Understanding 24-hour movement behaviours and their associations with children’s psychosocial health during the transition from primary to secondary school

Background The transition from primary to secondary school is one of the life transition periods during which significant behavioural changes may occur. However, there is little evidence on concurrent changes in sleep, sedentary behaviour and physical activity (PA) (collectively known as 24-hour movement behaviours) over a 24-hour period during this school transition period. Further, the combined associations between time spent in 24-hour movement behaviours and psychosocial health are still under-researched in children. This information may inform the development of future movement behaviour intervention strategies and guidelines to assist children in making a healthy transition to secondary school. The overall aim of this doctoral thesis was to explore changes in 24-hour movement behaviours and their associations with children’s psychosocial health over the transition from primary to secondary school. Methods This thesis is comprised of four research papers, one of which is a systematic literature review and the other three are original research studies using data from two longitudinal surveys. The first and third studies analysed primary data from a longitudinal school-based survey that followed a cohort of children in New South Wales, Australia from their final year of primary school (Year-6; aged 10-12y) to their first year of secondary school (Year-7; aged 11-13y). The second study used national data from Waves 4 (2010) and 5 (2012) of the Longitudinal Study of Australia Children (Kindergarten cohort) when participants were in primary (aged 10-11y) and secondary school (aged 12-13y), respectively. Results The systematic literature review identified five articles that reported only changes in PA, while one reported changes in both PA and sedentary behaviour during the school transition period. There were no studies that examined changes in sleep duration or changes in all three movement behaviours concurrently. The first study (n=83) investigated changes in the accelerometer-measured 24-hour movement behaviour composition and adherence to the Australian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines during the school transition period. An unfavourable change was observed in the movement behaviour composition, with increased time spent sedentary and decreased time in sleep and PA. The change in the weekday movement behaviour composition was significantly more prominent compared to that of the weekend. Furthermore, there was a substantial decrease in the proportion of children meeting the integrated 24-hour movement guidelines (i.e., from 20.5% to 3.6%). The second study (n=909) investigated changes in the domain-specific movement behaviour composition as measured by a single-day time-use diary (67.4% school day; 32.6% non-school day), and explored whether these changes were associated with changes in children’s psychosocial health during this transition period. A more drastic change in movement behaviour composition was observed among the school day sample compared to the non-school day sample. Furthermore, the change in movement behaviour composition was significantly related to changes in prosocial behaviour among boys. Specifically, increased time spent in social activities and recreational screen use (relative to other activity domains) were associated with decreased prosocial behaviour. There were no significant associations between the change in movement behaviour composition and the changes in psychosocial health among girls. The third study examined the cross-sectional (n=127) and longitudinal associations (n=88) between 24-hour movement behaviour composition, recreational screen use and children’s psychosocial health. The movement behaviour composition and recreational screen use levels were independently associated with psychosocial health outcomes cross-sectionally but not longitudinally. Relative to other behaviours, more time spent in sleep and less time spent in light-intensity PA were associated with lower levels of internalising problems and total psychosocial difficulties. Conversely, higher sedentary time was associated with greater internalising problems. High levels of recreational screen use (\u3e2 h/day) were associated with greater externalising problems, total psychosocial difficulties and psychological distress. Conclusion This thesis has provided new evidence to advance the understanding of children’s 24-hour movement behaviours and their combined associations with psychosocial health during the transition from primary to secondary school. It is recommended that an integrated intervention approach addressing the full composition of 24-hour movement behaviours be adopted to effectively improve children’s movement behaviour profiles during this transition period. Future research should also continue to measure and analyse both intensity- and domain-specific movement behaviour compositions given the differing associations noted with children’s psychosocial health

Report on Children's Profile at School Entry 2008-2009: Evaluation of the 'Preparing For Life' Early Childhood Intervention Programme

The Children's Profile at School Entry (CPSE) was conducted by the UCD Geary Institute who have been commissioned by the Northside Partnership to assess the levels of school readiness in a designated disadvantaged community of Ireland, as part of an overall evaluation of the Preparing for Life (PFL) early childhood intervention programme.

