Search Results (348)

Francophone populations outside Quebec were disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 crisis. Despite French being one of Canada’s official languages, access to information and services in French remains limited. This study examined Francophone families’ (FF) post-pandemic health and well-being needs (PPHW) in the Canadian Prairie provinces. An online survey assessed PPHW needs among 319 FF in Alberta (AB), Saskatchewan (SK), and Manitoba (MB). Respondents ranked PPHW needs from a predefined list; logistic regression analyzed socio-demographic influences. Divided into AB/SK and MB cohorts, sociodemographic profiles were statistically distinct for many variables, but with similarities found in gender of respondents (women: 73% in AB/SK, 79% in MB), marital status (married: 81% in AB/SK, 88% in MB), area of residence (urban: 86% in AB/SK, 81% in MB), and number of children (2 children: 49% in AB/SK, 41% in MB). Three high-priority needs were shared across provinces: (1) access to recreational, athletic, and artistic activities in French for children (variations by child gender); (2) access to French healthcare professionals (variations by education level and language difference); and (3) social activities in French for families. AB/SK respondents prioritized mental health services in French for adults and youth. MB families prioritized belonging to a Francophone community (variations by gender of children) and education services in French (variations by age of children). Understanding these common and province-specific priorities can inform policy and service planning. Full article

Background: Among many deleterious effects on the well-being of children and youth, the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to a surge in youth mental health distress. This, coupled with pre-existing prolonged wait times for mental health care, highlighted the need for accessible community-based mental health supports. The Healthy Living Project (HELP) is a virtual lifestyle change support program aimed at promoting positive lifestyle changes and improved mental well-being among youth with mental distress. A pilot feasibility study explored youth engagement with HELP e-resources, and preliminary mental health and lifestyle measures over a 3-month period. Methods: Youth were enrolled in a 3-month pilot of the HELP e-resource. Feasibility metrics (recruitment, retention, and platform engagement) were documented, while exploratory self-reported data on emotional and behavioral difficulties, youth quality of life, sedentary behavior (screen time), sleep hygiene, and physical activity were assessed at baseline and 3 months. Results: Twenty-three youth (mean age 15.7 years, SD 1.7) completed baseline assessments and started the intervention, with ten participants retained by the end of the study. Compared with non-completers (n = 13), study completers (n = 10) tended to report higher quality of life and healthier habits (lower screen time, improved sleep hygiene, and higher activity). Ongoing access to HELP over 3 months was associated with suggestive trends toward improvement in emotional and behavioral difficulties and sleep hygiene. Engaged participants who received screen time education tended to report lower screen times as compared to unengaged counterparts. Conclusions: This study provides early insights into the implementation and acceptability of HELP e-resources among youth experiencing mental distress, with suggestive trends toward potential benefit. Low recruitment and high attrition preclude definitive conclusions, and the findings should be interpreted as exploratory. Lessons from this pilot will inform the design of a subsequent trial to more rigorously evaluate feasibility and the potential impact of HELP on youth with mental distress. Full article

Background/Objectives: Youth with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) face unique challenges in balancing dietary choices, physical health outcomes, and social–emotional well-being in school settings. This cross-sectional exploratory pilot study examined the associations of diet with physical health and teacher-reported social–emotional functioning in students with T1DM. Methods: Students with T1DM (mean age = 13.42; 47 female, 50 male; 50% White, Non-Hispanic, 50% minority) self-reported their nutritional habits using the KBlock Dietary Screener for Children when school was in session. Teacher-rated school-related behaviors were assessed through the Behavior Assessment Scale for Children-2nd Edition (BASC-2). Canonical correlation analysis was conducted to determine whether the variable sets (diet with physical health and school-related behavioral health) shared a significant multivariate relationship. Results: Youth with lower glycemic loads and consuming more sugar, dairy, and meat/poultry/fish but fewer legumes, fruit, and less saturated fat exhibited fewer externalizing symptoms and higher BMI. Diet uniquely accounted for modest variance in combined social–emotional and physical health, controlling for demographics and T1DM duration. Findings support increasing the availability of whole, nutrient-rich foods, integrating comprehensive nutrition education into curricula, and ensuring access for all students, regardless of socioeconomic status. Conclusions: Comprehensive dietary assessments and school-based randomized control trials are needed to enact more evidence-based dietary recommendations or interventions for youth, aiming for a balanced approach that addresses both mental and physical health outcomes. Full article

