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Kearson L, Dandar C, Hoyt C, Longoria J, Okhomina V, Raches D, Potter B, Kang G, Hankins J, Takemoto C, Heitzer A. Prediction of Functional Academic Outcomes by Fine Motor Skills in Individuals With Sickle Cell Disease. Am J Occup Ther 2024; 78:7805205180. [PMID: 39102271 DOI: 10.5014/ajot.2024.050684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/06/2024] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) are at heightened risk of poor neurocognitive and academic outcomes. The relationship between fine motor skills and academic outcomes is not well understood. OBJECTIVE To compare the fine motor skills of individuals with SCD with normative expectations, test whether demographic and medical factors are associated with fine motor performance, and determine the impact of fine motor performance on academic performance. DESIGN Cross-sectional. SETTING St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. PARTICIPANTS Individuals with SCD (N = 376; ages 8-24 yr). OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Fine motor outcomes included visual-motor integration, manual dexterity, and graphomotor speed. Academic outcomes included math fluency and word reading. Demographic and medical variables were obtained via medical records and interviews. RESULTS Compared with normative expectations, the performance of individuals with SCD on all fine motor measures was lower than expected. Male sex, lower socioeconomic status, and lower oxygen saturation was associated with slower graphomotor speed. Lower socioeconomic status and older age were associated with lower visual-motor integration scores. Performance on all fine motor measures was positively associated with math fluency and word reading. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Individuals with SCD exhibited poorer than expected fine motor skills across multiple motor domains, and these deficits were associated with poorer academic outcomes. Early referral to intervention services for fine motor skills may facilitate improved academic outcomes for individuals with SCD. Plain-Language Summary: This study had three objectives: (1) Compare the fine motor skills of people with sickle cell disease (SCD) with normative expectations, (2) test whether demographic and medical factors are associated with fine motor performance, and (3) determine the impact of fine motor performance on academic performance. We found that SCD is a risk factor for lower than expected fine motor performance across multiple fine motor domains and that these deficits also affect functional academic skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lakia Kearson
- Lakia Kearson, PsyD, is Neuropsychology Fellow, Department of Psychology and Biobehavioral Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Christina Dandar
- Christina Dandar, MA, is Neuropsychology Intern, Department of Psychology and Biobehavioral Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Catherine Hoyt
- Catherine Hoyt, PhD, OTD, FAOTA, OTR/L, is Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy, Neurology, and Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics and Medicine, School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
| | - Jennifer Longoria
- Jennifer Longoria, PhD, is Neuropsychologist, Department of Psychology and Biobehavioral Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Victoria Okhomina
- Victoria Okhomina, MPH, MS, is Biostatistician, Department of Biostatistics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Darcy Raches
- Darcy Raches, PhD, is Neuropsychologist, Department of Psychology and Biobehavioral Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Brian Potter
- Brian Potter, PhD, is Neuropsychologist, Department of Psychology and Biobehavioral Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Guolian Kang
- Guolian Kang, PhD, is Biostatistician, Department of Biostatistics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Jane Hankins
- Jane Hankins, MD, is Director of Global Hematology Program, Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Clifford Takemoto
- Clifford Takemoto, MD, is Director of Clinical Hematology, Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Andrew Heitzer
- Andrew Heitzer, PhD, is Neuropsychologist, Department of Psychology and Biobehavioral Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN;
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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.
