as skin pH, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), and relative humidity (RH) in the diapered region. Caregiver habits were collected via a questionnaire and included information on hygienic practices. RESULTS: Diaper dermatitis was highest in the perianal area, followed by the intertriginous, genital, and buttock regions. In general, DD was significantly lower in babies in China, highest in Germany, and intermediate in the USA. This rank ordering of DD by geography was also observed in baby age 2-8 months. The lower DD observed in China was associated with lower skin pH and TEWL on diapered skin and decreased RH in the diaper. Chinese caregivers had the highest rate of prophylactic topical product usage, the most robust cleaning of the diapered area, lack of cleansing after urine-only diaper changes, and Chinese infants spent the least time in an overnight diaper. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest caregiver behaviors including prophylactic use of topical products, thorough cleaning after stooling and reduced time in an overnight diaper are associated with less DD, lower superficial skin pH, and enhanced skin barrier.
Assuntos
Cuidadores/estatística & dados numéricos , Dermatite das Fraldas/epidemiologia , Nádegas , China/epidemiologia , Estudos Transversais , Fraldas Infantis/estatística & dados numéricos , Feminino , Alemanha/epidemiologia , Humanos , Concentração de Íons de Hidrogênio , Lactente , Cuidado do Lactente , Masculino , Prevalência , Pele , Inquéritos e Questionários , Estados Unidos/epidemiologiaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends shared reading beginning as soon as possible after birth to promote healthy development. Shared reading quality can strongly influence outcomes, especially in children from low-SES households. Dialogic reading is a method developed to enhance verbal interactivity and engagement through book sharing, advocated by the AAP and clinic-based programs such as Reach Out and Read. There is no brief, validated, caregiver report measure of dialogic reading or shared reading quality currently available. METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved 49 healthy mother-child dyads (mean child age 4.5 yrs., SD = 0.6 yrs.) from 2 separate MRI-based studies. The DialogPR was administered by trained research coordinators following MRI, along with the READ subscale of the validated StimQ-P measure of home cognitive environment. The DialogPR consists of eight items developed in consultation with experts in early literacy, based on the PEER/CROWD dialogic reading conceptual model. Estimated reading level is 6th grade. Descriptive statistics were computed at both the item and scale levels. Modern theory Rasch methods were used to analyze all eight DialogPR items along with preliminary estimates of reliability and validity. RESULTS: Our combined sample involved 15 boys and 34 girls, and was diverse in terms of age, household income, and maternal education. DialogPR administration time was less than 2 min, with no problems reported. The DialogPR demonstrated strong internal consistency and reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.82), and criterion-related validity with the StimQ-P READ (Spearman's rho coefficient = 0.53). Rasch analysis revealed strong psychometric properties in terms of reliability, variability in item difficulty, and inter-item and item-measure correlations. CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary evidence suggests that the DialogPR may be an efficient means to assess shared reading quality and dialogic reading via caregiver report for clinical and research purposes, warranting further investigation.
