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OBJECTIVE This prospective longitudinal study assesses the reciprocal relationship between physical activity, including sport participation, and depressive and anxiety symptoms, conceptualized as emotional distress, over time. METHOD Boys and girls are from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development birth cohort (N = 1428). Trajectories of emotional distress symptoms from ages 6 to 10 years, assessed by teachers, were generated using latent class analysis. Multinomial logistic regression analyses examined sport participation at age 5 years, measured by parents, as a predictor of emotional distress trajectory outcomes. Analyses of covariance compared physical activity, measured by children at age 12 years, across different trajectories of emotional distress. RESULTS We identified 3 emotional distress trajectories: "low" (77%), "increasing" (12%), and "declining" (11%). Boys who never participated in sport at age 5 years were more likely to be in the "increasing" (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01-2.63) or "declining" (adjusted OR = 2.19, 95% CI = 1.28-3.75) emotional distress trajectories compared with boys who participated in any sporting activity. Furthermore, boys in the "low" emotional distress trajectory demonstrated better physical activity outcomes at age 12 years (F(2, 1438) = 6.04, p < 0.05). These results, exclusively for boys, are above and beyond pre-existing individual and family factors. CONCLUSION This study supports the relevance of enhancing current public health strategies to understand and promote physical activity and emotional adjustment in early childhood to achieve better a more active lifestyle and overall health across development. We underscore male needs for physical activity for health promotion.

This study investigates the nexus between teacher exposure to student aggression, their level of emotional exhaustion, and the role of belongingness and perceived school safety as mediators. Random...

The ubiquitous societal presence of screens and gaming software is ever growing in popularity. However, can this recreational life-style pose risks for children's psychosocial adjustment? We thus examine associations between gaming life-style and later psychosocial development.The study sample originates from the 2120 boys and girls from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development birth cohort. At age 12, 625 boys and 702 girls from the original sample self-reported the number of hours engaged in video gaming per week and 1 year later, they self-reported psychosocial outcomes.Among boys, higher weekly video gaming frequency at age 12 forecasted increases in subsequent reactive aggression, emotional distress and ADHD symptoms at age 13. For girls, higher weekly video gaming frequency at age 12 predicted increases in subsequent reactive aggression and ADHD symptoms at age 13. No association between video game use and emotional distress was found for girls.In both boys and girls, a more intense video gaming life-style predicted subsequent risks for reactive aggression and ADHD symptoms, compared with their same sex counterparts reporting less intensity. For boys only, video gaming was associated with subsequent reactive emotional distress, likely due to the gender differences in violent content. Our data were collected at a time when there were less versatile screen-based technologies; therefore, our findings can be interpreted as very conservative compared to current estimates. Paediatric professionals and allied disciplines must take preventive measures to ensure that parents are aware of the risks associated with excessive use by their sons and daughters.

Risks of early exposure to media violence remain unclear. This study examines typical early childhood violent media exposure and subsequent psychosocial and academic risks.Our longitudinal birth cohort comprised 978 girls and 998 boys. Child-reported and teacher-reported measures of adjustment at age 12 years were linearly regressed on parent-reported televised violence exposure at ages 3.5 and 4.5 years while adjusting for individual/family confounders.For girls, preschool violent televiewing was associated with increases in emotional distress (b = 0.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.13-0.49) and decreases in classroom engagement (b = -0.97; 95% CI, -1.55 to -0.40), academic achievement (b = -2.60; 95% CI, -3.48 to -1.72), and academic motivation (b = -0.58; 95% CI, -1.09 to -0.07) at age 12 years. For boys, preschool violent televiewing was associated with increases in emotionally distressed (b = 0.33; 95% CI, 0.13-0.53), inattentive (b = 0.25; 95% CI, 0.06-0.45), conduct disordered (b = 0.11; 95% CI, 0.00-0.21), and socially withdrawn behavior (b = 0.23; 95% CI, 0.05-0.40), as well as decreases in classroom engagement (b = -0.84; 95% CI, -1.57 to -0.12), academic achievement (b = -1.19; 95% CI, -2.15 to -0.23), and academic motivation (b = -0.58; 95% CI, -1.13 to -0.03) at age 12 years.Compared with no preschool exposure, violent televiewing is associated with distinct and enduring psychosocial risks by early adolescence. Acknowledging such risks remains a pertinent health literacy target for pediatric professionals, parents, and communities.

Providing high-quality teaching practices is central to promote student engagement in school. High quality teaching is even more important in schools located in low socioeconomic neighborhoods, whe...

