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Introduction: Almost two-fifth of the children in India is stunted and among various factors, poverty differential in child undernutrition is the largest. Using the latest population-based survey of National Family Health Survey, 2015–16 and 2019–21 this paper examined the poverty induced inequality in child stunting across the sub-populations of India. Methods: A sample of 213,136 children aged between 0–5 years from NFHS fourth round and 98,222 children in the same age group from the NFHS fifth round constitute the study sample. The wealth index is used as the proxy of household's economic wellbeing and height-for-age (HAZ) z-score of a child is used to identify the stunting status of the child. Box plots are drawn to understand the distributional characteristics of the HAZ score for both the study sample. We calculate the Erreygers corrected concentration index and decomposed the concentration indices using Gonzalo-Almorox and Urbanos-Garrido method. Results: During 2015–16, more than half of the children from the poorest wealth quintile were stunted (52%), compared to 22% among the children from richest wealth quintile. In 2015–16, stunting was as high as 65% among the children of mothers with low stature (height less than 145 cm) and from the poorest wealth quintile whereas, the prevalence was observed 56% from the same sub-population during 2019–21. Among various factors, the concentration index of stunting was observed highest among the children of 36–47 months (-0.28) followed by children of age 48–59 months (-0.27) and among the fully immunized children (-0.25). Similar to NFHS-4, NFHS-5 also shows a predominantly higher socio-economic inequality among 24+ months children and among the fully immunised children. Factors like child age, birth order and sanitation showed positive elasticity. Decomposition analysis of NFHS-4 data shows that due to uneven distribution of wealth, mother's education as a determinant of child stunting solely explained 33% of the overall inequality followed by improved access to sanitation (24%), mother's height (8%) and place of residence (5%). Similar to NFHS-4, NFHS-5 data also shows that mother's education, sanitation, mother's height and place of residence predominantly contributes to the overall wealth inequality in child stunting. Conclusions: In India, poverty differential in child undernutrition is acute among the different sub-population of children. And the concentration of stunted children is higher among the different sub-population with higher wealth poverty. Mother's education, improved sanitation and mother's height explained larger variation in the overall inequalities in child nutrition across India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is estimated that disruptions to life caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have led to an increase in the number of children and young people suffering from mental health issues globally. In England one in four children experienced poor mental health in 2022. Social prescribing is gaining traction as a systems-based approach, which builds upon person-centered methods, to refer children and young people with non-clinical mental health issues to appropriate community assets. Recognition of social prescribing benefits for children's mental health is increasing, yet evidence is limited. Inconsistent terminology and variation of terms used to describe social prescribing practices across the literature hinders understanding and assessment of social prescribing's impact on children's mental health. This scoping review thus aims to systematically identify and analyse the various terms, concepts and language used to describe social prescribing with children and young people across the wider health and social care literature base. The scoping review will be undertaken using a six-stage framework which includes: identifying the research question, identifying relevant studies, study selection, charting the data, collating, summarising and reporting the results, and consultation. Electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health, PsychInfo, Social Policy Practice, Scopus, Science Direct, Cochrane library and Joanna Briggs), alongside evidence from grey literature, hand search, citation tracking, and use of expert correspondence will be included in the review to ensure published and unpublished literature is captured. Data extraction will be carried out by two reviewers using a predefined form to capture study characteristics, intervention descriptions, outcomes, and key terms used to report social prescribing for children and young people. No formal quality appraisal or risk of bias evaluation will be performed, as this scoping review aims to map and describe the literature. Data will be stored and managed using the Rayaan.ai platform and a critical narrative of the common themes found will be included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compensatory education policies aim to reduce the impact of inequalities on students’ engagement and performance at school. Nevertheless, this context is composed of mostly disadvantaged children who live with adversity and poverty. These difficulties are likely to be very testing for teachers’ emotions. Since the 2000s, teachers’ emotional labor has been the subject of a significant number of studies. A number of them have focused on physical education (PE), based on the idea that this school subject is particularly challenging for teachers’ emotions. However, we do not know what happens when teachers fail to regulate their emotions. Based on a situational approach to emotional labor, the present study aimed to analyze critical incidents in which teachers’ emotional deviance can be seen (i.e. when the emotions felt and expressed are at odds with the display rules). The study was conducted in collaboration with 22 PE teachers working in ‘difficult’ context. At every break in the school year, each teacher wrote about one critical incident (110 in total) and accepted to take part in an interview at the end of the year. An inductive data analysis made it possible to identify six cases of emotional deviance (5.5%), represented, in the present article, by portrait vignettes based on creative nonfiction. Each of them presents an enacted form of emotional deviance: (1) Ranting and seeking revenge on a disruptive student; (2) Exhibiting impulsive verbal violence towards a disruptive student; (3) Violently excluding a disruptive student; (4) Withdrawing and disengaging from disruptive students; (5) Involving the class as witnesses to a student’s misbehavior; (6) Breaking the rule of secularism to promote a student’s engagement. Three main highlights are therefore discussed: (1) Altercation with students is the main inducer of emotional deviance; (2) Emotional deviance results from negative emotions of varying intensity; (3) Emotional deviance takes various enacted forms as a last resort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With high incidences of poverty and a depressed economy as well as limited political will, it will be difficult to guarantee the socio-economic rights of children in Zimbabwe. Children struggle to get access to basic services such as health care, basic education, clean water and proper sanitation. This study critically reviews the implementation or lack thereof, of the key socio-economic rights as enunciated in the constitution and child-sensitive policies in Zimbabwe. Through document analysis, the study offers a nuanced examination of social policy implementation in the country. This paper advances the argument that poverty and inequality in Zimbabwe have worsened the lives of children who are subjected to inadequate food, lack access to proper heath facilities and proper shelter among other social amenities. Using a human security framework, the paper foregrounds the need for deliberate policies which respond to the needs of the underprivileged children. The paper concludes that a multifaceted and multi-stakeholder approach will ensure that no child is left behind as envisioned by the agenda of the sustainable development goals. It recommends that the government should implement various policies which guarantee the protection of children in need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A diversified diet in early childhood that comprises plant and animal source foods contributes to better health outcomes throughout the life course. However, inadequate infant and young child-feeding practices are serious public health problems in Africa. Evidence on the magnitude and determinants of inadequate animal source food consumption (ASF) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is not yet well established. Hence, this study aimed to estimate the pooled magnitude and determinants of ASF consumption in SSA. A total weighted sample of 92,309 children aged 6–23 months from the Demographic and Health Survey dataset of 35 SSA countries was used for this study. A multilevel mixed-effect model was fitted. The intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and likelihood ratio (LR) tests were used to assess the presence of the clustering effect. The model comparison was made using deviance information criteria (DIC). A p-value of p < 0.05 was used to declare statistical significance. The pooled magnitude of ASF consumption among children aged 6–23 months in SSA was 23.7% (95% CI: 23.4, 23.9). Across the SSA regions, the Southern Africa region had the highest consumption of ASF (51.35%), and the lowest was from the Eastern Africa region (21.41%). Younger children aged 6–9 months (AOR = 3.39; 95% CI: 3.14, 3.65), mothers who had no formal education (AOR = 1.46; 95% CI: 1.37, 1.56), children from mothers with no media exposure (AOR = 