Assuntos
Avaliação Educacional , Relações Mãe-Filho , Mães/psicologia , Leitura , Pré-Escolar , Estudos Transversais , Escolaridade , Feminino , Humanos , Renda , Masculino , Projetos Piloto , Psicometria , Reprodutibilidade dos TestesRESUMO
Purpose: Rhyming is a phonological skill that typically emerges in the preschool-age range. Prosody/rhythm processing involves right-lateralized temporal cortex, yet the neural basis of rhyming ability in young children is unclear. The study objective was to use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to quantify neural correlates of rhyming abilities in preschool-age children. Method: Healthy pre-kindergarten child-parent dyads were recruited for a study visit including MRI and the Preschool and Primary Inventory of Phonological Awareness (PIPA) rhyme subtest. MRI included an fMRI task where the child listened to a rhymed and unrhymed story without visual stimuli. fMRI data were processed using the CONN functional connectivity (FC) toolbox, with FC computed between 132 regions of interest (ROI) across the brain. Associations between PIPA score and FC during the rhymed versus unrhymed story were compared accounting for age, sex, and maternal education. Results: In total, 45 children completed MRI (age 54 ± 8 months, 37-63; 19M 26F). Median maternal education was college graduate. FC between ROIs in posterior default mode (imagery) and right fronto-parietal (executive function) networks was more strongly positively associated with PIPA score during the rhymed compared with the unrhymed story [F(2,39) = 10.95, p-FDR = 0.043], as was FC between ROIs in right-sided language (prosody) and dorsal attention networks [F(2,39) = 9.85, p-FDR = 0.044]. Conclusions: Preschool-age children with better rhyming abilities had stronger FC between ROIs supporting attention and prosody and also between ROIs supporting executive function and imagery, suggesting rhyme as a catalyst for attention, visualization, and comprehension. These represent novel neural biomarkers of nascent phonological skills.
Assuntos
Encéfalo , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética , Humanos , Feminino , Masculino , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética/métodos , Pré-Escolar , Encéfalo/fisiologia , Encéfalo/diagnóstico por imagem , Percepção da Fala/fisiologia , Mapeamento Encefálico/métodos , FonéticaRESUMO
Plant defenses against herbivores are predicted to change as plant lineages diversify, and with domestication and subsequent selection and breeding in the case of crop plants. We addressed whether defense against a specialist herbivore declined coincidently with life history evolution, domestication, and breeding within the grass genus Zea (Poaceae). For this, we assessed performance of corn leafhopper (Dalbulus maidis) following colonization of one of four Zea species containing three successive transitions: the evolutionary transition from perennial to annual life cycle, the agricultural transition from wild annual grass to primitive crop cultivar, and the agronomic transition from primitive to modern crop cultivar. Performance of corn leafhopper was measured through seven variables relevant to development speed, survivorship, fecundity, and body size. The plants included in our study were perennial teosinte (Zea diploperennis), Balsas teosinte (Zea mays parviglumis), a landrace maize (Zea mays mays), and a hybrid maize. Perennial teosinte is a perennial, iteroparous species, and is basal in Zea; Balsas teosinte is an annual species, and the progenitor of maize; the landrace maize is a primitive, genetically diverse cultivar, and is ancestral to the hybrid maize; and, the hybrid maize is a highly inbred, modern cultivar. Performance of corn leafhopper was poorest on perennial teosinte, intermediate on Balsas teosinte and landrace maize, and best on hybrid maize, consistent with our expectation of declining defense from perennial teosinte to hybrid maize. Overall, our results indicated that corn leafhopper performance increased most with the agronomic transition, followed by the life history transition, and least with the domestication transition.
Assuntos
Agricultura , Evolução Biológica , Hemípteros/fisiologia , Herbivoria , Zea mays/genética , Animais , Cruzamento , Feminino , Fertilidade , Variação Genética , Masculino , Seleção Genética , Zea mays/classificação , Zea mays/crescimento & desenvolvimentoRESUMO
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limits on digital media use ("screen time"), citing cognitive-behavioral risks. Media use in early childhood is ubiquitous, though few imaging-based studies have been conducted to quantify impacts on brain development. Cortical morphology changes dynamically from infancy through adulthood and is associated with cognitive-behavioral abilities. The current study involved 52 children who completed MRI and cognitive testing at a single visit. The MRI protocol included a high-resolution T1-weighted anatomical scan. The child's parent completed the ScreenQ composite measure of media use. MRI measures included cortical thickness (CT) and sulcal depth (SD) across the cerebrum. ScreenQ was applied as a predictor of CT and SD first in whole-brain regression analyses and then for regions of interest (ROIs) identified in a prior study of screen time involving adolescents, controlling for sex, age and maternal education. Higher ScreenQ scores were correlated with lower CT in right-lateralized occipital, parietal, temporal and fusiform areas, and also lower SD in right-lateralized inferior temporal/fusiform areas, with substantially greater statistical significance in ROI-based analyses. These areas support primary visual and higher-order processing and align with prior findings in adolescents. While differences in visual areas likely reflect maturation, those in higher-order areas may suggest under-development, though further studies are needed.
