Publications

This systematic review examined the associations between sleep and brain functions and structures in children and adolescents aged 1–17 ys. Included studies (n = 24) were peer-reviewed and met the a priori determined population (apparently healthy children and adolescents aged 1 y to 17 ys), intervention/exposure/comparator (various sleep characteristics including duration, architecture, quality, timing), and outcome criteria (brain functions and/or brain structures, excluding cognitive function outcomes). Collectively, the reviewed studies report some relationships between inadequate sleep and resultant differences in brain functions or structures. Although the research presented supports and offers more insight into the importance of sleep for the developing brain of children and adolescents, no firm conclusions that apply broadly may be drawn from these results, particularly because of the diversity of the sleep variables and outcomes. However, it is clear that sleeping habits in the pediatric population should be prioritized. Health care providers should continue to recommend healthy sleep practices and adequate time for sleep, as they are essential for overall health, including brain health.

Risky outdoor play has been associated with promoting children’s health and development, but also with injury and death. Risky outdoor play has diminished over time, concurrent with increasing concerns regarding child safety and emphasis on injury prevention. We sought to conduct a systematic review to examine the relationship between risky outdoor play and health in children, in order to inform the debate regarding its benefits and harms. We identified and evaluated 21 relevant papers for quality using the GRADE framework. Included articles addressed the effect on health indicators and behaviours from three types of risky play, as well as risky play supportive environments. The systematic review revealed overall positive effects of risky outdoor play on a variety of health indicators and behaviours, most commonly physical activity, but also social health and behaviours, injuries, and aggression. The review indicated the need for additional “good quality” studies; however, we note that even in the face of the generally exclusionary systematic review process, our findings support the promotion of risky outdoor play for healthy child development. These positive results with the marked reduction in risky outdoor play opportunities in recent generations indicate the need to encourage action to support children’s risky outdoor play opportunities. Policy and practice precedents and recommendations for action are discussed.

/Objective: The Active Healthy Kids 2019 Hong Kong Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth with Special Educational Needs (SEN) provides evidence-based assessments for nine indicators of physical activity behaviors and related sources of influence for 6- to 17-year-olds with SEN in Hong Kong. This is the first Report Card for this population group in Hong Kong.

No abstract is provided for this article.

Background and objectives Temperament may be associated with eating behaviors over the lifespan. This study examined the association of toddlerhood temperament with dietary behavior and dietary intervention outcomes across 18 years. Methods The study comprised 660 children (52% boys) from The Special Turku Intervention Project (STRIP), which is a longitudinal randomized controlled trial from the age of 7 months until the age of 20 years (1990–2010). Temperament was assessed using Carey temperament scales when the participants were 2 years of age. Latent profile analysis yielded three temperament groups, which were called negative/low regulation (19% of the children), neutral/average regulation (52%) and positive/high regulation (28%). Dietary behavior was examined from 2 to 20 years of age using food records, which were converted into a diet score (mean = 15.7, SD 4.6). Mixed random-intercept growth curve analysis was the main analytic method. Results Dietary behavior showed a significant quadratic U-shaped curve over time (B for quadratic association = 0.39, P<.001; B for linear association = 0.09, P = 0.58). Children in the negative/low regulation temperament group had a lower diet score (less healthy diet) across the 18 years compared to children in the neutral/average or in the positive/high regulation group. Temperament was not associated with the rate of change in diet over time. Temperament did not have any interactive effects with the intervention (F [2, 627], P = 0.72). Conclusion Children with a temperament profile characterized by high negative mood, high irregularity and high intensity in emotion expression constitute a risk group for less healthy eating over the lifespan.

To examine 1) multidimensional sleep profiles in pre-schoolers (3-6 years) across geocultural regions and 2) differences in sleep characteristics and family practices between Majority World regions (Pacific Islands, Sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, Latin America) and the Minority World (the Western world). Participants were 3507 pre-schoolers from 37 countries. Nighttime sleep characteristics and nap duration (accelerometer: n=1950) and family practices (parental questionnaire) were measured. Mixed models were used to estimate the marginal means of sleep characteristics by region and examine the differences. Geocultural region explained up to 30% of variance in sleep characteristics. A pattern of short nighttime sleep duration, low sleep efficiency, and long nap duration was observed in Eastern Europe, Northeast Asia, and Southeast Asia. The second pattern, with later sleep midpoints and greater night-to-night sleep variability, was observed in South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, and Latin America. Compared to the Minority World, less optimal sleep characteristics were observed in several Majority World regions, with medium-to-large effect sizes (∣d∣=0.48-2.35). Several Majority World regions reported more frequent parental smartphone use during bedtime routines (Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia: 0.77-0.99 units) and were more likely to have electronic devices in children's bedroom (Eastern Europe, Latin America, South Asia: OR=5.97-16.57) and co-sleeping arrangement (Asia, Latin America: OR=7.05-49.86), compared to the Minority World. Pre-schoolers' sleep profiles and related family practices vary across geocultural regions, which should be considered in sleep health promotion initiatives and policies.