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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
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Sudry T, Amit G, Zimmerman DR, Tsadok MA, Baruch R, Yardeni H, Akiva P, Ben Moshe D, Bachmat E, Sadaka Y. Sex-Specific Developmental Scales for Surveillance. Pediatrics 2024; 153:e2023062483. [PMID: 38545666 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2023-062483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Developmental surveillance, conducted routinely worldwide, is fundamental for early detection of children at risk for developmental delay. We aimed to explore sex-related difference in attainment rates of developmental milestones and to evaluate the clinical need for separate sex-specific scales. METHODS This is a cross-sectional, natiowide retrospective study, utilizing data from a national child surveillance program of ∼1000 maternal child health clinics. The main cohort, used for constructing sex-specific developmental scales, included all children born between January 2014 to September 2020, who visited maternal child health clinics from birth to 6 years of age (n = 839 574). Children with abnormal developmental potential were excluded (n = 195 616). A validation cohort included all visits between 2020 and 2021 (n = 309 181). The sex-differences in normative attainment age of 59 developmental milestones from 4 domains were evaluated. The milestones with a significant gap between males and females were identified, and the projected error rates when conducting unified versus sex-specific surveillance were calculated. RESULTS A new sex-specific developmental scale was constructed. In total, females preceded males in most milestones of all developmental domains, mainly at older ages. Conducting routine developmental surveillance using a unified scale, compared with sex-specific scales, resulted in potential missing of females at risk for developmental delay (19.3% of failed assessments) and over-diagnosis of males not requiring further evaluation (5.9% of failed assessments). CONCLUSIONS There are sex-related differences in the normative attainment rates of developmental milestones, indicating possible distortion of the currently used unified scales. These findings suggest that using sex-specific scales may improve the accuracy of early childhood developmental surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar Sudry
- Neurodevelopmental Research Center, Mental Health Institute, Beer Sheva, Israel
- KI Research Institute, Kfar Malal, Israel
| | - Guy Amit
- KI Research Institute, Kfar Malal, Israel
| | - Deena R Zimmerman
- Public Health Services, Israel Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Meytal Avgil Tsadok
- TIMNA initiative - Big Data Platform, Israel Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ravit Baruch
- Public Health Services, Israel Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Hadar Yardeni
- Department of Child Development and Rehabilitation, Israel Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
| | | | - Dror Ben Moshe
- TIMNA initiative - Big Data Platform, Israel Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Eitan Bachmat
- Department of Computer Science, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
- Simons Foundation, New York, United States
| | - Yair Sadaka
- Neurodevelopmental Research Center, Mental Health Institute, Beer Sheva, Israel
- KI Research Institute, Kfar Malal, Israel
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
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Kappelt J, Meigen C, Schild CE, Kiess W, Poulain T. Early child development and its determinants: Findings from a large cohort of healthy children growing up in a low-risk environment. Child Care Health Dev 2024; 50:e13177. [PMID: 37737540 DOI: 10.1111/cch.13177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite numerous studies on early child development, there is still much to be discovered about the significance of possible risk factors. This study examines cognitive, motor, and language development of healthy children growing up in a low-risk environment and how various individual and environmental factors are associated with it. The study also considers whether the importance of particular parameters changes depending on child age. METHODS Within the framework of the LIFE Child study in Leipzig, Germany, 481 children participated in a total of 832 visits between 1 and 36 months of age. Developmental status was assessed using the Third Edition of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development. Linear regression analyses were applied to examine the associations between child development and sex, gestational age, birth weight, birth mode, overweight, height, and parental education. RESULTS Mean Bayley composite scores for cognitive, language, and motor development were close to the standard value of 100. Poorer developmental outcomes were significantly associated with lower gestational age, vacuum cup/forceps birth, being overweight, small height, and lower parental education, although some of the associations became insignificant after applying multivariate models. While the association between gestational age and language development became weaker with advancing age, our interaction models found disparities related to parental education to become more apparent in older children across all three domains of early child development. CONCLUSIONS Several factors were identified to be associated with early child development. As children grow older, obstetric parameters, for example, gestational age, might become less relevant compared with sociodemographic factors, for example, parental education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Kappelt
