Relationship between parenting stress and behavioral and emotional problems in preschool children: A mediation effect analysis

BACKGROUND Emotional reactions,such as anxiety,irritability,and aggressive behavior,have attracted clinical attention as behavioral and emotional problems in preschool-age children.AIM To investigate the current status of family rearing,parental stress,and behavioral and emotional problems of preschool children and to analyze the mediating effect of the current status of family rearing on parental stress and behavioral/emo-tional problems.METHODS We use convenience sampling to select 258 preschool children in the physical examination center of our hospital from October 2021 to September 2023.The children and their parents were evaluated using a questionnaire survey.Pearson's correlation was used to analyze the correlation between child behavioral and emotional problems and parental stress and family rearing,and the structural equation model was constructed to test the mediating effect.RESULTS The score for behavioral/emotional problems of 258 preschool children was(27.54±3.63),the score for parental stress was(87.64±11.34),and the score for parental family rearing was(31.54±5.24).There was a positive correlation between the behavioral and emotional problems of the children and the“hostile/mandatory”parenting style;meanwhile,showed a negative correlation with the“support/participation”parenting style(all P<0.05).The intermediary effect value between the family upbringing of parents in parental stress and children's behavior problems was 29.89%.CONCLUSION Parental family upbringing has a mediating effect between parental stress and behavioral and emotional problems of children.Despite paying attention to the behavioral and emotional problems of preschool-age children,clinical medical staff should provide correct and reasonable parenting advice to their parents to promote the mental health of preschool-age children.

Association of preschool children behavior and emotional problems with the parenting behavior of both parents

BACKGROUND Parental behaviors are key in shaping children’s psychological and behavioral development,crucial for early identification and prevention of mental health issues,reducing psychological trauma in childhood.AIM To investigate the relationship between parenting behaviors and behavioral and emotional issues in preschool children.METHODS From October 2017 to May 2018,7 kindergartens in Ma’anshan City were selected to conduct a parent self-filled questionnaire-Health Development Survey of Preschool Children.Children’s Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire(Parent Version)was applied to measures the children’s behavioral and emotional performance.Parenting behavior was evaluated using the Parental Behavior Inventory.Binomial logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between the detection rate of preschool children’s behavior and emotional problems and their parenting behaviors.RESULTS High level of parental support/participation was negatively correlated with conduct problems,abnormal hyperactivity,abnormal total difficulty scores and abnormal prosocial behavior problems.High level of maternal support/participation was negatively correlated with abnormal emotional symptoms and abnormal peer interaction in children.High level of parental hostility/coercion was positively correlated with abnormal emotional symptoms,abnormal conduct problems,abnormal hyperactivity,abnormal peer interaction,and abnormal total difficulty scores in children(all P<0.05).Moreover,paternal parenting behaviors had similarly effects on behavior and emotional problems of preschool children compared with maternal parenting behaviors(all P>0.05),after calculating ratio of odds ratio values.CONCLUSION Our study found that parenting behaviors are associated with behavioral and emotional issues in preschool children.Overall,the more supportive or involved the parents are,the fewer behavioral and emotional problems the children experience;conversely,the more hostile or controlling the parents are,the more behavioral and emotional problems the children face.Moreover,the impact of fathers’parenting behaviors on preschool children’s behavior and emotions is no less significant than that of mothers’parenting behaviors.

Effect of lens surgery on health-related quality of life in preschool children with congenital ectopia lentis

AIM:To evaluate the effect of lens surgery on health-related quality of life(HRQoL)of preschool children with congenital ectopia lentis(CEL).METHODS:A prospective self-controlled study was conducted in Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center.Children aged from 5 to 7y whom were diagnosed with CEL and underwent phacoemulsification with scleral-fixated posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation and their parents were enrolled in this study.All of them completed the child and proxy(parental)PedsQL™4.0 before and after the surgery.Their preoperative scores were compared to their postoperative ones.Subgroup analyses were performed based on gender and preoperative bilateral presenting visual acuity of the children.RESULTS:Thirty-two children with CEL successfully underwent surgery without any complications,among whom 8 had monocular surgery and 24 had binocular surgery.Preoperative and postoperative questionnaires were completed by 32 child-parent pairs.Surgical intervention could significantly improve the vision of affected children(P<0.001).The medians of physical,psychosocial and total health scores self-reported by the children were 68.75(62.50,81.25),65.00(60.00,80.00)and 67.39(60.87,78.26)preoperatively and were 93.75(87.50,100.00),90.00(83.33,96.67)and 89.13(85.32,95.65)postoperatively.The preoperative scores of the affected children were significantly lower in all scales than age-matched healthy children(P<0.001).All the postoperative scores were significantly higher than the preoperative scores in affected children and their parents(P<0.001).In the physical functioning evaluation,the preoperative score reported by parents of girls was higher than parents of boys(P=0.041),and the postoperative score of girls was higher than that of boys(P=0.036).CONCLUSION:CEL is associated with significantly worse quality of life in preschool children.Surgical intervention can significantly improve the HRQoL in affected children from both personal and family perspective.

