24-Hour movement behaviors and executive functions in preschoolers: A compositional and isotemporal reallocation analysis

This cross-sectional study explored the relationship between 24-hour movement behaviors and executive function (EF) in preschool children. A total of 426 Han Chinese preschoolers (231 males; 3.8 ± 0.6 years old) from Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China were selected from October 2021 to December 2021. Accelerometers were used to measure physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB), while sleep duration was obtained via a parent-report questionnaire. Components of EF (cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, and working memory) were assessed using computerized behavioral tasks. The daily composition was significantly associated with inhibitory control and working memory. Inhibitory control improvements were linked to the addition of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) at the expense of SB and sleep. The reallocation between MVPA, SB, sleep, and light physical activity yielded a significant association with working memory.

The Mediatory Role of Executive Functioning on the Association Between Sleep and Both Everyday Memory and ADHD Symptoms in Children and Youth With Down Syndrome

People with Down syndrome (DS) commonly experience challenges with sleep, executive functioning, everyday memory, and symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A path analysis was conducted to determine if executive function mediated the relationship between sleep problems and both everyday memory and ADHD symptoms. Parents of 96 children and youth with DS completed questionnaires related to sleep, executive functioning, everyday memory, and ADHD symptoms. Results showed that executive functioning fully mediated the relation between sleep and both everyday memory and ADHD symptoms. Implications for education and intervention for children and youth with DS are discussed.

Developing Prediction Model for Children’s Social Competence Using Machine Learning

Objectives: This study aims to identify the types of latent classes of children’s social competence, and to develop a model using machine learning to predict the type and identify relatively important variables.Methods: Data were collected from 466 children aged three to five years and their mothers. Children’s social competence was classified by level. Latent class analysis, machine learning model construction, and performance evaluation were performed using R 3.6.1 and R-Studio 1.2.5033. The machine learning algorithms used were logistic regression, lasso logistic regression, random forest, and gradient-boosted decision tree models.Results: First, according to the characteristics of the latent class of children’s social competence, it was classified into two types: ‘high level’ and ‘low level’. Second, a machine learning algorithm was applied according to the latent class. The best performing model was the random forest model. Third, the most important variable in predicting the social competence type was identified as ‘harm avoidance’ in the children’s temperament. Fourth, another major variable was a ‘shift’ in the children’s executive functions.Conclusion: This study is meaningful as it suggests the possibility of predicting and discriminating children’s social competence and various developmental aspects by applying machine learning, the latest technique, to predict the types of children’s social competence.

Preschoolers’ Sleep Problems and Peer Competence: The Mediating Effect of Emotion Regulation

Objectives: This study investigated the relationship between preschoolers’ sleep problems, emotion regulation, and peer competence. Specifically, this study examined the mediating role of emotion regulation in the relationship between sleep problems and peer competence in preschoolers.Methods: The study group consisted of 194 preschoolers, aged 4-5 years (84 boys, 110 girls). Their mothers responded to questionnaires on their preschool children’s sleep problems, emotion regulation, and peer competence. Data were analyzed using frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, and correlation analysis with SPSS 22.0. PROCESS macro version 3.4 (Hayes, 2017) was used to analyze the mediating effect.Results: First, preschoolers’ sleep problems had a negative effect on peer competence when emotion regulation was not considered as a mediator; that is, preschoolers who experienced frequent sleep problems showed low peer competence. Second, preschoolers’ sleep problems did not directly affect peer competence when emotion regulation was considered as a mediator. Preschoolers’ sleep problems had only an indirect effect on peer competence through emotion regulation. That is, preschoolers who experienced many sleep problems did not control their emotions well, leading to low peer competence.Conclusion: This study confirmed the importance of sleep by revealing how preschoolers’ sleep problems influence their socioemotional development. The results of this study suggest that preschoolers should have sufficient, high-quality sleep to function better socially and emotionally. Health and parenting educators can utilize these findings in developing and implementing parent education programs that emphasize the importance of building healthy sleep habits for preschoolers.

The Reciprocal Longitudinal Relationship between Executive Dysfunction and Happiness in Korean Children

The goal of this study was to examine the reciprocal longitudinal relationships between executive dysfunction and happiness for Korean children. We used data from the Panel Study of Korean Children (PSKC) conducted by the Korean Institute of Child Care and Education. A total of 1240 valid responses from the first to third grade in elementary school were analyzed using autoregressive crossed-lagged modeling. As a result, executive dysfunction and happiness were found to have reciprocal influences over the three time points. We also found that the cross-lagged effects of executive dysfunction and happiness were stronger than those of happiness on executive dysfunction. Clinical implications and limitations were discussed.