- LIFE Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christof Meigen
- LIFE Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Clara Elise Schild
- LIFE Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Wieland Kiess
- LIFE Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Women and Children's Health, Hospital for Children and Adolescents and Center for Pediatric Research (CPL), Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tanja Poulain
- LIFE Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Women and Children's Health, Hospital for Children and Adolescents and Center for Pediatric Research (CPL), Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
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Flores P, Coelho E, Mourão-Carvalhal I, Forte P. Relationships between Math Skills, Motor Skills, Physical Activity, and Obesity in Typically Developing Preschool Children. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:1000. [PMID: 38131856 PMCID: PMC10740894 DOI: 10.3390/bs13121000] [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: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
There is evidence of a relationship between motor and cognitive development. The literature has shown that of all the motor skills, fine motor skills are those that contribute most to mathematical performance in preschool children. As this is a sensitive period in the development of motor skills, low levels of physical activity in this period can compromise their development and contribute to weight gain and obesity. The aim of this study was therefore to analyze the relationship between mathematical and motor skills, physical activity levels, and obesity. The sample consisted of 62 preschool children (32 males) with an average age of 4.63 ± 0.81. The Weschler preschool and primary scale of intelligence-revised arithmetic test was used to assess mathematical skills. The tests to assess fine motor skills were the "Adapted Threading Beads Test" and the "Adapted Visuomotor Integration Test". The movement assessment battery for children-2, band 1, "Aiming & Catching", and "Balance" tests were used to assess gross motor skills. Levels of physical activity were assessed using the "Preschool-age physical activity questionnaire" and obesity using the body mass index. The results indicated that only the fine motor skills of visuomotor integration were included in the multiple linear regression model (F < 0.001; r = 0.464; R2 = 0.215; p < 0.001), with the exclusion of gross motor skills, physical activity levels, and obesity levels. Thus, it was concluded that mathematical skills were only directly and significantly influenced by visuomotor integration. However, visuomotor integration was positively and significantly associated with gross motor skills (r = 0.269; p < 0.05) and not with levels of physical activity and obesity. Thus, gross motor skills could contribute to improving visuomotor integration directly and consequently mathematical skills indirectly. The results of this study suggest that the implementation of structured physical activity programs can contribute to mathematical performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Flores
- CI-ISCE, Higher Institute of Education and Sciences of the Douro, 4560-708 Penafiel, Portugal;
| | - Eduarda Coelho
- Department of Sports, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
- Research Center in Sports, Health and Human Development, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal
| | - Isabel Mourão-Carvalhal
- Department of Sports, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
- Research Center in Sports, Health and Human Development, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal
| | - Pedro Forte
- CI-ISCE, Higher Institute of Education and Sciences of the Douro, 4560-708 Penafiel, Portugal;
- Research Center in Sports, Health and Human Development, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal
- Department of Sports, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, 5300-252 Bragança, Portugal
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Lv W, Fu J, Zhao G, He Z, Sun S, Huang T, Wang R, Chen D, Chen R. A cohort study of factors influencing the physical fitness of preschool children: a decision tree analysis. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1184756. [PMID: 38074715 PMCID: PMC10701283 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1184756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Based on the decision tree model, to explore the key influencing factors of children's physical fitness, rank the key influencing factors, and explain the complex interaction between the influencing factors. Methods A cohort study design was adopted. 