Paediatrics (RCH) - Research Publications
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ItemThe Cumulative Effect of Multilevel Factors on Myopia Prevalence, Incidence, and Progression Among Children and Adolescents in China During the COVID-19 Pandemic(ASSOC RESEARCH VISION OPHTHALMOLOGY INC, 2022-12)PURPOSE: To estimate the effects of school closures and associated lifestyle changes on myopia in Chinese children and adolescents during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. METHODS: Two cross-sectional surveys recruited 14,296 Chinese students aged 7 to 18 years in November 2019 and June 2020 from which an open cohort study (nested queue design) was derived and used to assess myopia prevalence, incidence, and progression rates (defined as students with progression in myopia severity at the second survey wave among those with myopia at baseline). The severity of myopia was determined by measurements of visual acuity (<5.0) and noncycloplegic refraction (spherical equivalent <-0.50 diopters). Twenty-three myopia-influencing factors were divided into three categories: eye-use habits, lifestyle, and family and subjective factors. Responses to each of these 23 factors were labeled as either positive or negative options and then combined to generate a comprehensive score. RESULTS: Boys and girls were equally represented (50%) and had the same average age (11.5 years) at each wave. The myopia prevalence increased from 48.2% to 60.0%, with 27.1% myopia incidence and 13.2% myopia progression rates for Chinese children and adolescents. Each of the 23 factors was associated with myopia prevalence but had no significant effect on myopia incidence or progression. However, these 23 factors had a cumulative effect on myopia risks; higher scores were associated with more positive factors and lower risk ratios of myopia and vice versa. Except for the progression rate, the myopia prevalence and incidence and risk ratios decreased with higher comprehensive scores. CONCLUSIONS: School closures during the COVID-19 pandemic increased the risk of myopia in Chinese children and adolescents due to the accumulation of poor eyesight habits, unhealthy lifestyles, and excessive screen time. TRANSLATIONAL RELEVANCE: Rather than focusing on single risk factors for myopia, future myopia prevention strategies should focus on integrating multiple comprehensive approaches across schools, families, and communities.
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ItemThe role of school connectedness in the prevention of youth depression and anxiety: a systematic review with youth consultation(BMC, 2022-11-25)BACKGROUND: School connectedness reflects the quality of students' engagement with peers, teachers, and learning in the school environment. It has attracted attention from both the health and education sectors as a potentially modifiable protective factor for common mental health problems. However, the extent to which school connectedness may prevent the onset of youth depression or anxiety or promote their remission is unclear. This systematic review examined evidence for prospective relationships between school connectedness and depression and anxiety, and the effect of interventions to improve school connectedness on depression and anxiety. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, and ERIC electronic databases for peer-reviewed quantitative longitudinal, or intervention studies published from 2011-21 in English examining relationships between school connectedness and anxiety and/or depression. Participants were 14-24 years old when depression and anxiety outcomes were assessed in any education setting in any country. We partnered with five youth advisers (aged 16-21 years) with lived experience of mental health problems and/or the schooling system in Australia, Indonesia, and the Philippines to ensure that youth perspectives informed the review. RESULTS: Our search identified 3552 unique records from which 34 longitudinal and 2 intervention studies were ultimately included. Studies were primarily from the United States of America (69.4%). Depression and anxiety outcomes were first measured at 14 years old, on average. Most studies found a significant protective relationship between higher levels of school connectedness and depressive and/or anxiety symptoms; more measured depression than anxiety. A few studies found a non-significant relationship. Both intervention studies designed to increase school connectedness improved depression, one through improvements in self-esteem and one through improvements in relationships at school. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that school connectedness may be a novel target for the prevention of depression and anxiety. We were not able to determine whether improving school connectedness promotes remission in young people already experiencing depression and anxiety. More studies examining anxiety, diagnostic outcomes, and beyond North America are warranted, as well as intervention trials. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO 2021 CRD42021270967.
