Nutritional Status of Under-five Children from Urban Low-income Families in Xiangtan and Jilin in China

There have been many studies on the nutrition and the growth status of children from rural and remote western regions of China, whereas researches on children from urban low-income families are scarce. This study aimed to investigate the growth and nutritional status of children under five years of age from urban low-income families in China. There were 169 children aged 25–60 months recruited from Xiangtan and Jilin, two cities with a population of 2.81 million and 4.26 million respectively, in China in this cluster cross-sectional study. Data were collected on demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, the feeding practices and the incidence of anemia and diarrhea. The results showed that the prevalence of low birth weight and macrosomia was 7.1% and 9.5% for the two cities, respectively, which was higher than that for other cities in China（1.5% and 5.9%）. Of all the sampled children, 14.6% and 8.2% suffered anemia and diarrhea, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that legumes or nuts fed in a 24-h recall increased the risk of anemia（OR=4.9）. Children whose caregivers began to introduce complementary foods relatively late would have high diarrhea prevalence（OR=1.4）. In conclusion, the prevalence of anemia and diarrhea in under-five children from urban low-income families in China is relatively high. The growth and nutritional status of these children is greatly affected by feeding practices. A series of measures should be taken by relevant government departments to improve the health of these children.

Are Personal Exemptions Succeeded to Protect Low-Income Families in Egypt From the Negative Effects of COVID-19?

This paper attempts to investigate the negative effects of the spread of COVID-19 on low-income families in Egypt.Coronavirus spread is measured by"Coronavirus cases"and"Coronavirus deaths"on a daily basis.Besides,it is measured by both"new Coronavirus cases"and"new deaths from Coronavirus",in relation to the population of Egypt.The Egyptian government is taking some measures to reduce the negative effects of COVID-19,including increasing personal exemptions by amending some provisions of the Egyptian Income Tax Law promulgated by Law No.91 of 2005 to protect low-income families.Of the negative effects of COVID-19,it is one of the most important tax policies to achieve social justice in distributing the tax burden,according to income levels,in a manner that achieves justice and equality.We find that Personal exemptions did not succeed in achieving tax justice by easing the tax burden on the low-income people in society.

Economic and Social Impact Assessment of Chronic Diseases Among the Low-Income Population in Southern Punjab,Pakistan

Introduction:Chronic diseases are becoming more prevalent worldwide.The effects of chronic illnesses are disastrous not only for the diagnosed person but also for their entire family.This study explores chronic diseases’social and economic impact on low-income families.The study aims to determine the economic and social implications of various chronic diseases and the loss of income due to these conditions among low-income individuals in Southern Punjab,Pakistan.Methodology:A sample of 424 patients was selected from different areas of Southern Punjab.Data were collected using a questionnaire that included questions about economic status,self-reported health status,social status,management strategies,and health insurance,among other factors.Results:The mean monthly income of the respondents was found to be 57,097.6 Pakistani rupee(PKR),and the mean monthly expenses for treatment were 8,256.1 PKR.The loss of income was calculated at 15%.Additionally,62%of patients spent more than 10%of their monthly income on managing their disease.Approximately 85%of the respondents reported that chronic diseases affected their social life.Furthermore,80%of patients lacked health insurance.Conclusion:Chronic diseases impose significant economic and social burdens on patients and their families in Southern Punjab.To reduce the burden of chronic diseases,the government should enhance healthcare services in this region and provide health insurance to low-income families.

Cross-sectional population based study examining the impact of children with asthma on US rural families

Introduction: Approximately 7.1 million US children have asthma. The burden of asthma is disproportionate with ruralUSpopulations experiencing a higher prevalence of the disease. Rural populations experience additional disparities regarding health care access, job availability, and daily living resources. Hence, the family impact of having a child with asthma may be influenced by geographic locale. This impact could be a result of health insurance tied to employment, out of pocket costs, and health care provider availability. Few studies have assessed the impact a child’s asthma has on a family. This study sought to answer the question: What is the impact of children with asthma on US rural families? Methods: Multivariate techniques were performed to examine a single year of data from two connected population-based datasets, the 2007-2008 National Survey of Children’s Health and the 2009-2010 Children with Special Health Care Needs Survey. Children with current asthma defined the study population for both datasets. A logistic regression model was performed for each database. The dependent variable for the first model was child in family currently has asthma, for the second it was rural children with current asthma. Results: The first logistic regression model confirmed that rural children were more likely to have asthma than non-rural children. The second logistic regression model yielded that rural families with a child diagnosed with asthma had greater odds of: not having health insurance, having a parent who stopped working, avoided a job change, or experienced financial problems because of the child’s health. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that rural families experience a disproportionate financial hardship as a result of their child’s asthma. Pharmacist intervention in asthma care in rural areas has the potential to decrease the financial burden for a family while also improving a child’s health.