Children and adolescents with disabilities experience disproportionate challenges in achieving recommended levels of physical activity (PA) and adequate sleep, two core determinants of health and functional well-being. This systematic review examined associations between meeting PA guidelines and sleep duration among youth with disabilities. Following PRISMA guidelines, MEDLINE, PsycARTICLES, and SPORTDiscus were searched through Spring 2024 for studies assessing PA and sleep in children and adolescents (<18 years) with disabilities using subjective or objective measures. Data were extracted from 28 studies (N = 138,016) and synthesized using qualitative methods and regression-based quantitative analyses to examine the effects of diagnosis category and PA guideline adherence on sleep duration. The diagnosis type was associated with sleep duration, with youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibiting shorter sleep than those with physical disabilities. Meeting PA guidelines (≥60 min/day) was associated with longer sleep duration among youth with ASD, but not consistently across other diagnostic groups. Qualitative findings further indicated diagnosis-specific variability, with PA positively associated with sleep outcomes in ASD, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and epilepsy, and mixed associations observed for cerebral palsy and intellectual disability. These findings suggest that PA may support sleep health in specific disability groups. Given persistently low PA participation among youth with disabilities, integrating accessible, diagnosis-specific PA opportunities within school, community, and clinical settings may represent a feasible strategy to improve sleep and overall health. Full article

Background/Objectives: This cross-sectional study examined how training age, chronological age, and biological maturity influence motor and perceptual–cognitive performance in youth soccer players, with relevance for health and well-being through sport participation. Methods: Forty-one male athletes (age = 14.86 ± 0.81 years) completed a two-day field-based assessment following a holistic framework integrating motor (sprinting, jumping, and agility) and perceptual–cognitive components (psychomotor speed, visuospatial working memory, and spatial visualization). Biological maturity was estimated using the maturity offset method. Results: Regression analyses showed that biological maturity and training age significantly predicted motor performance, particularly sprinting, jumping, and pre-planned agility, whereas chronological age was not a predictor. In contrast, neither maturity nor training experience influenced perceptual–cognitive skills. Among cognitive measures, only psychomotor speed significantly predicted reactive agility, emphasizing the role of rapid information processing in dynamic, game-specific contexts. Conclusions: Youth soccer training should address both physical and cognitive development through complementary strategies. Physical preparation should be tailored to maturity status to ensure safe and progressive loading, while systematic training of psychomotor speed and decision-making should enhance reactive agility and game intelligence. Integrating maturity and perceptual–cognitive assessments may support individualized development, improved performance, and long-term well-being. Full article

