Associations between sport and screen-entertainment with mental health problems in 5-year-old children

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Few studies have examined the benefits of regular physical activity, and risks of sedentary behaviour, in young children. This study investigated associations between participation in sports and screen-entertainment (as components of physical activity and sedentary behaviour), and emotional and behavioural problems in this population.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Cross-sectional analysis of data from 13470 children (50.9% boys) participating in the nationally representative UK Millennium Cohort Study. Time spent participating in sports clubs outside of school, and using screen-entertainment, was reported by the child's mother at child age 5 years, when mental health was also measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>45% of children did not participate in sport clubs and 61% used screen-entertainment for ≥ 2 hours per day. Children who participated in sport had fewer total difficulties; emotional, conduct, hyperactivity-inattention and peer relationship problems; and more prosocial behaviours. These relationships were similar in boys and girls. Boys and girls who used screen-entertainment for any duration, and participated in sport, had fewer emotional and behavioural problems, and more prosocial behaviours, than children who used screen-entertainment for ≥ 2 hours per day and did not participate in sport.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Longer durations of screen-entertainment usage are not associated with mental health problems in young children. However, our findings suggest an association between sport and better mental health. Further research based on longitudinal data is required to examine causal pathways in these associations and to determine the potential role of this and other forms of physical activity in preventing mental health disorders.</p

Seroprevalence of cytomegalovirus, Epstein Barr virus and varicella zoster virus among pregnant women in Bradford: a cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the seroprevalence of cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein Barr virus (EBV) and varicella zoster virus (VZV) among pregnant women in Bradford by ethnic group and country of birth. METHODS: A stratified random sample of 949 pregnant women enrolled in the Born in Bradford birth cohort was selected to ensure sufficient numbers of White UK born women, Asian UK born women and Asian women born in Asia. Serum samples taken at 24-28 weeks' gestation were tested for CMV IgG, EBV IgG and VZV IgG. Each woman completed a questionnaire which included socio-demographic information. RESULTS: CMV seroprevalence was 49% among the White British women, 89% among South Asian UK born women and 98% among South Asian women born in South Asia. These differences remained after adjusting for socio-demographic factors. In contrast, VZV seroprevalence was 95% among women born in the UK but significantly lower at 90% among South Asian women born in Asia. EBV seroprevalence was 94% overall and did not vary by ethnic group/country of birth. CONCLUSIONS: Although about half of White British women are at risk of primary CMV infection in pregnancy and the associated increased risk of congenital infection, most congenital CMV infections are likely to be in children born to South Asian women with non-primary infection during pregnancy. South Asian women born in South Asia are at risk of VZV infection during pregnancy which could produce congenital varicella syndrome or perinatal chickenpox. Differences in CMV and VZV seroprevalence by ethnic group and country of birth must be taken into account when universal immunisation against these viruses is contemplated

Immunisation status of children receiving care and support in Wales: a national data linkage study

Background: In the UK, a robust childhood immunisation programme ensures children are offered protection against serious infections; identifying inequalities in vaccination coverage is essential. This is one of the first data linkage studies to examine coverage of primary, as well as pre-school booster and second dose of MMR vaccines, in children receiving support from social care services across Wales. Methods: By accessing records held within the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Databank, vaccination status of children receiving social care and support between April 2016 and March 2021 (n = 24,540) was ascertained. This was achieved through linkage of the Children Receiving Care and Support (CRCS) Census and National Community Child Health Database which holds vaccination records for all children in Wales registered for NHS care. This sample was split into three groups – those children who had never been recorded on the Child Protection Register (CPR) or as ‘Looked After’ but in CRCS (n = 12,480), children ever on the CPR (n = 6,225) and those ever recorded as ‘Looked After’ but who were never on the CPR (n = 5,840). The comparison group of children and young people (CYP) never receiving welfare support consisted of 624,905 children. Results: Children receiving care or support were more likely to be up-to-date with all six vaccines (no recorded vaccines: 0.6–6.3%) compared to children in the comparison group (no recorded vaccines: 3–10.3%). However, of those who were vaccinated, they were less likely to be vaccinated in a timely manner; both early (5.2% vs. 22.2%; margin of error [ME] = 0.52, 95% CI [confidence interval] = −0.18 – −0.17, p < 0.001) and delayed vaccinations were more common (62.7% vs. 71.3%; ME = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.08–0.09, p < 0.001). Validation of the CRCS immunisation flag showed moderate levels of accuracy. Around 70% of immunisation flags were correct across all three groups. Discussion: Findings suggest a positive association between receiving services under a care and support plan and being up-to-date with immunisations; children receiving support under a care and support plan were more likely to have experienced early or late vaccinations, demonstrating that there is still more inter-disciplinary co-ordination and planning needed to improve these outcomes. Thus, identifying inequalities in vaccination coverage is essential to target interventions and to prioritise geographic areas for catch-up

