A Group of Factors Influencing the Development of the Greeks Volleyball Athletes at School Age

The study of the multitude factors that influence the development of the athletes is the subject of extensive scientific research so that the implementation of optimized sport development models can be designed and practiced. As part of a broader research of ours during the past two years, by the process of completing anonymous self-report questionnaires of personal data by the athletes themselves, a database was created by 29 different factors affecting the development of volleyball athletes in Greece and abroad. This paper presents the results of a sample processing 466 people which is comprised exclusively by Greek athletes of AI, A2 and A3 volleyball class and a comparative investigation of the degree of influence of a group of factors is done in their athletic development. Specifically, the influence of the family environment （degree of parental support） is studied, the age of onset, the systematic engagement of the athletes in volleyball during childhood-school age. Finally, their possible involvement with other different sports is investigated during the school year and the degree of impact of this factor in their sport development and career paths. From the statistical sample processing （frequency diagrams） and the multivariate correlation of various factors among the athletes in different categories, it was established that, starting the sport of volleyball at an early age which is associated with intense pace workouts does not show a strong correlation with the expectation of future creation of high-level athletes. While in contrast, the simultaneous engagement of children with other collective sports （mainly basketball and football）, and the degree of support of their efforts from parents are very positive factors for their athletic development. Through the results of our study, the view of the generalization of the application of an ＂early specialization model＂ of the volleyball athletes is not supported, which as we have seen from the survey, is already underway in A3 category. Instead, a very careful and thorough investigation of all relevant factors should be preceded, which will help in the final selection of the most appropriate development model of volleyball athletes in our country.

Mutual Experiences of Japanese Parents and Their Children When Late School-Age Children Engage in Meal-Related Family Routines: A Qualitative Analysis of Parent and Child Dyads

Purpose: The objective of the present study was to identify the type of experiences that parents and their children have with each other when late-school age children take on roles in family routines related to daily meals. Methods: A grounded theory approach was used. The participants were children in the 4th, 5th, and 6th grades of elementary school and their main caregivers. First, 10 parent and child dyads were interviewed using a semi-structured schedule. Next, online group interviews were conducted for 17 parent and child dyads to deductively confirm the categories. Results: The average age of the subjects was 41.9 years for parents and 10.4 years for children in parent-child interviews, and 41.1 years for parents and 9.6 years for children in group interviews. Six categories emerged with nineteen subcategories. Conclusions: Experiences mutually nurtured by parents and their children included experiences in which children used negotiation and conversation skills to consensually engage in family routines related to meals. It also included experiences that socialized the children in family life and fostered good communication. The six categories will be useful for healthcare professionals and school authorities in providing health guidance that addresses health functions of late school-age children and their families.

Impacts of Types and Degree of Obesity on Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Related Dyslipidemia in Chinese School-Age Children?

Objective To explore the impacts of types and degree of obesity on non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD） and related lipids disturbance in Chinese school‐age children. Methods A total of 1 452 school‐age Children of 7 to 17 years were recruited in Beijing with representative cluster sampling method. Data of anthropometric measurements including weight, height and waist circumference were collected from March to May of 2007. Body mass index（BMI）was calculated. Blood samples were obtained and lipid profiles including triglyceride （TG）, total cholesterol （TC）, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL‐C） and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL‐C） were measured, while glutamate‐pyruvate transaminase （ALT） and glutamic‐oxalacetic transaminase （AST） were determined to evaluate liver function. The liver was also scanned by sonography, and abnormal hepatic sonograms were documented. NAFLD was diagnosed according to the criteria recommended by the Fatty Liver and Alcoholic Liver Disease Study Group under the Chinese Liver Disease Association. Analysis of covariance （ANOVA）, Chi‐square test for trend and binary logistic regression analysis were performed. Results The dyslipidemia and ultrasonographic fatty liver deteriorated with the degree of obesity defined either by BMI or waist circumference. Compared with BMI, waist circumference contributed more to the development of dyslipidemia, fatty liver and NAFLD. The highest levels of TG, TC, LDL‐C, and lowest level of HDL‐C were seen in the mixed obese group followed by abdominal obese, peripheral obese and non‐obese ones. Adjusted for gender and age, the odds ratios （ORs） and their 95% confidence intervals of peripheral obesity, abdominal obesity and mixed obesity were 0, 10.93 （0.98‐121.96） and 79.16 （10.95‐572.44） for predicting NAFLD; 12.61 （1.24‐127.78）, 19.39 （5.23‐71.85）, and 93.21 （29.56‐293.90） for predicting ultrasonographic fatty liver; 1.78 （0.59‐5.44）, 3.01 （1.91‐4.77）, and 4.64 （3.52‐6.12） for predicting dyslipidemia, respectively compared with the non‐obese control group. The trend of hazards over groups was statistically significant （P0.01）. Conclusion The levels of lipid profile and the prevalence of NAFLD and dyslipidemia increased in parallel with the degree of obesity; As compared with the non‐obese control, the mixed obesity had the strongest association with NAFLD and dyslipidemia, followed by abdominal obesity and peripheral obesity in Chinese school‐age Children.