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ItemAvoiding conflict: What do adolescents with disordered eating say about their mothers in music therapy?(SAGE Publications, 2008-06-01)Music therapy is an integral part of the inpatient treatment programme for young women with disordered eating at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne. As part of ongoing clinical audit activities, an investigation was undertaken to analyse retrospectively the lyrics of young women who had participated in the music therapy programme. The¬¬¬¬¬¬ purpose was to monitor and improve local clinical practice and clarify the specific contribution of music therapy to the diagnosis of anorexia nervosa. Results highlighted the role of mothers in the experiences of the young participants, with references to this relationship exceeding those to any other relationships. These findings are discussed in conjunction with an abandoned study where parental consent was not forthcoming for participation in a group music therapy research project. This article promotes a continuing awareness of the importance of the mother-daughter relationship in the treatment of eating disorders.
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ItemAdolescent transport and unintentional injuries: a systematic analysis using the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019(ELSEVIER SCI LTD, 2022-08)BACKGROUND: Globally, transport and unintentional injuries persist as leading preventable causes of mortality and morbidity for adolescents. We sought to report comprehensive trends in injury-related mortality and morbidity for adolescents aged 10-24 years during the past three decades. METHODS: Using the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factors 2019 Study, we analysed mortality and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) attributed to transport and unintentional injuries for adolescents in 204 countries. Burden is reported in absolute numbers and age-standardised rates per 100 000 population by sex, age group (10-14, 15-19, and 20-24 years), and sociodemographic index (SDI) with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). We report percentage changes in deaths and DALYs between 1990 and 2019. FINDINGS: In 2019, 369 061 deaths (of which 214 337 [58%] were transport related) and 31·1 million DALYs (of which 16·2 million [52%] were transport related) among adolescents aged 10-24 years were caused by transport and unintentional injuries combined. If compared with other causes, transport and unintentional injuries combined accounted for 25% of deaths and 14% of DALYs in 2019, and showed little improvement from 1990 when such injuries accounted for 26% of adolescent deaths and 17% of adolescent DALYs. Throughout adolescence, transport and unintentional injury fatality rates increased by age group. The unintentional injury burden was higher among males than females for all injury types, except for injuries related to fire, heat, and hot substances, or to adverse effects of medical treatment. From 1990 to 2019, global mortality rates declined by 34·4% (from 17·5 to 11·5 per 100 000) for transport injuries, and by 47·7% (from 15·9 to 8·3 per 100 000) for unintentional injuries. However, in low-SDI nations the absolute number of deaths increased (by 80·5% to 42 774 for transport injuries and by 39·4% to 31 961 for unintentional injuries). In the high-SDI quintile in 2010-19, the rate per 100 000 of transport injury DALYs was reduced by 16·7%, from 838 in 2010 to 699 in 2019. This was a substantially slower pace of reduction compared with the 48·5% reduction between 1990 and 2010, from 1626 per 100 000 in 1990 to 838 per 100 000 in 2010. Between 2010 and 2019, the rate of unintentional injury DALYs per 100 000 also remained largely unchanged in high-SDI countries (555 in 2010 vs 554 in 2019; 0·2% reduction). The number and rate of adolescent deaths and DALYs owing to environmental heat and cold exposure increased for the high-SDI quintile during 2010-19. INTERPRETATION: As other causes of mortality are addressed, inadequate progress in reducing transport and unintentional injury mortality as a proportion of adolescent deaths becomes apparent. The relative shift in the burden of injury from high-SDI countries to low and low-middle-SDI countries necessitates focused action, including global donor, government, and industry investment in injury prevention. The persisting burden of DALYs related to transport and unintentional injuries indicates a need to prioritise innovative measures for the primary prevention of adolescent injury. FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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ItemCoverage of school health monitoring systems in China: a large national cross-sectional survey(ELSEVIER, 2022-02)BACKGROUND: There is growing interest in the role that schools can play in promoting student health. The aim of this study was to describe the coverage of school health monitoring systems for infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, and school physical environments in China, and to explore differences by geography, regional wealth, and school type. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed using data from 2428 schools from 17 provinces in China in 2018. Data were collected using a questionnaire administered by the Ministry of Education through its monitoring system, and included infectious diseases (e.g., reporting system for student infectious diseases), non-communicable diseases (e.g., regular student health examinations), and school physical environments (e.g., monitoring of classroom light, microclimate and drinking water). FINDINGS: Overall, the coverage rate of full school health monitoring systems was 16·6%. The coverage rates of school health monitoring systems for infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, and school physical environments were 71·2%, 68·5%, and 24·9%, respectively. Coverage was higher in schools from urban rather than rural areas, in schools from areas with greater wealth, and in senior secondary schools rather than junior secondary and primary schools. INTERPRETATION: Systems for monitoring infectious diseases in school students have been widely implemented in China. Systems for monitoring non-communicable diseases and physical environments need to be strengthened. Beyond greater attention in poorer and rural areas, increased investment in more comprehensive approaches to school health is indicated. FUNDING: This study was supported by National Statistical Science Research Project (2021LY052 to YS) and China Scholarship Council (201906015028 to PH).