Background: Childhood sport helps children develop growth and maturation, while simultaneously offering self-regulation, motor, and social skills training. This study aims to estimate the influence of sport participation at age 6 years on indicators of health at age 8 years, using a prospective longitudinal birth cohort design. Methods: Participants were 1492 children aged 6–8 years from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. Lower muscular power was measured with the standing long jump test. Girth used the children’s waist circumference in centimeters. Body mass index was computed from child height and weight. We regressed these directly measured health indicators at age 8 years on parent-reported physical activity at age 6 years using linear Ordinary Least Squares regression. Results: Boys who participated in more physical activity at age 6 years had better lower muscular power (b = 2.368; 95% CI, 0.341 to 4.395) and higher body mass index (b = 0.340; 95% CI, 0.055 to 0.626). No significant results were found for girls. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that physical activity in kindergarten has a positive impact on muscular power by the end of the second grade in boys. This supports the pertinence of implementing physical activity to a routine early in life to help children improve their general health.

The objectives of this study were to derive trajectories of childhood participation in organized physical activity (PA) and to examine how these trajectories are associated with pre-existing and subsequent emotional adjustment. Trajectories of mother-reported participation in organized PA were derived from age 6 to 10 for 1492 children from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development birth cohort. Parents and teachers reported on internalizing behavior (emotional distress, anxiety, shyness, social withdrawal) at ages 4 and 12, respectively. Longitudinal latent class analysis identified two typical trajectories of participation in organized PA. The Consistent Participation trajectory (61%) included children with elevated probability of participation at all ages. The Low-Inconsistent Participation trajectory (39%) included children who did not participate or participated only once or twice, generally in late childhood. Pre-existing internalizing behavior at age 4 did not predict trajectory membership. However, children in the Low-Inconsistent Participation trajectory showed higher subsequent emotional distress (B = 0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.46–1.28), anxiety (B = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.18–1.04), shyness (B = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.39–1.44), and social withdrawal (B = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.37–1.34) at age 12 than those in the Consistent Participation trajectory. Our findings suggest that early and sustained involvement in organized PA is beneficial for children’s emotional development.

Background Although autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have been associated with developmental outcomes and parenting stress, it is not known how all variables interact with each other. We estimated prospective associations between ASD screening scores at 24 months and socio-emotional-cognitive development at 36 months while considering parenting stress as a potential moderator of the outcome. Methods Using the Conditions Affecting Neurocognitive Development and Learning in Early Childhood data, ASD-risk behaviors at 24 months and child maturity levels in social, emotional, and cognitive domains at 36 months were reported (N = 1100). Results The number of ASD-type behaviors at 24 months was significantly associated with the socio-emotional-cognitive risk index at 36 months (B = .31, p Conclusions ASD screening scores and parenting stress interact together to have an effect on later child developmental competence. This study suggests that interventions towards early ASD symptoms and parenting stress could enhance subsequent child developmental competence, which is a strong building block for early school readiness and personal success.

North American child media guidelines suggest screen-free zones without offering clear evidence and alternative harm-reduction strategies. Our hypothesis is that having a bedroom television during the preschool years will be prospectively associated with mental and physical health risks in adolescence. Participants are from a prospective-longitudinal birth cohort of 907 girls and 952 boys from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. Child outcomes at ages 12 and 13, measured by multiple sources, were linearly regressed on having a bedroom television at age 4. Bedroom television at age 4 predicted a higher body mass index at age 12 (standardized B = 0.10, p

OBJECTIVES: To estimate associations between kindergarten readiness and academic, psychological, and health risks by end of high school. METHODS: This study is based on 966 Canadian children. At age 5, trained examiners assessed child number knowledge and receptive vocabulary. Teachers reported kindergarten classroom engagement. At age 17, participants reported academic grades, school connectedness, anxiety sensitivity, substance abuse, physical activity involvement, and height and weight. High school dropout risk was also estimated for each participant on the basis of grades, school engagement, and grade retention. RESULTS: Kindergarten math skills contributed to better end-of high school grades (β = .17, P < .01) and lower dropout risk (β = −.20, P < .001), whereas receptive vocabulary predicted lower anxiety sensitivity (β = −.11, P < .01). Kindergarten classroom engagement predicted higher end of high school grades (β = .17, P < .001), lower dropout risk (β = −.20, P < .01), better school connectedness (β = .15, P < .01), lower risk of substance abuse (β = −.21, P < .001), and more physical activity involvement (β = .09, P < .05). Kindergarten classroom engagement was also associated with a 65% reduction (odds ratio = 0.35) in the odds of being overweight at age of 17. Analyses were adjusted for key child (sex, weight per gestational age, nonverbal IQ, and internalizing and externalizing behaviors) and family (parental involvement, maternal depression and immigrant status, family configuration, and socioeconomic status) characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Early childhood readiness forecasts a protective edge by emerging adulthood. With these findings, we build links between education and health indicators, suggesting that children who start school prepared gain a lifestyle advantage. Promoting kindergarten readiness could reduce the health burden generated by high school dropout.