Influence of static cartoons combined with dynamic virtual environments on preoperative anxiety of preschool-aged children undergoing surgery

BACKGROUND Preschoolers become anxious when they are about to undergo anesthesia and surgery,warranting the development of more appropriate and effective interventions.AIM To explore the effect of static cartoons combined with dynamic virtual environments on preoperative anxiety and anesthesia induction compliance in preschool-aged children undergoing surgery.METHODS One hundred and sixteen preschool-aged children were selected and assigned to the drug(n=37),intervention(n=40),and control(n=39)groups.All the children received routine preoperative checkups and nursing before being transferred to the preoperative preparation room on the day of the operation.The drug group received 0.5 mg/kg midazolam and the intervention group treatment consisting of static cartoons combined with dynamic virtual environments.The control group received no intervention.The modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale was used to evaluate the children’s anxiety level on the day before surgery(T0),before leaving the preoperative preparation room(T1),when entering the operating room(T2),and at anesthesia induction(T3).Compliance during anesthesia induction(T3)was evaluated using the Induction Compliance Checklist(ICC).Changes in mean arterial pressure(MAP),heart rate(HR),and respiratory rate(RR)were also recorded at each time point.RESULTS The anxiety scores of the three groups increased variously at T1 and T2.At T3,both the drug and intervention groups had similar anxiety scores,both of which were lower than those in the control group.At T1 and T2,MAP,HR,and RR of the three groups increased.The drug and control groups had significantly higher MAP and RR than the intervention group at T2.At T3,the MAP,HR,and RR of the drug group decreased and were significantly lower than those in the control group but were comparable to those in the intervention group.Both the drug and intervention groups had similar ICC scores and duration of anesthesia induction(T3),both of which were higher than those of the control group.CONCLUSION Combining static cartoons with dynamic virtual environments as effective as medication,specifically midazolam,in reducing preoperative anxiety and fear in preschool-aged children.This approach also improve their compliance during anesthesia induction and helped maintain their stable vital signs.

Relationship between Authoritative Parenting Style and Preschool Children’s Emotion Regulation:A Moderated Mediation Model

An authoritative parenting style has been shown to promote children’s emotion regulation in European-American family studies.However,little is known about how sleep problems and the child’s sibling status in Chinese families affect this relationship.Based on family system theory,this study attempts to better understand the relationship between authoritative parenting style and emotion regulation.Mothers of preschool children in Chinese kindergartens completed questionnaires about their children’s sleep habits,their authoritative parenting styles,and children’s emotion regulation.A total of 531 children participated in this study.Results showed that authoritative parenting was positively associated with emotional regulation.Sleep problems mediated the effects of authoritative parenting style on emotion regulation.The child’s sibling status moderated the mediating effects of sleep problems in authoritative parenting and emotion regulation relationships.Specifically,the relationship between the authoritative parenting style and sleep problems was significant for only children,while birth order had no significant influence on the authoritative parenting style and sleep problems in two-child families.These findings suggest that a lowauthoritative parenting style predicts low emotion regulation through sleep problems,and this depends on the child’s sibling status,indicating that children without siblings may impair emotion regulation due to increased sleep problems.

Exploration of Problems and Solutions in Psychological Health Education for Preschool Children

The preschool period is a crucial stage for children’s physical and mental development,and the mental health status during this period directly affects children’s personality shaping and lifelong development.In recent years,China’s preschool education has flourished,with a continuous increase in the enrollment rate of children and an increasing emphasis on mental health education.However,there are still many problems in the current mental health education for preschool children,which urgently requires attention from all sectors of society.This article analyzes the main problems in mental health education for preschool children and proposes corresponding solutions,hoping to provide references for related research.