Empirical Study on the Empowerment of Families Raising Children with Severe Motor and Intellectual Disabilities in Japan: The Association with Positive Feelings towards Child Rearing

Background: “Children with severe motor and intellectual disabilities” refers to children with markedly limited activity due to severe overlapping of physical and intellectual disabilities. The physical and mental burden placed on families raising severely disabled children, particularly the primary caregivers, is great in home settings. For families to effectively utilize services and over-come child rearing problems, the families themselves need the “strength” to cooperate with others for the purpose of raising a severely disabled child. The ultimate goal of family support is to enable such families to achieve satisfaction and self-growth in child rearing. Methods: We used a questionnaire to survey 75 primary caregivers to empirically elucidate the empowerment and positive feelings towards child rearing of families raising children with severe motor and intellectual disabilities and the related factors. The t-test and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient were used to examine the association with bivariates. A multiple regression analysis was conducted for empowerment and positive feelings. Results: Results revealed that life events, livelihood, awareness of social support and the child’s sleep problems were factors related to empowerment. Of these, awareness of social support from outside of the family was found to contribute the most to empowerment. Furthermore, improvement and maintenance of positive feelings towards child rearing reaffirmed the existence of empowerment in addition to reducing negative feelings towards child rearing and ensuring social support. Conclusions: Raising children with severe motor and intellectual disabilities requires specialist knowledge and skills. Support from professionals to empower the entire family is therefore important in order to strengthen positive feelings towards child rearing.

Outbreak Information Delivery to Families with (Pre)School Children and Its Contribution

Background: Infection transmission among them occurs easily and sometimes causes outbreaks at facilities where children live in groups. Early response is necessary for infection control measures to avoid larger clusters. In Japan, (Nursery) School Absenteeism Surveillance System ((N)SASSy), which is a kind of school absenteeism surveillance, has activated since 2007 and covers about 60% of all schools and 40% of all nursery schools in 2017. Objective: The objective of the present paper is investigation and demonstration of how caregivers receive information related to infectious diseases in Japan and how (N)SASSy contributes health of children. Method: We randomly selected subjects with children by pre-fecture in October, 2017. The survey questionnaire asked background information and information about infectious diseases to maintain health in children. We regressed health concern variables on background information and information provision situation about community outbreaks using weighted logistic regression. Results: We received responses from 1172 people. Estimation results showed higher concern about a facility providing information about community outbreak. Caregivers whose children attend facilities provided about community outbreak or covered (N)SASSy significantly higher opportunity to arrange a schedule when a child has a high fever. Discussion: The obtained results demonstrated that activation in (N)SASSy affects the possibility of arranging a schedule when a child has a high fever. This capability might improve community health.

Family empowerment and associated factors in Japanese families raising a child with severe motor and intellectual disabilities

Objectives:Family caregivers raising children with severe motor and intellectual disabilities(SMID)experience the enormous burden of care.The concept of family empowerment is one of the important assessment indexes of family nursing from the perspective of providing comprehensive support for these families.The objective of this study was to identify the factors associated with the empowerment of families raising a child with SMID in Japan.Methods:We conducted a nationwide questionnaire survey involving 1659 primary caregivers raising a child with SMID through 89 special schools.We assessed the main outcomes using the Family Empowerment Scale(FES).We then conducted a multiple linear regression analysis to reveal the factors associated with family empowerment.Results:In total,1362 primary caregivers were included in our study.Our results show that factors contributing to high FES scores are higher age of the primary caregiver,higher education,greater recognition of regional support,lower childcare burden,higher utilization of home visit services,higher usage of a childcare institution,higher household income,and stronger family bonding.Conclusion:Healthcare professionals should carefully assess the state of family empowerment of the primary caregivers who are younger and those who have low education,low household income,high childcare burden,and fragile bonding with the family.Second,they should encourage such families to use regional support resources for childcare.That is,policy makers should consider ways to promote home visits and institutional services for the care of children with SMID,aiming especially for the provision of well-coordinated care and services.