1,276 children (ages 3-6) from 23 kindergartens in Nanchang, China, were chosen for the study to measure the children's physical fitness at baseline and a year later and to compare the physical fitness scores at the two stages. The study was conducted following the Chinese National Physical Fitness Testing Standard (Children Part); To identify the primary influencing factors of changes in physical fitness, a decision tree model was developed, and a questionnaire survey on birth information, feeding patterns, SB, PA, dietary nutrition, sleep, parental factors, and other relevant information was conducted. Results The levels of physical fitness indicators among preschool children showed a significant increase after 1 year. The accuracy of the CHAID model is 84.17%. It showed that 7 variables were strongly correlated with the physical changes of children's fitness, the order of importance of each variable was weekend PA, weekend MVPA, mother's BMI, mother's sports frequency, father's education, mother's education, and school day PA. Three factors are related to PA. Four factors are related to parental circumstances. In addition to the seven important variables mentioned, variables such as breakfast frequency on school day, puffed food, frequency of outing, school day MVPA, parental feeling of sports, father's occupation, and weekend breakfast frequency are all statistically significant leaf node variables. Conclusion PA, especially weekend PA, is the most critical factor in children's physical fitness improvement and the weekend MVPA should be increased to more than 30 min/d based on the improvement of weekend PA. In addition, parental factors and school day PA are also important in making decisions about changes in fitness for children. The mother's efforts to maintain a healthy BMI and engage in regular physical activity are crucial for enhancing the physical fitness of children. Additionally, other parental factors, such as the parents' educational levels and the father's occupation, can indirectly impact the level of physical fitness in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendi Lv
- College of Physical and Health, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, China
- School of Physical Education, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Jinmei Fu
- Jiangxi Sports Science and Medicine Center, Nanchang, China
| | - Guanggao Zhao
- School of Physical Education, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Zihao He
- School of Sport Science, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
| | - Shunli Sun
- Jiangxi Sports Science and Medicine Center, Nanchang, China
| | - Ting Huang
- School of Physical Education and Sport Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Runze Wang
- PLA Army Academy of Artillery and Air Defense, Nanjing, China
| | - Delong Chen
- School of Physical Education, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Ruiming Chen
- School of Physical Education, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
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Tejeda-Castellanos X, Sánchez-Medina CM, Márquez-González H, Alaniz-Arcos JL, Ortiz-Cornejo ME, Brito-Suárez JM, Juárez-Villegas L, Gutiérrez-Camacho C. Impairments in fine motor skills in children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. A cross-sectional study. BMC Pediatr 2023; 23:513. [PMID: 37845644 PMCID: PMC10578039 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-023-04316-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM We evaluated fine motor skills; precision, motor integration, manual dexterity, and upper-limb coordination according to sex and risk stratification in children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL). METHODS We evaluated twenty-nine children in the maintenance phase aged 6 to 12 years with the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-second edition (BOT-2), and sex and age-specific norm values of BOT-2 were used to compare our results. RESULTS We found lower scores on the upper-limb coordination subtest, p = 0.003 and on the manual coordination composite, p = 0.008, than normative values. Most boys performed "average" on both the subtests and the composites, but girls showed lower scores with a mean difference of 7.69 (95%CI; 2.24 to 3.14), p = 0.009. Girls' scale scores on the upper-limb coordination subtest were lower than normative values, with mean difference 5.08 (95%CI; 2.35 to 7.81), p = 0.006. The mean standard score difference in high-risk patients was lower than normative on the manual coordination composite, 8.18 (95%CI; 2.26 to 14.1), p = 0.015. High-risk children also performed below the BOT-2 normative on manual dexterity 2.82 (95%CI; 0.14 to 5.78), p = 0.035 and upper limb coordination subtest 4.10 (95%CI; 1.13 to 7.05), p = 0.028. We found a decrease in fine motor precision in children with a higher BMI, rho= -0.87, p = 0.056 and a negative correlation between older age and lower manual dexterity, r= -0.41 p = 0.026; however, we did not find any correlation with the weeks in the maintenance phase. CONCLUSIONS Fine motor impairments are common in children with ALL in the maintenance phase; it is important to identify these impairments to early rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xochiquetzalli Tejeda-Castellanos
- Physiotherapy Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Dr. Márquez 162 Colonia Doctores , Mexico City, 06720, Mexico
| | - Carlos Maximiliano Sánchez-Medina
- Physiotherapy Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Dr. Márquez 162 Colonia Doctores , Mexico City, 06720, Mexico
| | | | - José Luis Alaniz-Arcos
- Physiotherapy Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Dr. Márquez 162 Colonia Doctores , Mexico City, 06720, Mexico
| | - Ma Elena Ortiz-Cornejo
- Physiotherapy Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Dr. Márquez 162 Colonia Doctores , Mexico City, 06720, Mexico
| | - Juliette Marie Brito-Suárez
- Physiotherapy Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Dr. Márquez 162 Colonia Doctores , Mexico City, 06720, Mexico
| | - Luis Juárez-Villegas
- Haematology and oncology department of the Hospital Infantil de Mexico, Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Claudia Gutiérrez-Camacho
- Physiotherapy Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Dr. Márquez 162 Colonia Doctores , Mexico City, 06720, Mexico.