1.17; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.24), children from the poorest households (AOR = 2.59; 95% CI: 2.36, 2.84), rural residence (AOR = 1.20; 95% CI: 1.12, 1.28), living in low-income countries (AOR = 2.43; 95% CI: 2.03, 2.90), and children from the East Africa region (AOR = 1.24; 95% CI: 1.14, 1.35) were among the significant predictors for not consuming ASF. In this study, ASF consumption was markedly low. Almost three-fourths of children aged 6–23 months in SSA did not consume ASF in the previous day. Age of the child, ANC visits, maternal educational status, maternal marital status, media exposure, and household wealth index were significant individual-level predictors of ASF consumption, whereas the place of residence, country's income level, and regions of SSA were found to be significant community-level predictors of ASF consumption. Thus, the study highlighted that policymakers, governments, and their partners should demonstrate rigorous efforts to improve dietary diversification with due consideration to the identified predictors of ASF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rural youth exodus has mostly been explained with the pull of the city. In this mixed-method study, we explore whether young people also experience a push to leave the rural community due to a lack of psychosocial thriving. The quantitative analysis of the Ungdata-survey among young people aged 13–16 years (n = 141,058) shows that girls imagine leaving more than boys, and also fare worse on many indicators for psychosocial well-being. There is a linear decline in girls' psychosocial well-being the less centrally they live. We call this the gendered district effect. Contrary to expectations, we find that rural girls without higher education aspirations are those who least want to stay in the rural community. It is likely that a lower degree of psychosocial well-being is part of the reason that more girls in rural areas wish to leave their homeplace. The qualitative analysis of the rural village of Smallville (n = 21) explores this, showing that girls commonly wanted to leave to escape a toxic social environment, which also offered few status-filled work opportunities in the village. The girls were more affected by the rural community's restricting social norms, leaving girls with poor self-images and the wish to leave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physiological synchrony is an important biological process during which parent–child interaction plays a significant role in shaping child socioemotional adjustment. The present study held a context‐dependent perspective to examine the conditional association between parent–child physiological synchrony and child socioemotional adjustment (i.e., relationship quality with parents and child emotion regulation) under different (i.e., from highly unsupportive to highly supportive) emotional contexts. One hundred and fifty school‐age Chinese children (Mage = 8.64 years, 63 girls) and their primary caregivers participated in this study. After attaching electrocardiogram (ECG) electrodes, parent–child dyads were instructed to complete a 4‐minute conflict discussion task. Parent–child physiological synchrony was calculated based on the within‐dyad association between parents' and children's respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) levels across eight 30‐second epochs. Parental emotional support, child relationship quality with parents, and child emotion regulation during the discussion task were coded by trained research assistants. Supporting our hypotheses, parental emotional support moderated the relations of parent–child RSA synchrony with both child relationship quality with parents and child emotion regulation. Furthermore, the Johnson‐Neyman technique of moderation indicated that the associations between parent and child RSA synchrony and child socioemotional adjustment indicators shifted from negative to positive as the parental emotional support became increasingly high. Our findings suggest that parent–child physiological synchrony may not be inherently adaptive or maladaptive, highlighting the importance of understanding the function of parent–child physiological synchrony under specific contexts. Research Highlights: Physiological synchrony may not be inherently adaptive or maladaptive, and the meanings of parent–child physiological synchrony might be contingent on contextual factors.Parental emotional support moderated the relations between parent–child respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) synchrony and child socioemotional adjustment indicators (i.e., child relationship quality with parents and child emotion regulation).More positive/less negative parent–child RSA synchrony was associated with better child socioemotional adjustment under a supportive emotional context, whereas with poorer child socioemotional adjustment under an unsupportive emotional context.These findings highlight the significance of considering the emotional context in physiological synchrony studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Career exploration, a critical antecedent to college students' career choices and employment, offers essential guidance for their career development. However, existing research has not explored how changes in family economic stress impact career exploration. Drawing on social cognitive career theory, this study aims to deepen our understanding of the complex interplay between family economic stress and career exploration among vocational school students. We tested our hypotheses using three-time lagged data collected from 600 vocational school students studying in mainland China. As expected, family economic stress positively predicts career exploration via love of money. Additionally, both students' effective part-time behavior and teacher support were found to positively moderate the indirect relationship between family economic stress and career exploration through love of money. We attempt to highlight the broader implications of understanding the nuanced ways in which economic background shapes career exploration. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Methods Results Conclusion To assess the prevalence of overweight among Swedish 4 year olds in 2018, 2020 and 2022, taking socioeconomic variables into account.Aggregated regional data on children's body mass index were collected. The socioeconomic Care Need Index (CNI), foreign background, low education, being a single parent, low income and childhood poverty, were assessed. The differences in overweight, including obesity, were tested for Sweden and for regions.Data were available for 303 843 children, representing 87% of children born in 2014, 2016 and 2018. Overweight or obesity were found in 11 177 (11.4%) of children in 2022, decreasing from 2020 (13.3%, p < 0.001) but at the same level as in 2018. Regional low CNI, low level of foreign background, education and income as well as being a single parent were associated with a higher prevalence of overweight or obesity in all cohorts (p < 0.001). In regions with high levels of childhood poverty, overweight or obesity were more prevalent during (p = 0.009) and after the pandemic (p < 0.001).Three national cohorts demonstrate that the increase in overweight during the COVID‐19 pandemic has returned to pre‐pandemic levels, but the inequalities in health associated with socioeconomic vulnerability of the regions remained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diarrhea, defined as three or more loose stool per day, is a major cause of child mortality. Exploring its prevalence, and influencing factors is crucial for public health decision and targeted interventions. This study aimed to investigate these aspects using 2021 Madagascar demographic health survey data. Method: This study employed a cross-sectional design, analyzing data from a total of 8,740 weighted under-five children. The dependent variable was the occurrence of diarrhea, which was measured based on caregiver-reported incidents within the previous two weeks prior to the survey. To identify factors associated with diarrhea, a multilevel logistic regression model was utilized, allowing for the examination of both individual and contextual factors. Statistical significance was determined at a p-value of less than 0.05. Results: The analysis identified several significant factors associated with diarrhea in children under five. Children aged 7–12 months had a significantly higher risk of diarrhea (OR = 2.699, 95% CI: 2.028–3.591, p < 0.001) compared to those aged 0–6 months, while those aged 13–24 months were also at increased risk (OR = 2.079, 95% CI: 1.579–2.737, p < 0.001). Children using improved water sources had a lower likelihood of diarrhea (OR = 0.742, 95% CI: 0.583–0.944, p = 0.015). Female children were less likely to experience diarrhea compared to males (OR = 0.823, 95% CI: 0.708–0.956, p = 0.011). Mothers aged 25–34 years (OR = 0.741, 95% CI: 0.626–0.878, p = 0.001) and 35–49 years (OR = 0.628, 95% CI: 0.502–0.787, p = 0.03) had lower odds of their children having diarrhea compared to younger mothers (15–24 years). Primary maternal education was associated with a lower risk of diarrhea (OR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.622–0.958, p = 0.019). Children from poorer (OR = 0.744, 95% CI: 0.591–0.937, p = 0.012) and middle-income households (OR = 0.732, 95% CI: 0.564–0.949, p = 0.019) had lower odds of diarrhea compared to those from the poorest households. Media exposure was significantly associated with higher odds of diarrhea (OR = 1.462, 95% CI: 1.208–1.769, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Maternal age over 25 years, child age between 7 months to 2 years, and media access are risk factors for diarrhea. In