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Playwork is a recognised profession in the United Kingdom (UK) and is currently a growing area of interest internationally. However, debates about the nature and purpose of playwork have raged in the playwork field since the profession was invented in the early adventure playgrounds. This study is the first to capture data about what the now international playwork workforce understands to be the purpose of playwork. The International Playwork Census (IPC) was an online survey which asked participants from 19 different countries about their knowledge and experience of playwork. This paper reports on one question from the IPC: what is the purpose of playwork? A thematic analysis was undertaken from 193 responses on what was considered "the purpose of playwork" and three themes emerged: Facilitate and Provide for children's play; Support and Advocate. This paper describes how these three themes reflect both the historical change in understandings of the purpose of playwork and how different understandings of playwork are developed through the experience of practitioners working in range of different contexts.

The aim of this study was to compare bibliometric indicators of scientific productivity in physical activity (PA) in children and adolescents with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Down syndrome (DS) in the PubMed database. A bibliometric study was conducted for the last 5 years (2017 to 2021). The data collected for each article were: year of publication, language of publication, country, journal name, and type of paper. The results showed that there was higher scientific productivity in the population with DS (20 studies) relative to their counterparts with ASD (31 studies). The language of publication in both cases was English. There were 10 countries that published on PA in ASD and 14 countries that published on DS. Overall, the greatest interest in publishing on PA in children and adolescents with ASD was in North America (6 studies), followed by Asia (5 studies) and Europe (4 studies). In the DS population it was in Europe (13 studies), North America (9 studies) and South America (4 studies). Nineteen journals were identified that published in the ASD population and 29 journals in DS. Six experimental studies were identified in ASD and 7 in DS. There was a higher scientific productivity with original studies. There was a positive trend of increasing scientific productivity over the years in both populations. We suggest the need to promote research on PA in both populations, regardless of the type of study, as it is an indicator of overall health status.

Children are defined as hypertensive when their blood pressure values equal or exceed the 95th percentile of the blood pressure value distribution in a pediatric population, according to gender, age and height. The population on which reference tables are based is of fundamental importance to establish the threshold values for the diagnosis of hypertension in pediatric age. Before 2017, both American and European guidelines used nomograms created in the same reference population which included children of all weight classes. Given the close and well-known association between hypertension and excess weight in childhood, the 2017 American guidelines proposed new reference nomograms excluding subjects with overweight and obesity from the "historical" reference population. Furthermore, the new American guidelines suggested a fixed cut-off of 130/80 mmHg, starting from 13 years and regardless of gender and height, to make the diagnosis of hypertension. In this document, the Italian Hypertension Society (SIIA) and the Italian Pediatric Society (SIP) jointly discuss a number of issues raised by the new American guidelines that involve the entire medical community, and also address the definition of arterial hypertension in the transition phase between childhood and adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Journal of Social Work is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the cross-cultural training (CCT) provided to European expatriate executives in New Zealand, and consequently add to the knowledge for human resource management in the Australasian region. Design/methodology/approach: The present qualitative research study is based on open-ended and in-depth interviews with 30 European expatriate executives who had been residing in New Zealand for the past year or more. Findings: The results indicate that at least some CCT was provided to all interviewees; however, the training content seemed to be strongly centered around professional work, with little focus on the culture of the host country. Moreover, there was no follow-up to the pre-departure CCT and very few expatriates in the sample received any training in New Zealand. Similarly, the family is considered a fundamental factor for the success of expatriates; however, in the sample, neither spouses nor children received any training before or after their arrival in New Zealand. Research limitations/implications: The research is limited by the sample small size. The study's inconclusive highlights the need for further research to explore the influences of local residents, colleagues and neighbors on expatriates' adjustment. Similarly, further studies are also required to ascertain the effectiveness of CCT in helping support expatriates' performance and adjustment in New Zealand. Practical implications: The present study suggests that opportunities do exist for multinational companies (MNCs) to better prepare their expatriates for assignments by integrating more effectively issues related to cultural awareness into their CCT. Specifically, experimental CCT methods that emphasize the host country's culture are most valuable. The CCT technique should be tailored to the cultural distance between the host nation and expatriates' country of origin and to the nature of their assignment. Originality/value: Given the existence of many MNCs in New Zealand, it is surprising that the issue of CCT in this context has received little research attention. The current study endeavors to address this gap. This paper hopes that the findings may also be useful for consultants and human resource managers in MNCs who are involved in preparing expatriates for foreign assignments in Australasia, especially New Zealand.

This paper is on the paradox of a right, the right to education that is almost universally declared as compulsory. The reason for the compulsion seems to be in its nature as a right. Within a Hohfeldian framework, any claim-right has a corresponding duty. Given that making education compulsory equates to establishing a duty, the possible candidates to the duty generating right-bearers are considered. The rationales for compulsion from the points of view of positive (for one's own good), negative (no compulsion at all), and republican liberty (society right) are analyzed, and the conclusion is reached that none of the three can produce sufficient justification for compulsion. The main conclusion is that education is a right, not an obligation. Therefore, neither the children nor their families can be legally forced to an unrestricted exercise of this right without even being heard. The law must reflect, in its progressive flexibility, the growing possibilities of choice for right-holders who are adults 'in fieri'.

A thematic content analysis of the seven issues (35 papers and two editorials) of the "International Research in Early Childhood Education" ("IRECE") journal published by Monash University in Melbourne, Victoria was conducted to explore the themes over its five years of publication. Publications were grouped into defined data chunks by year and Leximancer was used to discover concepts and themes. Five dominant themes emerged: children/s; childhood; learning; parent/s and teacher/s. Pathway analyses were then conducted to more fully understand and describe each theme. Data were used to visually represent the most frequently appearing terms to form a tag cloud, which in turn contributes to the development of a "folksonomy" for the journal. Finally, mentions of geographic regions were also explored which positively reflected on international focus of the journal.