Assessment of Quality of Life, Family Function and Family Empowerment for Families Who Provide Home Care for a Child with Severe Motor and Intellectual Disabilities in Japan

Background: About 70% of Japanese children with severe motor and intellectual disabilities (SMID) live at home, and the number is increasing. Family members have an enormous burden of daily physical care for these children. A top priority is to understand quality of life (QoL), family function, and family empowerment to effectively support these families. We aimed to assess current living situations of families with a SMID child, and to reveal the relationships between QoL, family function, and family empowerment. Methods: Sixty-five family members from 34 families with a SMID child participated in this study. We assessed 5 parameters using the Japanese versions of the following instruments: World Health Organization Quality of Life 26 (WHOQOL26), Kinder Lebensqualitats Fragebogen (KINDL), Family Assessment Device (FAD), Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale KG-4 (FACESKG-4), and Family Empowerment Scale (FES). Correlation and multiple regression analyses were conducted;QoL score was the objective variable. Results: Participants included 54 parents (34 mothers, 20 fathers) and 11 siblings. The mean age of SMID children was 10.4 ± 5.03 years. Twenty-two children needed multiple types of medical care. The mean age of parents and siblings was 41.5 ± 6.16 years and 15.5 ± 2.35 years, respectively. The mean QoL score (3.28 ± 0.5) was similar to the Japanese average. The mean KINDL score (77.2 ± 12.1) was higher than those of previous studies. The mean FAD score was 1.97 ± 0.32. For FACEKG-4, the score of adaptability was correlated with WHOQOL score (r = 0.459, p < 0.05). The mean score of FES was 113.6 ± 14. As the result of multiple regression analysis, lower family FAD scores ([sb] = ?0.61, p < 0.01) indicated higher family function and greater age of participants (sb = 0.495, p < 0.01) was correlated with higher WHOQOL scores (F = 15.208, p < 0.01). Conclusions: Our results indicated that the individual QoL depended on the age of participants (equals the years of experience caring for a SMID child) and the recognition of family function as a whole. Thus, to improve family members’ QoL, we should focus on individuals and also approach the family as a whole.

Family functioning mediation in tic severity and quality of life for children with Tourette syndrome

BACKGROUND Tourette syndrome(TS)is recognized as a neurodevelopmental disorder profoundly influenced by familial factors,particularly family functioning.However,the relationship among family functioning,tic severity,and quality of life in individuals with TS during childhood and adolescence remains unclear.We hypothesized that family functioning plays a role in the association between the severity of TS and quality of life in children.AIM To determine the role of family functioning in the relationship between TS severity and quality of life.METHODS This study enrolled 139 children(male/female=113/26)with TS.We assessed tic severity using the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale,quality of life via the Tourette Syndrome Quality of Life Scale,and family functioning through the Family Assessment Device.Our analysis focused on correlating these measures and exploring the mediating role of family functioning in the relationship between tic severity and quality of life.Additionally,we examined if this mediating effect varied by gender or the presence of comorbidity.RESULTS We found that family communication dysfunction had a significant mediating effect between tic severity and both psychological symptoms(indirect effect:Β=0.0038,95%confidence interval:0.0006-0.0082)as well as physical and activities of daily living impairment(indirect effect:Β=0.0029,95%confidence interval:0.0004-0.0065).For vocal tic severity,this mediation was found to be even more pronounced.Additionally,in male participants and those without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder,the mediating effect of family communication dysfunction was still evident.CONCLUSION Our study highlights the impact of family functioning on the tic severity and the quality of life in children.This relationship is influenced by gender and comorbid conditions like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Research on the Influence of Family Education on Children’s Behavioral Habits

Under the background of the all-round deepening of quality education,the cultivation of comprehensive quality has become the main theme of contemporary education reform.Good behavior and habits are of great significance to children’s future learning,growth,and development.Through literature review and other methods,this paper analyzes the current situation of children’s family education and the influence of family education on the cultivation of children’s behavioral habits and provides some strategies for cultivating children’s good behavioral habits in family education.