contrast, medium or low wealth levels, the mother's educational status, the child's sex, and the source of drinking water seem to be protective factors. Public health interventions should prioritize improving access to clean water and sanitation facilities, along with promoting handwashing with soap. Educational campaigns targeted towards mothers, especially those with lower education levels, can significantly improve hygiene practices, safe water handling, and early symptom recognition of diarrhea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Childhood malnutrition is a complex issue with a range of contributing factors. The consequences of malnutrition are severe, particularly for children. This study aims to identify the factors contributing to inequality gaps in childhood malnutrition. Our study provides insights into modifiable elements to inform interventions targeted at distinct contexts and populations to improve child nutrition. Methods: This study utilized data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) of 27 countries. First, the risk differences (RDs) between the prevalence of childhood malnutrition among the determinant variables, household income, and maternal education categories were calculated. The Blinder‒Oaxaca decomposition was subsequently used to determine the extent to which the difference in childhood malnutrition prevalence between low-income and high-income groups and maternal education levels results from the contributory effects of the explanatory variables: child and maternal individual-level compositional factors. Results: We examined data from 138,782 children in 27 countries from 2015 to 2020. The prevalence of childhood malnutrition (10.5%) varied across countries, ranging from 6.5% in Burundi to 29.5% in Timor Leste. On average, the prevalence of childhood malnutrition was 11.0% in low-income households and 10.7% among mothers without education. Some nations had pro-low-income (i.e., malnutrition concentrated among children from poor households) or pro-no-maternal education (i.e., malnutrition concentrated among children from mothers with no formal education) inequality in childhood malnutrition, but most did not. We found a complex interplay of compositional effects, such as the child's age, maternal education, maternal health behavior, and place of residence, that influence the inequality in childhood malnutrition rates across 10 pro-low-income countries. In addition, we also found that a complex mix of compositional effects, such as the household wealth index, maternal health behavior, and maternal age, contribute to childhood malnutrition inequality between educated and uneducated mothers across the 7 pro-no maternal education countries. Conclusion: The prevalence of childhood malnutrition varies among low-income, high-income, and no maternal education-maternal education groups. This study highlights the need for a country-specific approach to addressing childhood malnutrition, with policies and interventions tailored to each country's specific context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Linear growth faltering remains a pervasive public health concern that affects many children worldwide. This study aimed to investigate possible maternal factors promoting normal linear growth among children aged 6–23 months of age from impoverished Rwandan households. Methods: We used a three-stage cluster sampling procedure. The study population consisted of children aged six to 23 months and their mothers who lived in the study districts. A structured questionnaire helped to collect data from 807 selected mother-child dyads. The primary outcome variable was height-for-age Z scores. The main predictors were maternal income-generating activity, maternal education, maternal depression, household decision making, number of ANC visits, use of family planning method, types of family planning, and mode of delivery. We used univariate analysis to establish median, frequencies, and percentages. Furthermore, we used the Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U, and Spearman rank correlation tests for bivariate analysis. We included in the final model of robust linear regression for multivariate analysis the potential confounding variables identified as significantly associated with the outcome (child age, participation in works for both parents, good handwashing practice, owning a vegetable garden, and the total number of livestock) along with maternal factors. Results: Maternal factors that promoted normal linear growth of children were the presence of maternal income generation activity (β= 0.640 [0.0269 1.253], p value = 0.041), the participation of the mother in the decision-making process of the household (β=0.147 [0.080 0.214], p-value < 0.001), and the higher frequency of consultations with ANC (β=0.189 [0.025 0.354], p-value = 0.024). Additionally, a combination of household decision-making with the number of ANC visits predicted an increase in the linear growth of the child (β=0.032 [0.019 0.045], p-value < 0.001). Conclusion: Maternal factors such as maternal income-generating activity, maternal participation in household decision making, and increased number of ANC visits were found to promote normal child linear growth. These results contribute valuable information to the formulation of interventions and policies to improve child nutrition and growth in the community studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Methods Results Conclusion Lov'U'r Teeth is a French oral health prevention programme targeting children. The programme offers an appointment with a dentist for oral examination and individual oral health advice. It covers any necessary primary dental care resulting from that examination. Despite being free, it was under‐utilised at its previous evaluation 10 years ago. The study aims to identify the determinants of participation and their evolution since 2009.We worked on the General Beneficiary Sample, a medico‐administrative database representative of the French population, including health‐care consumption data. We selected individuals aged 6 to 15. We performed descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regressions to analyse and compare the determinants of participation between 2009 and 2019. The final sample included 26 288 children.Lov'U'r Teeth participation rate increased by 4.2 percentage points from 2009 to 2019. Participation was highest at age 6 and declined as age increased. Children from households facing financial difficulties have a 72% lower probability of participating than other children. Over the study period, increasing poverty rates were consistently associated with lower participation. Children living in the areas with the highest poverty rates were up to 46% less likely to participate than those in areas with the lowest poverty rates.Participation in Lov'U'r Teeth has improved over the past 10 years, but the programme continues to reproduce social inequalities, as the determinants of using free preventive dental care mirror those of non‐preventive care. Lov'U'r Teeth should enhance communication strategies to reach those in need and clarify the programme's benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Vitamin A (VA) cannot be made in the human body and thus foods rich in VA are the only sources of vitamin A for the body. However, ensuring availability in adequate amount of foods rich in VA remains a challenge, mainly in low-income counties including Ethiopia. In addition, children from the poorest and less educated families of same country have disproportionately limited consumptions of foods rich in VA. Therefore, the present study aimed assessing the wealth related inequality in vitamin A consumption (VAC) and decompose it to the various contributing factors. Methods: This study was conducted using the 2019 Ethiopian demographic and health survey data on a weighted sample of 1,497 children of age 6–23 months in Ethiopia. The wealth related inequality in VAC was quantified using concentration index and plotted using concentration curve. The Wagstaff decomposition analysis was performed to assess the relative contributions of each explanatory variable to the inequalities in the overall concentration index of VAC. Result: The overall Wagstaff normalized concentration index (C) analyses of the wealth-related inequality in consumption of foods rich in VA among children aged 6–23 months was [C = 0.25; 95% C: 0.15, 0.35]. Further decomposition of the C by the explanatory variables reported the following contributions; primary level of women's education (7.2%), secondary and above (17.8%), having ANC visit during pregnancy (62.1%), delivery at a health institution (26.53%), living in the metropolis (13.7%), central region (34.2%), child age 18–23 months (4.7%) contributed to the observed wealth related inequality in the consumption of foods rich in vitamin A in Ethiopia. Conclusion: We found pro-rich wealth-related inequality in VAC among children of age 6–23 months in Ethiopia. Additionally, maternal education, region, ANC visit, and place of delivery were the significant contributors of wealth-related inequality of VAC. Nutritional related interventions should prioritise children from poorer households and less educated mothers. Moreover, enhancing access to ANC and health facilities delivery services through education, advocacy, and campaign programs is highly recommended in the study setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malaria is a global public health problem that disproportionately affects under-five children in poor resource countries. Nigeria accounted for the highest burden of malaria in Western Africa. Thus, seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) programmes have been recommended and have been implemented across 9 