Controls on propagation of the Indian monsoon onset in an idealised model

The Indian monsoon is a seasonal large-scale circulation system with complex dynamical and thermodynamic interactions. The physical processes are not fully understood. In particular, the mechanisms that control the propagation of the monsoon onset across the Indian continent, against the mid-level wind field, are debated. The Indian monsoon is poorly represented in weather and climate models, with persistent systematic errors making it difficult to accurately forecast the Indian monsoon on subseasonal timescales. A two-layer model based on moisture conservation with a parameterised flux representing convection is developed and used to investigate the competition between dry advection in the upper levels, the rate of moisture replenishment at low levels and the rate of convection from the lower to the upper layers. In a fixed Eulerian frame, the system is initialised at an equilibrium representing pre-onset (May) conditions. Then, changes in the rates of moist inflow and upper level advection are introduced, triggering a transition to a new equilibrium, which reflects the full monsoon state (July-September). The two-layer model reproduces Indian monsoon onset and its progression to the northwest, against an imposed 5 m/s wind in the upper layer. Increasing the parameter representing moist inflow induces a monsoon onset, defined as a threshold of total column moisture, with clear progression from southeast toward northwest India. A lesser wind speed in the upper layer, signifying a weakening mid-tropospheric dry intrusion, allows a more rapid progression of the monsoon onset. A greater upper level wind speed, associated with a strengthening dry intrusion, causes the monsoon onset to retreat. We can quantify the nature of the monsoon onset by deriving an onset speed and the time taken for the system to adjust to a new equilibrium, from analytical theory

Research Associations Between Sport and Screen-Entertainment With Mental Health Problems in 5-Year-Old Children

Background: Few studies have examined the benefits of regular physical activity, and risks of sedentary behaviour, in young children. This study investigated associations between participation in sports and screen-entertainment (as components of physical activity and sedentary behaviour), and emotional and behavioural problems in this population. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of data from 13470 children (50.9% boys) participating in the nationally representative UK Millennium Cohort Study. Time spent participating in sports clubs outside of school, and using screen-entertainment, was reported by the child\u27s mother at child age 5 years, when mental health was also measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Results: 45% of children did not participate in sport clubs and 61% used screen-entertainment for ≥ 2 hours per day. Children who participated in sport had fewer total difficulties; emotional, conduct, hyperactivity-inattention and peer relationship problems; and more prosocial behaviours. These relationships were similar in boys and girls. Boys and girls who used screen-entertainment for any duration, and participated in sport, had fewer emotional and behavioural problems, and more prosocial behaviours, than children who used screen-entertainment for ≥ 2 hours per day and did not participate in sport. Conclusions: Longer durations of screen-entertainment usage are not associated with mental health problems in young children. However, our findings suggest an association between sport and better mental health. Further research based on longitudinal data is required to examine causal pathways in these associations and to determine the potential role of this and other forms of physical activity in preventing mental health disorders

Physical activity among children with asthma: Cross‐sectional analysis in the UK millennium cohort

