Search Results (27)

Background/Objectives: Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) affect children’s daily activities and overall performance due to gastrointestinal symptoms. This study assesses the prevalence and types of FGIDs in children living in Jeddah City and its countryside. It also examines factors that contribute to the incidence of these disorders and their impact on children’s lifestyles. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 285 mothers of preschool children enrolled in kindergartens during the academic year 2020–2021. The Rome IV Diagnostic Questionnaire was sent out online through kindergartens to be filled out by the children’s mothers. The questionnaire assessed the prevalence of FGIDs subjectively through symptoms and their frequency. Results: Among the 285 participants, 9% (n = 27) fit the diagnostic criteria for FGIDs. Common FGIDs included functional constipation, 3.5% (n = 10); postprandial distress syndrome, 2.4% (n = 7); functional abdominal pain—not otherwise specified, 1% (n = 3); and functional epigastric pain, 0.7% (n = 2). Significant risk factors for developing FGIDs among the children in the sample included being a preterm baby (p < 0.01), being previously diagnosed with a gastrointestinal condition (p < 0.010), having a family history of diarrhea or nausea and vomiting (p < 0.001 and p < 0.01, respectively), skipping lunch at kindergarten (p < 0.01), and having pre-existing food allergies (p < 0.01). Conclusions: FGIDs were prevalent among 9% of children in Jeddah City and its countryside. Functional constipation was the most common disorder. Factors associated with FGIDs in children included preterm birth, being previously diagnosed with a GI condition, a family history of gastrointestinal conditions, irregular eating habits, and food allergies. Full article

Background: The World Health Organisation (WHO) included silver diamine fluoride (SDF) in the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines for the management of early childhood caries. SDF is typically available as a 38% aqueous solution, which is watery to apply. A 38% SDF gel has recently been developed, but its caries-arrest effectiveness remains unsubstantiated. The objective of this study is to determine whether the efficacy of a 38% SDF gel is non-inferior to a 38% SDF solution in arresting early childhood caries. Methods: This is a 30-month, randomised, active-controlled, parallel-group non-inferiority pragmatic clinical trial with two arms. The hypothesis is that the 38% SDF gel is not worse than the 38% SDF solution by a non-inferiority margin of 10% caries-arrest rate when applied semi-annually to preschool children. This trial will recruit 630 3-year-old kindergarten children through block randomisation to receive either an application of SDF gel or SDF solution on cavitated carious lesions in their primary teeth every 6 months. The primary outcome is the proportion of soft (active) carious tooth surfaces that turn hard (arrested) at the 30-month follow-up. The same calibrated dentist will conduct 6-monthly dental examinations in the kindergartens to assess the status of carious lesions over 30 months. The examiner, the children, and parents will be blinded to treatments. The parents will be surveyed on their child’s oral health-related behaviours and socioeconomic background to allow adjustment for effect modification. Results: If the anticipated results are obtained, clinicians can use the 38% SDF gel as an alternative of the 38% SDF solution in arresting early childhood caries. Conclusions: As SDF gel is cost-effective, non-invasive, and non-aerosol-generating, it can be widely recommended for caries control. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06241261. Registered on 7 February 2024. Full article

Parvovirus B19 (B19V) infection is the cause of erythema infectiosum, or the “fifth disease”, a widespread infection, potentially affecting 1–5% of pregnant women, in most cases without significant damage to the pregnancy or fetus. It follows a seasonal variation, with a higher prevalence in temperate climates, mainly in late winter and early spring. Women at increased risk include mothers of preschool and school-age children, and those working in nurseries, kindergartens, and schools. Vertical transmission occurs in 33% to 51% of cases of maternal infection. Parvovirus infection is an important cause of fetal perinatal infection resulting in increased morbidity through the development of fetal anemia, heart failure, and non-immune hydrops. A comprehensive literature review was conducted using PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar, focusing on publications from the last 10 years and prioritizing studies related to parvovirus B19 infection in pregnancy. We summarized the existing data in the literature on the effects of parvovirus B19 infection during pregnancy and weighed if there is a need for screening in pregnant patients. Routine screening for parvovirus B19 infection can be considered in communities where infection is common, there is occupational exposure, or during endemic periods, with the reason being that accurate identification and treatment of fetuses affected by congenital B19V infection have been shown to improve perinatal outcomes. Full article