Child disruptive behavior refers to ongoing patterns of disorganized, uncooperative, and defiant behavior. Sport involvement promotes positive child development. However, few longitudinal studies have tested the association between organized sport participation and the behavioral components of disruptive behavior. First, we aim to examine the link between inattentive, hyperactive, aggressive, and oppositional behavior at age 4 years and trajectories of organized sport participation from ages 6 to 10 years. Then, we compare children, according to trajectory membership, on outcome differences on these same behaviors at age 12 years. Data are from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (N = 1492). Child behavior was assessed by questionnaires completed by mothers at age 4 years and teachers at age 12 years. Preschool child inattention as perceived by mothers, significantly reduced the odds of middle childhood organized sport participation by 7% (95% CI = 1.00–1.15). Low or inconsistent participation in organized sport was subsequently associated with increased inattention (d = 0.28) by the end of sixth grade. These findings are above and beyond individual and family characteristics and baseline behavior. No other associations were statistically significant. Inattentive children who participated less in organized sport showed a greater likelihood toward increases in attention deficit by the end of sixth grade. To improve engagement from these children, coaches and trainers should use strategies that support positive experiences such as developing a one-to-one alliance with the child, favoring social cooperation through team spirit, and focusing on the performance experience rather than the outcome of winning or losing.

Background: Classroom engagement is key predictor of child academic success. Aim: The objective of the study was to examine how preschool cognitive control and the experience of family adversity predict developmental trajectories of classroom engagement through elementary school. Setting: Children were followed in the context of the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development from birth to age 10.5 ( N = 1589). Methods: Working memory was directly assessed when children were 3 years old and mothers reported child impulsivity, parenting characteristics, stress and social support when children were 4 years old. Elementary school teachers rated classroom engagement from kindergarten through Grade 4. Results: Growth mixture modelling identified three distinct trajectories of classroom engagement. Child working memory and impulsivity, and maternal hostility, social support and stress predicted greater odds of belonging to the low versus high engagement trajectory. Child impulsivity and maternal hostility and stress also distinguished between the low and moderate engagement trajectories. Conclusion: Our results suggest that targeting preschool cognitive control and buffering the effects of family adversity on children may facilitate academic success.

BackgroundEngaging in sport has been suggested to be mitigate against psychological distress. Using a prospective-longitudinal design, we examine whether sport participation is associated with reduced psychological difficulties in adolescents and whether associations differ by sport and personal characteristics.Methods17 550 adolescents from grade 7 to 10 (mean age=14.4 years old) self-reported on sport participation, depressive symptoms, social anxiety symptoms and loneliness in Spring 2007 and 1 year later. Analyses tested the association between sport participation and subsequent psychological difficulties using linear regression, while adjusting for pre-existing psychological and sociodemographic characteristics. Analyses also verified whether associations differed by sport frequency (weekly/more than weekly) and type (team/individual) using Wald tests of parameter constraints, as well as sex, age and pre-existing psychological difficulties using interaction terms.ResultsAfter adjusting for potential confounders, sport participation predicted lower social anxiety symptoms (beta=−0.02 (−0.04, −0.01)) and loneliness (beta=−0.04 (−0.05, −0.02)), but not depressive symptoms. Moderation analyses showed that sport participation predicted greater reductions in depressive symptoms, social anxiety symptoms and loneliness in adolescents with higher baseline scores on each outcome. Associations did not differ by sport frequency and type, sex and age. Post hoc analyses revealed bidirectional associations between sport participation and social anxiety symptoms and loneliness.ConclusionsSport participation predicts small reductions in adolescent psychological distress. Reductions seem most important in youth experiencing greater pre-existing psychological difficulty. Our findings suggest that sport participation represents a protective factor that supports psychological resilience in at-risk youth.

Purpose We examined the prospective influence of early child problematic behavior on later coercive interactions and binge drinking by mothers. Design and methods Canadian participants are from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, born between spring 1997 and 1998, which allowed a longitudinal birth cohort design. At the 41 months, 628 parents reported on children's oppositional, aggressive, turbulent, and inattentive/hyperactive behavior. Mothers then reported on their own coercive and binge drinking behavior at the 60 month follow-up. Results We estimated a series of ordinary least-squares regressions to examine the relationship between early child behavior problems and later parental coercion and binge drinking, above and beyond many key pre-existing/concurrent confounding factors including prior parenting stress and binge alcohol use. Oppositional, aggressive, and turbulent child behaviors at 41 months predicted harsh, negative parenting at 60 months. Early inattentive/hyperactive child behavior also forecasted later binge alcohol use by mothers within the same time frame. Conclusion Negative preschool behavior predicted harsh, negative maternal behavior kindergarten entry. Early inattentive/hyperactive behavior also forecasted later binge alcohol use by mothers. Coercive parenting and alcohol use are clinically signs of adult distress. Such parents might use alcohol excessively because of its perceived stress-dampening effects and mental evasion from their life difficulties and frustration experiences. Practice implications Problematic preschool behavior can lead to less effective child-rearing and unhealthy parental behavior. Such at-risk mothers would benefit from professional caring practices. Practitioners can inspire change, especially using interaction interventions which encourage positive parent-child relations that, in turn, diminish parental distress.