The Adverse Effect of the 2-1-1 Regimen for Rabies PEP in Preschool Children

Post-exposure prophylaxis（PEP） has proved to be the most important measure for rabies prevention and control. There is little information regarding adverse reactions to the Essen and 2-1-1 regimens in preschool children（aged 0-6）. We reexamined the outcomes of 1,109 preschool children who were vaccinated using SPEEDA under the Essen regimen between January 2011 and December 2012 and 1,267 preschool children under the 2-1-1 regimen between January 2013 and December 2014. We find that, in preschool children, the febrile reaction after the first 2-dose injection in the 2-1-1 regimen was significantly higher than that induced by the first 1-dose in the Essen procedure. Thus, we recommend that the Essen regimen should still be used for rabies PEP in preschool children.

Hair Mercury Levels and Their Relationship with Seafood Consumption among Preschool Children in Shanghai

Mercury is a global pollutant. Children are vulnerable to environmental toxicants. Seafood consumption is a major source of methylmercury exposure. In order to ascertain children’s mercury exposure levels and study their relationship with seafood consumption, we conducted a cross-sectional study among preschool children in Shanghai.

Effect of Socio-Demographic Factors on Zinc Status of Infants and Preschool Children in East Gojjam, Amhara Region of Ethiopia

Zinc deficiency is a public health concern and is the most prevalent micronutrient deficiencies in developing countries. The main objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and risk factors of zinc deficiency among infants and preschool children. Based on a community, the cross-sectional study was conducted in East Gojjam between October 2011 and April 2012. Two hundred and forty infants and preschool children were randomly selected in the study. Data on potential determinants of zinc deficiency were collected using a structured questionnaire. Serum zinc concentration was measured using atomic absorption spectrometer. Statistical analysis was done using ANOVA, independent sample student＇s t-test and linear regression model. The mean serum zinc concentration of infants and preschool children was 62.98 （±13.03） μg/dL in 95% confidence interval （CI） between 61.32 and 64.63 （i.e., 95% CI： 61.32, 64.63）. About 57,1% of the subjects were zinc deficient. The main determinants of low serum zinc status of infants and preschool children were age and number of family members living on the same land. Zinc status of older children was 3.67 μg/dL （95% CI： -5.58, -1.77） lower than children who were aged 6-10 months. Serum zinc status of infants and preschool children is decreased by 0.83 p.g/dL （95% CI： -1.36, -0.30） with each additional family member. Food insecurity, dietary diversity, sex, child health, anthropometric indices, maternal education and wealth index were not associated with serum zinc status. Zinc deficiency among infants and preschool children is highly prevalent. Such potential deficiencies require urgent attention, including complementary food preparation education, traditional phytate reduction method and family planning implementation recommended in the study area.

Macular choroidal thickness in Chinese preschool children: decrease with axial length but no evident change with age

AIM: To explore the distribution pattern of macular choroidal thickness(ChT) and its association with age as well as refractive status in Chinese preschoolers.METHODS: School-based, cross-sectional study. A total of 550 healthy preschool children aged 3 to 6 years old from 6 kindergartens were enrolled. Comprehensive ocular examinations, including measurement of visual acuity, axial length, intraocular pressure and slit-lamp examination before cycloplegia, as well as refraction measurement and sweptsource optical coherence tomography(SS-OCT) examination after cycloplegia, were performed. The macular ChT in each sector of the ETDRS grid was measured by the builtin software of SS-OCT.RESULTS: The mean central ChT of the participants was 312±59 μm. The mean axial length and spherical equivalent refraction were 22.36±0.72 mm and 1.51±0.83 D, respectively. Axial length increased with age(P<0.001), while the spherical equivalent refraction was similar among different age groups. Similarly, no significant difference was observed in ChT in all sectors among different age groups(all P>0.05). The central ChT of 3-4, 5 and 6 years old children was 314±59 μm, 312±60 μm and 312±59 μm, respectively(P=0.920). No difference was observed in ChT in most of the sectors between genders. No statistical significant difference was observed among different refractive groups(all P>0.05), though the ChT of each sector seemed to be smaller in myopic children. Axial length and weight were the independent factors of central Ch T. Children with longer axial length(β=-21.184, P<0.001) and smaller weight(β=1.502, P=0.041) tended to have thinner choroid.CONCLUSION: In preschool children, the ChT remains relatively stable with age, while a negative association between ChT and axial length existed. This will be helpful to elucidate the characteristics of ChT during the early refractive development.

