Emotional Knowledge Development in Preschoolers Receiving Head Start Services

This study examined the ability of 3-to 5-year-olds (N = 76; 37 males, 39 females) receiving Head Start services to freely label six emotions (happiness, sadness, anger, fear, disgust, and surprise) using photographs of facial expressions in condition 1 or stories containing an emotion-eliciting event and behavioral consequence in condition 2. The presentation of a story elicited better performance than the presentation of a facial expression for anger, fear, and disgust. After hearing the story, performance significantly improved for participants who initially incorrectly labeled photographs of facial expressions of anger, fear, disgust, and surprise, F(1, 68) = 119.10,p\u3c.001. The addition of stories to the curriculum of current Head Start emotion knowledge programs may increase program effectiveness

Preschool Participation and BMI at Kindergarten Entry: The Case for Early Behavioral Intervention

Preschool years (ages 3–5) are a critical period in growth and development. Emerging studies suggest that preschool attendance may be linked to future weight, and perhaps obesity. This study examined relationships between public preschool attendance, demographic variables, and weight at kindergarten entry. Participants included 2,400 children entering kindergarten in 2006. Height and weight were used to calculate a child's BMI category based on CDC norms. At kindergarten entry, 17% of participants were overweight, and 18% were obese. Children attending a public preschool were at an increased risk for overweight (OR = 1.06) and obesity (OR = 1.34) at kindergarten entry, χ2(2) = 6.81, P = .03 relative to children who did not attend preschool. No significant trends relationships between demographics and weight status were found, but demographic variables are summarized descriptively. Policy and clinical implications are provided

Depressive symptoms and glycemic control in adolescents with type 1 diabetes

OBJECTIVE—To determine whether the association between depressive symptoms and glycemic control is mediated by blood glucose monitoring (BGM). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—A total of 276 adolescents with type 1 diabetes (mean age ± SD, 15.6 ± 1.4 years) completed a measure of depressive symptoms. Sociodemographic and family characteristics were obtained from caregivers. BGM frequency and glycemic control were obtained at a clinic visit. RESULTS—Separate regression analyses revealed that depressive symptoms were associated with lower BGM frequency (B = −0.03; P = 0.04) and higher A1C (B = 0.03; P = 0.05) and that lower BGM frequency was associated with higher A1C (B = −0.39; P < 0.001). With depressive symptoms and BGM frequency included together, only BGM frequency was associated with A1C and depressive symptoms became nonsignificant (B = 0.02; P = 0.19). The Sobel test was significant (Z = 1.96; P < 0.05) and showed that 38% of the depression-A1C link can be explained by BGM. CONCLUSIONS—BGM is a mediator between depressive symptoms and glycemic control in adolescents with type 1 diabetes

Integrating Interactive Web-Based Technology to Assess Adherence and Clinical Outcomes in Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease

Research indicates that the quality of the adherence assessment is one of the best predictors for improving clinical outcomes. Newer technologies represent an opportunity for developing high quality standardized assessments to assess clinical outcomes such as patient experience of care but have not been tested systematically in pediatric sickle cell disease (SCD). The goal of the current study was to pilot an interactive web-based tool, the Take-Charge Program, to assess adherence to clinic visits and hydroxyurea (HU), barriers to adherence, solutions to overcome these barriers, and clinical outcomes in 43 patients with SCD age 6–21 years. Results indicate that the web-based tool was successfully integrated into the clinical setting while maintaining high patient satisfaction (>90%). The tool provided data consistent with the medical record, staff report, and/or clinical lab data. Participants reported that forgetting and transportation were major barriers for adherence to both clinic attendance and HU. A greater number of self-reported barriers (P < .01) and older age (P < .05) were associated with poorer clinic attendance and HU adherence. In summary, the tool represents an innovative approach to integrate newer technology to assess adherence and clinical outcomes for pediatric patients with SCD