Past research suggests that the relationship between health and schooling is axiomatic. Physical activity, including sport participation, putatively facilitates school performance. However, the direction of this link lacks clarity. We examine the mutual links between sport and classroom engagement in 452 boys and 514 girls from ages 6 to 12 years. Participants are from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, a prospective-longitudinal birth cohort. First, trajectories of classroom engagement from ages 6 to 10 years, assessed by teachers, were generated using latent class analysis. Second, analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) compared leisure time physical activity, self-reported by children at age 12 years, across trajectories of classroom engagement. Third, ANCOVAs compared classroom engagement, measured by teachers at age 12 years, across trajectories of extracurricular sport between ages 6 to 10 years. We identified two classroom engagement trajectories: ‘High’ (77%) and ‘Moderate’ (23%). For girls, being in the ‘High’ trajectory predicted significantly higher levels of physical activity (F(1, 966) = 5.21, p

The purpose of this study is to examine the prospective association between fluid reasoning skills in seventh grade and subsequent high school dropout in an at-risk population, independent of a number of important confounders. Participants are 4962 students from one of 56 high schools in the French Canadian province of Quebec. Three quarters of participants were intentionally representative of all schools in disadvantaged areas of the province. The Standard Progressive Matrices was administered to assess fluid reasoning, defined as the requisite skills for critical thought and complex problem resolution in novel situations, regardless of task and setting characteristics. Leaving high school from eighth grade onward, as a developmental milestone, was officially tracked and recorded by government sources. Dropout status was assigned if registration in school was discontinued without returning or obtaining a diploma within the period spanning from fall of Grade 8 to two years beyond expected graduation. Lower fluid reasoning skills significantly predicted less perseverance toward high school completion. Specifically, after adjusting for potential confounders, every standard deviation decrease in fluid reasoning predicted 21% increases in odds of dropout (OR = 1.21; 95% C1 = 1.06–1.37). Youth showing below average fluid reasoning skills at the secondary transition might benefit from teacher-student support and technologically-based interventions that bolster knowledge acquisition and learning-related skills. Early approaches to screening and preventive stimulation before student trajectories become clearly characterized by indiscriminate underachievement might circumvent high school dropout and are likely to be more cost-effective than letting the bio-psycho-social developmental risks associated with dropout take their course.

Refers to :Daniela Gonzalez-Sicilia, Frédéric N. Brière, Linda S. Pagani.Prospective associations between participation in leisure-time physical activity at age 6 and academic performance at age 12.Preventive Medicine, Volume 118, January 2019, Pages 135-141 (DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2018.10.017); International audience

No abstract available.

Extracurricular sport has been a valued educational investment to promote both physical and mental health in children and adolescents. Few longitudinal studies have tested whether extracurricular sport is associated with inattentive/hyperactive symptoms. Using a prospective-longitudinal birth cohort of 758 girls and 733 boys, we examined the prospective relationship between consistent middle childhood participation in extracurricular sport and subsequent ADHD symptoms. We hypothesized that engaging in extracurricular sport will promote reductions in symptoms. As a predictor, mothers reported on whether the child participated in sport or organized physical activities with a coach/instructor at ages 6, 7, 8, and 10 years. Developmental trajectories of the sport predictor, from ages 6 to 10 years, were generated using longitudinal latent class analysis. At age 12 years, sixth grade teachers reported on child ADHD symptom outcomes observed in the school setting over the last 6 months. ADHD symptoms were linearly regressed on trajectories of participation in organized sport in boys and girls, while controlling for pre-existing child and family characteristics. For girls, consistent participation in organized sport significantly predicted lower subsequent ADHD symptoms, compared with girls with low-inconsistent participation (unstandardized B = 0.07, p ≤ .05, 95% CI, 0.01–0.14). Early sustained middle childhood involvement in organized sport seems beneficial for the subsequent behavioral development of girls but no associations were found for boys. Middle childhood participation in structured venues that demand physical skill and effort with a coach or instructor may thus represent a valuable policy strategy to promote this aspect of behavioral development for girls.