Exploring the influence of early screen use in the home on psychological development from an ecological perspective

The present research focuses on the influence that early screen use in the home has on young children’s psychological development. While a large body of research has been conducted on the influence that screens have on physical health factors, there is a paucity of literature focusing on early psychological development. Furthermore, the little research that has been conducted in this area has not considered early screen use from a fully ecological perspective. To explore this topic, the current research draws on Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model while using a nationally representative birth cohort study, as well as primary data, to assess the unique contribution early screen use has on developmental outcomes. The empirical studies in this thesis suggest that screen use had varying influences on children’s cognitive and socio-emotional development. However, the effect sizes were small in comparison to those seen for environmental factors, such as household income or parent-child relationships. Longitudinal analyses also indicated reverse-causal effects, which suggests screen time to not be the initial causing factor for the children’s later developmental outcomes. Further ecological factors, such as parental screen beliefs and engagement during screen time were also found to be associated with the prevalence and type of early screen use, highlighting the importance of controlling for such factors in the analyses. These findings highlight the screen use factors, and the ecological factors related to this, that are important to measure in future research to provide a more nuanced understanding of screen time’s unique role in early development. The findings are discussed within the context of the bioecological model and provide evidence-based guidelines for caregivers, educators, practitioners, and policymakers, on best early screen use practices. The findings also add to the debate on what influence, if any, early screen use has on the young developing child – an area that has been under-researched to date.N

Psychology and the research enterprise: Moving beyond the enduring hegemony of positivism

Almost since its inception, psychology has embraced the positivist orientation of the natural sciences. The research enterprise in psychology has reinforced this through its insistence that psychological science is objective, generalisable, and value free (or neutral). Consequently, experimental designs are privileged over other forms of enquiry and alternate epistemologies, methodologies, and methods remain marginalised within the discipline. We argue that alternate methodologies, and the philosophies that underpin the research endeavour, should be included in mainstream psychology programmes so that the existing imbalance is rectified. Achieving this balance will mean that psychology will be better positioned to address applied research problems and students will graduate with the skills and knowledge that they will need in the multidisciplinary workforce they will enter. We discuss recommendations for how psychology in Australia can move towards embracing methodological and epistemological pluralism. Breen, L. & Darlaston-Jones, D. (2008). Psychology and the research enterprise: Moving beyond the enduring hegemony of positivism. Australian Journal of Psychology, 60 (S1), 107-208. doi:10.1080/0004953080238555

GROWING UP IN IRELAND. Cohort '08 (Infant Cohort). Design, Instrumentation and Procedures for Cohort ’08 of Growing Up in Ireland at 9 Years Old (Wave 5)

Growing Up in Ireland is the national longitudinal cohort study of children that commenced in 2006. The study has followed two groups of Irish children: Cohort ’98 (so-called because most of them were born in 1998; formerly called the ‘Child Cohort’); and Cohort ’08 (most of whom were born a decade later in 2008; formerly called the ‘Infant Cohort’). The primary aim of the study is to provide a strong evidence base to improve the understanding of children’s and young people’s health and development across a range of domains. This information is used to inform government policy in relation to children, yong people and their families

Aspects of positive and negative mental health in young people, aged 16-29 years : measurements, determinants, and interventions