Background: The Lidcombe Program is a stuttering treatment approach for children between the ages of 3 and 6 years. Most papers about the Lidcombe Program, however, are based on studies conducted in native English-speaking countries. The aim of this paper is to systematically review the delivery and implementation of the Lidcombe Program in non-native English-speaking countries. Summary: A resource search was conducted between October and November 2019. Scopus, PubMed, ASHA, Cochrane Library, ERIC, Google Scholar, and SpeechBITE databases and reference lists of relevant papers were searched for the identification process. Joanna Briggs Institute tools were used for the appraisal of the studies. The search yielded 8 studies conducted in non-native English-speaking countries. The Lidcombe Program is efficacious in non-native English-speaking countries when delivered to both preschool and young school age children who stutter. It is reported to be delivered with minor changes and challenges. The number of weekly clinic visits and the total time needed to reach zero or near-zero stuttering levels with the Lidcombe Program can be up to 3 times greater in non-native English-speaking countries than in native English-speaking countries, mostly due to the increased time needed to introduce the parental verbal contingencies. Key Messages: Speech and language therapists practicing in non-native English-speaking countries are encouraged to use the Lidcombe Program for both preschool and young school age children who stutter, although this can take more time than that reported in native English-speaking countries. Further investigation to explore the therapy process with children and parents in non-native English-speaking countries is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaphylaxis is a growing paediatric clinical emergency that is difficult to diagnose because a consensus definition was lacking until recently. Many European countries have no specific guidelines for anaphylaxis. This position paper prepared by the EAACI Taskforce on Anaphylaxis in Children aims to provide practical guidelines for managing anaphylaxis in childhood based on the limited evidence available. Intramuscular adrenaline is the acknowledged first-line therapy for anaphylaxis, in hospital and in the community, and should be given as soon as the condition is recognized. Additional therapies such as volume support, nebulized bronchodilators, antihistamines or corticosteroids are supplementary to adrenaline. There are no absolute contraindications to administering adrenaline in children. Allergy assessment is mandatory in all children with a history of anaphylaxis because it is essential to identify and avoid the allergen to prevent its recurrence. A tailored anaphylaxis management plan is needed, based on an individual risk assessment, which is influenced by the child’s previous allergic reactions, other medical conditions and social circumstances. Collaborative partnerships should be established, involving school staff, healthcare professionals and patients’ organizations. Absolute indications for prescribing self-injectable adrenaline are prior cardiorespiratory reactions, exercise-induced anaphylaxis, idiopathic anaphylaxis and persistent asthma with food allergy. Relative indications include peanut or tree nut allergy, reactions to small quantities of a given food, food allergy in teenagers and living far away from a medical facility. The creation of national and European databases is expected to generate better-quality data and help develop a stepwise approach for a better management of paediatric anaphylaxis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The present study aimed to map and summarise the research on children, aged 0-18 years, with Marfan syndrome, identify research gaps and point to research agendas.Methods: A scoping review was systematically performed by searching multiple databases from January 1996 to April 2019. Primary studies presenting results on at least six individuals aged 0-18 years with Marfan syndrome, diagnosed according to the Ghent nosology, were selected.Results: From 2341 de-duplicated records, 92 papers were included, mapped and described. Their topics were diagnostics (12%), cardiovascular matters (50%), skeletal matters (22%), ocular matters (9%), other medical aspects (5%) and psychosocial perspectives (2%). Most studies were from Europe and North America and published between 1999 and 2019 in subject-specific or paediatric journals, while a few were published in genetics journals. All studies had quantitative designs, and very few were multicentre studies. Each study had six to 608 subjects for a total of approximately 5809.Conclusion: A wide range of research topics on adolescent and paediatric Marfan syndrome was found, but qualitative studies and a focus on psychosocial matters were lacking. Future investigations addressing noncardiovascular consequences and patient experiences are needed, as well as studies reaffirming or replicating existing intervention study results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Psychology, Society & Education is the property of Psychology, Society & Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Growing up in socio-economic disadvantage has important and long-lasting effects on children's lives. Children from disadvantaged households often fall behind in many areas of well-being and development, with effects that continue to limit their opportunities and outcomes – including their health and labour market outcomes – long after they reach adulthood. Drawing on Europe-wide survey data from 27 countries, this paper explores how childhood socio-economic disadvantage affects later adult labour market and health outcomes and evaluates the country-level GDP-equivalent cost of childhood disadvantage due to lost employment, lost earnings, and lost health, as well as the costs of lost government revenue and extra benefit spending. Results point to large costs for societies from childhood socio-economic disadvantage, totalling on average the equivalent of 3.5% of GDP annually. We also show that the labour market penalties linked to childhood disadvantage are often smaller in countries with lower absolute levels of disadvantage. While not causal evidence, these associations suggest much of the impact of childhood disadvantage in adulthood can be mitigated with the right environment and policy set up in childhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzes the history of public concern regarding children's rights in the 20th century. Details the political process leading to the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, the ratification of the Convention, and its political effects, and presents hypotheses regarding determinants of the Convention's worldwide impact. Notes areas where international child politics can inform social and political scientists. (BGC)