Secondhand tobacco smoke is considered a developmental neurotoxicant especially given underdeveloped vital systems in young children. An ecological test of its negative influence on brain development can be made by examining the prospective association between early childhood household smoke exposure and later classroom behavior. Using a longitudinal birth cohort, we examined the unique contribution of household tobacco smoke exposure to children’s subsequent classroom engagement at age 10. From child ages 1.5 to 7 years, parents of 2,055 participants from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development reported on household smoking by themselves and other home occupants. At age 10, fourth-grade teachers reported on the child’s classroom engagement. In terms of prevalence, 58% of parents reported that their children were never exposed to smoke in the home, while 34% and 8% of children were exposed to transient and continuous household smoke, respectively. Compared with never exposed children, those who were exposed to transient and continuous household smoke scored 13% and 9% of a standard deviation lower on classroom engagement in fourth grade, standardized B = −.128 (95% confidence interval = −.186, −.069) and standardized B = −.093 (95% confidence interval = −.144, −.043), respectively. Compared with their never exposed peers, children exposed to transient and continuous early childhood household smoke showed proportionately less classroom engagement, which reflects task-orientation, following directions, and working well autonomously and with others. This predisposition poses risks for high school dropout, which from a population health perspective is closely linked with at-risk lifestyle habits and unhealthy outcomes.

Individual differences in cognitive control contribute to academic success, engagement, and persistence toward long-term goal achievement. In a prior study, we found that preschool working memory, a component of cognitive control, predicts kindergarten academic competence and classroom engagement. In the present study, we assess whether preschool working memory contributes to high school dropout risk at age 13. Participants are 1824 children from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development who were individually assessed at ages 2.5 and 3.5 on working memory using the Imitation Sorting Task. Dropout risk, representing an index, comprised of grade retention history and concurrent school performance and engagement, was measured in spring of grade 7. We used logistic regression to estimate dropout risk from early childhood working memory while controlling for verbal and non-verbal IQ, socioeconomic status, and sex. A one point increase in children's working memory skills predicted a 26% reduction in the odds of being in the high risk group for dropout. Higher socioeconomic status and intellectual skills also predicted lower high school dropout risk. Individual differences in preschool working memory may contribute to early detection of later high school dropout risk. These results suggest the importance of further developing early effective interventions aimed at strengthening cognitive control in children.

North American child media guidelines suggest screen-free zones without offering clear evidence and alternative harm-reduction strategies. Our hypothesis is that having a bedroom television during the preschool years will be prospectively associated with mental and physical health risks in adolescence.Participants are from a prospective-longitudinal birth cohort of 907 girls and 952 boys from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. Child outcomes at ages 12 and 13, measured by multiple sources, were linearly regressed on having a bedroom television at age 4.Bedroom television at age 4 predicted a higher body mass index at age 12 (standardized B = 0.10, p 0.001), more unhealthy eating habits at age 13 (B = 0.10, p 0.001), higher levels of emotional distress (B = 0.12, p 0.001), depressive symptoms (B = 0.08, p 0.001), victimization (B = 0.07, p 0.001), physical aggression (B = 0.09, p 0.001), and lowers levels of sociability (B = -0.09, p 0.001) at age 12, above and beyond pre-existing individual and family factors.The bedroom as a screen-based preschool zone does not bode well for long-term cardio-metabolic wellness, mental health, and social relationships.

BackgroundPast research suggests that adolescents who witness violence are at risk of adjustment problems. However, few studies have implemented a longitudinal design and have accounted for direct experiences of victimisation and other major confounders. This prospective study examines the relationship between witnessing school violence and subsequent impairment and whether such associations depend on the kind of violence witnessed.Methods3936 adolescents from Quebec (Canada) were followed from ages 12 through 15 years. Linear regression tested associations between witnessing school violence at age 13 and subsequent antisocial behaviour (drug use, delinquency), emotional distress (social anxiety, depressive symptoms) and academic adjustment (school achievement, engagement) at age 15. We compared the relative contribution of differing forms of witnessing school violence versus being victimised directly.ResultsGeneral school violence predicted later impairment. The adjusted associations between indirectly experiencing violence as a bystander and subsequent impairment were comparable to those of direct victimisation. Witnessing covert and major violence was associated with drug use and delinquency. Witnessing minor violence was associated with increases in drug use, social anxiety, depressive symptoms and decreases in school engagement.ConclusionsAlmost all students witnessed school violence, which predicted impairment. Witnessing violence was associated with risk of subsequent adjustment problems 2 years later. Directly experienced victimisation showed a comparable magnitude of risk. This suggests that when it comes to symptoms of conduct disorder, witnessing violence might have the same impact as experiencing it directly. Witnessing earlier covert and major violence predicted social impairment whereas minor violence predicted psychological and academic impairment.

