Abstract Background Regular physical activity (PA) is associated with many benefits for physiological and mental wellbeing in children and adolescents. Despite this, many children and adolescents are failing to meet current PA guidelines. Given the age-related declines in PA as children move into adolescence, and then adulthood, the development of interventions to promote PA in this population is important. Schools have been identified as a key setting for the promotion of health-related behaviours, and young people spend a significant proportion of their waking day within the school setting. Aim This symposium will engage researchers, practitioners, health care professionals and policy makers to discuss novel school-based interventions. The objectives of this symposium are to: (1) Disseminate the findings of school-based interventions across a number of countries (France, Ireland, United Kingdom, Spain); (2) Highlight cross-cultural challenges in the development and evaluation of school-based interventions, and (3) Outline how co-design and Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) have been utilised in the development of school-based interventions. Symposia presentations 1. The effectiveness of a peer-led school-based walking intervention on adolescent girls’ physical activity: the Walking In ScHools (WISH) study. This presentation will highlight findings from the first fully powered trial to investigate the effectiveness of a peer-led brisk walking intervention in adolescent girls, including primary and secondary outcome data, and process evaluation measures. 2. School-based physical activity promotion in a cross-cultural context: interventions from France and Spain. This presentation will highlight key learnings on how best to connect cross-cultural educational contexts for the promotion of physical activity and discuss the development of a cross-cultural intervention guide. 3. Co-production of the Move Well, Feel Good movement behaviours intervention. This presentation will describe the feasibility evaluation of the Move Well, Feel Good intervention. The Move Well, Feel Good intervention was developed using a co-design approach, and aims to enhance children’s mental health through motor competence and psychosocial development. 4. Physical activity trends among Second-level Active School Flag programme 2019-2021. This presentation will evaluate the impact of the Active School Flag programme and outline changes in physical activity levels over a three-year period.
Introduction In recent times, there has been a growing emphasis on the significance of fostering intergenerational learning and interaction. This involves individuals from diverse age groups engaging in purposeful and mutually beneficial activities aimed at enhancing their knowledge, skills, and values. Objectives This systematic review was undertaken to explore the psychosocial consequences of intergenerational learning experiences among primary school-age children and older adults. Methods In accordance with the PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive review of both quantitative and qualitative data was conducted. Electronic databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and ERIC were meticulously searched up to July 26, 2022, using the following Population (P) - Exposure (E) - Outcome (O) criteria: primary school-age children and older adults (P), participation in intergenerational learning (E), and psychosocial effects (O). Additionally, we extensively scrutinized the reference lists of included datasets and pertinent review articles (Figure 1). To evaluate the quality of the eligible studies, we employed the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Data analysis was structured around a narrative synthesis approach. Results A total of seventeen studies were deemed eligible for inclusion in this review. The findings regarding the psychosocial consequences of engaging in intergenerational activities for both children and older adults predominantly underscored positive improvements in their attitudes, well-being, happiness, and various other aspects of their social and psychological well-being, although certain methodological limitations were identified (Figure 2). Image: Image 2: Conclusions Promoting intergenerational interactions and learning experiences holds promise as a means to enhance the overall quality of life and well-being for both younger and older members of our communities. Disclosure of Interest None Declared
Evangelia Tsiloni, Elena Dragioti, M. Gouva et al.
This study assessed the developmental profile of unisensory and multisensory processes, and their contribution to children's intellectual abilities (8- and 11-year olds, N = 38, compared to adults, N = 19) using a simple audiovisual detection task and three incidental associative learning tasks with different sensory signals: visual-verbal with pseudowords, novel audiovisual, and visual-visual. The level of immaturity throughout childhood was dependent on both, the sensory signal type and the task. Associative learning was significantly enhanced with verbal sounds, compared to novel audiovisual and unisensory visual learning. Visual-verbal learning was also the best predictor of children's general intellectual abilities. The results demonstrate a separate developmental trajectory for visual and verbal multisensory processes and independent contributions to the development of cognitive abilities throughout childhood.
Ayla Barutchu, Joanne M Fifer, Mohit Naresh Shivdasani et al.
