1
|
Zhu Y, Wang S, Qian Y, Hu J, Zhou H, Korivi M, Ye W, Zhu R. The Impact of Birth Season and Sex on Motor Skills in 2-Year-Old Children: A Study in Jinhua, Eastern China. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:836. [PMID: 39063590 PMCID: PMC11278476 DOI: 10.3390/life14070836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2024] [Revised: 06/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study investigates the effects of birth season and sex on the development of gross and fine motor skills in 2-year-old children in Jinhua, Eastern China. METHODS Conducted in Jinhua, a city in central Zhejiang Province, Eastern China, this research involved 225 children, assessing their gross and fine motor skills using the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, Second Edition. Scores were adjusted for age in months to avoid the relative age effect. Statistical analyses included MANOVA to evaluate the impacts of season and sex. RESULTS Sex had no significant impact on overall motor development scores (p > 0.05). However, the season of birth significantly affected fine motor quotient (FMQ) and total motor quotient (TMQ) (p < 0.05). Boys' motor skills were generally unaffected by season, whereas girls born in winter exhibited superior fine motor skills compared to those born in summer. CONCLUSIONS Seasonal environmental factors significantly influence early motor development, particularly fine motor skills in girls. These findings highlight the importance of considering seasonal variations in early childhood interventions aimed at enhancing exercise physiology and sports performance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuanye Zhu
- Institute of Human Movement and Sports Engineering, College of Physical Education and Health Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China; (Y.Z.); (Y.Q.); (J.H.); (H.Z.); (M.K.)
| | - Shuying Wang
- College of Physical Education, North University of China, Taiyuan 030051, China;
| | - Yongdong Qian
- Institute of Human Movement and Sports Engineering, College of Physical Education and Health Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China; (Y.Z.); (Y.Q.); (J.H.); (H.Z.); (M.K.)
| | - Jiahui Hu
- Institute of Human Movement and Sports Engineering, College of Physical Education and Health Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China; (Y.Z.); (Y.Q.); (J.H.); (H.Z.); (M.K.)
| | - Huiling Zhou
- Institute of Human Movement and Sports Engineering, College of Physical Education and Health Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China; (Y.Z.); (Y.Q.); (J.H.); (H.Z.); (M.K.)
| | - Mallikarjuna Korivi
- Institute of Human Movement and Sports Engineering, College of Physical Education and Health Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China; (Y.Z.); (Y.Q.); (J.H.); (H.Z.); (M.K.)
| | - Weibing Ye
- Institute of Human Movement and Sports Engineering, College of Physical Education and Health Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China; (Y.Z.); (Y.Q.); (J.H.); (H.Z.); (M.K.)
| | - Rong Zhu
- Department of Sports Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Henderson H, Bourgeois JW, Smith S, Ferguson CJ, Barthelemy J. Police shootings, violent crime, race and socio-economic factors in municipalities in the United States of America. CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH : CBMH 2024; 34:296-310. [PMID: 38486507 DOI: 10.1002/cbm.2333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Both police shootings and violent crime remain high in the United States of America compared to other developed nations but debates continue about whether race, mental health or other social factors are related to them. AIMS Our aim was to test relationships between community factors indicative of socio-economic status, racial demographics, police shootings, and violent crime. METHODS Data on police shootings, violent crime and community sociodemographic factors were drawn from two publicly accessible datasets: health and police records of 100 US municipalities and relationships between them explored using regression analyses. RESULTS Data were from the 100 largest US municipalities as designated by the mapping police violence database. The median per capital violent crime rate was 5.94 and median killings by police per 10 thousand arrests was 13.7. Violent crime was found to be related mainly to income inequality and lower academic achievement in the community. Race was unrelated to violent crime after controlling for other factors. Police shootings were found to be related to community level mental health concerns, food insecurity and the municipality's violent crime rate. CONCLUSION The evidence suggests that socio-economic factors are the primary drivers of both violent crime perpetration and police shootings. Policy approaches aimed at improving education and reducing poverty are likely to mitigate both violent crime and police shootings. However, it is important to recognise that being Black is an indicator of particular disadvantage within this context. This underscores the need for comprehensive strategies that address the systemic issues of racial disparities and socio-economic inequality, while also acknowledging the complex interplay of race, poverty and policing in the context of violent crime and police shootings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sven Smith
- Stetson University, DeLand, Florida, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
García JL, Heckman JJ, Ronda V. The Lasting Effects of Early-Childhood Education on Promoting the Skills and Social Mobility of Disadvantaged African Americans and Their Children. THE JOURNAL OF POLITICAL ECONOMY 2023; 131:1477-1506. [PMID: 37701370 PMCID: PMC10495083 DOI: 10.1086/722936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