Informal e-waste recycling can cause serious heavy metal(loid) pollution to nearby bodies of water, thereby increasing the risk of heavy metal exposure to local residents. This study investigates metal(loid) pollution levels in the Lianjiang River, which flows through Guiyu, an e-waste recycling town in Shantou, Guangdong. In 2009 and 2020, water samples from the Lianjiang River were taken, and the levels of 12 metal(loid)s (V, Cr, Mn, Sr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Cd, Ba, and Pb) were measured by ICP-MS. In total, 380 valid questionnaires from Guiyu kindergarten children were selected to assess child health. Exposure health risks for children were calculated using two forms of exposure (dermal and inhalation) and statistical methods (multiple linear regression and Bayesian kernel machine regression—BKMR). The concentrations of Mn, Ni, Pb, and Cd in 2009 were significantly higher than those in 2020. The concentration of heavy metal(loid)s had been decreasing in 2020. The non-carcinogenic risk levels of the 12 metal(loid)s in both exposure routes were at an acceptable risk level. The average carcinogenic risk levels for As, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Cd exceeded the ILCRi <10–6 acceptable range. According to MLR, it was found that daily oral intake doses of Pb [β(95% CI): −0.949 (−1.596, −0.863), p < 0.001 and Se [β(95% CI): −0.911 (−1.888, −0.092), p = 0.031] were negatively associated with body mass index. A BKMR model was developed, through which the synergistic effects of co-exposure to 12 heavy metal(loid)s on growth and development indicators in children were analyzed. Concentrations of heavy metal(loid)s in rivers near e-waste recycling sites have been decreasing for 10 years. It was found that the growth and development of children are affected by the intake of heavy metal(loid)s in water. The reduction in heavy metal(loid) contamination in e-waste recycling areas needs to be continued, and concern about its impact on children’s health must remain. Full article

Background: Normative data on hand and precision grip strengths are essential for evaluating the level of development, the efficacy of rehabilitation, and treatment results. The need for established norms of grip strength in Polish children is one of the problems that Polish physiotherapists and physicians face when treating upper limbs. The aim was to establish normative values of hand and precision grips strengths in Polish children and adolescents aged 3–19. Methods: In the years 2012–2023, a sample of 358 children and adolescents with no history of upper limb injuries or congenital upper extremity defects were randomly chosen from kindergartens, primary schools, middle schools, and high schools. They were living in urban agglomerations and in smaller towns or villages. Hand and precision grips like the pincer, three-point, side, and opposition grip strength were assessed using a hand dynamometer and pinchmeter in standard positions. Results: The strength in all types of examined hand grips increases with chronological age in both genders. The grip strength was higher in the boys’ group than in the girls’ and it was higher in the right hand than in the left, but the difference was no more greater than 10%. Detailed data with standard deviation were presented in the form of a table, divided by age and sex. Conclusions: Norms for grip strength were provided for Polish children and adolescents aged 3–19, allowing therapists and physicians to compare Polish patients with that of normally developed, healthy children of the same age and sex. Full article

Developing physical fitness (PF) behaviors early in life enhances physical development and facilitates sustained participation in physical activity and sports across childhood. This study addressed the effect of different teaching approaches on precursors of PF in kindergarten children. A total of 178 children (5.45 ± 0.40 years, female = 92) from 11 classes were organized into three groups. Group 1 (structured activity + free play) and Group 2 (only free play) attended the same playground (PrimoSport0246) for one hour/week for 10 weeks. Group 3 (structured activity + free play in kindergarten) followed their standard physical education curriculum at school. PF tests (standing long jump, medicine ball throw, and 20 m running speed) were administered pre- and post-intervention. Factorial ANOVA was implemented using a percentage change in PF performance (PFC) as the dependent variable, and teaching approaches, gender, and age as factors. Group 1 demonstrated significant improvements in fitness performance compared with Groups 2 and 3. Moderate to large effect sizes (Cohen’s d range: 0.68–1.40) were noted in both males and females. Six-year-old demonstrated the greatest improvement in composite PFC compared to Groups 2 and 3. A structured teaching plan, even with a limited dose of once per week, supported the development of PF attributes in kindergarteners. Full article