For many children, leisure time represents a privileged moment to engage in physical activity. This study aims to examine prospective associations between kindergarten participation in leisure-time physical activity and academic performance by the end of sixth grade. Gender-specific associations are also explored. Participants are from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, a 1997–1998 birth cohort from the province of Quebec, Canada (n = 2837). When children were age 6 (2004), mothers reported on their child's participation in three types of leisure-time physical activity (sports, other structured physical activities, and unstructured physical activities). At age 12 (2010), children's academic indicators were reported by teachers and by children themselves. Academic outcomes were then linearly regressed on leisure-time physical activity participation, while controlling for individual and family confounders. Unstructured physical activities were the most popular among both girls and boys. Sports were the second most popular activity among boys, whereas other structured physical activities were the second most popular among girls. Higher overall participation in leisure-time physical activity at age 6 was associated with better teacher-reported grades in language and math (β = 0.075 and β = 0.102, respectively) and self-reported grades in language (β = 0.103), as well as with higher classroom engagement (β = 0.077,) at age 12. Regression coefficients are standardized. All the associations were significant (p ≤ .05). Promoting leisure-time physical activity may be an effective way to encourage children to be active and to help them improve their academic performance, both leading to long-term wider benefits.

Background. Athletes with specific learning disorder (LD) tend to score lower on neuropsychological tests and are at increased risk of personal injury than their counterparts without such disorders. Using a retrospective historical and prospective design, we examined whether adult athletes with LD, the most prevalent of neurodevelopmental disorders, experience greater chances of past and future concussions than their counterparts without LD. We expected to find that young athletes with LD would show greater risk of past (historical) and future (prospective) cerebral concussions. Methods. Participants (95 men and 53 women aged 18 to 25 years) were recruited from university sports teams and followed during an entire season. Of these, 38 participants had a history of LD and 101 had a history of at least 1 concussion (72 males, 29 females) at the preseason baseline. One-third experienced a new concussion. Data analytic procedures include inferential cross-tabulations. Results. Athletes with LD were twice more likely to have a concussion history at baseline and to have a history of multiple concussions than athletes without LD; 95% CI = [0.86, 4.92] and [0.77, 3.40], respectively. Athletes with LD were twice more likely to incur a new concussion than those without LD; 95% CI = [0.86, 4.92]. Conclusions. Adult athletes with LD experience greater chances of previous and future concussions compared with counterparts without LD. Preventive practices regarding individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders may not only prevent the biopsychosocial consequences of brain trauma for the individual, but also represent a cost-effective public health measure.

OBJECTIVE Past research suggests a positive link between family meals and child and adolescent health. Although researchers have often relied on how often families eat together, this may not capture the complexity of the experience. Using a birth cohort, this study examines the prospective associations between the environmental quality of the family meal experience at age 6 years and child well-being at age 10. METHODS Participants are 1492 children of the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. When children were age 6, parents reported on their typical family meal environment quality. At age 10, parents, teachers, and children themselves provided information on lifestyle habits, academic achievement, and social adjustment, respectively. The relationship between early family meal environment quality and later child outcomes was analyzed using a series of multivariate linear regression. RESULTS Family meal environment quality at age 6 predicted higher levels of general fitness and lower levels of soft drink consumption, physical aggression, oppositional behavior, nonaggressive delinquency, and reactive aggression at age 10. These relationships were adjusted for child characteristics (sex, temperament problems and cognitive abilities, and baseline body mass index [BMI]) and family characteristics (family configuration and functioning, maternal education, depression, and BMI). CONCLUSION From a population-health perspective, our findings suggest that family meals have long-term influences on children's biopsychosocial well-being. At a time when family meal frequency is on a natural decline in the population, this environmental characteristic can become a target of home-based interventions and could be featured in information campaigns that aim to optimize child development.

BACKGROUND Using a birth cohort, this study aimed to verify whether televiewing at 29 months, a common early childhood pastime, is prospectively associated with self-reported victimization at age 12. METHODS Participants are 991 girls and 1006 boys from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. The main predictor comprised parent-reported daily televiewing by their children at 29 months. In the sixth grade, children reported how often they experienced victimization by classmates in the past year. The authors conducted multivariate linear regression, in which child self-reports of victimization were linearly regressed on early televiewing and potential confounders. RESULTS Every SD unit increase (0.88 hours) in daily televiewing at 29 months predicted an 11% SD unit increase in self-reported peer victimization by sixth grade classmates (unstandardized B = .031, p < .001, 95% confidence interval = 0.014-0.042). This relationship was adjusted for child characteristics (gender, preexisting externalizing behaviors, baseline cognitive abilities, and televiewing at age 12) and family characteristics (family configuration, income, and functioning, and maternal education). CONCLUSIONS Daily televiewing time at 29 months was associated with a subsequent increased risk of victimization by classmates at the end of sixth grade, a period which represents a critical developmental transition to middle school. Youth who experience peer victimization are at an increased risk of long-term mental health issues, such as depression, underachievement, and low self-esteem. This prospective association, across a 10-year period, suggests the need for better parental awareness, acknowledgement, and compliance with existing recommendations put forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Introduction Although there are established risks associated with gestational tobacco smoke exposure, few studies have addressed the metabolic hazards of domestic exposure in early childhood. This study prospectively examines the long-term relationship between early childhood exposure to household smoke and two adiposity-related measures at age 10. Methods Participants from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development birth cohort were categorized into one of three groups of early childhood household exposure to tobacco smoke over four time points (from ages 1 to 7 years): never-exposed; transient exposure; and continuous exposure. Follow-up measures of body mass index and waist circumference were independently assessed at age 10. Results Compared to being never exposed, transient and continuous household smoke exposure predicted increases of 0.93 cm (95% confidence interval [CI] between 0.05 and 1.82 cm; P = .03) and 1.56 cm (95% CI between 0.07 and 3.05 cm; P = .04) in children's waist circumference, respectively. Children exposed to transient and continuous household smoke, compared to unexposed children, also showed 0.48 and 0.81 point increases in their body mass index, respectively, both Ps = .005. Once adjusted, for confounding variables, only transient household smoke remained associated with 43% greater odds of belonging to the overweight/obese category (95% CI between 1.12 and 1.81 cm; P Conclusions We found significant long-term prospective associations between home-based secondhand smoke exposure and unhealthy body fat distribution. Waist circumference in youth has become an important risk factor for obesity-related diseases in adulthood. Our findings emphasize the importance public health initiatives and parental sensitization aimed at domestic exposure reductions during the critical early childhood years.