Creative learning is increasingly being recognised as a crucial part of children’s holistic education. In this paper, we critically explore our experiences as artist-educators working across four differing European countries, namely, England, Iceland, Germany, and Greece. These experiences of practice are set against educational policy landscapes which have progressively eroded opportunities for young people to engage in the creative arts in education across many European states. We are involved in a three-year Erasmus+ funded project, “arted,” which aims to transfer the knowledge of artists working in education to school and home contexts, offering more equitable arts opportunities for young people through the co-creation of open access resources. Combining Deleuzoguattarian theory and narrative, we examined our collective ideologies of creativity and principles of arts practices within differing national curricular policy contexts as part of our co-creation process. This rhizo-textual analysis highlighted the heterogenous features of our work as artist-educators, which have enabled us to hold spaces for creative arts learning within differing national policy contexts. These resistance spaces act as a social critique of educational policy. Through the process of this analysis three ethical principles emerged which collectively underpin our interactive guides for teachers and parents within the project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The emergence of COVID‐19 resulted in a substantial loss of education because of global school closures. Face masks are a potential measure to restrain the COVID‐19 spread; therefore, this paper evaluated the effectiveness of face masks in reducing COVID‐19 incidence in school settings. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted by searching the literature in the Cochrane COVID‐19 Study Register and the World Health Organization COVID‐19 global literature. Data were summarized in tabular forms, and the findings were presented as narrative synthesis. RESULTS: A total of 15,709 records were retrieved. The screening and selection led to the inclusion of 12 observational and 2 quasi‐experimental studies. Nine studies were conducted in different states, counties, or districts of the United States, and the remaining 5 were reported from Germany, Finland, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The results of 10 out of 14 studies favored mask use in reducing school COVID‐19 incidence. Three studies found no link between mask use and COVID‐19 incidences, whereas 1 quasi‐experimental study noted a higher COVID‐19 incidence with mask use in students aged 6‐11 years than no use of mask among preschool children aged 3‐5 years. CONCLUSION: Mask mandates may lessen the incidence of respiratory infectious diseases in school settings during a pandemic; more well‐designed studies are warranted to clarify further the evidence regarding mask use in school settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the visual representation of the refugee child in digital news media in Cyprus at two historical moments of significant immigration rise in Europe as a result of violent conflict: the period of May 2015-2016 and February 2022-2023. The analysis showed that refugee children were portrayed in ways which led to their de/humanization. However, differences in the language, themes, and visual grammar applied gave way to the emergence of a hierarchy of refugee child subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research demonstrates that relationships are key when working to support young people affected by sexual violence. Within these relationships, young people show a preference for non‐judgemental, flexible, consistent and informal support. Peer support – defined here as support provided by those with similar experiences – is however an uncharted area for assisting young people affected by sexual violence. This paper draws on interviews with 25 respondents with knowledge and experience of setting up, supervising and/or participating in peer support initiatives for young people impacted by different forms of sexual violence in Europe and North America. The article highlights how one form of peer support, peer or 'survivor' mentoring, can provide emotional and social support; create space for 'normality'; and give choices to young people. It outlines three unique dimensions to the support provided by peers more generally: relatability, credibility and translatability. The discussion reflects on what this might mean for traditional support provided by professionals. It also draws attention to the significance of recognising both the variety of experience and identity of young survivors of sexual trauma and the impact this may have on promoting relatability within relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: To meet the need for regular and reliable data on the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children in Europe, the World Health Organization (WHO) European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) was established in 2007. The resulting robust surveillance system has improved understanding of the public health challenge of childhood overweight and obesity in the WHO European Region. For the past decade, data from COSI have helped to inform and drive policy action on nutrition and physical activity in the region. This paper describes illustrative examples of how COSI data have fed into national and international policy, but the real scope of COSI's impact is likely to be much broader. In some countries, there are signs that policy responses to COSI data have helped halt the rise in childhood obesity. As the countries of the WHO European Region commit to pursuing United Action for Better Health in Europe in WHO's new European Programme of Work, COSI provides an excellent example of such united action in practice. Further collaborative action will be key to tackling this major public health challenge which affects children throughout the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has widely addressed the gap in well-being between parents and childless individuals. While cross-sectional studies have regularly reported lower levels of well-being for parents, recent longitudinal studies suggest a short-term positive effect with a back-to-baseline adaptation. Whether, why, and how parenthood may affect well-being in older age is, however, still largely unclear. In this paper, a holistic view of well-being developments across the process of aging is combined with a transition-centered, gender sensitive approach to analyze the effects of health decline on the self-reported life satisfaction of parents and childless individuals. Life satisfaction in older age is hypothesized to be influenced by the onset of and coping with health limitations, which themselves may differ by parental status and gender. Using group-specific growth curve analysis based on data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and accounting for selection into parenthood, we demonstrate how the life satisfaction of men and women evolves in the later life depending on parental status. Results show that from age 50 onwards, parents' life satisfaction develops somewhat less favorably compared to that of childless individuals, but this difference is not significant. However, fathers' health evolves more favorably while they react less negatively to health limitations than childless men. Our results thus suggest that children are a source of social control with long-term positive effects on health and a coping resource in the face of health limitations for fathers but not for mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a tendency in European education policy to emphasise more and better deliberate learning outcomes. The tendency is criticised for taking an instrumental view of education [Biesta, G. (2010). Good education in an age of measurement: Ethics, politics, democracy. Routledge,; van Manen, M. (2008). Pedagogical sensitivity and teachers practical knowing-in-action. Peking University Education Review, 6(1), 2–20. ] and threatening children's self-governed play opportunities [Pettersvold, M., & Østrem, S. (2019). Problembarna: Metoder og manualer i barnehage, skole og barnevern. Cappelen Damm akademisk]. However, self-governed play outdoors is perceived as educationally important, notably within Nordic early childhood education. This paper aims to contribute to the international debate on what constitutes good education by investigating an outdoor education culture framed within the context of Nordic early childhood education. We investigate the research question of what characterises teachers' outdoor didactics in self-governed play and growth as these appear in a Norwegian nature kindergarten? The theoretical framework builds on (1) perspectives on Bildung as playful self-formation [Løvlie, L. (2002). The promise of bildung. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 36(3), 467–486. ; Steinsholt, K. (2010). Vi må miste oss selv for å finne oss selv igjen. Lek, erfaring og danning hos Hans-Georg Gadamer. In K. Steinsholt, & K. P. Gurholt (Eds.), Aktive liv (pp. 101–119). Tapir Akademiske Forlag] and (2) a relational perspective on children's self-governed outdoor play as a way of integrated dwelling and growth through intimate correspondence with environments [Ingold, T. (2000). The perception of the environment: Essays in livelihood, dwelling and skill. Routledge, (2018). Anthropology and/as education: Anthropology, art, architecture and design. Routledge]. Data were generated through ethnographic fieldwork in a public Norwegian nature kindergarten that emphasises children's outdoor play as educationally important. Nineteen children aged 4–6 participated. The fieldwork drew on participant observation, including playing with the children and on-site conversations. Using the theoretical framework as a lens, the educational culture is conceptualised as didactic sensitivity, which entails the teachers' delicate sensitivity and responsiveness towards children and place. The teachers act professionally by creating unique, thoughtful, responsive, and situated conditions for children's autonomous growth in natural environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diagnosis of idiopathic short stature (ISS) refers to children who are considerably shorter than average without any identified medical reason. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorised marketing of recombinant human growth hormone (hGH) for ISS in 2003, while the European Medicines Agency (EMA) refused it in 2007. This paper examines the arguments for these decisions as detailed in selected FDA and EMA documents. It combines argumentative analysis with an approach to policy analysis called 'What's the problem represented to be'. It argues that the FDA presents its approval as an argument for equity of access to the treatment (given that hGH was already authorised for other indications), describing short stature as a potential disadvantage, and assuming that height normalisation is a clinically meaningful result. The EMA, instead, refuses marketing authorisation with an argument that there is an imbalance of risks and benefits, describing ISS as a healthy condition, and arguing that hGH should provide some psychosocial and/or quality of life benefits to children with ISS other than height gain. This paper then discusses how these arguments could be read through different models of disability, particularly through the medical model of disability and the relational, experiential, and cultural understandings of disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores photographs of children, taken after 1945 by the Swiss photographer Werner Bischof (1916–1954), as visual objects and social agents. In the summer of 1945, Bischof embarked on his first journey through war-ravaged Western Europe – specifically Germany, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands – to visually capture the lives of men, women, and children who had experienced the destruction, cruelties and trauma of World War II. Bischof’s photographic mission focused on children in particular. His ambitions drew upon the power of photography to present, represent, and perform, to make and articulate histories, to evoke emotions, and to relate to and resonate with various audiences. This very agency of photography, which has been argued by Bischof and also serves as a central hypothesis of this paper, is intensified when a photographer works with children and thus enhances and more strongly emphasises photography’s inherent and irreducible agency. The paper looks at how Bischof’s photographs, as performances, not only evoked but also disturbed and disrupted narratives of war-ravaged Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

• Family Support as an approach to supporting and protection children, young people and parents. • Pan-European issues involved in family support. • A social justice perspective on supporting and protection children, young people and parents. • Implications for policy, practice, research, evaluation and academia. • Based on a wider range of academic, policy and practice contributions. Family support as an approach to working with children, youth, parents, and families is widely practiced across Europe albeit with a range of diverse meanings and interpretations. This paper responds to this ambiguity and provides a conceptual understanding of the delivery of family support in Europe. In doing so it applies a social justice approach critically examining the extent to which Family Support reflects the right of families, children, youth, and parents to be supported. It identifies and critically examines similarities and differences in the meaning and application of family support as a key concept in the European context. It is based on a comprehensive review of literature, mapping multi-disciplinary approaches to the provision of support, based on academic material from 2015 to 2020 and adopting a broad and inclusive definition of family. The paper considers the complexities in developing a universally accepted understanding of family support that: has value for practitioners and managers; is selected as a focus by policy makers; is open to evaluation and research; is compatible with academic research; and most importantly provides responsive and effective support to children, youth, parents and families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 boosted the rights of parents of children with additional support needs (ASN) by improving access to information, instituting a Code of Practice and establishing new redress mechanisms such as the ASN Tribunal and independent mediation. More than a decade later, Scottish legislation enacted in 2016 and implemented in 2018 attempted to increase children's rights, broadly placing them on a par with those of parents and young people. This paper draws on data from an ESRC project entitled Autonomy, Rights and Children with Special Needs: A New Paradigm? (ES/P002641/1). Analysis of Scottish Government policy and legislation, key informant interviews and official statistics are used to examine the extent to which the new rights are likely to be realised in practice, given the complexity of the legislation and competition between discourses of needs, broadly synonymous with the wellbeing agenda and rights. The paper concludes with a discussion of the lessons which may be learnt from the Scottish experience, which will be of interest to an international audience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This literature review aims to grasp an overall understanding of European research related to assistive technology for disabled children during the period 2000–2005. Electronic and manual searches of six databases, AAATE conference publications, and issues of the journal Technology and Disability yielded 27 articles and 40 conference papers that met the inclusion criteria, which were studies of European origin and involving assistive technology that conforms to the ISO 9999 classification. The review showed that existing research studies