Future, Volume 3, Issue 2 (June 2025) – 8 articles

Child and adolescent health plays a critical role in shaping future public health and intergenerational outcomes. In China, rising rates of myopia, obesity, mental health issues, and other common conditions highlight the need for continuous monitoring. Since 2016, the Chinese National Surveillance on Students’ Common Diseases and Risk Factors (CNSSCDRF) has provided comprehensive, nationwide data on student health. By 2022, the system had expanded to nearly all counties, tracking key indicators such as vision problems, overweight/obesity, dental caries, and health-risk behaviors across multiple administrative levels. This review outlines the surveillance methodology, including sampling, data collection, and analysis. Findings have directly informed school health policies and technical guidelines, supporting national goals such as those in the Healthy China 2030 Plan. Full article

(1) Background: Adolescent health and well-being are associated with sports and physical education activities. Novel therapies for athletics training, sporting formations, and physical culture are important. In areas where sports facilities are scarce and not cost-effective, they can lead to poorer physical and mental well-being in adolescents. Emotions related to sports, somatic anxiety, worry, and concentration disruption aligned with task and ego orientation have been under-researched in Pakistan. (2) Methods: A sample of 830 adolescents between the ages of 14 and 19 years were recruited from Pakistan’s sports training center through purposive sampling. Sport-specific emotions, anxiety, task and ego orientation, and coaching athlete purpose (CAP) were measured. (3) Results: Regression analysis showed that different dimensions of sports anxiety (somatic trait anxiety, worry, and concentration disruption) have a significant effect on the task and ego orientation of sports education students. The Hayes process macro analysis shows that CAP significantly mediates between sports emotions and orientation. (4) Conclusions: It is important to introduce Rational Emotive Behavior Coaching and integrate ontological health and well-being for coaching in the sports field. Full article

Despite growing concern, there is limited comprehensive and up-to-date research on the burden, disparities, and inequalities of depressive disorders in the Western Pacific region. We obtained data from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD; 2021) for the Western Pacific region. We reported the prevalence and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) rates of depressive disorders from 1990 to 2021. Our results showed that the prevalence of depressive disorders in the Western Pacific region was 1723.1 per 100,000 people (95% UI: 1359.2–2164.9), contributing to 1057.3 DALYs per 100,000 (95% UI: 683.0–1551.8). From 1990 to 2021, the burden of depressive disorders initially decreased but then increased, with Japan, Malaysia, and South Korea seeing the most significant rise. The burden grew with age, especially in the 10–14 age group, and exhibited significant sex disparities, especially in this age group. Among 31 countries, those with higher UHC scored had higher prevalence rates, but the gap between high- and low-UHC countries has decreased over time, indicating that countries with lower UHC might face greater challenges in the future. Our results highlight the differences in burden by sex and age call for targeted policies and interventions to promote youth mental health. Accelerating universal health coverage could be a key strategy to further reduce this high burden. Full article

This study investigates the dropout risk among first- and second-year high school students in the peripheral areas of Southern Italy, where the dropout rates are extremely high. It focuses on individual and relational factors associated with dropout, analyzing data from 645 students (M_age = 14.64) who completed a self-report questionnaire. The examined variables include self-efficacy, amotivation, future orientation, peer relationships, and students’ trust in teachers. Hierarchical regressions assessed the influence of grade levels on these dimensions. Our findings show a positive developmental trend in second-year students, including higher self-efficacy, better peer relationships, and reduced intentions to drop out. However, trust in teachers declines during this transition. Moreover, relationships with teachers show no significant improvement across grades. Therefore, this study underscores the importance of fostering trust between students and teachers as a protective factor against dropout. It also reveals the need for interventions targeting both students and the educational environment to improve teacher–student relationships and support students’ educational aspirations. By addressing these relational aspects, stakeholders can better mitigate dropout risks and promote school engagement during critical transitions in adolescence. Full article

Youth use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes or vaping) has skyrocketed in recent years, resulting in a youth vaping epidemic. To combat this epidemic, a coalition of U.S.-based researchers created the Rapidly Advancing Discovery to Arrest the Outbreak of Youth Vaping (VapeRace) Center to stop youth e-cigarette use through integration of research across basic, clinical, behavioral, and population-based domains. Because most research on youth vaping is researcher-driven, the VapeRace Community Engagement and Research Translation (CERT) Core was created to facilitate stakeholder input and engagement with Center activities to develop partnerships between VapeRace researchers, youth, and the community. To help achieve these goals, a VapeRace Youth Advisory Council (YAC) was formed. This article describes the development and implementation of the VapeRace YAC, details its outcomes, and offers lessons learned and future recommendations for similar youth advisory groups. Full article

The concurrent rise in multiple health conditions among students, including myopia, obesity, spinal curvature abnormalities, and mental health disorders, represents a critical public health challenge. These interconnected health issues necessitate comprehensive prevention strategies that simultaneously address multiple conditions through synchronized behavioral and environmental interventions. In response to this need, the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration issued the Technical Guidelines for Co-Prevention of Common Diseases in Students on 30 April 2024, marking a significant advancement in China’s student health protection initiatives. The guidelines establish three core strategic priorities: enhancing surveillance of shared risk factors, implementing a systematic tiered approach to public health interventions, and developing an integrated, multisector prevention framework. This evidence-based, comprehensive initiative provides practical solutions for preventing comorbidities and enhancing overall student health outcomes. Further research is warranted to assess long-term effectiveness, explore regional implementation challenges, and support the development of standardized monitoring and evaluation systems. Full article

Background: It remains unclear whether adherence to the 24-hour movement guidelines is beneficial for children with mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders (MBDDs). Methods: The results of the 2016–2020 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) in the U.S. were used in this study. All types of MBDDs, adherence to the different movement guidelines (physical activity [PA], screen time [ST], and sleep), and various health indicators (general physical health, emotional regulation, cognitive and social functioning) were parent-reported. Weighted logistic regression models were used to assess the associations between adherence to the 24-hour movement guidelines and health indicators in children with and without MBDDs. Results: The majority of children with MBDDs had a lower weighted proportion of meeting the PA, ST, and sleep guidelines compared to those without MBDDs (all p values < 0.05). Less than half of the associations between adherence to the 24-hour movement guidelines and the different health indicators were significant among children with MBDDs, while the associations were all significant among children without MBDDs (ORs ranged 1.22–2.10, all p values < 0.05). When there were no between-group differences in the statistically significant associations between guideline adherence and health indicators (e.g., sleep guideline and general physical health), children with specific MBDDs can achieve comparable health benefits through adherence to the 24-hour movement guidelines (e.g., children with emotional disorders or developmental disorders experience better general physical health through adherence to the sleep guideline). Conclusion: We highlight the prioritization of the 24-hour guidelines for different health indicators among children with various MBDDs, and children with certain MBDDs could attain similar health benefits as those without these conditions by adhering to the 24-hour movement guidelines. Full article

The migration experience of unaccompanied foreign minors (UFMs) has significant emotional and cognitive implications. The present research explores the way in which migration trauma influences the cognitive and emotional development of UFMs, contextualizing the current situation of this population in relation to migration trauma and neuroeducation. This study aimed to understand these impacts by examining the lived experiences of UFMs. An interpretative paradigm was adopted alongside a qualitative methodological approach, employing a collective case study technique to explore individual narratives in depth. The present findings highlight links between migratory trauma and cognitive and emotional development through a neuroeducational lens. Emphasis was placed on the importance of understanding the unique experience of each child and the critical role of professional support in mitigating the adverse effects of migration trauma. Full article