Assuntos
Encéfalo , Internet , Adolescente , Humanos , Pré-Escolar , Criança , Estados Unidos , Adulto , Encéfalo/anatomia & histologia , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética/métodos , Cognição , Testes NeuropsicológicosRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To estimate feasibility, usability and efficacy of a mobile parenting app (Rx for Success; RxS) to enhance reading guidance provided to parents of young children during well-visits. METHODS: This trial was conducted at a clinic serving primarily families of Hispanic ethnicity and low-socioeconomic status (SES) where Reach Out and Read (ROR) is standard practice. It involved 252 parent-child dyads in 2 age groups (~6-months old, ~18-months old) randomized during well-visits to receive RxS or a children's book modeling alternatives to screen time (Control) by research coordinators. RxS involves videos, activities and "push" messages. Follow-up assessments were conducted approximately 6 months later, including impression and use, shared reading behaviors, child language and screen time. RESULTS: A total of 217 dyads completed both visits (110 RxS, 107 Control). Time to introduce RxS was under 3 minutes and 32% of parents experienced largely minor performance issues. Parent impression of RxS was favorable for both age groups at baseline and follow-up, though use was infrequent, attributable to a desire for more relevant and updated content. Significant findings favoring RxS included shared reading as a favorite activity, more frequent shared reading reported at 12 months and higher language scores at 24 months. Screen time was equivalent between cohorts, exceeding American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines. CONCLUSIONS: A mobile app introduced to parents of young children from low-SES backgrounds was feasible during well-visits, rated as helpful, and effective to enhance shared reading at younger and language at older ages. While a potentially impactful enhancement to ROR, features needing improvement were identified.
Assuntos
Aplicativos Móveis , Idoso , Livros , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Hispânico ou Latino , Humanos , Lactente , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Pais , LeituraRESUMO
Importance: Literacy has been described as an important social determinant of health. Its components emerge in infancy and are dependent on genetic, medical, and environmental factors. The American Academy of Pediatrics advocates a substantial role for pediatricians in literacy promotion, developmental surveillance, and school readiness to promote cognitive, relational, and brain development. Many children, especially those from minority and underserved households, enter kindergarten unprepared to learn to read and subsequently have difficulty in school. Observations: Emergent literacy is a developmental process beginning in infancy. Component skills are supported by brain regions that must be adequately stimulated and integrated to form a functional reading network. Trajectories are associated with genetic, medical, and environmental factors, notably the home literacy environment, which is defined as resources, motivation, and stimulation that encourage the literacy development process. Eco-biodevelopmental models are advocated by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and these models offer insights into the neurobiological processes associated with environmental factors and the ways in which these processes may be addressed to improve outcomes. Emergent literacy is well suited for such a model, particularly because the mechanisms underlying component skills are elucidated. In addition to cognitive-behavioral benefits, the association of home literacy environment with the developing brain before kindergarten has recently been described via neuroimaging. Rather than a passive approach, which may subject the child to stress and engender negative attitudes, early literacy screening and interventions that are administered by pediatric practitioners can help identify potential reading difficulties, address risk factors during a period when neural plasticity is high, and improve outcomes. Conclusions and Relevance: Neuroimaging and behavioral evidence inform an eco-biodevelopmental model of emergent literacy that is associated with genetic, medical, and home literacy environmental factors before kindergarten, a time of rapid brain development. This framework is consistent with recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics and provides insights to help identify risk factors and signs of potential reading difficulties, tailor guidance, and provide direction for future research.