are very limited in number and are focused on ICT-related assistive technology, while a lack of research exists in relation to lower technologies or dealing with the whole assistive environments. Methodologically there is a need to improve child participation and the use of psychosocial theories in research and development. On the whole, this research area is methodologically very challenging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many studies have evaluated the effects that a lack of resources has in children's physical and cognitive development. Although there are reviews that have focused on applied interventions from different perspectives, there is still a need for a comprehensive review of what has been attempted with these children from the cognitive intervention field. The aim of this paper is to present a protocol for a systematic review collecting randomized controlled trials (RCTs) studies whose purpose was to enhance cognitive development through the implementation of cognitive interventions in children and adolescents (< 18 years old) from low socioeconomic Status (SES) settings. Methods: The following databases will be searched: Web of Science (WoS core collection), PsycINFO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trial, ERIC, PubMed, ICTRP and Opengrey Register (System for Information of Grey Literature in Europe). Searches will be adapted for each database. Additionally, the reference list of articles included in the review will also be searched. As part of this process, two reviewers will determine, independently, the suitability of each article taking into account predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria. Pertinent data will then be extracted, including sample characteristics, specifics of the intervention, and outcomes, as well as follow-up measures. Internal validity will be assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. A quantitative synthesis of results will be conducted using a meta-analysis. However, if a meta-analysis is difficult to implement due to the diversity of the studies (for example, in terms of measures used to estimate the effect size, intervention types, outcomes, etc.), the technique synthesis without meta-analysis (SWiM) will be used. A description of outcome measures will be provided, as measured by validated neuropsychological instruments of any cognitive function. Discussion: The systematic review will offer a framework based on evidence to organisations, institutions, and experts who want to implement or promote interventions aimed at enhancing cognitive domains in children and adolescents who live in disadvantaged contexts. Systematic review registration: This protocol was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) on 16 March 2020 (registration number: CDR42020150238). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the purchase and usefulness of the notion of digital literacy. Comparing and contrasting theoretical formulations of digital literacy from the “top-down” and “bottom-up”, it reviews how the concept has been used across three research fields in Europe and Australia. An introductory section situates the ways in which digital literacy offers itself as a mean of empowerment in the tradition of the “new literacy studies” but at the same time exposes contradictions in terms of access and power. The first domain explored is media discourse, and this section of the paper examines ideas which have been circulating in Australia since the early 1990s about the need for children to become digitally literate. The second section examines how the concept of digital literacy has developed over the last decade in the domain of school policy, curriculum documents and practices in Norway; and the third section reviews transnational research to explore how the term digital literacy is used in the domain of children's and youth's out-of-school cultural digital practices. We argue that the term “digital literacy” incorporates more notions of exclusion and division than is commonly supposed, and that it exposes the contradictory politics of literacy education in new and provocative ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than 5 years since the outbreak of the global financial crisis, a flurry of evidence is emerging on the effects of the ensuing economic downturn on unemployment and poverty rates in rich countries, but less is known about cross-country differences in subjective assessments of the crisis and whether adults in households with children were affected to a greater extent. This paper investigates differences in the perceived impact of the economic crisis between adults in households with and without children in 17 European countries, using data from the Life in Transition Survey 2010 in a multilevel modelling framework. It also explores differences in the coping strategies that households adopted to deal with the decline in income or economic activity. Everything else being equal, perceptions of the crisis were more widespread in countries with higher rates of child poverty, lower economic growth and lower GDP per capita. Across countries, perceptions of the crisis closely trailed subjective indicators of financial difficulties from other international surveys conducted in 2010. Adults in households with children were more likely to report an impact of the crisis, with larger differences in countries with higher rates of monetary child poverty. Adults in households with children also adopted a greater variety of coping strategies than the rest, prioritizing expenditure on basic necessities, while cutting back on luxuries and holidays. Nevertheless, many still reported reduced consumption of staple foods as a result of economic difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Elevated rates of suicidal behavior were reported during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, information is scarce on patients' profiles during this period. Studies evoke the potential adverse effects of the mandatory lockdown, but they remain relatively speculative. Methods: We monitored fluctuations in suicide attempts (SA) in six European countries. We gathered data, retrospectively for under 18-year-old SA episodes (1 January 2018 to 31 December 2021), through records of psychiatric emergency services. We collected clinical profiles individually. We extracted environmental indicators by month, as provided by Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker (OxCGRT). We used the Pruned Exact Linear Time (PELT) method to identify breakpoints in SA episodes reported for each country, and logistic regressions to estimate changes in patients' characteristics after the breakpoints. Finally, we used a univariate and multivariate negative binomial model to assess the link between SA and OxCGRT indicators, accounting for the delay (lag) between the interventions and their impact on SA. Results: The study comprised 2,833 children and adolescents (mean age = 15.1 years (SD 1.6); M: F sex-ratio = 1:5.4). A significant increase in SA was found either 6 or 10 months after the beginning of the pandemic, varying by country. Patients were more likely to be girls (aOR = 1.77 [1.34; 2.34]) and used SA methods "other than self-poisoning" (aOR = 1.34 [1.05; 1.7]). In the multivariate model, an association was found between SA and the contact tracing indicator with an 11 months delay, and the number of COVID-19 deaths with a 3-months delay. Conclusions: Findings confirmed a delayed increase in SA during the COVID-19 pandemic in children and adolescents as well as changes in patients' profiles. The duration and severity of the pandemic emerged as the strongest predictor in the rise of SA. If