Seroepidemiology of Helicobacter pylori infection among asymptomatic Chinese children

INTRODUCTIONIncreasing data has demonstrated that Helicobacterpylori(H.pylori),a spiral gram negativebacterium,colonized in human stomach,can causetype B gastritis,is strongly associated withgastric and duodenal ulceration,and has beenimplicated in the causation of gastric carcinomaand mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue(MALT)lymphomas.It has been reported that there

Relationship between Family Characteristics and Aggressive Behaviors of Children and Adolescents

In order to identify family factors obviously relevant to aggression, and offer a theoretical foundation for the prevention of aggression, 4010 students from primary and secondary schools in 5 different areas in Hubei province were surveyed. The Child Behavior Checklist ＂ parents＂ form＂ （Chinese version） and the four scales of Family Environment Scale were used. A multiple logistic regression was used to identify risk factors of children＇s and adolescents＂ aggressive behavior. The results showed that maternal education, paternal occupation, family type, parental child-rearing attitude and patterns, students＂ interpersonal relationship were significantly associated with the childreffs and adolescents＂ aggression. The risk factors of aggression were parental child-rearing patterns, peer relationship, teacher-student relationship, and family conflicts.

Family-relatedFactorsThatInfluenceChildren’sAcademicAchievementsinSchool

This essay studies various family-related factors that influence a child’s academic achievement in school in P.R. China. The factors are illustrated under three categories: the family’s social class and education, early home environment and family material condition. The author discusses the relevant factors by way of relating the knowledge of social environment to his own experiences as a student and then teacher in China. The essay closes with a discussion directing the public’s attention to the concern about home-related factors influencing a child’s academic achievements in school.

Parents' experience of caring for children with type 1 diabetes in China's Mainland: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND Parents of children with type 1 diabetes mellitus(T1DM)are under heavy caregiving stress,and parental caregivers'experience can affect the health outcomes of children with T1DM.AIM To describe the true inner feelings of parents caring for children with T1DM.METHODS Descriptive research methods were used to classify and summarize parents'experience when adapting to the role of caregivers for children with T1DM.The data was sorted and analyzed using content analysis.Themes of parents'experience caring for children with T1DM were refined,and their feelings were deeply investigated.RESULTS A total of 4 themes and 12 subthemes were identified:(1)Desire for information(disease-related information,home care information,and channels of information acquisition);(2)Skill guidance needs(insulin injection techniques,skills required for symptom management,and skills for parent-child communication);(3)Seeking emotional support(family support,peer support from other parents of children with T1DM,and professional support);and(4)Lack of social support(needs for financial support and needs for social security).Exploring the true experience of parents caring for children with T1DM is of great significance for helping them adapt to their role as caregivers.Nurses should provide professional guidance in terms of information,skills,emotion,and social support to parental caregivers.

The Role of Family in Children with PTSD after Natural Disasters

Parents are the most important and reliable resource for their children to seeking for helps and support. Particularly in the aftermath of natural disasters, the role of family is considered to play an important and significant role in children with PTSD, either are risk factors or protective ones. In this paper, the literature in relation to the effects of family factors in children with PTSD are reviewed, with the aim of exploring both the risk and protective family factors associated with the PTSD symptoms in children. It is concluded that separation from families, parental psychopathology, and parent maladaptive coping strategies have been suggested o constitute risk factors, whereas positive parental emotionality, warm and open family environment have been found to be protective. Some critiques of PTSD concept, its cross-cultural validity, and assessment of children with PTSD are also revealed in this review.

Associations between parental support for physical activity and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity among Chinese school children： A cross-sectional study

Purpose: The objective of this study was to examine the associations between parental support for physical activity(PA) and levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity(MVPA) among Chinese school children.Methods: Study participants were 81,857 school-aged children(aged 9–17 years; mean age = 13 years; 49.0% boys) and their parents or guardians who took part in the 2016 Physical Activity and Fitness in China—The Youth Study project. The independent variables included various forms of parental support for PA ascertained through a survey completed by parents or guardians. The dependent variable was the children's average MVPA in minutes per day by self-report. Structure equation modeling was used to examine the associations between parental support for PA and children's MVPA minutes.Results: The overall mean for MVPA participation time for the child participants was 48.82 ± 28.71 min/day. Significant associations between various forms of parental support and MVPA among children were found. Parental encouragement, accompanying, financial support, involvement,and role modeling for PA were positively associated with a high level of student MVPA participation. Parental PA knowledge-sharing was not associated with MVPA. The patterns of the associations were similar across sex, residence locale(i.e., urban and rural), and school grades(primary,junior middle, and junior high schools).Conclusion: Findings from this study suggest that, among Chinese school children, parental support for PA is important in promoting and facilitating children's participation in MVPA.