BACKGROUND: Recent advances in computer vision and wearable technology have created an opportunity to introduce mobile therapy systems for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) that can respond to the increasing demand for therapeutic interventions; however, feasibility questions must be answered first. OBJECTIVE: We studied the feasibility of a prototype therapeutic tool for children with ASD using Google Glass, examining whether children with ASD would wear such a device, if providing the emotion classification will improve emotion recognition, and how emotion recognition differs between ASD participants and neurotypical controls (NC). METHODS: We ran a controlled laboratory experiment with 43 children: 23 with ASD and 20 NC. Children identified static facial images on a computer screen with one of 7 emotions in 3 successive batches: the first with no information about emotion provided to the child, the second with the correct classification from the Glass labeling the emotion, and the third again without emotion information. We then trained a logistic regression classifier on the emotion confusion matrices generated by the two information-free batches to predict ASD versus NC. RESULTS: = 33) showed increased accuracies in emotion labeling, and the logistic regression classifier achieved an accuracy of 72.7%. Further analysis suggests that the ability to recognize surprise, fear, and neutrality may distinguish ASD cases from NC. CONCLUSION: This feasibility study supports the utility of a wearable device for social affective learning in ASD children and demonstrates subtle differences in how ASD and NC children perform on an emotion recognition task.
This study aimed to explore the relationship between teachers and students’ families and address the deficiencies in the body of research regarding the performance gap between children with autism and their age-equivalent peers. The research question was: How do teachers of children with autism perceive the home-school collaboration and its impact on learning? Ten state-certified special educators with at least 3 years’ experience teaching children with autism, and experience collaborating with their students’ families participated in face-to-face interviews, answering 8 open-ended questions in this generic qualitative study. Inductive thematic analysis yielded 6 themes: (a) collaboration improves learning, (b) communication is vital, (c) collaboration supports overall student improvement, (d) challenges impact collaboration, (e) parental involvement is imperative, and (f) teachers find ways to promote parental engagement. A strong home-school connection improved students’ ability to grasp material in the classroom, decreased the children’s anxiety and enhanced their sense of security; also, involved parents reinforced the learning process at home. Recommendations for future research include studying a larger sample to increase generalizability and covering a larger geographic area for better representation of the population.
BACKGROUND: Dental anxiety (DA) has an impact on the quality of dental treatment and may have long-lasting implications for children. A recent study introducing experiential learning (EL) into children's oral health promotion resulted in better oral hygiene. The purpose of the study is to evaluate whether EL can reduce children's DA. METHODS: In September 2018, we recruited 988 children aged 7-8 years from 24 classes to participate in a cluster-randomized trial. Classes were randomly assigned to EL (in which children received a lively presentation on oral health and participated in a role play in a simulated dental clinic in the classroom) or the Tell-Show-Do (TSD) group (in which children received a conventional TSD behavior management). The primary outcome was the prevalence of high DA after the procedure of pit and fissure sealant (PFS), assessed by a modified Children's Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale. Secondary outcomes were changes in blood pressures (BP) and pulse rates (PR) before and after the PFS procedure. The intervention effects were estimated by means of mixed effect models, which included covariates of gender and school (and baseline value for BP and PR only), and a random cluster effect. RESULTS: In 396 children of the EL group who received the PFS treatment, the prevalence of high DA (score ≥ 38) was 18.5%, compared with 24.3% in 391 children of the TSD group (OR = 0.65; 95% confidence interval, 0.46-0.93; P = 0.019). The increases in BP and PR after the PFS were also significantly less in the EL group. CONCLUSION: School-based experiential learning intervention before a dental visit is feasible and effective in reducing children's dental anxiety during PFS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered in Chinese Clinical Trial Registry on 5 January 2020 (No.: ChiCTR2000028878 , retrospectively registered).