faced with a similar pandemic in the future, the gap between the onset of pandemic and the increase in suicide attempts presents an opportunity for prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of children's caregiving has received substantial attention in studies on care in old age. Previous research shows that children's care provision is strongly intertwined with both their individual and siblings' situation regarding employment and geographic parent-child distance. This study uses data from six waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), taking a within-family approach, to examine how caregiving is (re-)distributed between siblings over time. The provision of continuous parent care is observed more frequent and volatile in European countries with a family-based care system. The results from family fixed-effects regression models demonstrate that children working less than siblings persist in caregiving more. Living closest to parents facilitates children to keep up care efforts, while changing to living closest enhances the start of parent care. This study suggests that geographic distance is vital in the long-term organization of parent care between siblings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Anaesthesia PRactice In Children Observational Trial (APRICOT) in 261 European hospitals revealed a 5.2% incidence of severe critical events in the perioperative period and wide variability in practice.Methods: A sub-analysis of the Scandinavian data was undertaken to investigate differences from the rest of Europe in the incidence and nature of perioperative severe critical events and to attempt to identify areas for quality improvement.Findings: In the Scandinavian cohorts of 1520 paediatric patients out of 31 127 patients, the overall incidence of perioperative severe critical events was lower than the rest of Europe (4.4% (95% CI [3.5-5.6]) vs 5.2% (95% CI [5.0-5.5]); RR 0.57), albeit the incidence varied across countries. There was a lower rate of bronchospasm (0.9%), stridor (1.1%) and cardiovascular instability (0.9%) than the rest of Europe. The proportion of bronchospasm events occurring at induction was 0.13% in Scandinavian cohort which was less than the rest of Europe (1.2%). The proportion of sicker patients where less experienced teams were managing the care was notably lower in Scandinavia than in the rest of Europe (14.4% vs 20.4% of the American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification System Score (ASA-PS III and 8.3% vs 12.8% of the ASA-PS IV. Cardiovascular instability was lower in Scandinavia (0.92%) compared to Europe (1.9%). The incidence of drug errors was low in both the overall APRICOT (0.2%) and in Scandinavia (0.3%). There were no deaths.Interpretation: This sub-analysis shows that current Scandinavia paediatric perioperative clinical practice compares favourably with the rest of Europe. The lower incidence of cardiovascular and respiratory complications could be partly attributed to more experienced dedicated paediatric anaesthesia providers managing the higher risk groups of patients in Scandinavia. Whether this cohort of anaesthetized children is truly representative of the entire Scandinavia countries is unknown. Areas for quality improvement include: standardisation of the definition of severe critical events, increased reporting, development of evidence-based protocols for the management of severe critical events, development and rational implementation of paediatric perioperative risk assessment scores, implementation of current best practice in the provision of competent paediatric anaesthesia service in Europe, development of specific training and ensuring maintenance skills in paediatric anaesthesia. Furthermore, based on data from the original Apricot paper children under the age of 3 years and ASA-PS III and IV patients should not be anaesthetised without direct supervision of a specialist in paediatric anaesthesia. Given the sample size of the Scandinavian cohort this conclusion cannot be investigated further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies have shown that childhood circumstances can have long term consequences that persist until old age. To better understand the transmission of early life circumstances, this paper analyses the effects of health and financial situation during childhood on quality of life after retirement as well as the mediating role of later life health, educational level, and income in this association. Moreover, this study is the first to compare these pathways across European regions. The analyses are based on data of 13,092 retirees aged ≥ 60 and ≤ 85 years from the fifth wave of the Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) with full information on childhood and later life measures of health, educational level, financial situation, and quality of life as well as relevant covariates. Five European regions are studied: Central-Western Europe (Austria, Germany), Central-Eastern Europe (Czech Republic, Estonia, Slovenia), Northern Europe (Denmark, Sweden), Southern Europe (Italy, Spain), and Western Europe (Belgium, France, The Netherlands). Path analysis is used to identify the direct and indirect effects of childhood measures on quality of life. We find retirees’ quality of life to be associated with childhood finances and health in all five European regions. While both the direct and indirect effects of childhood health are rather moderate and homogeneous across regions, especially the direct effects of childhood finances on quality of life after retirement display a distinct North-South gradient being strongest in Southern Europe. Potential explanations for the regional variations are differences in the countries’ welfare systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decades, the number of effective and safe child vaccines available has increased. Yet, more and more parents have become concerned about vaccine safety. The authors address the following question: are vaccinations, especially in children, to be considered as mandatory treatment or should parents be entitled to choose whether to have their children vaccinated or not? In Europe, eleven countries have instituted mandates, whereas others have opted for mere recommendations and rely on information campaigns. Italy is one of those which have recently enacted legislation designed to broaden the scope of mandatory vaccinations. The paper's authors argue that it is certainly hard to draw the line between individual and collective rights, yet it is incumbent upon state authorities to foster the common interest and the public good, which gives governments a right and an obligation to promote immunisation, at least until the safety threshold is reached. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many European countries are becoming multicultural at a previously unseen rate. The number of immigrants including refugees has considerably increased since 2008, and especially after the beginning of the war in Syria. In 2015, 88,300 unaccompanied minors sought asylum in the Member States of the European Union (EU) and most came from Syria, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Somalia and Eritrea. As a reaction to increased immigration, governments in many countries including Germany, Sweden and Norway implemented more restrictive immigration policy. A requirement for all countries, however, is the protection and welfare provision for all arriving children, regardless of their nationality, ensured by international and national legal frameworks. This paper provides an overview of the post 2015 immigration crisis in key European countries with a special focus on current demographics, refugee children, mental health studies, policies and practical support available for refugees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since its inception at the start of the 20th century, play environmental design in Asia, Europe, United States, and in other countries has advanced dramatically from the traditional playgrounds of isolated metal pieces of play equipment to today's creative spaces of imaginative play activities that are designed to high standards of safety and durability. This paper describes the significance of a quality designed outdoor classroom in early childhood education. Next, the paper will highlight key points to help designers and architects understand and appreciate the stages that young children pass through as they develop one's physical, emotional, social, and intellectual abilities. We will then proceed with a discussion of design concepts that are needed to enrich the quality of children's outdoor play environments and finally, what standards and regulations are present in early childhood outdoor design? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the transition from "boyhood" to "manhood" through an examination of my father's World War II correspondence and related material. My father, born in 1925, served in the final battles of the war in Europe. During his time in the army, he wrote many letters home, and the 302 letters saved were used as the basis of this analysis. My father's transition from boyhood to manhood was conditioned by his depression-era childhood, by his experiences in basic training and battle, and by his father's sudden death in 1945. Through these experiences, my father developed a belief about what it means to be a man that was rooted in the overarching concept of responsibility - to self, to family, to values, and to others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Period fertility started to drop significantly below replacement in most Western European countries during the 1970s and 1980s, while most fertility surveys, value studies and opinion polls have found that the number of children considered ideal for society or for one's own family has remained above two children per woman. These surveys have led to the expectation that, sooner or late, period fertility would recover in Europe. The most recent data from the Eurobarometer 2001 survey, however, suggest that in the German-speaking parts of Europe the average ideal family sizes given by younger men and women have fallen as low as 1.7 children. This paper examines the consistency and the credibility of these new findings, which—if they are indeed indications of a new trend—may alter the current discussion about future fertility trends in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper highlights problems surrounding the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check that has accompanied the legislative framework for synthetic phonics in English primary schools. It investigates the inclusion of pseudowords and raises questions regarding their generation and categorization, the rationale for their inclusion and the assumption that the early ability to read pseudowords is associated with later success in reading. It draws upon evidence from comparative European orthographic studies employing pseudowords that have implications for the way English pupils learn to read. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a vasculitis of unknown origin of small and medium caliber blood vessels, especially involving coronary arteries and is the leading cause of acquired heart disease in childhood in developed countries. Although rarely, it can recur: most recurrences occur within 2 years of the initial episode. No data are available on incidence of recurrent KD in Europe and multiple recurrences are rarely seen. We reviewed the medical literature on Kawasaki disease recurrence and reported a new case of Kawasaki disease recurrence in a child with SARS-CoV-2 infection. We believe that in our case SARS Cov2 acted as a trigger capable to determine, in a genetically susceptible individual, a second recurrence of the disease. In the Covid-19 era we affirm the importance for Kawasaki disease to be tested for SARS Cov2 infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Juvenile systemic sclerosis (JSSc) is a rare disease of childhood and currently no international consensus exists with regard to its assessment and treatment. This SHARE (Single Hub and Access point for paediatric Rheumatology in Europe) initiative, based on expert opinion informed by the best available evidence, provides recommendations for the assessment and treatment of patients with JSSc with a view to improving their outcome. Experts focused attention not only on the skin assessment but also on the early signs of internal organ involvement whose proper treatment can significantly affect the long-term outcome. A score for disease severity is proposed in order to perform a structured assessment of outcome over time but a validation in a wider patient population is recommended. Finally, a stepwise treatment approach is proposed in order to unify the standard of care throughout Europe with the aim to reduce morbidity and mortality in this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Childhood myopia represents a global concern with increasing prevalence in recent decades. Lifestyle factors significantly impact myopia. Aim: To evaluate lifestyle factors in myopic children from a metropolitan area in Europe. Methods: This was a descriptive study including myopic subjects aged 4–18 years. Patient demographic and clinical data were collected, including cycloplegic refraction in spherical equivalent refraction (SER) and axial length (AL). In addition, a questionnaire on lifestyle factors was conducted between September 2022 and April 2023. Results: A total of 321 myopic children were included, aged 10.72 ± 3.05 years, of whom 51.4% were boys, with SER −2.25 ± 1.9 D and AL 24.54 ± 0.98 mm. The mean age of myopia onset was 7.69 ± 3.05 years. A total of 59.8% had family history of myopia. Those children who had <2 h/day of screen time (on weekdays) presented SER −2 ± 1.91 D, compared to those who had >2 h/day, SER: −2.50 ±1.88 D (p = 0.009). Children who spent <2 h/day doing near work after school were less myopic compared to those who spent >2 h/day (SER: −1.75 ± 1.83 vs. SER: −2.75 ± 1.82, respectively, p = 0.03). However, no significant association was observed between SER and AL and time spent outdoors nor between SER and AL and academic performance (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Screen time and near-work time appear to be lifestyle factors related to myopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is a prevalent orthopaedic disorder in children, and screening methods vary across regions due to local health policies. The purpose of this review is to systematise the different ultrasound screening strategies for detecting DDH in newborns in Europe. Methods: Eligible studies from the PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases, published between 1 January 2018 and 18 March 2023, were included. The inclusion criteria specified a European origin, a focus on newborn human patients, and information on ultrasound for DDH detection. Results: In total, 45 studies were included, covering 18 countries. Among them, six nations (Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and Germany) perform universal ultrasound screening. The timing of the first ultrasound varies, with Austria and the Czech Republic within the 1st week, Bosnia and Herzegovina on the day of birth, Poland between 1 and 12 weeks, and Germany before the 6th week. The Graf method is the