Suchergebnisse

ObjectivesOur objective was to capture a holistic view of a child from "society to cell" by building an inter-disciplinary data linkage between social, biological, and environmental factors to better understand how "experience gets under the skin" to influence social disparities in child development from conception onwards.
ApproachLinking a unique combination of administrative, survey, and biological data, this research connects children's epigenetic profiles and other biological markers (e.g., microbiome) to broader social determinants of health to examine the process of "biological embedding." In British Columbia, Canada, the CHILD Study has collected biological data for a cohort of children from birth to age 5 (N = 840). Linked administrative records (e.g., health services, demographic data) provide key social and environmental information (e.g., parental depression, neighbourhood socio-economic status). Population-level child development data have been collected at age 5 using the Early Development Instrument and are linkable for a subset of this cohort (N ~ 250).
ResultsThis unique linkage helps us understand the critical interplay between health outcomes and resulting disparities; how a child's social environment may impact their biological makeup, and in turn their health and developmental outcomes due to influences on their neural, endocrine, and/or immune systems at the molecular level. Rather than limiting research to singular disciplines, this research aims to shift thinking around health problems towards a synthesized model to examine mechanisms and associations between early experiences and biological outcomes. We will discuss strengths and challenges of developing this linkage and working across disciplines such as medicine, education, and science to address research questions that span historically disparate areas of research.
ConclusionAn interdisciplinary approach has been essential for the development and approvals of this project. Bringing together experts from diverse disciplines with different perspectives to use a novel approach enables us to better address the large and important issue of childhood social disparities and their enduring impact on life course health.

ObjectivesChildren who are new to Canada have unique circumstances that can be associated with their emotional health. Using linked immigration and child self-report data, we examined associations between changes in children's social support and emotional health from ages 9 to 12, for immigrant, refugee, and non-immigrant children.
ApproachA population sample of N = 4664 immigrant, refugee, and non-immigrant children reported on their peer support and school belonging, as well as their emotional health (life satisfaction, self-esteem, sadness), in Grades 4 and 7. Social support and emotional health were measured using the Middle Years Development Instrument (MDI). Migration background including age at arrival, migration class, generation status, and source region, was obtained from the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada database, individually linked to MDI records using children's Personal Education Number and child date of birth. Multi-level modelling assessed associations adjusting for confounders.
ResultsIn the linked sample, 19% of children were first- or second-generation economic immigrants (themselves or their parents were born outside of Canada), 8% were family immigrants, and 5% were refugees. Children with refugee backgrounds reported lower life satisfaction and self-esteem and higher sadness in Grade 4 compared to all other groups. Children with immigration backgrounds reported lower life satisfaction and self-esteem and higher sadness compared to non-immigrants. Refugee children had significantly more positive changes in emotional health from Grades 4 to 7 compared to non-immigrants, and significantly more positive changes in social supports. Positive changes in social supports were associated with positive changes in emotional health of similar magnitude for all children, regardless of migration background. Children with refugee backgrounds on average experienced improved emotional health during middle childhood, and changes in peer support partially accounted for these changes.
ConclusionResults suggest that children with migration backgrounds enter school with lower emotional health and are likely to benefit from increased social supports. Likewise, incorporating opportunities to build peer relationships and school belonging is likely to benefit all children, regardless of migration background.

Background with rationale Immigrant and refugee children and adolescents form a growing socially, culturally, and economically diverse group with varying adaptation outcomes.
Main Aim In this Canadian, population-based study, we wanted to identify the varying academic achievement trajectories that immigrant and refugee children followed from childhood to adolescence (e.g., thriving, catching up, or falling behind) and whether these differences could be predicted at school entry, based upon select social/migration factors and teacher-assessed literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional competencies in kindergarten.
Methods The study used a retrospective, longitudinal, population-based design and leveraged linked, individual-level administrative data from four sources (Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Human Early Learning Partnership) to identify a cohort of immigrant and refugee children in British Columbia, Canada (N = 9,216). We utilized a novel analytical approach (Group-based Trajectory Modeling) that allowed us to capture heterogeneity in the Grade 4 to Grade 10 academic (literacy and numeracy) trajectories.
Results We found that immigrant and refugee children followed a range of academic achievement trajectories from Grade 4 to Grade 10 – some children thriving, some catching up, and others falling behind over time. A number of social/migration factors (e.g., sex and refugee status) as well as literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional competencies in kindergarten predicted these later academic trajectories in unique and sometimes powerful ways.
Conclusion In all, we found that not all immigrant and refugee children start school on equal footing and this was associated with long-term outcomes. The implications for the importance of early, tailored interventions to set immigrant and refugee children onto paths of positive adaptation will be discussed.

AbstractThe current study addresses the lack of out‐of‐school time (OST) research in low‐ and middle‐income countries by exploring OST use in the context of Pakistan and incorporating youth's voices. Using a qualitative descriptive design with focus‐group discussions, we conducted a study in three middle schools set in low‐ to middle‐income neighborhoods in urban and rural areas of Karachi, Pakistan. We engaged 86 youth (50% girls; aged 10–15 years) that were purposefully selected from grade six (31.4%), seven (44.2%) and eight (24.4%) classrooms, balancing gender and locality. In each focus group, we asked participants to describe their afterschool activity routine on a typical weekday afternoon until bedtime. Digital recordings of discussions were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using content analysis. Based on sixteen focus groups with five to six participants in each group, we identified eight distinct categories: religious activities, schoolwork, screentime, helping adult family members, family time, outdoor play, indoor leisure activities, and hanging out with friends. We found that structured activities (e.g., religious activities and schoolwork supervised by an adult) were reported more frequently than unstructured activities (e.g., outdoor play and family time). Participation in activities varied by gender and location (i.e., urban vs. rural), highlighting disparities associated with the sociocultural context that marginalized youth face. Our findings provide a glimpse into the everyday lives of Pakistani youth outside of school. Additionally, they elucidate how economic resources, sociocultural norms regarding gender, and community safety shape youth's time use and socialization patterns. Findings from this study can inform the development of OST activities and initiatives aimed at promoting the positive development of Pakistani youth.

A meta-analysis of 25 epidemiological studies estimated the prevalence of recent DSM-IV major depression among U.S. military personnel. Best estimates of recent prevalence (standard error) were 12.0 percent (1.2) among currently deployed, 13.1 percent (1.8) among previously deployed and 5.7 percent (1.2) among never deployed. Consistent correlates of prevalence were being female, enlisted, young (ages 17 to 25), unmarried and having less than a college education. Simulation of data from a national general population survey was used to estimate expected lifetime prevalence of major depression among respondents with the socio-demographic profile and none of the enlistment exclusions of Army personnel. In this simulated sample, 16.2 percent (3.1) of respondents had lifetime major depression and 69.7 percent (8.5) of first onsets occurred before expected age of enlistment. Numerous methodological problems limit the results of the meta-analysis and simulation. The paper closes with a discussion of recommendations for correcting these problems in future surveillance and operational stress studies.