Upper respiratory tract infections in children: A normal stage or high parental concern?

Background: Families function less efficiently when one of the children suffers from illness. Upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) are common among children. Though the child may have no critical or serious health problem, the parents may frequently get worried and visit the general practitioner or pediatrician. Do children with URTI who visit the doctor frequently pass through a normal stage in childhood or are their parents more concerned than usual? Methods: A questionnaire was filled out for 76 children between 1 and 4 years of age. Two groups were created: a URTI group and a control group. Results: The URTI group suffered from these infections for 19.4 days a month, compared with 5.9 days in the control group. In addition, they also suffered from fever for a longer duration and used more antibiotics. The parents of these children were found to be more concerned, caused by a fear of a serious disease. They often keep their child at home and make their child consume more medicines. Conclusions: Parents of children with recurrent infections are found to be more concerned and a hypothesis of high parental concern and child's illness is discussed. Minimizing parental concern can therefore be a possible preventive treatment.

The Influences of Family, Peers, School and Media in Children's Prosocial Behaviors

Children's skills of social interaction is a significant index of their following psychological development. Prosocial behaviors which influenced by many factors are fundamental representatives of social interaction. Present essay illustrates an indepth review of literature concerning the impacts of family,peers, school and media in Children's prosocial behaviors and also indicates the limitations of each research.

Relevance of Family in Academic Success on Children

The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between academic success and functional and dysfunctional families. A non-experimental, cross-sectional, descriptive correlational design was used. A convenience sample of 200 children between 6 and 13 years old, primary and junior high school students was conducted (32.3% were female and 67.7% were male). To assess the relationship, a study case of 21 reagents was designed to empty the obtained information from medical review records from a psychopedagogic clinic. Academic success was measured as from the revision of informal tests and standardized tests. Results showed that the population levels of academic success were average. However, a significant relationship between the age of the parents and the level of academic success was found, indicating that these variables are associated with this problem. Besides that, it was found that there is a tendency in children with cognitive, emotional and sensory problems reflected in low academic success. The findings provide information that could be considered for the development of programs of psychopedagogic intervention to treat children with learning disabilities and low academic success.

Family characteristics on self-reported toothache among Indonesian children aged 12-14 years

Objective： Toothache was reported as a reason for school absenteeism, sleeping difficulties, loss of appetite, and seeking dental treatment among children. These represented some impacts of dental problems on health, quality of life, and socioeconomic problems. The aims of this study were to describe the prevalence of toothache among 12-14-year-old children in Indonesia and their family characteristics and to analyze the associations of family characteristics on the toothache. Methods： We analyzed the data from the Indonesian Family Life Survey 5 in 2014-2015. A total of 2,377 children aged 12-14 years were included in this survey. This age is the early stage of eruption of all permanent teeth. Children were asked about their experience on toothache in the last 4 weeks as a dependent variable. The independent variables were the family socioeconomic characteristics including father＇s and mother＇s highest educational level, family income, and the number of children in the family. A logistic regression was applied to analyze the relationship of family characteristics with toothache experience of children. Results： Toothache experience was reported from 13.9% of the respondents. Descriptive statistics showed that higher percentages of toothache were experienced by male children and children from family with lower parental education and economic position as well as from bigger family. However, logistic regression showed that only the number of children in the family had a statistically positive association with self-reported toothache of the children. Children living in the family with more than four children were more likely reported toothache than living in the family with one or two children （P=0.012; odds ratio [OR] = 1.53）. Children living with more siblings may experience less attention from their parents on oral health hygiene. Poor oral health habits could result in dental pain. Conclusions： Descriptive statistics showed that a higher percentage of toothache was experienced by children from lower socioeconomic families, although the only significant association was the number of children in the family.