Prevalence of soil-transmitted helminths infections among preschool and school-age children in Ethiopia:a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background:There is a lack of comprehensive national data on prevalence,geographical distribution of different species,and temporal trends in soil-helminthiasis(STHs).Therefore,this study aimed to provide a summary and location of the available data on STHs infection among preschool and school-age children in Ethiopia.Methods:The search was carried out in Medline via PubMed,Scopus,Science Direct,Web of Science,and Google Scholar on data published between 1997 to February 2020 for studies describing the rate of STHs infection among preschool and school-age in Ethiopian.We followed the Patient,Intervention,Comparison,and Outcome(PICO)approach to identify the studies.Meta-regression was performed to understand the trends and to summarize the prevalence using the“metaprop”command using STATA software version 14.0 Results:A total of 29,311 of the 61,690 children examined during the period under review were infected with one or more species of intestinal parasites yielding an overall prevalence of 48%(95%CI:43-53%).The overall pooled estimate of STHs was 33%(95%CI:28-38%).The prevalence was 44%(95%CI:31-58%)in SNNPR,34%(95%CI:28-41%)in Amhara region,31%(95%CI:19-43%)in Oromia region and 10%(95%CI:7-12%)in Tigray region.Soil-transmitted helminths infection rate has been decreasing from 44%(95%CI:30-57%)pre-Mass Drug Administration(MDA)era(1997-2012)to 30%(95%CI:25-34%)post-MDA(2013-2020),although statistically not significant(p=0.45).A lumbricoides was the predominant species with a prevalence of 17%.Conclusion:Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Region,Amhara,and Oromia regions carry the highest-burden and are categorized to Moderate Risk Zones(MRZ)and therefore,requiring MDA once annually with Albendazole or Mebendazole.The prevalence of STHs decreased after MDA compared to before MDA,but the decline was not statistically significant.A.lumbricoides was the predominant species of STHs among preschool and school-age children in Ethiopia.The high prevalence of STHs observed in this review,underscores the need for better control and prevention strategies in Ethiopia.

Effects of Yogurt Supplementation on the Growth of Preschool Children in Beijing Suburbs

Objective To investigate the effect of yogurt supplementation on the growth of preschool children in Beijing suburbs. Methods Four hundred and two preschool children (217 males, 185 females), aged 3-5 years, whose height for age and/or weight for age were less than the reference level, were selected as subjects from 7 kindergartens in Beijing Fangshan District. The subjects were divided randomly into control group (CG, 201) and yogurt supplemented group (YG, 201). Each subject in YG was given one serving of yogurt (125 g) for 5 days a week from March to December in 2001, while nothing additional was provided to CG. All subjects kept their usual diet during the study. Anthropometry (body height and weight and upper-arm circumference) and the bone mineral density (BMD) of forearm were measured every 3 months. Disease status and dietary intake were also recorded and assessed. Results The intake of calcium, zinc, and vitamin B2 in YG was significantly higher than that in CG. The incidence and duration of upper-respiratory infection and diarrhea of children in YG were significantly less than those in CG. The height gain of children in YG was significantly higher than that in CG after yogurt was supplemented for 3, 6, and 9 months (P<0.05) (1.90±0.49 cm vs 1.77±0.54 cm, 3.83±0.57cm vs 3.64±0.66 cm and 5.43±0.69 cm vs 5.24±0.76 cm, respectively). The weight gain of children in YG was significantly higher than that in CG after yogurt was supplemented for 3, 6, and 9 months (P<0.05) (0.70±0.43 kg vs 0.49±0.35 kg, 0.98±0.62 kg vs 0.80±0.60 kg and 1.42±0.76 kg vs 1.20±0.67 kg, respectively). The BMD of children in YG was significantly higher than that in CG after yogurt was supplemented for 9 months (P<0.05) (0.415±0.058 g/cm2 vs 0.400±0.065 g/cm2). Conclusion Yogurt is beneficial to the improvement of calcium, zinc, and vitamin B2 intake, the decreasing of the incidence and duration of upper-respiratory infection and diarrhea, and the promotion of the health and the growth and development of preschool children.

