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Preschool programs for socially vulnerable children are believed to affect school readiness and language development but infrequently include follow-up to adolescence; observational measurement of receptive vocabulary is rare. The purpose of this longitudinal cohort study (55 children and 41 parents) was to report the trajectory of receptive vocabulary development for socially vulnerable children of diverse ethnicities (Indigenous, other Canadian-born, and Immigrant) who participated in a two-generation preschool program. English receptive vocabulary scores were measured at 5-time points: (a) program intake, (b) program exit, (c) age 7 years, (d) age 10 years, and (e) adolescence, using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test – Third Edition (PPVT-III). For all children, PPVT-III scores increased the most between program intake and exit and positive changes were sustained until adolescence. When the sample was examined by gender, PPVT-III scores were higher for boys than girls at all time points. When the sample was examined by ethnicity, other Canadian-born children scored higher than Indigenous and Immigrant children at all time points. Immigrant children scored lowest until age 7 years, and at age 10 years and adolescence scored higher than Indigenous children. Using mixed-effects modeling, PPVT-III scores increased when English was the primary language spoken at home at intake. PPVT-III scores increased slightly as caregiver age and caregiver Adverse Childhood Experiences score increased. PPVT-III scores were lower for Immigrant girls and Indigenous boys than other sub-groups of children. Differential effects of the two-generation preschool program by gender and ethnicity suggest tailoring programming to increase equitability of receptive vocabulary development for immigrant girls and Indigenous boys. Children with intergenerational adversity may require additional support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe shoulder-related injury rates (IRs), types, severity, mechanisms, and risk factors in youth ice hockey players during games and practices. Design: Secondary analysis of data from a 5-year prospective cohort study, Safe-to-Play (2013-2018). Setting: Canadian youth ice hockey. Participants: Overall, 6584 player-seasons (representing 4417 individual players) participated. During this period, 118 shoulder-related games and 12 practice injuries were reported. Assessment of Risk Factors: An exploratory multivariable mixed-effects Poisson regression model examined the risk factors of body checking policy, weight, biological sex, history of injury in the past 12 months, and level of play. Main Outcome Measures: Injury surveillance data were collected from 2013 to 2018. Injury rates with 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated using Poisson regression. Results: The shoulder IR was 0.35 injuries/1000 game-hours (95% CI, 0.24-0.49). Two-thirds of game injuries (n = 80, 70%) resulted in.8 days of time-loss, and more than one-third (n = 44, 39%) resulted in >8 days of time-loss. An 83% lower rate of shoulder injury was associated with policy prohibiting body checking compared with leagues allowing body checking (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.17; 95% CI, 0.09-0.33). A higher shoulder IR was observed for those who reported any injury in the last 12-months compared with those with no history (IRR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.33-3.01). Conclusions: Most shoulder injuries resulted in more than 1 week of time-loss. Risk factors for shoulder injury included participation in a body-checking league and recent history of injury. Further study of prevention strategies specific to the shoulder may merit further consideration in ice hockey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For children and youth, the COVID-19 pandemic surfaced at a critical time in their development. Children have experienced extended disruptions to routines including in-person schooling, physical activities, and social interactions—things that bring meaning and structure to their daily lives. We estimated the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms of children and youth and their experiences of health-related quality of life (HRQoL), during the first year of the pandemic, and identified factors related to these outcomes. Further, we examined these effects among ethnocultural minority families. We conducted an online survey (March–July 2021) with 510 children and youth aged 8–18 years and their parents/caregivers. The sample was representative of the targeted population. We modelled the relationship between anxiety, depression (measured using the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale), HRQoL (measured using KIDSCREEN-10), and sociodemographic, behavioural, and COVID-19-contributing factors using binary logistic regression. A priori-selected moderating effects of sociodemographic characteristics and self-identified ethnocultural minority groups on the outcomes were tested. The point-in-time prevalence of medium-to-high anxiety symptoms and depression symptoms was 10.19% and 9.26%, respectively. Almost half (49.15%) reported low-to-moderate HRQoL. Children reporting medium-to-high anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, and low-to-moderate HRQoL were more likely to be aged 8–11 years, 16–18 years, ethnocultural minority participants, living in rural/urban areas, having good/fair MH before COVID-19, experiencing household conflicts, having less physical activity, and having ≥3 h of recreational screen time. Those who had more people living at home and ≥8 h of sleep reported low anxiety and depression symptoms. Ethnocultural minority 16–18-year-olds were more likely to report low-to-moderate HRQoL, compared to 12–15-year-olds. Additionally, 8–11-year-olds, 16–18-year-olds with immigrant parents, and 16–18-year-olds with Canadian-born parents were more likely to report low–moderate HRQoL, compared to 12–15-year-olds. Children and youth MH and HRQoL were impacted during the pandemic. Adverse MH outcomes were evident among ethnocultural minority families. Our results reveal the need to prioritize children's MH and to build equity-driven, targeted interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a cross-sectional study conducted in Ontario which found a 139 percent increase in pediatric eating disorder hospitalizations from 2002 to 2019.

It has long been established that bullying has many negative impacts on the mental health of adolescents. Young people who are victimized by bullying may cope by drawing on available assets to protect themselves from harm. One such asset with ancient roots but with the potential for contemporary application is the concept of spiritual health—the idea that the connections in our lives (whether to ourselves, others, nature, or something transcendent) affect our well-being. In this study, we examined 12,593 Canadians aged 11–15 years to determine the effects of being victimized by bullying on their mental health, as measured by frequent subjective health complaints. We then explored whether strong spiritual health connections were effect modifiers that buffer such negative pathways, thereby acting as protective health assets. Data were obtained from the 2017/18 Canadian Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study. Generalized linear regression models were used to estimate associations and evaluate effect modification in different age and gender groups. Approximately 21% of participants reported being victimized by bullying. Strength of "connections to self" (i.e., a sense of meaning/purpose or joy and happiness in one's life) was found to act as an effect modifier, but in girls alone. Contrary to expectations of a buffering effect, the strongest associations between victimization and frequent health complaints were identified for girls with high connections to self. Relative risks for poor mental health among these highly self-connected girls were 1.63 [95% CI: 1.26–2.12] and 1.25 [1.06–1.47] for younger and older girls, respectively. We interpreted this unexpected finding in light of cognitive theories of trauma, which suggest that adverse events may lead to worse health outcomes among those who place particular value on their world being meaningful, controllable or benevolent. Implications for clinical intervention and health promotion are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]