Assuntos
Desenvolvimento Infantil , Desenvolvimento da Linguagem , Alfabetização , Papel do Médico , Leitura , Meio Social , Pré-Escolar , Humanos , Lactente , Deficiências da Aprendizagem/etiologia , Deficiências da Aprendizagem/prevenção & controleRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: Sharing books with preschoolers is known to improve kindergarten readiness. Both Reach Out and Read (ROR) and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (DPIL) have shown positive effects on book sharing at home. We developed a novel combined ROR/DPIL program and examined the effect on kindergarten readiness assessment (KRA) scores. METHODS: At urban ROR primary care sites, patients <5 years living in the city school district were enrolled from July 2015 through January 2019 in the ROR/DPIL program when seen for a clinic visit. The literacy subtest of the KRA was examined for participants entering kindergarten in the fall of 2016, 2017, and 2018. The "on-track" rate of participants was compared with nonparticipant groups. RESULTS: A total of 797 kindergarten-aged ROR/DPIL participants were matched to Ohio KRA scores for 2016, 2017, and 2018 school years. The percentages of students "on-track" on KRA literacy subtests increased significantly by cohort (2016, 42.9% [95% confidence interval (CI): 34.9%-50.9%] versus 2017, 50.9% [95% CI: 44.9%-56.9%] versus 2018, 58.3% [95% CI: 53.3%-63.3%], P = .004). ROR/DPIL participants were compared with a proportionate stratified random sample of 1580 non-ROR/DPIL peers. On-track in literacy did not significantly differ between groups (2016 [P = .262], 2017 [P = .653], 2018 [P = .656]), nor did they differ after restricting analysis to economically disadvantaged children (2016 [P = .191], 2017 [P = .721], 2018 [P = .191]). CONCLUSIONS: With these results, we suggest that a program combining literacy anticipatory guidance at clinic visits and more books in the home can potentially improve kindergarten readiness. Pediatric health care providers can play an important role in promoting kindergarten readiness through literacy promotion.
Assuntos
Leitura , Pré-Escolar , Estudos de Coortes , Escolaridade , Feminino , Humanos , MasculinoRESUMO
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends literacy and school readiness promotion during well visits. The Reading House (TRH) is a children's book-based screener of emergent literacy skills in preschool-aged children. Vocabulary, rhyming, and rapid naming are core emergent skills, and reading abilities are associated with thicker cortex in the left hemisphere. Our objective was to expand validity of TRH relative to these skills and explore association with cortical thickness. METHODS: Healthy preschool-aged children completed MRI including a T1-weighted anatomic scan. Before MRI, TRH and assessments of rapid naming (Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing, Second Edition), rhyming (Pre-Reading Inventory of Phonological Awareness), vocabulary (Expressive Vocabulary Test, Second Edition), and emergent literacy (Get Ready to Read!) were administered. Analyses included Spearman-ρ correlations (r ρ) accounting for age, sex, and socioeconomic status (SES). MRI analyses involved whole-brain measures of cortical thickness relative to TRH scores, accounting for covariates. RESULTS: Seventy children completed assessments (36-63 months old; 36 female) and 52 completed MRI (37-63 months; 29 female). TRH scores were positively correlated with Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing, Second Edition (r ρ = 0.61), Expressive Vocabulary Test, Second Edition (r ρ = 0.54), Get Ready to Read! (r ρ = 0.87), and Pre-Reading Inventory of Phonological Awareness scores (r ρ = 0.64; all P < .001). These correlations remained statistically significant across age, sex, and SES groups. TRH scores were correlated with greater thickness in left-sided language and visual cortex (P-family-wise error <.05), which were similar for higher SES yet more bilateral and frontal for low SES, reflecting a less mature pattern (P-family-wise error <.10). CONCLUSIONS: These findings expand validation evidence for TRH as a screening tool for preschool-aged children, including associations with emergent skills and cortical thickness, and suggest important differences related to SES.