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Bilu Y, Amit G, Sudry T, Akiva P, Avgil Tsadok M, Zimmerman DR, Baruch R, Sadaka Y. A Developmental Surveillance Score for Quantitative Monitoring of Early Childhood Milestone Attainment: Algorithm Development and Validation. JMIR Public Health Surveill 2023; 9:e47315. [PMID: 37489583 PMCID: PMC10474508 DOI: 10.2196/47315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Developmental surveillance, conducted routinely worldwide, is fundamental for timely identification of children at risk of developmental delays. It is typically executed by assessing age-appropriate milestone attainment and applying clinical judgment during health supervision visits. Unlike developmental screening and evaluation tools, surveillance typically lacks standardized quantitative measures, and consequently, its interpretation is often qualitative and subjective. OBJECTIVE Herein, we suggested a novel method for aggregating developmental surveillance assessments into a single score that coherently depicts and monitors child development. We described the procedure for calculating the score and demonstrated its ability to effectively capture known population-level associations. Additionally, we showed that the score can be used to describe longitudinal patterns of development that may facilitate tracking and classifying developmental trajectories of children. METHODS We described the Developmental Surveillance Score (DSS), a simple-to-use tool that quantifies the age-dependent severity level of a failure at attaining developmental milestones based on the recently introduced Israeli developmental surveillance program. We evaluated the DSS using a nationwide cohort of >1 million Israeli children from birth to 36 months of age, assessed between July 1, 2014, and September 1, 2021. We measured the score's ability to capture known associations between developmental delays and characteristics of the mother and child. Additionally, we computed series of the DSS in consecutive visits to describe a child's longitudinal development and applied cluster analysis to identify distinct patterns of these developmental trajectories. RESULTS The analyzed cohort included 1,130,005 children. The evaluation of the DSS on subpopulations of the cohort, stratified by known risk factors of developmental delays, revealed expected relations between developmental delay and characteristics of the child and mother, including demographics and obstetrics-related variables. On average, the score was worse for preterm children compared to full-term children and for male children compared to female children, and it was correspondingly worse for lower levels of maternal education. The trajectories of scores in 6 consecutive visits were available for 294,000 children. The clustering of these trajectories revealed 3 main types of developmental patterns that are consistent with clinical experience: children who successfully attain milestones, children who initially tend to fail but improve over time, and children whose failures tend to increase over time. CONCLUSIONS The suggested score is straightforward to compute in its basic form and can be easily implemented as a web-based tool in its more elaborate form. It highlights known and novel relations between developmental delay and characteristics of the mother and child, demonstrating its potential usefulness for surveillance and research. Additionally, it can monitor the developmental trajectory of a child and characterize it. Future work is needed to calibrate the score vis-a-vis other screening tools, validate it worldwide, and integrate it into the clinical workflow of developmental surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Guy Amit
- KI Research Institute, Kfar Malal, Israel
| | - Tamar Sudry
- KI Research Institute, Kfar Malal, Israel
- Neuro-Developmental Research Center, Mental Health Institute, Be'er-Sheva, Israel
| | | | - Meytal Avgil Tsadok
- TIMNA Inititative, Big Data Platform, Israel Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Deena R Zimmerman
- Public Health Services, Israel Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ravit Baruch
- Public Health Services, Israel Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Yair Sadaka
- KI Research Institute, Kfar Malal, Israel
- Neuro-Developmental Research Center, Mental Health Institute, Be'er-Sheva, Israel
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er-Sheva, Israel
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Knaier E, Chaouch A, Caflisch JA, Rousson V, Wehrle FM, Kakebeeke TH, Jenni OG. Secular trends in motor performance in Swiss children and adolescents from 1983 to 2018. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1095586. [PMID: 37050948 PMCID: PMC10083304 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1095586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/28/2023] Open
Abstract
IntroductionEnvironmental changes, including globalization, urbanization, social and cultural changes in society, and exposure to modern digital technology undoubtedly have an impact on children’s activity and lifestyle behavior. In fact, marked reductions in children’s physical activity levels have been reported over the years and sedentary behavior has increased around the world. The question arises whether these environmental changes had an impact on general motor performance in children and adolescents. The study aimed to investigate secular trends of motor performance in Swiss children and adolescents, aged between 7 and 18 years, over a period of 35 years from 1983 to 2018.MethodsLongitudinal data on the five motor components of the Zurich Neuromotor Assessment (ZNA) – pure motor (PM), fine motor (FM), dynamic balance (DB), static balance (SB), and contralateral associated movements (CAM) – were pooled with cross-sectional data on PM and FM from eight ZNA studies between 1983 and 2018. Regression models were used to estimate the effect of the year of birth on motor performance and body mass index (BMI) measurements. Models were adjusted for age, sex, and socioeconomic status.ResultsThe secular trend estimates in standard deviation scores (SDS) per 10 years were − 0.06 [−0.33; 0.22, 95% Confidence Interval] for PM, −0.11 [−0.41; 0.20] for FM, −0.38 [−0.66; −0.09] for DB (−0.42 when controlled for BMI), −0.21 [−0.47; 0.06] for SB, and − 0.01 [−0.32; 0.31] for CAM. The mean change in BMI data was positive with 0.30 SDS [0.07; 0.53] over 10 years.DiscussionDespite substantial societal changes since the 1980s, motor performance has remained relatively stable across generations. No secular trend was found in FM, PM, SB, and CAM over a period of 35 years. A secular trend in DB was present independent of the secular trend in body mass index.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Knaier
