Future, Volume 2, Issue 4 (December 2024) – 3 articles

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the New Jersey Safe Schools Program (NJSS) surveyed a subset of newer NJ high school (HS) teachers who completed NJSS work-based learning supervisory trainings from October 2021 to June 2023. The purpose of this study was to gain insight on NJ HS teacher perceptions of school provided mental health services, and well-being supports received during the COVID-19 pandemic. Via online surveys, teachers anonymously identified who should be responsible for supporting mental well-being in schools, satisfaction with existing mental health services, and self-care practices implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the 114 HS teachers surveyed, nearly 70% would recommend existing school mental health services to colleagues, 53% would like an increase in mental health and counseling services available at their school, and 44% would like their schools to improve mental health literacy. This study presents insight into the needs teachers expressed for appropriate school mental health support and services. Data will inform guidance for how to better address identified needs, including employee wellness, and creating positive social and emotional school environments. School districts should prioritize the implementation of suitable and equitable school-based mental health services to teachers and students alike to promote healthy and productive school environments. Full article

Background: While both high birth weight and childhood overweight/obesity have been associated with a heightened risk of high blood pressure (BP) during childhood, the association between weight status change from birth to childhood and the risk of high BP has not been fully explored. This study aimed to investigate how changes in weight status from birth to childhood influence the development of high BP in childhood. Methods: The data for this study were obtained from the baseline survey of the Huantai Childhood Cardiovascular Health Cohort Study, which included 1237 children aged 6 to 11. Children with a birth weight under 2500 g or a body mass index (BMI) below the fifth percentile for their age and sex during childhood were excluded. Based on birth weight (high birth weight [>4000 g] vs. healthy [≤4000 g]) and childhood weight status (overweight [including obesity] vs. healthy weight), participants were categorized into four groups: consistently healthy weight, weight decrease, weight increase, and consistently excess weight. Results: Compared to children who maintained a healthy weight from birth to childhood, higher odds of childhood high BP was observed among those with consistently excess weight (odds ratio [OR] = 2.73, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.46–5.12) and those with a weight increase (OR = 2.77, 95% CI = 1.91–4.02). In contrast, children with a weight decrease did not exhibit significantly higher odds of childhood high BP (OR = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.36–2.45). Conclusion: Children who become overweight in childhood or who consistently had excess weight from birth were at higher risk of childhood high BP. However, the risk of high BP in childhood may be mitigated or eliminated in individuals with high birth weight who achieve a healthy weight by childhood. Full article

Background: Previous studies reported screen time in association with unhealthy dietary behaviors, such as excessive intake of sugar-sweetened beverages leading to dental caries. Thus, we aimed to explore the association between screen time on mobile devices and dental caries experience in adolescents, as well as whether sugar-sweetened beverages would mediate the association. Methods: We analyzed 24,374 junior and senior high school students of age 12 to 17 years from the 2021 “Surveillance for common diseases and health risk factors among students” Project in Jiangsu Province of China. Dental caries experience was determined by the designated dentists. Screen time and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages were self-reported and treated as a priori risk. We employed an instrumental variable (IV) approach for the current cross-sectional setting. We used the lasso technique to shortlist covariates from a range of confounding factors. Binary logistic regression or ordered logistic regression was performed where appropriate to explore the associations of screen time on mobile devices with dental caries and sugar-sweetened beverages. Results: The prevalence rate of dental caries was 38.4% in the study population. In comparison with <2 h/d screen time on mobile devices, extended screen time (≥2 h/d) was associated with higher dental caries risk (coefficient: 1.27, 95%; confidence interval: 0.80–1.75). Mediation analysis suggested that sugar-sweetened beverage intake might be an independent risk factor for dental caries, instead of the mediator between screen time on mobile devices and dental caries. None of the interaction terms under investigation was statistically significant. Conclusions: Exposure to mobile device screens and sugar-sweetened beverages was associated with dental caries in adolescents. These findings highlighted the importance of increasing awareness of potential risks owing to mobile device usage and sugar-sweetened beverages and the necessity to develop appropriate intervention strategies for school-aged adolescents. Full article