This paper demonstrates the long-term intragenerational and intergenerational benefits of the HighScope Perry Preschool Project, which targeted disadvantaged African-American children. We use newly collected data on the original participants through late middle age and on their children into their mid-twenties. We document long-lasting improvements in the original participants' skills, marriage stability, earnings, criminal behavior, and health. Beneficial program impacts through the childrearing years translate into better family environments for their children leading to intergenerational gains. Children of the original participants have higher levels of education and employment, lower levels of criminal activity, and better health than children of the controls.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - James J Heckman
- Center for the Economics of Human Development and Department of Economics, The University of Chicago and Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, University of Southern California
| | - Victor Ronda
- Center for the Economics of Human Development, The University of Chicago
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
García JL, Heckman JJ. Parenting Promotes Social Mobility Within and Across Generations. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECONOMICS 2023; 15:349-388. [PMID: 38545330 PMCID: PMC10972614 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-economics-021423-031905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
This paper compares early childhood enrichment programs that promote social mobility for disadvantaged children within and across generations. Instead of conducting a standard meta-analysis, we present a harmonized primary data analysis of programs that shape current policy. Our analysis is a template for rigorous syntheses and comparisons across programs. We analyze new long-run life-cycle data collected for iconic programs when participants are middle-aged and their children are in their twenties. The iconic programs are omnibus in nature and offer many services to children and their parents. We compare them with relatively low-cost more focused home-visiting programs. Successful interventions target both children and their caregivers. They engage caregivers and improve the home lives of children. They permanently boost cognitive and non-cognitive skills. Participants in programs that enrich home environments grow up with better skills, jobs, earnings, marital stability, and health, as well as reduced participation in crime. Long-run monetized gains are substantially greater than program costs for the iconic programs. We investigate the mechanisms promoting successful family lives for participants and report intergenerational effects on their children. A study of focused home-visiting programs that target parents enables us to isolate a crucial component of successful programs: they activate and promote parenting skills of child caregivers. The home-visiting programs we analyze produce outcomes comparable to those of the iconic omnibus programs. National implementation of the programs with long-run follow up that we analyze would substantially shrink the overall US Black-White earnings gap.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - James J Heckman
- Center for the Economics of Human Development and Department of Economics, The University of Chicago
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Petitclerc A, Brooks-Gunn J. Home Visiting and Early Childhood Education for Reducing Justice System Involvement. PREVENTION SCIENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PREVENTION RESEARCH 2022; 23:982-995. [PMID: 35267178 DOI: 10.1007/s11121-022-01363-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Early childhood intervention is particularly cost-beneficial when it reduces justice involvement, but ingredients that contribute to this outcome are unknown. The goal of this study was to estimate the effects of two common early childhood intervention ingredients-home visits and center-based education-on juvenile justice involvement. The Infant Health and Development Program (IHDP) randomized 1090 premature and low-birth-weight babies to intervention or control groups. Intervention group families were offered home visits from birth to age 3 years and high-quality center-based early childhood education from ages 1 to 3 years, but varied in their take-up of each intervention component. We estimated (1) intent-to-treat effects and (2) the effects of families' level of participation in each intervention component, using a novel stratification approach to minimize the impact of self-selection bias on dosage. Outcomes were children's risk of being stopped by police, arrested, or incarcerated, by age 18 years. Intent-to-treat analyses showed no effects of the IHDP for both sexes combined, nor for girls only, on any of the three outcomes, but there was an intent-to-treat effect on boys' risk of being arrested, OR = 0.43 (95% CI 0.24, 0.76). Analyses of dosage effects showed that, for both sexes combined, participation in the center-based educational component decreased the odds of being stopped by the police by 3% for each month of services. For boys only, the odds of being arrested decreased by 4% with each month of home visits and by 4% with each month of center-based educational services. We conclude that high-quality center-based early childhood education and, to some extent, home visits, reduce justice involvement among biologically vulnerable children, especially boys.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jeanne Brooks-Gunn
- Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.,College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Rooksby M, Di Folco S, Tayarani M, Vo DB, Huan R, Vinciarelli A, Brewster SA, Minnis H. The School Attachment Monitor-A novel computational tool for assessment of attachment in middle childhood. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0240277. [PMID: 34292952 PMCID: PMC8297900 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Attachment research has been limited by the lack of quick and easy measures. We report development and validation of the School Attachment Monitor (SAM), a novel measure for largescale assessment of attachment in children aged 5–9, in the general population. SAM offers automatic presentation, on computer, of story-stems based on the Manchester Child Attachment Story Task (MCAST), without the need for trained administrators. SAM is delivered by novel software which interacts with child participants, starting with warm-up activities to familiarise them with the task. Children’s story completion is video recorded and augmented by ‘smart dolls’ that the child can hold and manipulate, with movement sensors for data collection. The design of SAM was informed by children of users’ age range to establish their task understanding and incorporate their innovative ideas for improving SAM software. Methods 130 5–9 year old children were recruited from mainstream primary schools. In Phase 1, sixty-one children completed both SAM and MCAST. Inter-rater reliability and rating concordance was compared between SAM and MCAST. In Phase 2, a further 44 children completed SAM complete and, including those children completing SAM in Phase 1 (total n = 105), a machine learning algorithm was developed using a “majority vote” procedure where, for each child, 500 non-overlapping video frames contribute to the decision. Results Using manual rating, SAM-MCAST concordance was excellent (89% secure versus insecure; 97% organised versus disorganised; 86% four-way). Comparison of human ratings of SAM versus the machine learning algorithm showed over 80% concordance. Conclusions We have developed a new tool for measuring attachment at the population level, which has good reliability compared to a validated attachment measure and has the potential for automatic rating–opening the door to measurement of attachment in large populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maki Rooksby
- University of Glasgow, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Simona Di Folco
- University of Edinburgh, School of Health in Social Science, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Mohammad Tayarani
- School of Computing Science, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Dong-Bach Vo
- School of Computing Science, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Rui Huan
- School of Computing Science, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Helen Minnis
- University of Glasgow, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Sparling J, Ramey SL, Ramey CT. Mental Health and Social Development Effects of the Abecedarian Approach. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:6997. [PMID: 34208853 PMCID: PMC8297297 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18136997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The Abecedarian Approach is an early intervention and contains a broad-spectrum adult/child curriculum. The Approach has been studied in three longitudinal randomized controlled trials in the USA, starting in 1972 and continuing today. Recent research studies in multiple countries have examined the Abecedarian Approach during the first three years of life. The collective findings from these studies lead to the conclusion that human development is malleable, especially in the years before school entry, and that high-quality early intervention exerts positive, early, and long-lasting influences on human development, including social development and mental health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Sparling
- Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Sharon Landesman Ramey
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, and Departments of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Human Development, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA 24016, USA; (S.L.R.); (C.T.R.)
| | - Craig T. Ramey
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, and Departments of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Human Development, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA 24016, USA; (S.L.R.); (C.T.R.)
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
|
9
|
Zaman K, Usman B, Sheikh SM, Iswan, Khan A, Kosnin ABM, Rosman ASB, Ismail S, Ali DF, Hishan SS. Managing crime through quality education: A model of justice. Sci Justice 2019; 59:597-605. [PMID: 31606097 DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2019.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Revised: 07/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/11/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The study examines the role of quality education in access to justice, using a panel data of 21 diversified countries for the period of 1990-2015. The findings show that there is a positive relationship between the presence of scientific and technical journals (STJ) articles and crime rates. The R&D expenditures does not substantially reduce crime rate while per capita income, trademark applications, and technical cooperation grants significantly reduce crime rates across countries. The panel fixed effect (FE) model confirmed the inverted U-shaped relationship between per capita income (GDPpc) and crime rate in the presence of STJ, while this result is changed in the case of GMM estimator. The results of panel causality confirmed the unidirectional causality running from crime rate to STJ and R&D expenditures, while there is bidirectional causality between i) GDPpc and technical cooperation grants, and between ii) energy efficiency and refugee population by country. The variance decomposition analysis (VDA) shows that R&D expenditures have a greater share to influence crime rate, while technical cooperation grants will affect STJ for the next 10 years time. This finding bolsters the conversation on the relationship between education and a reduction in crime rates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Khalid Zaman
- Department of Economics, University of Wah, Quaid Avenue, Wah Cantt, Pakistan.