This study examined whether immersive virtual reality (VR) supports second-language vocabulary learning in school-aged children compared to passive computer-based training. Seventy-three Swedish middle-school students learned novel words by assembling objects in VR and by viewing object assembly on a computer screen in a crossover design. Word recall was tested after each condition, and individual differences in language aptitude and sustained attention were assessed. Overall, recall was higher after computer-based training than VR. However, sustained attention was the strongest predictor of learning outcomes, and the difference between conditions was (marginally) significant only for children with higher sustained attention. No VR behavioural measures (gaze, assembly time, rotation) explained learning outcomes. These findings suggest that VR may not universally enhance vocabulary learning but could benefit learners with specific attentional profiles. Further research should explore how VR design and training duration influence language acquisition in school settings.
Maja Rudling, Theodor Rumetshofer, Jens Nirme et al.
INTRODUCTION: Children who have sustained a serious injury or who have a chronic health condition, such as diabetes or epilepsy, may have their school performance adversely impacted by the condition, treatment of the condition and/or time away from school. Examining the potential adverse impact requires the identification of children most likely to be affected and the use of objective measures of education performance. This may highlight educational disparities that could be addressed with learning support. This study aims to examine education performance, school completion and health outcomes of children in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, who were hospitalised with an injury or a chronic health condition compared with children who have not been hospitalised for these conditions. METHOD AND ANALYSIS: This research will be a retrospective population-level case-comparison study of hospitalised injured or chronically ill children (ie, diabetes, epilepsy, asthma or mental health conditions) aged ≤18 years in NSW, Australia, using linked health and education administrative data collections. It will examine the education performance, school completion and health outcomes of children who have been hospitalised in NSW with an injury or a chronic health condition compared with children randomly drawn from the NSW population (matched on gender, age and residential postcode) who have not been hospitalised for these conditions. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study received ethics approval from the NSW Population Health Services Research Ethics Committee (2018HRE0904). Findings from the research will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at scientific conferences.
Rebecca J Mitchell, Cate M Cameron, Reidar P. Lystad et al.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of postural education on the learning and postural habits of elementary school children without physical intervention. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Lilacs, SciELO, Cochrane, and Science Direct data bases and reference lists of studies in February 2020. The eligibility criteria were randomized clinical trials related to the effect of postural education in children aged between 6 and 12 years old. Two authors independently assessed trials for inclusion and risk of bias: randomization process, deviations from intended interventions, missing outcome data, measurement of the outcome, and selection of the reported result. Data were extracted in standardized tables including information on author, publication year, country, sample size, age, sex, intervention characteristics, outcome measurements and results. RESULTS: We found seven clinical trials (involving 2,568 children) for the review. The studies were conducted between 2000 and 2018: four in Belgium, two in Spain, and one in Germany. All seven included trials underwent evaluation: only one had a clear process of randomization and allocation concealment. All included studies were judged as having high risk of bias in at least one domain or have concerns for multiple domains. CONCLUSIONS: The positive effects of acquired knowledge and postural habits found in the studies cannot be used to reliably support postural education in elementary school children due to a high risk of bias in the evaluated studies.
Paola Janeiro Valenciano, Fabíola Unbehaun Cibinello, Jéssica Caroliny de Jesus Neves et al.
This systematic review provides a comprehensive overview of child sexual abuse prevalence globally, along with an examination of the effectiveness of school-based prevention education programmes for primary school-aged children. These prevention programmes utilise social cognitive learning theories to teach children the importance of identifying and responding to abusive situations. A total of 676 papers were evaluated with 13 Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) or cluster RCT design studies identified as meeting the study's inclusion criteria. These studies were published in English between January 2000 and May 2022, and focus on outcomes of school-based prevention programmes designed for primary school-aged children (5–12 years old). To ensure a comprehensive and academically rigorous analysis, the following databases were included: Science Direct, Web of Science, Scopus, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) PsycINFO, Ovid Medline, and Embase. The studies reviewed aim to evaluate the effectiveness of various child sexual abuse prevention programmes in improving children's knowledge and recognition of, and response to potentially unsafe situations. In terms of outcomes and results, the interventions have significantly impacted knowledge, skills, confidence, and awareness in the short and long term. These studies used different intervention methods, including mobile applications, personal safety programmes, and protective behaviour programmes, delivered in various formats such as web-based, textbooks, and in-person sessions. This systematic review highlights the importance of child sexual abuse prevention programmes in schools and the need for further research.