Effect of Micronutrient Supplementation on the Growth of Preschool Children in China

Objective To study the relationship between micronutrient supplementation and children growth. Methods A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in 156 growth retarded preschool children. They were randomly assigned to five groups: supplemental control (S-control, n=28), zinc supplementation(+Zn, 3.5mg Zn/day, n=34), zinc and calcium supplementation (+ZnCa, 3.5mg Zn+250mg Ca/day, n=37), zinc and calcium and vitamin A supplementation (+ZnCaVA, 3.5mgZn +250mgCa+200gVA/day, n=28), Calcium and vitamin A supplementation (+CaVA, 250mgCa + 200gVA/day, n=29). Another 34 children with normal height were selected as normal control (N-control). Supplementation continued for twelve months. Results The height gain in +Zn group (7.84cm per year) and +ZnCa group (7.70 cm per year) was significantly higher than that in S-control group (6.74 cm per year, P<0.05); The weight gain in +ZnCaVA group (2.55kg per year) and +CaVA group (2.57 kg per year) was also significantly higher than that in S-control group (2.19kg per year, P<0.05); The average days of illness in each supplementation group were lower than that in S-control (13 days per year compared with 23 days per year). No significant difference was observed on bone age. Conclusion Zinc and Zinc+Calcium supplementation can improve the height gain, and vitamin A can improve weight gain in growth retarded preschool children, but do not affect the maturity of bone. Micronutrient supplementation can lower the morbidity of these children.

Effect of lead exposure on the immune function of lymphocytes and erythrocytes in preschool children

Objective: To investigate the influence of lead exposure on the immune function of lymphocytes and erythrocytes in preschool children. Materials and methods: A group of 217 children three to six years of age from a rural area were given a thorough physical examination and the concentration of lead in blood samples taken from each subject was determined. The indices of lymphocyte immunity (CD^+3CD^+4, CD^+3CD^+8, CD^+4CD^+8, CDˉ3CD^+19) and erythrocyte immunity (RBC-C3b, RBC-IC, RFER, RFIR, CD35 and its average fluorescence intensity) of 40 children with blood lead levels above 0.483 μmol/L were measured and compared with a control group. Results: The blood lead levels of the 217 children ranged from 0.11 μmol/L to 2.11 μmol/L. The CD^+3CD^+4and CD^+4CD^+8 cells were lower (P＜0.01) and the CD^+3CD^+8 cells were higher in the lead-poisoned subjects than those in the control group (P＜0.05). CD^+3 and CDˉ3CD^+19 did not show significant differences. Although the RBC-C3b rosette forming rate was lower and the RBC-IC rosette forming rate was higher in the lead-poisoned group, this difference could not be shown to be statistically significant (P＞0.05). RFIR was found to be lower in the lead-poisoned group (P＜0.01). Compared with the control group, the positive rate of CD35 was not found to be significantly different in a group of 25 lead-poisoned children (P＞0.05), while the average fluorescence intensity was lower in the lead-poisoned group (P＜0.05). Conclusion: Lead exposure can result in impaired immune function oft lymphocytes and erythrocytes in preschool children.

Sports Game Radial Basketball in Physical Education of Preschool Children

The article is devoted to the application of new radial sports games basketball in physical education of preschool children. The benefits of a new game： expanding the playing space attributable to each player, limiting the opposition defenders and facilitates the use of gaming devices. The use of innovative methods in physical training of preschool children gives you the opportunity to solve successfully the whole complex of educational issues and the full development of the child.