Face perception is the most commonly used visual metric of social perception in autism. However, when found to be atypical, the origin of face perception differences in autism is contentious. One hypothesis proposes that a locally oriented visual analysis, characteristic of individuals with autism, ultimately affects performance on face tasks where a global analysis is optimal. The objective of this study was to evaluate this hypothesis by assessing face identity discrimination with synthetic faces presented with and without changes in viewpoint, with the former condition minimizing access to local face attributes used for identity discrimination. Twenty-eight individuals with autism and 30 neurotypical participants performed a face identity discrimination task. Stimuli were synthetic faces extracted from traditional face photographs in both front and 20° side viewpoints, digitized from 37 points to provide a continuous measure of facial geometry. Face identity discrimination thresholds were obtained using a two-alternative, temporal forced choice match-to-sample paradigm. Analyses revealed an interaction between group and condition, with group differences found only for the viewpoint change condition, where performance in the autism group was decreased compared to that of neurotypical participants. The selective decrease in performance for the viewpoint change condition suggests that face identity discrimination in autism is more difficult when access to local cues is minimized, and/or when dependence on integrative analysis is increased. These results lend support to a perceptual contribution of atypical face perception in autism. Autism Res 2015, 8: 497–506. © 2015 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Context: Experimental research using animals and correlational studies with humans provide strong evidence that exposure to gestational cigarette smoke can foster long-term risk for obesity and metabolic syndrome in offspring. Objective: To estimate the association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and the development of adiposity by middle childhood in a sample of typically developing children living in the province of Quebec, Canada. Research Method and Procedure: Participants comprise the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development prospective birth cohort. Mothers of 2010 children reported on smoking during pregnancy when children were 5 months old. Main outcome measures were direct assessment of abdomen, calf, and triceps skin folds at 98 months and waist circumference at 98 and 120 months. Results: Up to 11% of children experienced heavy exposure to tobacco during gestation. After adjusting for child and family factors, gestational tobacco smoke exposure was prospectively associated with abdomen, calf, and triceps skin folds in mm by 98 months, B = 1.997 (CI = .954-3.040), B = 1.569 (CI= .685-2.453), and B =1.141(CI= .385-1.897),respectively. Exposure also predicted waist circumference in cm at 98 and 120 months, B =1.927(CI= .6343.22) and B = 3.046(CI=1.81-4.282), respectively. Conclusions: This study provides evidence which helps chart the developmental influence of gestational exposure to cigarette smoke on long-term adiposity outcomes. To improve population health, increased efforts should be directed at educating smokers about the potential long-term health hazards association with gestational smoking.

Background Watching television is a common pastime for very young children. High exposure may negatively influence physical and mental health outcomes. Not much is known about how early exposure relates to lifestyle choices in adolescence. Objective To estimate how toddler televiewing is subsequently associated with lifestyle indicators at adolescence. Methods Participants are 986 girls and 999 boys from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development birth cohort (Canada). Child self-reports lifestyle habits at age 13 that were linearly regressed on parent-reported televiewing at age 2 while adjusting for potential confounders. Results Every 1 h 13 m increase in daily televiewing was prospectively associated with a 8.2% increased risk of unhealthy eating habits (unstandardized b = 0.05; 95% CI, 0.02 to 0.07), 10.1% decrease in eating breakfast on weekdays (unstandardized b = −0.06; 95% CI, −0.09 to −0.04), 13.3% increase in BMI (unstandardized b = 0.38; 95% CI, 0.26 to 0.50), 4.7% decrease in student engagement (unstandardized b = −0.07; 95% CI, −0.14 to −0.004), and 5.8% increase in concurrent screen time (unstandardized b = 0.06; 95% CI, 0.02 to 0.11). Post hoc simulations of noncompliance with AAP recommendations support their implementation. Conclusions Excessive toddlerhood televiewing was prospectively associated with less optimal health and self-invested behavioral dispositions. Lifestyle habits not only affect metabolic risk but may also influence personal success outcomes. These independent relationships, observed more than a decade later, suggest a need for better parental awareness of the way children invest their limited waking hours could affect their long-term life course trajectories.

