Search Results (9)

Background: A growing body of research supports the role of the microbial communities residing in the digestive system in the host’s cognitive functioning. Most of these studies have been focused on the gut microbiome and its association with clinical phenotypes in middle-aged and older adults. There is an insufficiency of population-based research exploring the association of normative cognitive functioning with the microbiome particularly with the oral microbiota. Methods: In this study, using metagenomics and metabolomics, we characterized the salivary microbiome diversity in a sample of 51 males of Hispanic and African American origin aged 12–18 years and explored the associations between the microbiome and the youths’ cognitive performance captured with the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children II (KABC-II). Results: Several bacterial species of the oral microbiota and related metabolic pathways were associated with cognitive function. In particular, we found negative associations between indicators of general intelligence and the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and Lachnospiraceae and positive associations with Bifidobacteriaceae and Prevotella histicola sp. Among metabolic pathways, the super pathways related to bacterial cell division and GABA metabolism were linked to cognitive function. Conclusions: The results of our work are consistent with the literature reporting on the association between microbiota and cognitive function and support further population work to elucidate the potential for a healthy oral microbiome to improve cognitive health. Full article

This article examined the underrepresentation of Black characters in children’s picture books, particularly in natural settings, and its effect on Black children’s relationship with nature. Through an analysis of four contemporary picture books, the study revealed how visual depictions challenge these exclusions and expand narratives about Black engagement with the natural world. Utilizing visual semiotics and the theory of Black Aliveness, this research underscores the transformative power of illustrations by Black artists in enriching children’s literature and advancing joy. Full article

From 1970 until 1974, the Council on Interracial Children’s Books (CIBC) ran the Arts and Storytelling in the Streets program throughout New York City. This program involved African American and Puerto Rican artists and storytellers bringing children’s literature directly to children in the streets. This occurred amid a rise in African American children’s literature and educational upheavals in the city as local communities demanded oversight of their schools. Originating in the Ocean Hill-Brownsville district in New York City, the Arts and Storytelling on the Streets program helps to underscore the interrelation between African American children’s literature and educational activism. This article examines how storytelling sessions run by authors and illustrators became extensions of African American children’s literature and educational activism in the city as Black American children’s books became key tools in a fight for a more representative and relevant education. Storytelling teams hoped to use African American children’s literature to help engage children in reading and provide a positive association with literature among local children. The Art and Storytelling program mirrored ideas and themes within African American children’s literature including Black pride, community strength, and resisting white supremacy. The program also became a key extension of the literature as the locations, storytellers, and the audiences all helped to expand upon the impact and many meanings inherent in contemporary African American children’s literature. Full article

Lorenz Graham wrote two children’s books about the (in)famous abolitionist, John Brown—a picture book, John Brown’s Raid: A Picture History of the Attack on Harper’s Ferry, Virginia (1972) and a biography for young adults, John Brown: A Cry for Freedom (1980). Both books recount a history of Brown’s life and antislavery work, situated within Brown’s African American context and recounted from a Black perspective. While Graham’s books are exceptional in their extended treatment of this historic figure for a child audience, they are not unprecedented. This essay situates Graham’s children’s biographies of Brown in the long history of Black writers’ work on him—for both adults and children. Reading Graham’s John Brown in this context shows how Graham follows familiar traditions for encountering Brown within the larger context of Black freedom struggles. Graham’s books follow a rich tradition of presenting him to Black children. Full article

Oral health is a vital component of overall health. Children from underserved, minoritized populations (i.e., Black/African Americans, autistic children) are at even greater risk for experiencing oral health disparities. This study aims to illuminate the oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Black/African American caregivers of autistic and non-autistic children. Black/African American caregivers of children (4-to-14 years) on the autism spectrum (n = 65) or not on the autism spectrum (n = 60), participated in a survey, with input from literature reviews, interviews, previous research, and reviews by experts. Caregivers demonstrated basic knowledge of oral health with significantly lower scores for caregivers of autistic children. Caregivers care about oral health and would like to increase their knowledge. Significant differences in oral care practices were found between the autistic and non-autistic groups. Caregivers reported they can access dental services with relative ease, including finding their child a dentist, scheduling a dental appointment, and accessing transportation (personal or public) to attend the visit. Black/African American caregivers of autistic children and children without autism seem to have foundational knowledge about oral health and basic practices; however, they are interested in learning more. Therefore, tailored oral health education programs may help mitigate oral health disparities for Black/African American families. Full article