Prevalence of Myopia in Preschool and School Children in the Municipality of Prishtina in Kosovo

Introduction: Myopia is the refractive anomaly of the eye in which the conjugate focus of the retina is at some finite point in front of the eye, when the eye is not accommodating. Myopia is else known as short-sightedness and is considered as one of the most frequent causes of reduced vision especially in adolescents. Adolescence is one of the life periods when most cases are diagnosed with myopia. Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify myopia in pre-school and school children (3 - 9 years old in Prishtina), to determine the prevalence of myopia among other refractive anomalies in cases included in the study;compare the prevalence of myopia in this population in Prishtina to other countries in the world;determine the effect of hereditary and socio-economic factors on the prevalence of myopia;and determine the degrees of myopia in our cases included in our study. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving 1027 pre-school children and pupils from 4 schools in Prishtina, aged 3 - 9 years old, who were screened for refractive anomalies, with a special focus on the incidence of myopia in this age group. The data were collected by screening children in the institutions of pre-school and primary school education, including 2 primary schools and two kindergarten during a two-year period 2010-2012 in Prishtina. Results: On the screening of pre-school and school children for refractive anomalies, were included 1027 subjects of ages 3 - 9 years old. Of the 1027 children screened 536 (52.2%) were male and 491 (47.8%) were female. Statistically, the prevalence of refractive anomalies in the total population studied is significant based on the resulting value (P Conclusions: The Prishtina study is a report of prevalence of myopia among pre-school and school-age children in the municipality. The study reveals that refractive error and myopia were significantly common finding among the study group, and the prevalence was found to be even higher in children within the school age-group. The number of newly diagnosed myopia was significant, suggesting the need for a robust school eye health programme, regular assessment of school children for refractive error and provision of timely refractive corrections.

How parents' education and working status affect the nutrition and immunization status of preschool children in India

Objective:The aim of the paper is to see how educational and working status of the parents affect the nutritional and immunization status of preschool children in India.Methods:We have used data of more than 24 000 preschool children spread over different states in India.The data were collected by National Family Health Survey(NFHS-2) in 1998-99.For assessing the nutritional status,only the Z-scores of weight-forheight (WHZ) have been computed and for immunization status,it has been seen whether BCG,DPT3,Polio3 and measles have been administered.Children who fall below -2SD(-3SD) from median are considered to be moderately(severely) malnourished.Results:According to the NFHS-2 data,70%of children are vaccinated by BCG,50%receive the full course of DPT,54%get all the three dozes of polio and only 42%are protected from measles by vaccination in India.The percentages of moderately and severely wasted children in India are 12.1 and 2.8,respectively.There is a marked regional variation of these percentages.Bivariate and multivariate analysis clearly points to the need of educational status of mothers rather than fathers for proper nutritional and immunization status of preschool children.Parents’occupation and working status also have some effect,but not so pronounced as parents’education.Conclusion:The Indian preschool children need particular attention for high risk of wasting and low immunization.The prevalence of malnutrition can be arrested more by improving the mother’s education level rather than their fathers and by raising the standard of living of their house-holds.

Prediction of Outcomes in Mini-Basketball Training Program for Preschool Children with Autism Using Machine Learning Models

In recent years evidence has emerged suggesting that Mini-basketball training program(MBTP)can be an effec-tive intervention method to improve social communication(SC)impairments and restricted and repetitive beha-viors(RRBs)in preschool children suffering from autism spectrum disorder(ASD).However,there is a considerable degree if interindividual variability concerning these social outcomes and thus not all preschool chil-dren with ASD profit from a MBTP intervention to the same extent.In order to make more accurate predictions which preschool children with ASD can benefit from an MBTP intervention or which preschool children with ASD need additional interventions to achieve behavioral improvements,further research is required.This study aimed to investigate which individual factors of preschool children with ASD can predict MBTP intervention out-comes concerning SC impairments and RRBs.Then,test the performance of machine learning models in predict-ing intervention outcomes based on these factors.Participants were 26 preschool children with ASD who enrolled in a quasi-experiment and received MBTP intervention.Baseline demographic variables(e.g.,age,body,mass index[BMI]),indicators of physicalfitness(e.g.,handgrip strength,balance performance),performance in execu-tive function,severity of ASD symptoms,level of SC impairments,and severity of RRBs were obtained to predict treatment outcomes after MBTP intervention.Machine learning models were established based on support vector machine algorithm were implemented.For comparison,we also employed multiple linear regression models in statistics.Ourfindings suggest that in preschool children with ASD symptomatic severity(r=0.712,p<0.001)and baseline SC impairments(r=0.713,p<0.001)are predictors for intervention outcomes of SC impair-ments.Furthermore,BMI(r=-0.430,p=0.028),symptomatic severity(r=0.656,p<0.001),baseline SC impair-ments(r=0.504,p=0.009)and baseline RRBs(r=0.647,p<0.001)can predict intervention outcomes of RRBs.Statistical models predicted 59.6%of variance in post-treatment SC impairments(MSE=0.455,RMSE=0.675,R2=0.596)and 58.9%of variance in post-treatment RRBs(MSE=0.464,RMSE=0.681,R2=0.589).Machine learning models predicted 83%of variance in post-treatment SC impairments(MSE=0.188,RMSE=0.434,R2=0.83)and 85.9%of variance in post-treatment RRBs(MSE=0.051,RMSE=0.226,R2=0.859),which were better than statistical models.Ourfindings suggest that baseline characteristics such as symptomatic severity of 144 IJMHP,2022,vol.24,no.2 ASD symptoms and SC impairments are important predictors determining MBTP intervention-induced improvements concerning SC impairments and RBBs.Furthermore,the current study revealed that machine learning models can successfully be applied to predict the MBTP intervention-related outcomes in preschool chil-dren with ASD,and performed better than statistical models.Ourfindings can help to inform which preschool children with ASD are most likely to benefit from an MBTP intervention,and they might provide a reference for the development of personalized intervention programs for preschool children with ASD.