This paper describes a set of educational initiatives in Religious Education (RE). The paper addresses RE as an academic learning area and reserved for Kindergarten to Year 10 classrooms in Catholic schools. The initiatives described in the paper are evidence-based; they are guided by research and student achievement data addressing contemporary assessment reforms within the Australian educational context and considering the implications that the reforms have on the quality of student learning in RE. The reforms include quality assurance measures such as large-scale, standardised assessments (LSAs) and social moderation tools. The purpose of the measures is to establish standards that support the alignment of teaching and assessment practices. Such an alignment in the RE learning area has the potential to strengthen and improve student, as well as teacher, knowledge and understanding of the Catholic Faith Tradition. The paper draws from the Catholic RE school curriculum in Western Australia (WA), assessment principles outlined for schools in WA, an Australian Research Council Linkage project and local research about teacher perceptions of an LSA in RE. The paper supports local and national policy expectations recommending a review of the quality of RE as a learning area. Furthermore, given the prominence of the Catholic Church’s mission of evangelisation and the nature and role of RE in Catholic schools as part of that mission, the paper endorses the Church’s current stance on thoughtful dialogue and renewed efforts to bring a better understanding about Catholic culture and education to the world. Full article

Background: Preschool children are in a period of rapid physical and psychological development, and improving their level of physical fitness is important for their health. To better develop the physical fitness of preschool children, it is very important to understand the behavioral attributes that promote the physical fitness of preschool children. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of and the differences between different physical exercise programs in improving preschool children’s physical fitness. Methods: A total of 309 preschool children aged 4–5 years were recruited from 5 kindergartens to participate in the experiment. They were cluster-randomly allocated into five groups: basic movements (BM) group, rhythm activities (RA) group, ball games (BG) group, multiple activities (MA) group, and control (CG) group. The intervention groups received designed physical exercise programs with a duration of 30 min 3 times per week for 16 weeks. The CG group received unorganized physical activity (PA) with no interventions. The physical fitness of preschool children was measured using the PREFIT battery before and after the interventions. One-way analysis of variance, a nonparametric test; generalized linear models (GLM); and generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) were used to examine differences during the pre-experimental stage among groups and to assess the differential effects of the intervention conditions on all outcome indicators. The intervention condition models were adjusted for potential confounders (baseline test results, age, gender, height, weight, and body mass index) explaining the main outcome variance. Results: The final sample consisted of 253 participants (girls 46.3%) with an average age of 4.55 ± 0.28 years: the BG group (n = 55), the RA group (n = 52), the BM group (n = 45), the MA group (n = 44), and the CG group (n = 57). The results of the generalized linear mixed model and generalized linear model analyses indicated significant differences for all physical fitness tests between groups, except for the 20 m shuttle run test and the sit-and-reach test after the interventions. Grip strength was significantly higher in the BG and MA groups than in the BM group. The scores for standing long jump were significantly higher in the MA group than in the other groups. The scores for the 10 m shuttle run test were significantly lower in the BG and MA groups than in the CG, BM, and RA groups. The scores for skip jump were significantly lower in the BG and MA groups than in the RA group. The scores for balance beam were significantly lower in the BG and MA groups than in the RA group and significantly lower in the BG group than in the BM group. The scores for standing on one foot were significantly higher in the BG and MA groups than in the CG and RA groups and significantly higher in the BM group than in the CG group. Conclusions: Physical exercise programs designed for preschool physical education have positive effects on the physical fitness of preschool children. Compared with the exercise programs with a single project and action form, the comprehensive exercise programs with multiple action forms can better improve the physical fitness of preschool children. Full article