Background: Overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence represent one of the most significant public health challenges of our century. Affected children and adolescents often face psychosocial maladaptation, including low self-esteem, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and behavioral problems, many of which may persist till later in life. The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of a multidisciplinary, personalized lifestyle intervention program on psychosocial and behavioral symptoms, assessed through standardized psychometric questionnaires, and to investigate their relation with cardiometabolic parameters in children and adolescents with overweight and obesity. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, 537 children and adolescents (6–18 years; females: 52.9%; pubertal: 43.6%) with obesity (n = 44.3%), overweight (n = 33.7%), or normal BMI (n = 22%) participated in a personalized lifestyle intervention program for one year. Clinical and laboratory evaluations, including anthropometric, cardiometabolic, and endocrinologic parameters, as well as psychosocial functioning assessed by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Youth Self-Report (YSR), were performed at the beginning and the end of the study. Linear regression analyses identified predictors of psychometric change. Results: At initial evaluation, children and adolescents with obesity displayed a less favorable cardiometabolic profile and greater emotional/conduct difficulties compared to their overweight and normal-BMI counterparts. Following the intervention, significant improvements were observed in BMI, anthropometric and cardiometabolic parameters, as well as reductions in internalizing, externalizing, and total problem scores across multiple CBCL and YSR domains (p < 0.05). The improvements in psychosocial functioning were partly independent of BMI reduction. Linear regression analyses identified cardiometabolic and endocrine markers as significant predictors of psychometric change (p < 0.05), highlighting interactions between metabolic recovery, pubertal hormones, and stress physiology. Conclusions: A personalized, multidisciplinary lifestyle intervention program implemented for 1 year led to parallel improvements in psychosocial and cardiometabolic health in children and adolescents with overweight and obesity. Identification of specific metabolic and endocrine predictors provides novel insights into potential biological mechanisms associated with adiposity, emotional well-being, and neurodevelopment. Full article

Therapy farms are increasingly recognized as social innovations that respond to exclusion, mental health challenges, and youth disconnection, particularly in rural areas. While often praised for their inclusive and rehabilitative potential, their broader impact on structural social transformation remains under-examined. This study explores the House of Educational Experiences, a therapeutic farm in rural Lithuania, to critically assess how such initiatives function as both agents of inclusion and stabilizers of existing socio-economic arrangements. Drawing on a qualitative case study approach, the research analyses in-depth interview data through the lens of the social innovation cycle, focusing on novelty, process, heterogeneity, impact, scalability, and transformative potential. Our findings reveal that the therapeutic farm generates significant individual and community benefits, particularly in psychosocial well-being, social skills, and pathways back into education and employment. However, the initiative also operates within institutional constraints, relying on project-based funding and reproducing aspects of conventional care systems. As such, its transformative capacity appears limited by structural dependencies and policy fragmentation. The study concludes that therapy farms represent an ambivalent form of social innovation: capable of creating inclusive, localized change, but often constrained in their ability to catalyze systemic transformation. Policy recommendations emphasize the need for long-term funding, institutional integration, and cross-sector collaboration. Full article

There is a global documented rise in depressive symptoms among adolescents. The cross-sectional assessments in representative samples of adolescents would help explore their correlates, which may serve as resources for intervention. Our cross-sectional survey entitled “Békés County Youth Study 2024” involved a representative sample of grade-9 high school students (N = 1590, aged 15–17 years, 56.4% females) from public high schools in the region, Hungary. Besides depressive symptoms (measured by a validated, shortened version of the Children’s Depression Inventory, CDI), a set of psychosocial variables (psychosomatic symptoms, internet addiction, future orientation, social support from family and friends, marks, gender, school satisfaction, and religiosity) was included in the survey. Gender differences in the summary score for CDI were significant: t(1588) = −12.062, p < 0.001, showing a higher rate of females. A total of 22.6% (males: 13% and females: 30%) belonged to the group at risk of depression. All potential predictors proved significant, with the strongest contribution of psychosomatic symptoms (Beta = 0.306, p < 0.001), and the most relevant protective role of family support (Beta = −0.265, p < 0.001). Other than further exploring contextual factors that increase risk for and protect against adolescent depression, mental health promotion in schools should include well-being training. Full article