Introduction: Political orientation is known to influence health behaviors and policy support. This study examined the implications of political orientation on the social climate of physical activity (PA) and policy support addressing both climate change and PA (i.e., climate–health co-benefits) in Canada. Materials and Methods: Based on the Social Climate Survey 2.0 (18 years+) data, study variables included political orientation (liberal/centrist/conservative), perceived importance of PA, adherence to PA guidelines, causal attributions of physical inactivity, and support for health co-benefits policy actions. Logistic and mediation analyses were performed. Results: Among 1,717 adults, no associations were observed between political orientation and perceived importance of PA or PA guideline adherence. Compared to liberals, both centrists (OR: 1.63, 95 %CI: 1.25–2.08) and conservatives (OR: 1.76, 95 %CI: 1.33–2.32) attributed physical inactivity to individual responsibility. Regarding the endorsement of eight climate–health co-benefits policy actions, centrists (ORs: 0.53–0.66) and conservatives were less likely to support such actions (ORs: 0.27–0.48), compared to liberals, which were partially explained by the attribution of causes for physical inactivity, among conservatives only. Discussions: Most Canadian adults recognized the importance of PA. Support for climate-health co-benefit policies varied by political orientation, with centrists showing mixed support—favoring cost-effective policy actions. Causal beliefs appear to be associated with lower support for policy actions among conservatives. Conclusion: Tailoring public health messages, policy advocacy strategies, and investment priorities to align with varying political orientations may be important for addressing climate–health co-benefits and its broader public health implications in Canada.

No abstract is provided for this article.

PURPOSE: To determine if within-country sex differences in 20-meter shuttle run test (20mSRT) performance are related to global gender inequality indices. METHODS: A systematic review was carried out to identify studies that reported 20mSRT descriptive data on apparently healthy children and youth aged 9 to 17 years. Descriptive data were standardized to running speed (km/h) at the last completed stage. Within-country 20mSRT performance for girls and boys were calculated as population-weighted mean z-scores relative to children of the same age from all countries. Within-country population-weighted mean z-scores for girls and boys were subtracted to represent the mean z-score sex difference in 20mSRT performance for each country, described as Zdiff. Five gender inequality indices were identified as potentially relevant in describing sex differences in 20mSRT performance across countries (i.e., Gender Equity Index, Gender Empowerment Measure, Global Gender Gap Index, Gender Inequality Index, and Social Institutions and Gender Index). Pearson’s correlations were calculated to describe the associations between Zdiff and indices of gender inequality. RESULTS: Sex-specific z-scores were calculated from 1,141,514 children and youth (48% female). Within-country 20mSRT performance of girls and boys were very strongly correlated (r=0.92; 95%CI: 0.87, 0.96).The sex differences in performance (Zdiff) were calculated for 45 countries representing five continents. The mean Zdiff was 0.04 ± 0.23 with values ranging from -0.48 (girls had a better 20mSRT mean z-score relative to boys) to 0.67 (boys had a better 20mSRT mean z-score relative to girls) standardized units across the 45 country sample. Zdiff across countries were moderately and negatively correlated with the Global Gender Gap index (r=-0.42; 95%CI: -0.65, -0.12). Correlations across all other indices were of low-to-moderate strength, ranging from r=-0.23 (95%CI: -0.46, 0.11) to r=0.25 (95%CI: -0.05, 0.52). CONCLUSIONS: Although various indices measure gender inequality, it appears that the underlying constructs of these indices vary substantially. Furthermore, gender inequality does not fully explain sex differences in 20mSRT performance, and other broad country-level aspects may better explain the differences between boys and girls.

Background: To accommodate the need for longitudinal physical activity research, we developed the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adults (PAQ-AD). The PAQ-AD is an adult version of the PAQ-C and PAQ-A questionnaires which were developed for older children and adolescents, respectively. Methods: Two studies assessed the convergent validity of the PAQ-AD using a series of self-report tools and direct measurement of physical activity. Results: In the first sample ( N = 247), the PAQ-AD was significantly related to a series of self-report tools ( r = 0.53 to 0.64). In the second sample ( N = 184), the PAQ-AD was significantly related to the self-report tools ( r = 0.56 to 0.63), a physical activity recall interview ( r = 0.24), and to direct measurements of physical activity ( r = 0.26 to 0.43). Conclusion: These results provide preliminary validity evidence for the PAQ-AD and suggest the PAQ “family” of questionnaires might be advantageous for longitudinal research assessing physical activity from childhood to adulthood.

No abstract is provided for this article.

No abstract is provided for this article.