states (Bauchi, Borno, FCT, Kebbi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Plateau, Oyo and Sokoto) in Nigeria. The study aims to measure the adherence to referral protocol and its associated factors among community drug distributors (CDs) and caregivers during SMC implementation in nine states. Methods: The data of caregiver-child pairs that were identified with fever during the cycle one SMC implementation was extracted from the End-of-cycle (EoC) surveys carried out following cycles one SMC implementation in the study states. The surveys were completed within two weeks of the completion of SMC cycle one. Mixed-effects multivariable logistic regression models were fitted to explore the factors associated with adherence to referrals among caregivers-child pairs. Results: The socio-demographic characteristics of caregiver considered in the model were not found to be significantly associated with children down with fever taking to hospital for treatment, however the caregiver whose child was referred by CDs had significantly higher odds of seeking healthcare compared to those that were not referred (OR: 1.892, 95% CI 1.081–3.310, p = 0.025). There are higher odds of children seeking treatment among those that were referred by CDs. Conclusion: The study's findings shed light on the adherence to referral advice and the factors influencing caregiver behaviour during SMC implementation. Referral of sick child during SMC campaign appears to ensure health-seeking for malaria case management among caregivers-child peer in target communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has dealt with whether low socioeconomic status directly affects a child's mental health or if the relationship is mediated by the parent's mental health. Few studies have used various household economic hardship measures within the same setting. The objectives are first to analyse the mediation effect of parents' mental health on children's mental health due to unemployment, material deprivation, and food insecurity, accounting for parenting practices and the neighbourhood environment, and second to identify differences between externalising and internalising mental health disorders. We use cross-sectional data from the Barcelona Health Survey for the year 2016, with a representative sample of 390 children from 4 to 14 years old in Barcelona city. The mental health of the respondent parent is measured with the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12 items) and that of the child with the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-25 items). Mediation analysis is performed using pathway analysis under the Structural Equation Model. The association of the three economic hardship measures with overall child mental health confirms the mediating role of parents' mental health. However, a direct effect on internalising mental health disorders remains for severe material deprivation and food insecurity, but not for externalising mental health disorders. The proxies for parenting practices play a moderate role. Violence in the neighbourhood is associated with poorer children's and parents' mental health across the models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The measurement of poverty using the material deprivation scale has become widespread throughout the world. One of the technical challenges in constructing the material deprivation scale is the identification of socially perceived necessities. Researchers have used methods ranging from focus groups to separate public opinion surveys to develop a list of socially perceived necessities. However, material deprivation is a relative concept. As society undergoes economic, demographic and political change, the list needs to be reviewed for relevance. The aim of this study was to examine the stability of perceptions of children's necessities in Japan at a time when public awareness of child poverty in Japan has risen sharply. The results of the analysis show that, using the 50% criterion, the list of socially perceived necessities for children has been surprisingly stable over 20 years. However, there has been a statistically significant change in the public's perception of necessity for 16 of the 25 items, even after controlling for age, gender, income and whether they have children. Furthermore, the analysis shows that although the consensus between genders and between income quintile groups is fairly stable or converging, there is a greater divergence in the consensus between age groups and between respondents with and without children. In a society with increasing numbers of elderly and childless people, we need to be increasingly careful that the items selected for the deprivation scale not only meet the 50% criteria, but are also agreed by different segments of the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The document provides a selected bibliography of writings by Bernard Shaw on Americans and the United States, spanning from 1885 to 1948. Shaw's writings reflect his enduring interest in and sometimes disdain for various American topics, including copyright, censorship, Prohibition, Hollywood, American elections, Theodore Roosevelt, World War I, and the Scopes Monkey Trial. The bibliography includes references to Shaw's works published in various American newspapers and magazines, showcasing his critical views on American governance and society. [Extracted from the article]

Background Children living in poverty and those of marginalized race or ethnicity experience inferior disease outcomes across many cancers. Whether survival disparities exist in osteosarcoma is poorly defined. We investigated the association between race, ethnicity, and proxied poverty exposures and event-free and overall survival for children with nonmetastatic osteosarcoma receiving care on a cooperative group trial. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of US patients with nonmetastatic, osteosarcoma aged 5-21 years enrolled on the Children's Oncology Group trial AOST0331. Race and ethnicity were categorized to reflect historically marginalized populations, as Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic Other, and non-Hispanic White. Poverty was proxied at the household and neighborhood levels. Overall survival and event-free survival functions of time from trial enrollment were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Hypotheses of associations between risks for event-free survival, death, and postrelapse death with race and ethnicity were assessed using log-rank tests. Results Among 758 patients, 25.6% were household-poverty and 28.5% neighborhood-poverty exposed. Of the patients, 21% of children identified as Hispanic, 15.4% non-Hispanic Black, 5.3% non-Hispanic Other, and 54.0% non-Hispanic White. Neither household or neighborhood poverty nor race and ethnicity were statistically significantly associated with risks for event-free survival or death. Postrelapse risk for death differed statistically significantly across race and ethnicity with non-Hispanic Black patients at greatest risk (4-year postrelapse survival 35.7% Hispanic vs 13.0% non-Hispanic Black vs 43.8% non-Hispanic Other vs 38.9% non-Hispanic White; P  = .0046). Conclusions Neither proxied poverty exposures or race and ethnicity were associated with event-free survival or overall survival, suggesting equitable outcomes following frontline osteosarcoma trial-delivered therapy. Non-Hispanic Black children experienced statistically significant inferior postrelapse survival. Investigation of mechanisms underlying postrelapse disparities are paramount. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Racially restrictive covenants in housing deeds, commonplace in Minnesota for houses built from the 1910s to the 1950s, provided a foundation for the myriad of policies that made it difficult for people of color to obtain housing. Though covenants were ruled illegal in 1968, their legacy continues to shape neighborhoods. The Mapping Prejudice Project's efforts in Hennepin County, Minnesota, produced the first systematic documentation of racially restrictive covenants. We use this novel data set to explore the relationship between historic covenants and current health and wellbeing outcomes. Using regression analysis to control for neighborhood level covariates, we compare previously covenanted neighborhoods to neighborhoods without covenants. Today, previously covenanted neighborhoods have higher life expectancy and lower rates of obesity, diabetes, coronary heart disease, and asthma than neighborhoods without racially restrictive covenants. Additionally, previously covenanted neighborhoods have less upward mobility for children from poorer households, and there are larger gaps in upward mobility between white and Black children. These findings contribute to a growing literature that shows racist policies, even decades after they are legally enforceable, leave an imprint on neighborhoods. Using the novel data from the Mapping Prejudice Project, we provide statistical analysis that confirms qualitative and anecdotal evidence on the role of racial covenants in shaping neighborhoods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article emphasizes the significance of Bidenomics, highlighting its success in enhancing household income and reducing child poverty, particularly among nonwhite families. Topics discussed include the U.S. President Joe Biden administration's approach to economic policy, which integrates industrial strategies with social protections and labor rights, the impact of major legislation like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act on domestic industry and environmental justice, and the challenges the Democratic Party faces in maintaining public support amid economic concerns and conservative resistance.