Background: The Transformative, Resilient, and Youth-Led/Driven (TRY) Gym, a school-based co-creative mental health training programme, is grounded in the Positive Youth Development (PYD) approach. It seeks to improve adolescents’ mental health and well-being by strengthening their resilience and competence. Additionally, it prepares them to deliver peer-led mental health activities, promoting mental wellness and fostering a stigma-free, supportive environment. Methods: This study evaluated the programme using a mixed-method design. In total, 94 students from eight secondary schools in Hong Kong were recruited, with 80 participating in the evaluation. Results: Five outcomes showed significant improvements from baseline to the post-implementation phase, including social competence, cognitive competence, emotional competence, resilience, and mental well-being. Common features were identified across interviews, which may possibly account for the significant results and participants’ improved mental health. Conclusions: The TRY Gym programme’s fidelity was demonstrated by its completion, which included high participant responsiveness, and a co-creative and youth-driven approach in the project. In addition, the positive outcomes of the programme underscore its effectiveness in improving mental health among adolescents by imparting mental health knowledge and providing opportunities for participants to apply learnt techniques in everyday life situations. Full article

Challenges to the health and wellbeing of youth refugees in Kenya are well documented, particularly in refugee camps. However, amid protracted crises in the region, changes in refugee camp legislation and reduced funding are driving the further urbanization of refugees, necessitating a greater focus on understanding the hardships, movements, and challenges young urban refugees face. The focus of this paper is to document research on mapping the food supply chains, including points of intersection for young South Sudanese urban refugees in Kenya, and to identify barriers, constraints, and opportunities for procuring, growing, and selling food. This youth-led study, a follow-up to previous findings, included 40 participants aged 19 to 32. Youth food-resilience stories highlight critical areas for strategic intervention and provide insights into the design of spatially just and economically inclusive urban spaces. Applying a multimethod approach, including food diaries, food maps, and survey tools embedded in a learning platform, the paper weaves a narrative that highlights youth ingenuity in food security and provides insights for governments, policymakers, community leaders, and donors to support responsive, economically inclusive community design in addressing social challenges. Our findings indicate that improving the quality of life and food security of refugee youth is complex and requires a holistic approach. Without education and improvements in livelihoods, including urban agricultural opportunities, refugee youth’s health and wellbeing will continue to be affected. Full article

Introduction: School belonging is a key component of adolescent well-being, associated with academic success, mental health, and social inclusion. This study explores the levels of school belonging among Portuguese students and examines the psychosocial factors associated with this perception. Methods: Data from 3083 students (5th to 12th grade) obtained through the 2024 National Study by the Observatory of Psychological Health and Well-Being were analysed. Socio-emotional skills, well-being indicators, psychological symptoms, and school engagement variables were assessed using validated instruments. Statistical analyses included ANOVA and linear regression. Results: Overall, boys and younger students reported higher levels of school belonging. Sociability, resilience, confidence, school engagement, and and components of Positive Youth Development (PYD)—a strengths-based framework focusing on the internal and external assets that foster healthy youth development—such as competence and connection, were positively associated with school belonging. Conversely, depressive symptoms and experiences of bullying negatively predicted this outcome. Conclusions: This study’s findings highlight the need to reinforce inclusive educational practices, foster positive youth development, and promote protective relational dynamics within the school context. Full article

Participation in organized sports may have a positive effect on mental health, but documentation is based on methodological limitations. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of dropout from organized youth sport on change in mental health and subjective well-being. A total of 1046 young persons (13–18 years old), all participating in organized sport at baseline, were included. Data on mental health and subjective well-being were collected at baseline and again after two years. Participants who were into organized sports and participants who reported other types of informal movement activity two years later reported less increase in negative affect over time compared to participants who had dropped out of sports and did not get involved in other types of movement activity. For positive affect, there was a credible difference in change between those who dropped out of organized sport but did not get involved in an alternative physical activity and those who were still active in organized sports. The results indicate that dropout from traditional youth sports might have a negative influence on well-being, but involvement in other types of informal and negotiable movement contexts might buffer the potential negative effects. Full article