Background: Although beneficial for health and well‐being, most children do not achieve recommended levels of physical activity. Evidence for children with asthma is mixed, with symptom severity rarely considered. This paper aimed to address this gap. Methods: We analyzed cross‐sectional associations between physical activity and parent‐reported asthma symptoms and severity for 6497 UK Millennium Cohort Study 7−year‐old participants (3321, [49%] girls). Primary outcomes were daily moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity (MVPA, minutes) and proportion of children achieving recommended minimum daily levels of 60 minutes of MVPA. Daily steps, sedentary time, and total activity counts per minute (cpm) were recorded, as were parent‐reported asthma symptoms, medications, and recent hospital admissions. Associations were investigated using quantile (continuous outcomes) and Poisson (binary outcomes) regression, adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, health, and environmental factors. Results: Neither asthma status nor severity was associated with MVPA; children recently hospitalized for asthma were less likely to achieve recommended daily MVPA (risk ratio [95% confidence interval [CI]]: 0.67 [0.44, 1.03]). Recent wheeze, current asthma, and severe asthma symptoms were associated with fewer sedentary hours (difference in medians [95% CI]: −0.18 [−0.27, −0.08]; −0.14 [−0.24, −0.05]; −0.15, [−0.28, −0.02], respectively) and hospital admission with lower total activity (−48 cpm [−68, −28]). Conclusion: Children with asthma are as physically active as their asthma‐free counterparts, while those recently hospitalized for asthma are less active. Qualitative studies are needed to understand the perceptions of children and families about physical activity following hospital admission and to inform support and advice needed to maintain active lifestyles for children with asthma

Motor Competence between Children with and without Additional Learning Needs: A Cross-Sectional Population-Level Study

The aim of this study was to examine associations in motor competence between children with additional learning needs (ALN) and typically developing children. This cross-sectional study involved a nationally representative cohort of 4555 children (48.98% boys; 11.35 ± 0.65 years) from sixty-five schools across Wales (UK). Demographic data were collected from schools, and children were assessed using the Dragon Challenge assessment of motor competence, which consists of nine tasks completed in a timed circuit. A multi-nominal multi-level model with random intercept was fitted to explore the proficiency between children with ALN and those without. In all nine motor competence tasks, typically developing children demonstrated higher levels of proficiency than their peers with ALN, with these associations evident after accounting for age, sex, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. This study highlights motor competence inequalities at a population level and emphasises the need for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers to prioritise motor competence development, particularly for children with ALN

The potential of research drawing on clinical free text to bring benefits to patients in the United Kingdom: a systematic review of the literature

Background: The analysis of clinical free text from patient records for research has potential to contribute to the medical evidence base but access to clinical free text is frequently denied by data custodians who perceive that the privacy risks of data-sharing are too high. Engagement activities with patients and regulators, where views on the sharing of clinical free text data for research have been discussed, have identified that stakeholders would like to understand the potential clinical benefits that could be achieved if access to free text for clinical research were improved. We aimed to systematically review all UK research studies which used clinical free text and report direct or potential benefits to patients, synthesizing possible benefits into an easy to communicate taxonomy for public engagement and policy discussions. Methods: We conducted a systematic search for articles which reported primary research using clinical free text, drawn from UK health record databases, which reported a benefit or potential benefit for patients, actionable in a clinical environment or health service, and not solely methods development or data quality improvement. We screened eligible papers and thematically analyzed information about clinical benefits reported in the paper to create a taxonomy of benefits. Results: We identified 43 papers and derived five themes of benefits: health-care quality or services improvement, observational risk factor-outcome research, drug prescribing safety, case-finding for clinical trials, and development of clinical decision support. Five papers compared study quality with and without free text and found an improvement of accuracy when free text was included in analytical models. Conclusions: Findings will help stakeholders weigh the potential benefits of free text research against perceived risks to patient privacy. The taxonomy can be used to aid public and policy discussions, and identified studies could form a public-facing repository which will help the health-care text analysis research community better communicate the impact of their work