This article discusses the characteristics of newborns and birthing parents affected by Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) in Rhode Island from 2020 to 2023. NAS occurs when newborns experience withdrawal symptoms from prenatal drug exposure, primarily opioids. The study found that the incidence of NAS in Rhode Island decreased during the study period. Newborns with NAS were more likely to have low birthweight, be preterm, and require admission to the neonatal intensive care unit. The study also provides demographic information about the birthing parents of NAS cases. The findings suggest that reducing stigma, improving access to prenatal care, and expanding medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) use could improve outcomes for newborns with NAS and their parents. [Extracted from the article]

Health inequality is not only a major problem today; it left its mark upon past societies too. For much of the past, health inequality has been poorly studied, mostly because bioarchaeologists have concentrated upon single sites rather than a broader social landscape. This article compares 476 adults in multiple locations of medieval Cambridge (UK). Samples include ordinary townspeople (All Saints), people living in a charitable institution (the Hospital of St. John), and members of a religious order (the Augustinian Friary). These groups shared many conditions of life, such as a similar range of diseases, risk of injury, and vertebral disk degeneration. However, people living on charity had more indicators of poor childhood health and diet, lower adult stature, and a younger age at death, reflecting the health effects of poverty. In contrast, the Augustinian friars were members of a prosperous, well‐endowed religious house. Compared with other groups, they were taller (perhaps a result of a richer diet during their adolescent growth period); their adult carbon and nitrogen isotope values are higher, suggesting a diet higher in terrestrial and/or marine animal protein; and they had the highest prevalence of foot problems related to fashionable late medieval footwear. As this illustrates, health inequality will take particular forms depending upon the specificities of a social landscape; except in unusual circumstances where a site and its skeletal samples represent a real cross‐section of society, inequality is best investigated by comparison across sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Background Method Results Conclusion Implications The objective of this study was to examine the variability of child health and psychosocial outcomes in the context of maternal role overload and maternal depression.Role overload, characterized as time‐based role stress, is commonly linked to depression in mothers. However, it remains uncertain whether maternal role overload poses a risk for negative child health and wellness. Although maternal depression is a known risk factor for poor child health and psychosocial outcomes, the outcomes themselves often reveal variability.This study aimed to investigate the heterogeneity of child health and psychosocial outcomes using latent profile analyses. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine differences in profile membership based on the child's experiences of maternal role overload and depression. Data were from 1,172 mother–child dyads from the Family Matters study.The analyses unveiled four distinct profiles (i.e., moderate health/psychosocial wellness, poor health/moderate psychosocial wellness, struggling health/poor psychosocial wellness, thriving health/psychosocial wellness), each associated with varying levels of health and psychosocial wellness. Both maternal role overload and depression were found to heighten the risk of poor health and psychosocial wellness in children.Children with struggling and poor health and psychosocial outcomes had higher odds of maternal depression and maternal role overload than children in the thriving profile. These findings suggest that maternal role overload is a potential risk to child health and psychosocial outcomes.These findings emphasize the importance of continuous depression screening in mothers and the implementation of solution‐focused interventions targeting maternal role overload. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis paper explores the effect of China’s Targeted Poverty Alleviation (TPA) policy by considering the child human capital of households targeted by the policy. Using data from the China Family Panel Studies, we employ a difference-in-differences strategy to identify the effect of TPA on child human capital. The evidence indicates that TPA significantly enhances beneficiary children’s health, cognitive, and non-cognitive abilities. The most substantial improvement is observed in cognitive ability, reaching 49.8 per cent of its standard deviation (0.999). Mechanism tests suggest that TPA achieves these positive outcomes primarily through improving infrastructure, alleviating resource constraints, and enhancing family-process capacity. Specifically, TPA contributes to local infrastructure enhancement to facilitate child human capital development while increasing targeted households’ utilization of medical services for their children and promoting educational inputs in children. Moreover, TPA substantially improves parent–child relationships, increases quality time spent together, and considerably reduces mothers’ depression in targeted households. A back-of-envelop calculation suggests that exposure to the TPA policy during childhood leads to a 0.562 increase in years of schooling and a 13.1 per cent increase in wages for adults in their twenties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the efficacy of eHealth monitoring in pediatric asthma. The authors conducted a systematic review of 21 studies to evaluate the benefits of eHealth interventions in improving asthma control among children. The studies focused on various approaches, including electronic monitoring of medication usage, web-based asthma control monitoring, home spirometry testing, and comprehensive online platforms. The review found that eHealth interventions, particularly those with direct feedback, showed promise in improving asthma control, knowledge, and adherence to treatment plans. However, the studies had heterogenous designs and outcomes, limiting the ability to draw definitive conclusions. Further research is needed to standardize methodologies and enhance comparability and generalizability. [Extracted from the article]

Research has long emphasized the adverse effects of poverty on children; however, within‐family processes of how safety nets offset the effects of poverty differ by race and ethnicity are unclear. Guided by the context‐sensitive family stress model, the current study investigated within‐family processes among safety nets, maternal parenting stress, and child behavioral problems among low‐income families and revealed differences in these processes among Hispanic, Black, and White mothers. Using The Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), participants included 2251 low‐income mothers and their children, repeatedly surveyed when children were 1, 3, 5, and 9 years old. Mothers reported their public and private safety nets, their parenting stress levels, and children's behavioral problems at each time point. Multilevel models revealed within‐family mediation pathways from mothers' perceived private safety net supports, maternal parenting stress, and child externalizing and internalizing problems, but only for Black, not for White or Hispanic mothers. Prospective within‐family associations were found between receiving a high number of public safety net programs and higher child externalizing problems, as well as between receiving private safety nets and higher maternal parenting stress and higher child behavioral problems. Findings were discussed in light of the context‐sensitive family stress model, with implications for theory and intervention practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jason Ruiz's book "Narcomedia: Latinidad, Popular Culture, and America's War on Drugs" explores the connection between drugs and Latinidad in popular culture since the 1980s. Ruiz critically analyzes various forms of media, such as movies, TV shows, and music, that perpetuate stereotypes about Latin Americans and the drug trade. He highlights the damaging effects of these portrayals, particularly in shaping public opinion and policy responses to the War on Drugs. Ruiz challenges these narratives and calls for a reevaluation of how Latinx individuals are depicted in media. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses the views of Jonathan Swift, a writer and satirist, on population and poverty in the early eighteenth century. Swift observed the prevailing mercantilist doctrine that emphasized a large but low-wage labor force and positive trade balance for a country's wealth. He criticized this system, particularly in Ireland where he witnessed widespread poverty. Swift's works, including "The History of the Four Last Years of the Queen," an essay from 1724, and "A Modest Proposal," satirize the issues of population growth, unemployment, and poverty. These writings challenge conventional thinking and propose alternative solutions, such as selective immigration and the export of people. [Extracted from the article]