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ItemGlobal, regional, and national mortality among young people aged 10-24 years, 1950-2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019(ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC, 2021-10-30)BACKGROUND: Documentation of patterns and long-term trends in mortality in young people, which reflect huge changes in demographic and social determinants of adolescent health, enables identification of global investment priorities for this age group. We aimed to analyse data on the number of deaths, years of life lost, and mortality rates by sex and age group in people aged 10-24 years in 204 countries and territories from 1950 to 2019 by use of estimates from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019. METHODS: We report trends in estimated total numbers of deaths and mortality rate per 100 000 population in young people aged 10-24 years by age group (10-14 years, 15-19 years, and 20-24 years) and sex in 204 countries and territories between 1950 and 2019 for all causes, and between 1980 and 2019 by cause of death. We analyse variation in outcomes by region, age group, and sex, and compare annual rate of change in mortality in young people aged 10-24 years with that in children aged 0-9 years from 1990 to 2019. We then analyse the association between mortality in people aged 10-24 years and socioeconomic development using the GBD Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite measure based on average national educational attainment in people older than 15 years, total fertility rate in people younger than 25 years, and income per capita. We assess the association between SDI and all-cause mortality in 2019, and analyse the ratio of observed to expected mortality by SDI using the most recent available data release (2017). FINDINGS: In 2019 there were 1·49 million deaths (95% uncertainty interval 1·39-1·59) worldwide in people aged 10-24 years, of which 61% occurred in males. 32·7% of all adolescent deaths were due to transport injuries, unintentional injuries, or interpersonal violence and conflict; 32·1% were due to communicable, nutritional, or maternal causes; 27·0% were due to non-communicable diseases; and 8·2% were due to self-harm. Since 1950, deaths in this age group decreased by 30·0% in females and 15·3% in males, and sex-based differences in mortality rate have widened in most regions of the world. Geographical variation has also increased, particularly in people aged 10-14 years. Since 1980, communicable and maternal causes of death have decreased sharply as a proportion of total deaths in most GBD super-regions, but remain some of the most common causes in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia, where more than half of all adolescent deaths occur. Annual percentage decrease in all-cause mortality rate since 1990 in adolescents aged 15-19 years was 1·3% in males and 1·6% in females, almost half that of males aged 1-4 years (2·4%), and around a third less than in females aged 1-4 years (2·5%). The proportion of global deaths in people aged 0-24 years that occurred in people aged 10-24 years more than doubled between 1950 and 2019, from 9·5% to 21·6%. INTERPRETATION: Variation in adolescent mortality between countries and by sex is widening, driven by poor progress in reducing deaths in males and older adolescents. Improving global adolescent mortality will require action to address the specific vulnerabilities of this age group, which are being overlooked. Furthermore, indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are likely to jeopardise efforts to improve health outcomes including mortality in young people aged 10-24 years. There is an urgent need to respond to the changing global burden of adolescent mortality, address inequities where they occur, and improve the availability and quality of primary mortality data in this age group. FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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ItemAcademic Performance in Primary School Children With Common Emotional and Behavioral Problems(WILEY, 2017-08)BACKGROUND: Many emotional and behavioral problems first emerge in primary school and are the forerunners of mental health problems occurring in adolescence. However, the extent that these problems may be associated with academic failure has been explored less. We aimed to quantify the association between emotional and behavioral problems with academic performance. METHODS: A stratified random sample of 8- to 9-year-olds (N = 1239) were recruited from schools in Australia. Data linkage was performed with a national assessment of academic performance to assess reading and numeracy. Parent report assessed emotional and behavioral problems with students dichotomized into "borderline/abnormal" and "normal" categories. RESULTS: One in 5 grade 3 students fell in the "borderline/abnormal" category. Boys with total difficulties (β = -47.8, 95% CI: -62.8 to -32.8), conduct problems, and peer problems scored lower on reading. Numeracy scores were lower in boys with total difficulties (β = -37.7, 95% CI: -53.9 to -21.5) and emotional symptoms. Children with hyperactivity/inattention scored lower in numeracy. Girls with peer problems scored lower in numeracy. CONCLUSIONS: Boys with emotional and behavioral problems in mid-primary school were 12 months behind their peers. Children with emotional and behavioral problems are at high risk for academic failure, and this risk is evident in mid-primary school.