Can postponing school starting age solve China’s “Boy Crisis?”

Education has always been a deeply emotional topic for Chinese parents. A recent proposal calling for postponing boys＇ school starting age by one year has led to even more heated discussions on the topic.

Reduced efficacy of single-dose albendazole against Ascaris lumbricoides, and Trichuris trichiura, and high reinfection rate after cure among school children in southern Ethiopia: a prospective cohort study

Background Mass drug administration(MDA)program of albendazole to at-risk populations as preventive chemo-therapy is the core public health intervention to control soil-transmitted helminths(STHs).Achieving this goal relies on drug effectiveness in reducing the parasite reservoirs in the community and preventing reinfection.We assessed the effcacy of albendazole against STH parasite infection and reinfection status after cure.Methods A total of 984 schoolchildren infected with at least one type of STH parasite(hookworm,Ascaris lumbri-coides,Trichuris trichiura)in southern Ethiopia were enrolled and received albendazole and praziquantel in MDA campaign conducted from January to March 2019.Stool exams at week-4 and at week-8 of post-MDA were done using Kato Katz technique.The primary outcome was effcacy assessed by cure rate(CR)and fecal egg reduction rates(ERRs)at four weeks of post-MDA.The secondary outcome was reinfection status defined as parasite egg positivity at eight weeks among those who were cured at 4 weeks of post-MDA.Group comparisons in CR and related factors were assessed with chi-square or Fisher's exact tests.Predictors of CR were examined through univariate and multi-variate regression analyses.Results The overall CR and ERR for hookworm infection were 97.2%(95%CI:94.6-99.4)and 97.02%,respectively.The overall CR and ERR for A.lumbricoides were 71.5%(95%CI:68.3-74.6)and 84.5% respectively.The overall CR and ERR and for T.trichiura were 49.5%(95%CI:44.8-54.2)and 68.3%,respectively.The CR among moderate T.trichiura infec-tion intensity was 28.6%.Among children cured of hookworm,A.lumbricoides and T.trichiura at week 4 post-MDA,4.6%,18.3% and 52.4% became reinfected at week-8 post-MDA,respectively.Significantly lower CR(36.6%)and higher reinfection after cure(60.6%)among A.lumbricoides and T.trichiura coinfected children than A.lumbricoides only(CR=69.6%,reinfection rate=15.1%)or T.trichiura only infected children(CR=55.6%,reinfection rate=47.1%)was observed.Pre-treatment coinfection with≥two types of STH parasites was significantly associated with re-infec-tion after cure.Conclusion Albendazole MDA is efficacious against hookworm but has reduced efficacy against A.lumbricoides and is not effective against T.trichiura.The low drug efficacy and high reinfection rate after cure underscore the need for alternative treatment and integration of other preventive measures to achieve the target of eliminating STHs as a public health problem by 2030.

Empirical Changes in the Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity among Chinese Students from 1985 to 2010 and Corresponding Preventive Strategies

Objective To determine the extent of the obesity epidemic in school‐aged Chinese children in 2010 and track the increasing trend in different socioeconomic regions over the preceding 25 years. Strategies for preventing childhood obesity are suggested. Methods We used a dataset provided by the Chinese National Survey on Students’ Constitution and Health from 1985‐2010. Subjects were 7‐18‐year‐old students randomly selected from urban and rural areas in 30 provinces. Eight subgroups were created according to region and socioeconomic status. Results Increased rates of the epidemic （overweight and obesity combined） were greatest in large coastal cities‐32.6% and 19.1% among males and females, respectively. These rates has neared that of developed countries. Similar increases were found in all other regions, including the once poverty‐stricken rural west. The epidemic in most of the rural areas began after 2000, but has spread swiftly over the last decade. In 2010, it was estimated that 9.9% of Chinese school‐aged children and adolescents were overweight and that an additional 5.1% were obese, representing an estimated 30.43 million individuals. Conclusion The prognosis for China＇s childhood‐obesity epidemic is dire. To prevent childhood obesity, we suggest several strategies, including reasonable dietary intake, increase physical activity, a change in sedentary lifestyles and corresponding behavioral modifications.