While socioeconomic gradients in regional health inequalities are firmly established, the synergistic interactions between socioeconomic deprivation and climate vulnerability within convenient proximity and neighbourhood locations with health disparities remain poorly explored and thus require deep understanding within a regional context. Furthermore, disregarding the importance of spatial spillover effects and nonlinear effects of covariates on childhood stunting are inevitable in dealing with an enduring issue of regional health inequalities. The present study aims to investigate the spatial inequalities in childhood stunting at the district level in Pakistan and validate the importance of spatial lag in predicting childhood stunting. Furthermore, it examines the presence of any nonlinear relationships among the selected independent features with childhood stunting. The study utilized data related to socioeconomic features from MICS 2017–2018 and climatic data from Integrated Contextual Analysis. A multi-model approach was employed to address the research questions, which included Ordinary Least Squares Regression (OLS), various Spatial Models, Machine Learning Algorithms and Explainable Artificial Intelligence methods. Firstly, OLS was used to analyse and test the linear relationships among selected variables. Secondly, Spatial Durbin Error Model (SDEM) was used to detect and capture the impact of spatial spillover on childhood stunting. Third, XGBoost and Random Forest machine learning algorithms were employed to examine and validate the importance of the spatial lag component. Finally, EXAI methods such as SHapley were utilized to identify potential nonlinear relationships. The study found a clear pattern of spatial clustering and geographical disparities in childhood stunting, with multidimensional poverty, high climate vulnerability and early marriage worsening childhood stunting. In contrast, low climate vulnerability, high exposure to mass media and high women's literacy were found to reduce childhood stunting. The use of machine learning algorithms, specifically XGBoost and Random Forest, highlighted the significant role played by the average value in the neighbourhood in predicting childhood stunting in nearby districts, confirming that the spatial spillover effect is not bounded by geographical boundaries. Furthermore, EXAI methods such as partial dependency plot reveal the existence of a nonlinear relationship between multidimensional poverty and childhood stunting. The study's findings provide valuable insights into the spatial distribution of childhood stunting in Pakistan, emphasizing the importance of considering spatial effects in predicting childhood stunting. Individual and household-level factors such as exposure to mass media and women's literacy have shown positive implications for childhood stunting. It further provides a justification for the usage of EXAI methods to draw better insights and propose customised intervention policies accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has become an emerging public health problem. The impact of multiple environmental factors on the prevalence of ASD remains unclear. This study examined the association between the prevalence of ASD and the environmental quality index (EQI), an indicator of cumulative environmental quality in five major domains, including air, water, land, built and sociodemographic variables in the United States. The results from Poisson regression models show that the prevalence of ASD has a positive association with the overall EQI with a risk ratio (RR) of 1.03 and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of 1.01–1.06, indicating that children in counties with poor environmental quality might have a higher risk of ASD. Additionally, the prevalence of ASD has a positive association with the air index (RR = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01–1.06). These associations varied in different rural–urban groups and different climate regions. This study provided evidence for adverse effects of poor environmental quality, particularly air pollutants, on children's neurodevelopment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: While much attention has been given to understanding how different social groups have experienced the COVID-19 pandemic, few studies have focused on working children. Therefore, more information is needed about the challenges faced by this vulnerable group. This research aimed to explore the experiences of street-working children during this global health crisis and understand how their way of life, working conditions, and social relationships might have changed. Materials and Methods: This study employed a qualitative research methodology. Data were collected through observation and semi-structured interviews with 12 street-working children in Tehran, Iran, until reaching thematic saturation. The children had all lived and worked through the COVID-19 pandemic and were selected using purposive sampling. The data were analyzed using the thematic analysis. The reliability of the identified themes was corroborated by using the audit technique and analytical comparisons. Results: A total of 114 concepts, 16 subcategories and five main categories, including violation of home quarantine, multiple transformations, disruption of economic order, augmentation, and compounded violence experiences, emerged. On this basis, apart from the rise in the number of working children, unemployment and poverty confined these children to the streets so that they had to endure health risks, disruptions in the market, and multiple changes in their jobs, besides experiencing various forms of violence in their familial, interpersonal, and social interactions. Conclusion: Since the rise in the number of working children and the additional challenges in their living situations cannot be seen as inevitable outcomes of pandemics, state authorities at all levels and non-state players like NGOs need to ensure the necessary social, economic, and livelihood support for street-working children and other underprivileged families with children under 18 during any future pandemics or health crises. This would effectively help to avoid the social harms that come with child labor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has shown the importance of conducting early interventions in mathematics in disadvantaged children. Solving arithmetical word problems is a field in which children particularly fail. In this study, preschoolers from disadvantaged French public schools (n = 101; Mage = 5–6) were taught strategies for using fingers to solve arithmetic word problems and compared with a control group. The intervention consisted of collective rituals based on learning finger patterns and 7 sessions spread over 4 weeks, for about 20 min, focusing on explaining how to use the fingers to solve problems. The results showed that the intervention has a significant post-test impact on the targeted transformation problem-solving skill and that children with lower performances in problem-solving at the pre-test benefited more from the intervention. The intervention also indirectly benefited the other problem-solving skills. However, there was no intervention effect on the arithmetic addition task. Our research highlights that an intervention focused on the explicit teaching of finger strategies for problem-solving can be successfully implemented into ecological learning contexts, especially in disadvantaged areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Millions of children are forcibly displaced worldwide due to wars, civil conflicts, and natural disasters. Displacement disrupts the lives of children making child labor a serious risk. However, little is known about this topic due to the difficulty of finding datasets for this population. In this study, we use a large representative dataset of Syrian refugees in Turkey, the largest refugee group in any single country, to examine the incidence of child labor and its determinants. The incidence of paid work is remarkably high among boys: 18.8 percent of 12–14 year-olds and 48.0 percent of 15–17 year-olds are in paid employment. These percentages are considerably higher than the corresponding values we estimate for pre-war Syria at 7.6 percent and 29.0 percent, respectively. We find that children from poorer households with more dependents and younger, less educated, and female household heads and children living in industrialized regions of Turkey and originating from rural Syria are more likely to work. A key finding is that being older at arrival is highly associated with child labor. Difficulties with school integration, on the one hand, and availability of job opportunities, on the other, have created a group of young out-of-school children at work. Placing these children in vocational training that allows them to work while learning a trade under the scrutiny of the Ministry of Education may help protect their well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the impacts of screen time on education and wellbeing, as highlighted by the House of Commons Education Select Committee. The committee found that extended screen time has become increasingly normal for young children and teenagers, with a significant increase in children's screen time between 2020 and 2022. While there are benefits to being online, such as creating communities and reducing loneliness, there are also risks, including exposure to violent pornography and online bullying. The committee welcomed the government's mobile phone ban in schools but recommended implementing a formal monitoring mechanism to measure its effectiveness. They also called for guidance for parents on managing screen time and for regulations on AI and children's data protection. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the power and privilege dynamics that exist in pediatric anesthesia care globally. It highlights the disparities in access to safe and high-quality care between different countries, which are influenced by social determinants of health, economic factors, and political causes. The article identifies poverty, healthcare system fragility, geography and rural-urban divide, extremes of age in patients, poor prioritization of surgical care, race, gender, and colonial legacy as factors that perpetuate inequity in pediatric anesthesia care. The authors emphasize the need for collaboration and investment in strengthening healthcare systems to address these disparities and promote equity in pediatric anesthesia care. [Extracted from the article]