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ItemEffect of Overweight and Obesity on High Blood Pressure in Chinese Children and Adolescents(WILEY, 2019-09)OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the secular trends of high blood pressure (HBP) and the effects of overweight and obesity on HBP between Chinese ethnic minority and Han children and adolescents . METHODS: Data were collected from 224,151 Chinese ethnic minority and 664,094 Han children and adolescents aged 7 to 18 years during three successive, national cross-sectional surveys (2005, 2010, and 2014). Logistic regression and population-attributable risk analyses were used to evaluate the association between HBP and overweight and obesity. RESULTS: HBP prevalence in ethnic minorities increased from 4.8% in 2005 to 6.3% in 2014, which was significantly higher than the variable HBP trends (4.1% to 5.5%) in Han children and adolescents. Both ethnic minority and Han children and adolescents experienced a rapid increase in overweight and obesity, but the pace of growth for HBP, overweight, and obesity was faster in ethnic minorities than in their Han peers. Moreover, the effects of obesity on HBP in ethnic minorities showed a sustained increase over time but were stable for the Han. CONCLUSIONS: Higher HBP prevalence, faster obesity increases, and a stronger impact of obesity on HBP in children and adolescents of Chinese ethnic minorities predict their looming burden of HBP, which suggests that attention to the cardiovascular disease risks in children and adolescents from ethnic minorities is indicated to reduce their future adult risk.
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ItemEating disorder symptoms across the weight spectrum in Australian adolescents(WILEY, 2019-08)OBJECTIVE: Despite known associations between eating disorders and obesity, little is known about the current prevalence of symptoms of eating disorders across the weight spectrum. This study therefore aimed to estimate the population prevalence of eating disorder symptoms in relation to weight status in adolescents. METHOD: The sample comprised 3,270 participants (14-15 years; 52% boys) drawn from Wave 6 of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Symptoms of anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) were assessed using self-report on the Branched Eating Disorder Test. This measure identifies clinically significant symptoms in the past 3 months according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition. Using study-derived cross-sectional population weights, the prevalence of each symptom was estimated for the total population and by sex and weight status. RESULTS: The estimated population prevalence was high (14.3-25.7%) for body image symptoms such as fear of weight gain and overvaluation of body weight but lower (0.5-3.7%) for behavioral symptoms such as binge eating and compensatory behaviors. Symptoms were more prevalent among adolescents with overweight or obesity. Although most symptoms tended to have higher prevalence among girls than boys, boys with obesity had higher prevalence of binge eating and excessive exercise than girls with obesity. The overall estimated population prevalence for AN and BN was 0.20% and 0.10%, respectively. DISCUSSION: The study highlights a need for clinicians to be cognizant of disordered eating behaviors regardless of weight status and has implications for both eating disorder and obesity prevention and intervention.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableThe physical and mental health of young people in detention: A global scoping review(UBIQUITY PRESS LTD, 2021)