Behavioral Intervention Reduces Unhealthy Eating Behaviors in Preschool Children via a Behavior Card Approach

Many eating behaviors form in childhood,and some unhealthy behaviors may persist into adulthood and have potential impacts on people＇s health.This study evaluated the effectiveness of behavioral intervention in reducing consumption of Western fast food,sweetened beverages,fried food in preschool children,and changing parents＇ rewarding behaviors that encourage the consumption of the unhealthy foods.The research was a cluster randomized trial of seven kindergartens,involving 1138 children aged 3–6 years and their parents in Beijing,China.Parents and children allocated to the intervention group received two lectures and printed resources,including behavior cards,educational sheets.Children＇s behavior cards,applied with behavior-changing techniques,were used to intervene,and monitor behavior changes over time.Children in the control group just followed their usual health education curriculum in kindergartens.Intervention effects on food consumption behaviors were assessed by examining pre-and post-questionnaires.Of the 1138 children screened at baseline,880（77.3%） were measured at the end of the intervention period.The intervention lasted from March to June in 2010.The results showed that consumption of Western fast food,sweetened beverages,and fried food was decreased among the intervention group（P〈0.001）.Proportions of parents using Western fast food as rewards for their children were decreased（P=0.002）.From March to June 2010,the frequency of each target behavior in children tended to decrease over the intervention period（P〈0.001）.Most parents favored regularly-delivered behavior cards or materials for behavioral intervention.In conclusion,the behavioral intervention encourages the healthier eating behaviors of children and reduces the parents＇ practice of using unhealthy foods as reward.

Preventable head and facial injuries by providing free bicycle helmets and education to preschool children in a head start program

The objectives of the study were to determine helmet use rates, incidence rates (IRs) of head and facial injuries for population attributable fraction (PAF) estimation, and to elucidate the magnitude of and changes in PAFs as the result of helmet use changes among preschool children. A study consisting of cross-sectional (survey) and longitudinal (follow-up) component was designed by including a randomly selected group of participants (n = 322) from 10 Head Start sites provided with free bicycle helmets along with a subgroup of prior helmet owners (n = 68) from the other random group (n = 285). All participants received bicycle helmet education. Helmet use surveys were conducted in May (1st Survey) and November 2008 (2nd Survey). The helmet owners were followed up to determine IRs, and incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for head and facial injuries. PAFs were computed using IRs as well as helmet use rates and IRRs. Helmet use rates increased significantly from the 1st to the 2nd Survey. The mean follow-up person-time was 5 months. The IRs for head, face (all portions), and face (upper/mid portions) injuries were higher in non-helmeted than helmeted riders. By using IRs, PAFs for the 3 injuries among the riders in both groups of helmet owners were 77%, 22%, and 32% respectively. The PAFs for each of the above injuries decreased by about 10% as helmet use rates increased. The magnitude of and changes in preventable head and facial injuries following free bicycle helmet distribution and education among helmeted riders was elucidated in this Head Start preschool children population.