most popular ultrasound technique used. Conclusions: There is no consensus on the optimal DDH detection approach in Europe. Varied screening methods stem from epidemiological, cultural, and economic differences among countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Emerging research suggests that physical activity among children and adolescents decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a differentiated overview of European youth is lacking. In particular, no systematic analysis has been conducted to date on the impact of heterogeneous pandemic restrictions and school closures within European countries, and with regard to potentially vulnerable groups. Methods: We searched seven databases and included studies for children and adolescents (≤ 19 years) of the WHO European Region that compared physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic with a pre-pandemic baseline using validated measurement instruments. We used the Oxford Stringency Index and School Closure Index as indicators of restriction stringency. Screening for eligibility, data extraction, assessment of the study risk of bias (using the 'Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies - of Exposure' [ROBINS-E]) and certainty grading of evidence (using the GRADE approach), were all done in duplicate. Unpublished data was requested from study authors. Data were pooled in random effects models. An a priori protocol was published, reporting is carried out in accordance with the 'Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses' (PRISMA) statement. Results: Of 14,897 non-duplicate records, 26 publications (n = 15,038 pre-pandemic, n = 13,041 during pandemic) met full inclusion criteria. Comparison before and during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed a significant reduction in total physical activity (standardized mean difference [SMD], -0.57 [95%CI, -0.95; -0.20]) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (SMD, -0.43 [95% CI, -0.75; -0.10]), corresponding to a decrease of 12 min per day (a 20% reduction of the WHO recommendation). A decrease in sporting activity was also recorded. Subgroup analyses suggested that middle childhood (aged 8–12) and adolescents were particularly affected by the decline. School closures were associated with a reduction in physical activity. The certainty of evidence for all outcomes was low. Conclusions: A sharp decline in all forms of physical activity was recorded among European children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. This decline was higher during periods of school closure and mainly affected younger schoolchildren and adolescents. Immediate action by policy-makers and practitioners, as well as evidence-based public health strategies, are imperative in reversing this trend. Trial registration: PROSPERO: CRD42023395871 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Specialized studies conducted in the last decade have shown that the therapeutic success of specific treatment with tuberculostatic drugs, along with the decrease in the risk of relapse are elements that can only be achieved by increasing patients' adherence to treatment. This is of paramount importance, especially for pediatric populations, as they are subject to a higher rate of therapeutic dropout, dependent on a number of individual particularities (from socio-demographic characteristics, to the incidence of depressive disorders, to pathological personal history, etc.). When we talk about patient behavior, we refer to how he/she complies with the specialist's recommendation regarding: medication administration; following a diet; lifestyle changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Risk Assessment is the systematic study of decisions subject to uncertain consequences. An increasing interest has been focused on modeling techniques like Bayesian Networks since their capability of (1) combining in the probabilistic framework different type of evidence including both expert judgments and objective data; (2) overturning previous beliefs in the light of the new information being received and (3) making predictions even with incomplete data. In this work, we proposed a comparison among Bayesian Networks and other classical Quantitative Risk Assessment techniques such as Neural Networks, Classification Trees, Random Forests and Logistic Regression models. Hybrid approaches, combining both Classification Trees and Bayesian Networks, were also considered. Among Bayesian Networks, a clear distinction between purely data-driven approach and combination of expert knowledge with objective data is made. The aim of this paper consists in evaluating among this models which best can be applied, in the framework of Quantitative Risk Assessment, to assess the safety of children who are exposed to the risk of inhalation/insertion/aspiration of consumer products. The issue of preventing injuries in children is of paramount importance, in particular where product design is involved: quantifying the risk associated to product characteristics can be of great usefulness in addressing the product safety design regulation. Data of the European Registry of Foreign Bodies Injuries formed the starting evidence for risk assessment. Results showed that Bayesian Networks appeared to have both the ease of interpretability and accuracy in making prediction, even if simpler models like logistic regression still performed well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sedentary behaviour (SB) has emerged as a potential risk factor for metabolic health in youth. Knowledge on the determinants of SB in youth is necessary to inform future intervention development to reduce SB. A systematic review was conducted to identify predictors and determinants of SB in youth. Pubmed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Web of Science were searched, limiting to articles in English, published between January 2000 and May 2014. The search strategy was based on four key elements and their synonyms: (a) sedentary behaviour, (b) determinants, (c) types of sedentary behaviours, (d) types of determinants. The full protocol is available from PROSPERO (PROSPERO 2014:CRD42014009823). Cross-sectional studies were excluded. The analysis was guided by the socio-ecological model. 37 studies were selected out of 2654 identified papers from the systematic literature search. Most studies were conducted in Europe (n = 13), USA (n = 11), and Australia (n = 10). The study quality, using the Qualsyst tool, was high with a median of 82 % (IQR: 74-91 %). Multiple potential determinants were studied in only one or two studies. Determinants were found at the individual, interpersonal, environmental and policy level but few studies examined a comprehensive set of factors at different levels of influences. Evidence was found for age being positively associated with total SB, and weight status and baseline assessment of screen time being positively associated with screen time (at follow-up). A higher playground density and a higher availability of play and sports equipment at school were consistently related to an increased total SB, although these consistent findings come from single studies. Evidence was also reported for the presence of safe places to cross roads and lengthening morning and lunch breaks being associated with less total SB. Future interventions to decrease SB levels should especially target children with overweight or obesity and should start at a young age. However, since the relationship of many determinants with SB remains inconsistent, there is still a need for more longitudinal research on determinants of SB in youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]