Background: Mental health problems in young people, i.e. those self-reported as well as registered diagnoses, have been of concern for decades. For Western societies, most studies indicate a rise in symptoms, but also in diagnoses of depression, anxiety and stress in younger age groups since the 1990s. The increase follows a pattern of societal changes, namely a prolongation of young people’s years in education, later entry into the labour market with frequently insecure conditions, longerstanding time without own housing and postponed building of partnership and family. A large number of studies focusing on young people’s mental ill health have been carried out, but less attention has been paid to positive mental health (PMH) in the age group of 16-29 years. PMH allows a view where building on strengths, capacity and health promotion is accentuated rather than leaning on deficit models and prevention of mental ill health. A balanced consideration of both aspects of mental health should give a more complete picture of the mental health characteristics in young people. Aim: The overall aim was to identify which potential determinants are associated with or may predict positive and negative mental health (NMH) in the age group of 16-29 years by self-reporting measurements, and to investigate the effectiveness of mental health interventions. Methods: The thesis is built on analyses of two population surveys (Study I and Study II), along with merged data from intervened secondary schools (Study III), and lastly on a systematic review and meta-analysis of mental health interventions for students in tertiary education (Study IV). Specifically, the data-sources and study populations for the specific research questions were as follows. First, we investigated if the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) had the capacity to measure PMH in addition to NMH. We employed data from the cross-sectional Swedish National Public Health Survey 2004-2009, including 41,668 individuals aged 16-29 years. Additionally, we investigated if the survey’s health and background factors, i.e. potential determinants of mental health, could be related to either PMH or NMH factors (Study I). Second, we examined which potential determinants predict stable mental health, specifically reporting < 3 GHQ-points at all four measurement waves in the population aged 18-29 years compared to older age groups. We utilised longitudinal data from the Stockholm Public Health Cohort 2002, 2007, 2010, and 2014 including 3,373 individuals in the younger group, and 16,614 individuals aged 30-84 years (Study II). Third, we explored whether subjective well-being (SWB), i.e. emotional well-being and life satisfaction, is associated with personality traits at baseline and at 15-18 months of follow-up and whether personality traits may prospectively predict subjective well-being and vice versa. We employed our earlier data-collection from four secondary schools, two intervention- and two control schools, including 446 pupils (Study III). Finally, we investigated sustainable promotive and preventive mental health intervention effects for students in higher education. A systematic review and meta-analyses based on 26 included studies and a study population of 8,136 individuals were conducted (Study IV). Results: Study I. The General Health Questionnaire 12 (GHQ-12) in the National Health Survey revealed a capacity to measure PMH as well as NMH. However, when we examined the association between the GHQ-12 scores and 22 potential determinants of health, we found that most determinants showed significant and opposing effects on both PMH and NMH. Nonetheless, female sex, economic strain, risky gambling, and, above all, suicide ideation and perceived humiliation increased NMH more than they decreased PMH, and could qualify as risk factors. Participating in societal events and moderate gambling elevated PMH more than they reduced NMH and could subsequently be ascribed as promotive factors. Being a student was associated with lower PMH and higher NMH compared to being employed. Lastly, PMH decreased as age increased in the group of 16-29 years, whereas no age-related changes were found for NMH. Study II. In the Stockholm Public Health Cohort, 46% for males and 36% for females reported stable mental health among young people aged 18-29 years, compared to 66% and 55% respectively, in the age group 30 years and above. Out of 17 possible determinants of health, six predicted stable mental health in the younger group: occupational status, especially employment, emotional support, being male, being born in Sweden, absence of financial strain, and consumption of fruit and berries. In the older age group, the pattern was similar, with 11 significant determinants of health. However, more determinants were related to social capital and health behaviour compared to the younger group, and a significant group difference was evident for physical activity and absence of financial strain with higher importance in the older group. Study III. Among secondary school pupils aged 16 years, SWB at baseline and follow-up was associated with low levels of Neuroticism, and high levels of Conscientiousness, Extraversion and Agreeableness. In particular, the correlation between SWB and Neuroticism was strong. Compared to boys, trait stability was significantly higher in girls. However, one exception was Neuroticism, the only trait with stability in boys. SWB showed one prospective effect, namely on Agreeableness and only in girls. For personality traits, no prospective effects on SWB were found. Study IV. According to our systematic review and meta-analysis combined effects for interventions designed to prevent mental ill health in students in higher education showed that the symptom reduction sustained up to 7-12 months postintervention, although the effect size was small, ES of -0.28 (95% CI -0.49, -0.08). Specifically, for depression the sustainability was up to 13-18 months, for anxiety up to 7-12 months, and for stress up to 3-6 months. The sustainability for interventions designed to increase positive mental health was up to 3-6 months for all effects combined, and the effect size was small, ES of 0.32 (95% CI 0.05, 0.59). Specifically, active coping sustained 3-6 months with a medium effect size, ES of 0.75 (95% CI 0.19, 1.30). Conclusions: In our national sample, the GHQ-12 did not systematically discriminate potential determinants associated to positive and negative mental health, respectively, and therefore should be reserved for its purpose of origin, namely to measure symptoms of mental ill health in the population. Our results which show that young females seem to perceive less stable mental health and higher levels of Neuroticism compared to their male peers confirm the results from earlier studies. This is also true regarding young people’s less stable mental health and higher levels of mental ill health symptoms compared to older age groups. As occupational status, especially employment, and emotional support may serve as determinants predicting mental health stability among young people, promoting them should be a matter of urgency. Interventions in higher education showed sustainable effects, and it may be of importance to endorse those interventions. As other interventions enhancing positive mental health, and those with a whole-system approach in schools, higher education, and working-life are less well explored, further research should shed a light on these important topic