Environmental tobacco smoke, inhaled by active firsthand smokers and their entourage, is associated with morbidity and mortality. Many children are passively exposed to secondhand smoke worldwide. Infants and young children account for the largest global disease burden associated with prenatal and postnatal secondhand smoke, probably due to underdeveloped neurological, immune, and respiro-circulatory systems. There is an increasingly robust association between tobacco smoke exposure, before and after birth, and executive function problems in children, adding to current and future disease burden estimates in public health. This review summarizes research advancements which address the link between environmental tobacco smoke and the development of attention deficits and hyperactive behavior, both as symptoms and as part of a mental health disorder in childhood. The multiple effects of tobacco smoke inhalation are best understood in terms of disruptions in normative processes involving cellular communication, structural development, and epigenetic influences which have the potential to become intergenerational. It is concluded that public health efforts be directed toward increasing parental awareness and compliance with existing guidelines that recommend no safe level of exposure.

Even when accounting for past performance, academic achievement can be influenced by teacher expectations, which are lower for disadvantaged and visible ethnic minority children. We use a Quebec (Canada) population-based sample ( N = 1,311) to examine whether ethnicity and teacher-perceived signs of disadvantage in kindergarten predict child reports of their relationship with teachers in fourth grade. Results suggest that visible minority children were 50% less likely and perceived disadvantaged children were 32% less likely to report having a positive relationship with their teacher. The findings are discussed in terms of directing efforts toward reducing teacher prejudice and improving child academic success.

Using a large population-based sample, this study aims to verify whether televiewing at 29 mo, a common early childhood pastime, is prospectively associated with school readiness at 65 mo. Participants are a prospective longitudinal cohort of 991 girls and 1,006 boys from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development with parent-reported data on weekly hours of televiewing at 29 mo of age. We conducted a series of ordinary least-squares regressions in which children’s scores on direct child assessments of vocabulary, mathematical knowledge, and motor skills, as well as kindergarten teacher reports of socioemotional functioning, were linearly regressed on early televiewing. Every SD increase (1.2 h) in daily televiewing at 29 mo predicted decreases in receptive vocabulary, number knowledge scores, classroom engagement, and gross motor locomotion scores, as well as increases in the frequency of victimization by classmates. Increases in total time watching television at 29 mo were associated with subsequent decreases in vocabulary and math skills, classroom engagement (which is largely determined by attention skills), victimization by classmates, and physical prowess at kindergarten. These prospective associations, independent of key potential confounders, suggest the need for better parental awareness and compliance with existing viewing recommendations put forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Objective : Research has traditionally neglected child-learning skills as important when entering kindergarten. In this article, we consider a novel dimension of school readiness by examining prospective associations between early classroom engagement skills, reflecting self-regulation and the ability to remain on task, and later academic adjustment in emerging adolescence. Methods : Kindergarten teachers rated classroom engagement skills of 960 children from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. Outcomes measured at 10-years-old children include a direct assessment of achievement in mathematics and fourth-grade teacher ratings of academic achievement, teacher-child conflict, inattention, victimization, proactive and indirect aggression, and antisocial behavior in the classroom. Results : Multiple regression analyses revealed that kindergarten classroom engagement skills were associated with better fourth-grade math test scores and teacher-rated academic success. Early classroom engagement also predicted less teacher-child conflict, inattention, victimization by peers, proactive and indirect aggression, and antisocial behavior in fourth grade. Conclusion : Easily measurable, context-based assessments of task orientation and focus represent robust components of children's readiness to learn at school entry.

Using structural equation modeling with a population-based cohort of French-speaking children from Quebec (Canada), prospective associations were made between two previously established factors underlying student performance — classroom engagement and the teacher–student relations. Our results show developmental continuity in classroom engagement and teacher–student relations from grades 1 through 4, beyond the influence of confounding child factors (sex, kindergarten cognitive skills, and second grade achievement) and family factors (such as maternal education). Although they were both relatively stable over time, closer relations with teachers showed comparatively less stability than classroom engagement. That is, classroom engagement showed the most developmental continuity from one grade to the next. Because intervention programs targeting very young children are among the most cost-effective ( Heckman, 2006 ), our findings suggest the benefits of investing in evidence-based programs, in concert with practitioners, to promote positive teacher relations with students and encourage their active classroom participation and involvement.