Background: Physical activity (PA) has been identified as a promising intervention to improve executive function (EF) and reduce ADHD symptoms in children. Few African American children with ADHD and Disruptive Behavior Disorders (DBDs) from families with low incomes are represented in this literature. The purpose of this study is to test the relationships between PA and sedentary time (ST), and EF and academic skills among African American children with ADHD and DBD from low-income families. Methods: Children (n = 23, 6–13 years old) wore an ActiGraph for one week to measure PA and ST. EF was measured through parent report and direct neuropsychological tests. Academic skills were measured with the Curriculum-Based Measurement System. Bivariate correlations tested relationships between PA, ST, EF, and academic skills. Results: A significant correlation was observed between vigorous PA time and parent reported EF (r = −0.46, p = 0.040). Light PA and moderate PA were not related to EF or academic skills, and neither was ST. Conclusions: Vigorous PA may prove useful as an adjunct treatment to improve EF in African American children with ADHD and DBD in low-income neighborhoods. Research using experimental and longitudinal designs, and examining qualitative features of PA experiences, will be critical for understanding relationships between PA, academic skills, and EF in this population. Full article

Oral health is an important yet often neglected component of overall health, linked to heart disease, stroke, and diabetic complications. Disparities exist for many groups, including racial and ethnic minorities such as African Americans. The purpose of this study was to examine the potential factors that perpetuate oral health care disparities in African American children in the United States. A systematic search of three literature databases produced 795 articles; 23 articles were included in the final review. Articles were analyzed using a template coding approach based on the social ecological model. The review identified structural, sociocultural, and familial factors that impact the ability of African Americans to utilize oral care services, highlighting the importance of the parent/caregiver role and the patient–provider relationship; policy-level processes that impact access to quality care; the value of autonomy in treatment and prevention options; and the impact of sociocultural factors on food choices (e.g., food deserts, gestures of affection). In conclusion, oral health care remains an underutilized service by African American children, despite increasing access to oral care secondary to improvements in insurance coverage and community-based programs. Full article

Objective: To design and validate a literature-derived, population-based Children’s Dietary Inflammatory Index (C-DII)^TM. Design: The C-DII was developed based on a review of literature through 2010. Dietary data obtained from children in 16 different countries were used to create a reference database for computing C-DII scores based on consumption of macronutrients, vitamins, minerals, and whole foods. Construct validation was performed using quantile regression to assess the association between C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations and C-DII scores. Data Sources: All data used for construct validation were obtained from children between six and 14 years of age (n = 3300) who participated in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (2005–2010). Results: The C-DII was successfully validated with blood CRP concentrations in this heterogeneous sample of 3300 children from NHANES (52% male; 29% African American, 25% Mexican American; mean age 11 years). The final model was adjusted for sex, age, race, asthma, body mass index (BMI), and infections. Children in level 3 (i.e., quartiles 3 and 4 combined) of the C-DII (i.e., children with the most pro-inflammatory diets) had a CRP value 0.097 mg/dL higher than that in level 1 (i.e., quartile 1) for CRP values at the 75th percentile of CRP using quantile regression (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The C-DII predicted blood CRP concentrations among children 6–14 years in the NHANES. Further construct validation with CRP and other inflammatory markers is required to deepen understanding of the relationship between the C-DII and markers of inflammation in children. Full article

This article reports on the design, development, testing and presentation of preliminary evidence of a translational, culturally relevant parenting education model, titled Smart and Secured Children (SSC). SSC, a quality parenting curriculum, prepares disparate African American parents as leaders for transforming their parenting behaviors and leading their peers and community in changing existing parenting culture. The article recommends expanded utility of identified promising processes, approaches and practices to engage African American parents to lead in addressing health inequity conditions in their families and communities. It adds to the growing scientific literature on the association between parent–child relationship quality and a wide variety of children physical, emotional and social outcomes. SSC applied principles of developmental theories; community based participatory research (CBPR), and iterative Delphi method between the community stakeholders, parents and researchers. The delivery approach of SSC was revamped from professional-led to parent-led content presentation and delivery methods using a conversational learning approach, referred to as ‘conversepedia’. Parents’ leadership development training and delivery of this curriculum in social supportive groups improved their mental wellbeing, parenting capacity and leadership skills. Parents do matter and can choose positive influence in their lives and are capable of reversing negative peer influence. Full article