The role of physical activity and outdoor play in the socio-emotional development of children in Ireland

The Role of Physical Activity and Outdoor Play in the Socio-Emotional Development of Children in Ireland Emma Hilliard Aims Physical activity and outdoor play is thought to have a number of benefits for healthy growth and development, both physically and psychologically. Recent decades have reported a decrease in active outdoor play for children. Meanwhile, a substantial number of children are presenting with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. This research aimed to examine physical activity and outdoor play in middle childhood. It investigated whether children who spent more time engaged in these activities reported better socio-emotional outcomes both concurrently and longitudinally and whether children’s socio-emotional development varied according to their involvement in structured versus unstructured outdoor play. Method The first study involved longitudinal analysis of secondary data from the child cohort of the Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) national longitudinal study of children in Ireland to explore if time spent in physical activity play, exercise and sport at 9 years of age was related to socio-emotional development at 9 years old, 13 years old and 17-18 years old. The second study involved 108 participants aged between eight and ten years old who were recruited through primary schools. Parents of these children completed measures including a questionnaire on their child’s involvement in physical activity and outdoor play, socio-emotional development and an optional time use diary. Results Regression analyses indicated that time spent in physical activity and outdoor play at nine years old was significantly associated with peer relationship problems in middle childhood and early adolescence. While individual, family and environmental factors were significant predictors of other aspects of socio-emotional development, time spent in physical activity and outdoor play was not. No statistically significant difference was noted between time spent in structured physical activity and time spent in unstructured active outdoor play in terms of their impact on socio-emotional development. Conclusion The findings from this study provide valuable information about patterns of physical activity and outdoor play in middle childhood and tentatively support an association between these activities and peer relationships in middle childhood and early adolescence. They further highlight the importance of adopting a holistic bioecological approach to understanding socio-emotional development. The implications of these findings for schools, policy and practice are outlined.N

A review of the literature on sport and physical activity in relation to drug misuse prevention and adolescents

The purpose of this review was to examine the evidence base in published work (refereed journal articles and expert reports) for the contention that participation in sport or related physical activity is beneficial within the specific contexts of health promotion aimed at preventing young people from becoming involved in using harmful substances, or specific intervention with young people using illicit drugs

Which children and young people are excluded from school? Findings from a large British birth cohort study, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC)

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Wiley via the DOI in this record.Background Exclusion from school is increasingly recognized as pertinent to child health. National educational data reveal that boys, children who are looked-after, living in poverty, have special educational needs, or from certain ethnic minorities, are disproportionately excluded from school. As population-based data on the wider characteristics of excluded children are scarce, we aimed to describe predictors of school exclusion in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Method Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a prospective U.K. population-based birth cohort study, collected parent reports of permanent school exclusions by 8 years and parent and self-reports of permanent and fixed-term exclusions in the preceding 12 months at 16 years. Potential risk factors were examined for associations with exclusion using logistic regression, with a focus on child mental health and neurodevelopment. Results Analyses were based on all available data on 53/8,245 (0.6%) pupils excluded from school by 8 years and 390/4,482 (8.7%) at 16 years. Key factors associated with exclusion at both time points included male gender, lower socio-economic status, maternal psychopathology, mental health and behavioural difficulties, psychiatric disorder, social communication difficulties, language difficulties, antisocial activities, bullying/being bulled, lower parental engagement with education, low school engagement, poor relationship with teacher, low educational attainment, and special educational needs (all p < .05). Conclusion Exclusion from school was associated with child, family and school-related factors identifiable at, or prior to, primary school age. Child health professionals have an important role in the holistic, multidisciplinary assessment of children who are at risk of exclusion from school. Mental health and neurodevelopmental difficulties should be recognized and supported, to improve the health and educational outcomes among this vulnerable group.NIHR Research Trainees Coordinating Centre. Grant Number: 1975 Academic Clinical Fellowship in Child Healt