Factors like future time perspective, cultural belongings, and semiotic resources (i.e., individuals’ meanings to interpret the world), as well as worrying phenomena (climate change and armed conflicts), can harm wellbeing and increase personal distress. The study, comparing Armenian and Italian contexts, explores whether youths’ wellbeing and psychological distress are explained by openness to time perspective, anxiety about uncertainty, and worry regarding climate change and war, as a function of the individual semiotic resources (mapped by Views of Context). Participants were 202 Armenian and 271 Italian young adults (M_age = 21.23, SD_age = 3.35). A Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) applied to Views of Context extracted two dimensions of sense; a second-order MCA aggregated the extracted meanings into three clusters named Orientation towards self-care (CL₁), Social and personal commitment (CL₂), and Absolute devaluation and social detachment (CL₃). Clusters and/or nationality significantly differentiated measures of worry for war and climate change, future time perspective, intolerance of uncertainty, and wellbeing, but not the distress scores, by 3 × 2 ANOVAs. Linear regressions showed future time perspective and intolerance of uncertainty as positive and negative predictors of wellbeing respectively, with a significant Views-of-Context dimension, inversely affecting distress scores. Study highlights youths’ latent meanings influence wellbeing and distress, serving as a “starting point” for health promotion interventions sensitive to cultural differences. Full article

Background: Corporal punishment is a form of violence that poses long-term risks to children’s mental health and wellbeing. Understanding the attitudes that justify such practices is essential for designing preventive and health promotion interventions. Previous research suggests gender differences in these attitudes, yet the extent and nature of these differences remain unclear. Objective: This study examined gender-related differences in attitudes toward corporal punishment and their implications for youth mental health promotion. Participants and Setting: The study involved 582 university students aged 18 to 40, with a mean age of 22 years. Participants were from various fields of study and were surveyed online. Methods: The Short Situational Scale of Attitudes towards Corporal Punishment (SSS-CP) was developed for this study, depicting hypothetical conflicts between parents and children, culminating in corporal punishment. A quasi-experimental design was used, varying the gender of the participant, parent, and child. Data was analyzed using ANCOVA, controlling for previous experience of corporal punishment. Results: Physical punishment was more justified when the participant was male (6% of criterion variance), when the perpetrator was a female parent (1.3%), and when the child was male (1.8%); however, no significant interaction effects were found. Previous experience with corporal punishment also predicted more approving attitudes toward its use (1.7% of criterion variance). Conclusions: Gender differences in the justification of corporal punishment highlight how social norms shape the acceptance of violence and, consequently, the normalization of behaviors linked to poorer mental health outcomes in youth. Prevention and health promotion programs should integrate gender-sensitive components that address beliefs about violence, foster emotion regulation, and reduce the intergenerational transmission of harmful disciplinary practices. Full article

Background/Objectives: Children with visual impairments (VI) experience lower Quality of Life (QoL), higher sedentary time, and reduced motor competence as compared to their sighted peers, posing challenges to their health, well-being, and psychosocial development. While several QoL instruments have been developed internationally for children/youth with VI, none have been validated for use with U.S. pediatric populations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the VISIONS QL assessment tool tailored for children/youth with VI, with a primary aim of variable/item reduction to develop a streamlined version of the instrument. Methods: This study featured a cross-sectional, descriptive analytic design with convenience sampling. Participants were children and youth with VI, aged 9–19 years, (N = 148; Boys = 71, Girls = 77; M_age = 14.49, SD = 3.36 years). A principal components analysis (PCA) with orthogonal varimax rotation was conducted to reduce dimensionality and identify components. Results: Results of the PCA yielded three components explaining 46% of the variance: Educational Opportunities = 7 items; Social and Familial Implications = 8 items; Communication = 5 items. Overall, the VISIONS QL Brief had a high level of internal consistency reliability (α = 0.857; Ω = 0.858) and test–retest reliability (ICC = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.84–0.92). The original 63-item version showed concurrent validity with the 20-item brief scale (r = 0.92, p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Findings affirm the multidimensional nature of QoL and support the usage of the VISIONS QL Brief and its utility in settings where time, accessibility, and cognitive load are critical considerations. Full article