Three institutions predominantly care for preschool children in Japan: kindergartens, authorized childcare institutions, and nursery centers. Recently, the turnover rates of preschool workers in these institutions have been high, and Japan has been facing a shortage of kindergarten teachers. The study aimed to provide concrete counterplans to reduce preschool workers’ turnover rate. To determine the causes of turnover, we conducted a cross-sectional survey. We recruited preschool workers from several kindergartens, authorized childcare institutions, and nursery centers in Japan to fill out a survey regarding counterplans for employment. Of the 1002 surveys, 551 (541 women; 10 men) complete surveys were received (response rate: 55%). A total of 295 participants answered that they were unwilling to continue working for longer than five years and completed the questionnaires. The Jiro Kawakita method was used to categorize and analyze the four sections of the counterplan questionnaires. The results showed that the main reasons for high turnover were overtime work, low salary, and difficult human relations. To solve these issues, the counterplan ideas such as workshop ideas and conditions conducive to continuing working longer were related to human relations, work conditions, and mental health. Full article

The purpose of our research is to determine emotional and behavioural modelling in an emotionally safe environment in a group of kindergarten preschoolers, following the application of an innovative curriculum project, designed and implemented for the first time, Educational Program for the training and development of social and emotional skills (DeCo-S.E.). Eighteen teachers, involved in the research, were divided into two samples: the experimental group (EG) consisting of 10 preschool teachers who were trained to take up the DeCo-S.E. program, and the control group (GC) including eight preschool teachers who applied the classic educational strategies. The DeCo–S.E. program is aimed at developing social and emotional skills (emotion identification, frustration tolerance), reducing behavior problems, and solving problems with peers as part of the training process. The study also included 142 children in their last year at kindergarten, aged X ± SD 5.87 ± 2.87 years old, divided into two groups: the EG consisting of 74 children to whom the experimental program was implemented and the GC comprising 72 children who did not take part in the training program. In the present study, we applied only the Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales for Teachers (PKBS-2) questionnaire to children in the pre- and post-experimental phases. The results were processed with the statistical software SPSS 22. The analysis of the scores of the questionnaire applied to the children highlighted a significant improvement in EG on both scales. The study reveals the effectiveness of the Development of social and emotional skills programs in preschool children has proven its effectiveness by reducing undesirable/maladaptive behaviours and positively developing socio-emotional skills in preschool children. Full article

Little is known about the dose–response of physical education interventions on motor coordination in preschoolers. Our aim was to investigate whether the development of motor skills changed depending on different amounts of a physical education program (PEP) in children aged 3–5 years. One hundred forty-five children were recruited from kindergartens and randomly divided into a control group (CG, n = 28), which did not perform any PEP, and two intervention groups, which performed 4 h/week (I1, n = 78) and 10 h/week (I2, n = 39) of a PEP for 16 weeks. Each lesson was set in the form of a programmed game in order to produce fun, thus increasing enthusiasm for participation. Before and after the intervention, locomotor and object control skills and the gross motor development quotient were assessed with the Italian version of the gross motor development test. Both intervention groups showed a significant increase in the motor skills compared with the control group. Moreover, the level of performance was significantly higher after 10 h/week compared to 4 h/week. These findings can be useful for standardizing PEPs in preschool settings so that they can be applied by teachers for planning effective programs for developing motor skills in early childhood. Full article

First aid is a fundamental skill for every human of every age, so training in first aid is necessary at a variety of levels. First aid training in schools is essential, but to date, only short reports have been published on the effectiveness of first aid training in kindergarten. We conducted a pilot randomized controlled study on the impact of first aid training on children in kindergarten. We randomly selected 24 children aged 4–5 years from one kindergarten, who were allocated to either a training group (14 children) or a control group (10 children). The training program consisted of three lessons. An eleven-question questionnaire was administered to the children in the training group one day before, one day after, and two and six months after the training, and once to the those in the control group. Before the training, no significant difference was detected in the score on the questionnaire between the two groups. After the lessons, the children in the training group scored significantly higher on the questionnaire than before the lessons, and than the children in the control group. At two and six months after the training, the scores of the children in the training group had decreased but remained higher than before the training and higher that those of the control group. These preliminary results indicate that kindergarten children may benefit from first aid training, but further studies are needed to verify these observations and to explore ways of maintaining the knowledge acquired in training. Full article