- Child Development Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Aziz Chaouch
- Division of Biostatistics, Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jon A. Caflisch
- Child Development Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Valentin Rousson
- Division of Biostatistics, Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Flavia M. Wehrle
- Child Development Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Neonatology and Intensive Care, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Tanja H. Kakebeeke
- Child Development Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Oskar G. Jenni
- Child Development Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Oskar G. Jenni,
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10
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Sinvani RT, Golos A, Ben Zagmi S, Gilboa Y. The Relationship between Young Children's Graphomotor Skills and Their Environment: A Cross-Sectional Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:1338. [PMID: 36674093 PMCID: PMC9858789 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20021338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The current study aimed to examine the unique contribution of personal and environmental factors to explain graphomotor skills in typically developing preschoolers and first-year elementary school students. A convenience sample of 136 Israeli children aged three−seven years was recruited. Graphomotor skills were assessed using the Gilboa Functional Test (GIFT); personal and environmental factors were assessed using a demographic questionnaire and the Home Literacy Experiences Questionnaire (HLEQ). A hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis revealed that home literacy and educational approach accounted for 43.1% of the variance of graphomotor skills (R2 = 40.4, p < 0.000), each providing a unique contribution to the explained variance after controlling for age, gender, and spoken language. Generally, our results supported the bioecological model, with proximal factors (home literacy and educational approach) having a greater influence on child graphomotor skills than distal factors (parental socioeconomic and immigration status). By highlighting the role of environmental factors in graphomotor development, these results can be used as a conceptual framework for developing early intervention programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel-Tzofia Sinvani
- School of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9124001, Israel
| | - Anat Golos
- School of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9124001, Israel
| | - Stav Ben Zagmi
- School of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9124001, Israel
- Child Development Center, “Meuhedet” Health Maintenance Organization, Ashdod 7727408, Israel
| | - Yafit Gilboa
- School of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9124001, Israel
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11
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Bondi D, Robazza C, Lange-Küttner C, Pietrangelo T. Fine motor skills and motor control networking in developmental age. Am J Hum Biol 2022; 34:e23758. [PMID: 35613316 PMCID: PMC9541226 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives We investigated the relationships between fine motor skills, fitness, anthropometrics, gender and perceived motor performance in school beginners. The aim of our study was to delineate whether and to what extent fine motor control would show meaningful synchrony with other motor variables in the age of onset of handwriting in school. Methods A sample of N = 239 of 6‐to‐8‐year‐old children were tested with an array of tasks measuring fine motor (i.e., dexterity and speed) and grapho‐motor performance (tracing on a tablet screen), anthropometric indexes, and fitness (shuttle run) measures. A subset of 95 children was also tested for perceived motor competence. Results In spite of an overall poor anthropometric condition, our participants were relatively fit. As expected, older children performed better in both, fine motor tasks and the shuttle test. The girls were better in fine motor skills, and an original speed‐quality trade‐off in the drawing was found. However, the magnitude of difference by grade was greater for boys' fine motor skills than those of girls'. A network analysis revealed three specific clusters, (1) perceived competencies, (2) fitness, and (3) fine motor skills. Conclusions Given the relative independence of these areas of physical performance, we suggest focusing on these three clusters as distinct areas of physical education. Fine motor skills deserve further consideration, especially at an early school age. We have demonstrated that network analysis and technology devices used to evaluate motor development are useful and meaningful tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danilo Bondi
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Claudio Robazza
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Christiane Lange-Küttner
- Department of Psychology, University of Greifswald, Germany.,Department of Psychology, University of Bremen, Bremen, Land Bremen, Germany
| | - Tiziana Pietrangelo
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
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