Children living in poverty are at an increased risk for maltreatment. Social safety net (SSN) programs with antipoverty objectives may reduce child maltreatment through pathways such as reduced food insecurity, lessened caregiver stress, and improved caregiving behaviors and ability to meet children's basic needs. The objective of this study is to conduct a systematic review of evidence on the ability of SSN programs to reduce child maltreatment in the United States (U.S.). This systematic review was conducted using PRISMA protocol. Among studies published between 1996–2022, the initial search returned 1,873 articles, and 27 papers were included in the final analysis. Abstracts were identified primarily on June 24th, 2022, and extraction and synthesis of data was conducted in 2022–2023. Of the 27 papers assessed, 16 studies found that SSN programs were protective against child maltreatment. Three of the reviewed studies found no effect of safety net programs, 4 studies presented mixed findings, and 4 studies found adverse impacts in terms of child maltreatment outcomes. When restricting to high-quality studies only, 10 out of 12 found protective impacts and none found adverse impacts on child maltreatment. SSNs are associated with protective effects against child maltreatment. Expansion of SSN programs would likely have positive benefits beyond poverty-related objectives, including reducing incidence of child maltreatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Massive internal migration in China has greatly disadvantaged children who are left behind. This study unravels the mechanism underlying the association between parental migration and children's mental health through the lenses of social networks and gender. Using data collected in Sichuan, one of the provinces with the largest number of left-behind children in China, this study finds that maternal and paternal migration differ in their associations with left-behind children's depressive symptoms. While paternal migration is not associated with children's mental health, maternal migration is found to be significantly correlated with children's depressive symptoms. Moreover, the negative association is also detected in children with mothers who returned from migration destinations. However, such an association does not vary between sons and daughters. We also find that the negative association between maternal migration and left-behind children's mental health is partly explained by children's delinquent social ties. Children who have experienced or are experiencing maternal migration are more likely to make friends who exhibit delinquent behavior. Such friendships are further associated with left-behind children's vulnerability to depressive symptoms. This demonstration of the intersectionality of social networks and gender contributes to the literature on family, migration, and health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Speech difficulties are common in children with cleft palate, but research on foreign‐born children is limited. This study aimed to compare speech outcomes, surgery and speech intervention in 5‐year‐old foreign‐born and Swedish‐born children with cleft palate with or without cleft lip. Methods: This retrospective study analysed data from the Swedish cleft lip and palate registry for children born between 2009 and 2016 using Pearson's Chi‐squared test and binary logistic regression. Results: Among 160 foreign‐born (106 boys, 54 girls) and 847 Swedish‐born (479 boys, 368 girls) 5‐year‐olds, foreign‐born children had significantly lower rates of sufficient velopharyngeal competence (77% vs. 86%), age‐appropriate consonant production (28% vs. 60%), and speech without non‐oral speech errors (70% vs. 86%). Differences remained after adjustment for cleft type, gender and additional diagnosed conditions. After further adjustments for age at completed primary palatal surgery, differences in age‐appropriate consonant production and speech without non‐oral speech errors remained significant. Foreign‐born children underwent completed primary palatal surgery at older ages and received more secondary palatal surgery and speech intervention than Swedish‐born peers. Conclusion: Foreign‐born children showed poorer speech outcomes than Swedish‐born peers, despite more secondary palatal surgery and speech intervention. Age at completed primary palatal surgery could partly explain these differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interest in two‐generation approaches to improve the developmental outcomes of children and their caregivers and the economic well‐being of families has increased amid persistent child and family poverty worldwide. Grounded in a dual developmental science perspective and the theory of linked lives, these approaches maximize developmental potential by addressing the interrelated educational, economic, and developmental needs of children and their caregivers. They offer coordinated, aligned, and simultaneous services for at least two generations in the same family. In this article, we propose that from a global perspective, two‐generation approaches that harness synergies among children and their caregivers are likely to be more effective than single‐generation approaches in alleviating poverty and improving human development. We identify five models in different geographic regions of the world that promote the development of young children (0–6 years), the education and livelihood of their caregivers, and the well‐being of both, which we group by type of program: quality child care, early childhood development + nonformal education for parents, and cash transfers + parenting. We close with a call for more research on two‐generation programs and policies globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children identified as deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) exhibit an increased risk of speech and language difficulties. Nonword repetition (NWR) is a potential tool for identifying language difficulties in children with limited experience with the target language. In this study, we explored associations between auditory, linguistic, demographic and cognitive factors and NWR performance in DHH children and their typically hearing (TH) peers. We also examined the effect of the group on NWR outcomes when different factors were statistically controlled for. Our study included 68 4- to 6-year-old children: 18 with bilateral hearing aids (BiHAs), 18 with bilateral cochlear implants (BiCIs) and 32 with TH. The participants completed the Finnish Nonword Repetition Test comprising 24 test items with varying syllable lengths. The assessment methods also included tests of phonological, lexical, language comprehension and sentence repetition skills, along with a measure of nonverbal intelligence. The results showed that none of the auditory, linguistic, demographic and cognitive factors examined in the present study were correlated with NWR performance in the BiHA group, while significant correlations between NWR skills and linguistic abilities were observed in the BiCI group. The DHH children showed extraordinary difficulties in NWR compared to their TH peers, and these group differences remained after controlling for linguistic and demographic variables. The NWR task may be a potential clinical tool for identifying DHH children at risk for poor language outcomes and in need of speech and language intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many philosophers and members of the public think it is wrong to procreate. If one wants children, it is permissible to adopt. But procreation is allegedly impermissible because there is some respect in which adoption is better than procreation. There are two prominent variants of such objections. First, we have a duty to help others. Adopting a child from a poor country satisfies that duty. But procreation does not. Second, adding another person to a wealthy nation through procreation contributes to climate change. But adopting does not. I show that such objections are unsound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slum areas in Ethiopia have high poverty status. In addition, they possess poor water and sanitation accesses such as unsafe drinking water, a lower number of sanitation facilities and poor hygienic conditions. These scenarios are important in the occurrence of diarrhea among under five children's. However, there are many studies conducted on diarrhea among under five children in Ethiopia, unfortunately, the majority usually didn't give enough coverage for the burden of diarrhea among under five children in slum areas. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of diarrhea and associated factors among under five children in slum areas of Gondar City. This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in slum areas of Gondar City among under five children from March 28 to April 28, 2023. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to collect a sample of 836 through interview-administered methods using a structured data collection tool. The collected data was manually checked for completeness, coded, and entered into EPI Info version 7.1.5.2 software. It was then exported to Stata version 14.1 software for descriptive analysis, as well as bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses, to identify factors associated with diarrhea among under five children. The prevalence of diarrhea among under five children at 95% confidence interval was 24.64% (CI 21.71–27.56). Mothers/caretakers age < 25 years (AOR = 1.88, 95% CI 1.16–3.06), mothers/caretakers age between 28 and 31 years (AOR = 1.82, 95% CI 1.08–3.05), mothers/caretakers who had no formal education (AOR = 3.18, 95% CI 1.86–5.41), mothers/caretakers who had primary education (AOR = 1.67, 95% CI 1.09–2.57), income level between 4877 and 5643 Ethiopian Birr (AOR = 1.81, 95% CI 1.04–3.15), family size greater than five (AOR = 1.54, 95% CI 1.00–2.36), flies around the house (AOR = 2.27, 95% CI 1.38–3.73), playground not clean (AOR = 2.70, 95% CI 1.62–4.50), breastfed for ≥ 1 year (AOR = 0.63, 95% CI 0.41–0.97), mothers/caretakers who did not wash their hands before food preparation and eating (AOR = 2.31, 95% CI 1.39–3.58), mothers/caretakers who did not wash their hands after visiting latrine (AOR = 1.60, 95% CI 1.07–2.38) were significantly associated factors with diarrhea among under five children in slum areas of Gondar City. The study indicates that the prevalence of diarrhea was higher among under five children in slum areas of Gondar City. The Gondar City Administration Education Bureau should give great emphasis on improving mother's and caretaker's education. In addition, the Gondar City Administration Health Bureau should educate mothers and caretakers about breastfeeding, sanitation, and hygiene in the slum areas of Gondar City. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Poverty-related diseases (PRD) remain amongst the leading causes of death in children under-5 years in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) based on the best available evidence are key to strengthening health systems and helping to enhance equitable health access for children under five. However, the CPG development process is complex and resource-intensive, with substantial scope for improving the process in SSA, which is the goal of the Global Evidence, Local Adaptation (GELA) project. The impact of research on PRD will be maximized through enhancing researchers and decision makers' capacity to use global research to develop locally relevant CPGs in the field of newborn and child health. The project will be implemented in three SSA countries, Malawi, South Africa and Nigeria, over a 3-year period. This research protocol is for the monitoring and evaluation work package of the project. The aim of this work package is to monitor the various GELA project activities and evaluate the influence these may have on evidence-informed decision-making and guideline adaptation capacities and processes. The specific project activities we will monitor include (1) our ongoing engagement with local stakeholders, (2) their capacity needs and development, (3) their understanding and use of evidence from reviews of qualitative research and, (4) their overall views and experiences of the project. Methods: We will use a longitudinal, mixed-methods study design, informed by an overarching project Theory of Change. A series of interconnected qualitative and quantitative data collections methods will be used, including knowledge translation tracking sheets and case studies, capacity assessment online surveys, user testing and in-depth interviews, and non-participant observations of project activities. Participants will comprise of project staff, members of the CPG panels and steering committees in Malawi, South Africa and Nigeria, as well as other local stakeholders in these three African countries. Discussion: Ongoing monitoring and evaluation will help ensure the relationship between researchers and stakeholders is supported from the project start. This can facilitate achievement of common goals and enable researchers in South Africa, Malawi and Nigeria to make adjustments to project activities to maximize stakeholder engagement and research utilization. Ethical approval has been provided by South African Medical Research Council Human Research Ethics Committee (EC015-7/2022); The College of Medicine Research and Ethics Committee, Malawi (P.07/22/3687); National Health Research Ethics Committee of Nigeria (01/01/2007). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis study examines the long-term impact of early childhood education on adolescent cognitive development in China, with a particular focus on the disparities in its effects across various economic backgrounds. Utilizing longitudinal data from the China Family Panel Studies and employing propensity score matching, the findings demonstrate a significant positive correlation between early childhood education and the cognitive development of primary and middle school students. Importantly, the study reveals that children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds experience significantly greater cognitive benefits from preschool attendance compared to their more affluent peers. Theoretical contributions and policy implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Quality of Life (QoL) has recently become a focus of research in haemophilia, as children with haemophilia miss out on opportunities to reach their full potential during school and later in life. This leads to emotional and behavioural problems, family issues, and a decrease in Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL). There is very limited data from the state of Madhya Pradesh, India, to assess the QoL in haemophilia patients. Aim: To study the clinical profile of haemophilic children and assess their QoL. Materials and Methods: The present hospital-based crosssectional study was conducted in the Department of Paediatrics, Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India, from January 2019 to December 2019. A total of 49 children (Institutional incidence), aged from 4-12 years, with factor VIII/ IX deficiency who presented in the Paediatric ward of the study Institution for factor transfusion, were included in the study. The study population was divided into two groups with children aged (group ) and children aged 8-12 years (group II). A detailed clinical history was obtained from the accompanying parent/guardian, and QoL was measured using the Haemophilia QoL (Haemo-QoL) questionnaire. Scores achieved in each dimension, as well as, the total score were combined on a scale ranging from 0 to 100. High values indicate high impairment in QoL. The observations of different scales like Standardised and Transformed Scale Scores (TSS) of Haemo-QoL were analysed using the student's t-test. Results: In the present study, haemophilia A was more common than haemophilia B. All patients who attended the paediatric ward for factor transfusion were males, with a mean age of 8.37±2.56 years. It was also observed that the proportion of patients who were diagnosed early was significantly higher in the 4-7 years age group compared to the 8-12 years age group of patients (p-value <0.05). The present study revealed that the mean overall scores on the Haemo-QoL for the age groups 4-7 years and 8-12 years were 41.92±17.95 and 51.84±16.36, respectively. The highest impairment was in the physical health, school and sports, and family dimensions of QoL. Conclusion: The QoL is poor among children in both age groups. The current study also showed that as age advances, the QoL of haemophilia patients becomes poorer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Homicide is the leading cause of death among young people in Latin America, one of the world's most violent regions. Poverty is widely considered a key cause of violence, but theories suggest different effects of poverty, depending on when it is experienced in the life-course. Longitudinal studies of violence are scarce in Latin America, and very few prospective data are available worldwide to test different life-course influences on homicide. Methods In a prospective birth cohort study following 5914 children born in southern Brazil, we examined the role of poverty at birth, in early childhood, and in early adulthood on violence and homicide perpetration, in criminal records up to age 30 years. A novel Structured Life Course Modelling Approach was used to test competing life-course hypotheses about 'sensitive periods', 'accumulation of risk', and 'downward mobility' regarding the influence of poverty on violence and homicide. Results Cumulative poverty and poverty in early adulthood were the most important influences on violence and homicide perpetration. This supports the hypothesis that early adulthood is a sensitive period for the influence of poverty on lethal and non-lethal violence. Results were replicable using different definitions of poverty and an alternative outcome of self-reported fights. Conclusion Cumulative poverty from childhood to adulthood was an important driver of violence and homicide in this population. However, poverty experienced in early adulthood was especially influential, suggesting the importance of proximal mechanisms for violence in this context, such as unemployment, organized crime, drug trafficking, and ineffective policing and justice systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]