The aim of this research was to determine the sustainability of a given ten-week motor skills training program for children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). Children with DCD in four kindergartens in the Khorezm region of Uzbekistan were selected to take part in the study. Participants were 24 children between 4 and 6 years old (5.25 ± 0.13 years), assigned to an intervention group (IG: 17 children; 10 boys) and a control group (CG: 7 children; 4 boys). The Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC-2) was used to assess motor competence pre-intervention, post-intervention, and retention test measurement after 18 months. The retention test results for the IG indicated a decline in all three motor domains of MABC-2. Despite this, the results that were acquired during the retention test came out to be better than the results that were achieved during the pre-test. At the same time, children who were allocated to the CG maintained their performance. The findings suggest that a preschool-based motor skill training program has the potential to increase motor skills in children with DCD. However, the positive benefits produced by the intervention may decrease over the course of time if the intervention is not continued. Full article

The purpose of this study is to analyze the role and importance of specific physical exercises in the development of the body schema in preparatory class pupils and its effect on the development of maturity. Methods: The experiment took place over a period of 10 weeks in which two physical education lessons per week were scheduled; the lessons include specific themes for the development of the body schema and contain exercises to arouse pupils’ interest in sports and physical activities from this age. A number of 150 pupils aged between 5 years and 6 months and 7 years and 6 months participated in the experiment. The pupils were divided into two groups: the experimental group (76 pupils, 32 boys and 34 girls) and the control group (74 pupils, 31 boys and 33 girls). Next, the “Draw-a-Person” Test was applied at the beginning and end of the experiment. Results: The analysis of the results highlights the fact that after completing the intervention plan there is a significant improvement in the results of the experimental group on the Maturity Scale and implicitly on the three development scales: Head Scale, Body Schema Scale, and Clothing Scale. Among the three scales, the Body Schema Scale has the greatest influence on the Maturity Scale (r = 0.841). Conclusions: The preparatory class produces a connection between the kindergarten and the school; furthermore, the physical education lessons with an emphasis on the development of the body scheme contribute to the development of maturity and school preparation of the pupils. Full article

Background: In the last 10 years, gamification has entered the educational field incrementally. The subject of Physical Education has been one of the scenarios where multiple gamified learning environments were carried out. The objective of this work was to evaluate and analyze the scientific evidence of the pedagogical proposals and didactic experiences that have used gamification in the Physical Education classroom in Kindergarten, Elementary School and Middle, Junior and High School. Methods: A systematic review has been carried out following the recommendations set by the PRISMA Declaration. A total of five international databases were used: Web of Science (WoS), Scopus, Sport Discus, ERIC and Psycinfo. The descriptors “gamification”, “gamify” and “Physical Education” were used, limiting the search to December 2021. Several inclusion and exclusion criteria have been established, selecting only empirical research articles. Results: The search yielded a total of 177 eligible articles, and finally, 17 scientific articles that addressed the effects of gamification in Physical Education were selected. No gamified didactic experiences have been found in Early Childhood Education, but they have been found in Elementary School (7 experiences) and Middle, Junior and High School Education (10 experiences). Most of the studies have confirmed an improvement in motivation and commitment toward physical exercise in students; only one study has confirmed improvements in academic performance. The diversity of the applied protocols and the different evaluation instruments used by the researchers prevent a meta-analysis of the data. Some studies that have used a hybrid pedagogical model are recorded, combining gamification with other pedagogical models, and confirmed positive effects on different variables such as intrinsic motivation or autonomy in learning. Conclusion: The results of this review suggest the need to continue evaluating the effects of applying gamification, as an active methodology, in the Physical Education classroom. Full article