| | - Bushra Usman
- School of Management, Forman Christian College (A Chartered University), Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Salman Masood Sheikh
- Department of Business and Management Sciences, The Superior College, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Iswan
- Education Faculty of Muhammadiyah University of Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Aqeel Khan
- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
| | - Azlina Binti Mohd Kosnin
- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
| | - Arieff Salleh Bin Rosman
- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
| | - Sarimah Ismail
- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
| | - Dayana Farzeeha Ali
- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
| | - Sanil S Hishan
- Azman Hashim International Business School, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Garg P, Eastwood J, Liaw ST. A Realist Synthesis of Literature Informing Programme Theories for Well Child Care in Primary Health Systems of Developed Economies. Int J Integr Care 2019; 19:5. [PMID: 31367204 PMCID: PMC6659757 DOI: 10.5334/ijic.4177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Well-child Care is the provision of preventative health care services for children and their families. The approach, however, to the universal provision of those services is contentious. METHODS We undertook a realist synthesis to enhance understanding of the theoretical mechanisms driving Well-child Care by searching for published and grey literature from multiple databases. FINDINGS Well-child Care is re-conceptualised as an integrated program delivered in the continuum of pregnancy, infancy and childhood. Depending on the context, Well-child Care can be a policy, a strategy, or an actual clinical practice that promotes child and family health. The main mechanisms include: role, training and continuity of health providers; administrators' views of the return of investment on achieved outcomes; access to services by families; and the adaptation of programs to meet the dynamic needs of stakeholders. Evidence indicates that for most outcomes, Well-child Care is best delivered in partnerships between community health, social care, and early childhood education sectors. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that Well-child Care policy and program leaders should shift their focus to the integration of: human and physical resources; policy instruments; and shared agreement on outcomes measures across health, social and education sectors. In addition, countries should work towards strengthening universal early education programs and parents' health literacy regarding child development, health and safety.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pankaj Garg
- Department of Community Paediatrics, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, NSW, AU
- Specialist Disability Health Team, South Western Sydney Local Health District, NSW, AU
- South Western Sydney Local Health District, NSW, AU
- Ingham Institute of Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, NSW, AU
- School of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of New South Wales (UNSW), AU
| | - John Eastwood
- Ingham Institute of Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, NSW, AU
- School of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of New South Wales (UNSW), AU
- School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, AU
- School of Public Health, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, AU
- Department of Community Paediatrics, Sydney Local Health District, Croydon, NSW, AU
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW, AU
| | - Siaw-Teng Liaw
- Ingham Institute of Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, NSW, AU
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW, AU
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Golding P, Fitzgerald HE. The early biopsychosocial development of boys and the origins of violence in males. Infant Ment Health J 2019; 40:5-22. [DOI: 10.1002/imhj.21753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paul Golding
- Santa Fe Boys Educational Foundation; Santa Fe New Mexico
| | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
García JL, Heckman JJ, Ziff AL. Gender Differences in the Benefits of an Influential Early Childhood Program. EUROPEAN ECONOMIC REVIEW 2018; 109:9-22. [PMID: 30410186 PMCID: PMC6217989 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2018.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
This paper studies the life-cycle impacts of a widely-emulated high-quality, intensive early childhood program with long-term follow up. The program starts early in life (at 8 weeks of age) and is evaluated by an RCT. There are multiple treatment effects which we summarize through interpretable aggregates. Girls have a greater number of statistically significant treatment effects than boys and effect sizes for them are generally bigger. The source of this difference is worse home environments for girls with greater scope for improvement by the program. Fathers of sons support their families more than fathers of daughters.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Luis García
- John E. Walker Department of Economics, Clemson University, 228 Sirrine Hall, Clemson, SC 29634, ,
| | - James J Heckman
- Center for the Economics of Human Development, University of Chicago, 1126 East 59th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, ,
| | - Anna L Ziff
- Department of Economics, Duke University, 213 Social Sciences Building, 419 Chapel Drive, Box 90097, Durham, NC 27708, ,
| |
Collapse
|