Age-related aspects in risk of developing nervous system pathology in gymnasium students

Growing neuropsychic disorders caused by intensified educational process are a peculiar feature of schoolchildren’s health at present. Our research aim was to examine age-related peculiarities in risks of developing nervous system pathology in school-children attending a gymnasium. We performed clinical examination of 94 children in primary school (Group A) and 56 children in middle school (Group B) who attended a gymnasium. The examination included determining contents of neuromediators and neurotrophic factors in blood, neuro-psychological computer testing (reaction test and STROOP-test). Educational activities were evaluated to determine whether the educational process conformed to hygienic standards. Statistical data analysis involved determining relative risk and odds ratio as well as establishing cause–effect relations. Hygienic assessment of educational activities revealed several adverse factors that made for developing disorders of the nervous system. They included growing weekly educational loads, irrational distribution of school subjects in schedules, and too long use of interactive whiteboards during lessons. We established that nervous system pathology was already developing in 62.8 % children in primary school and 42.9 % children in middle school. We also revealed that asthenoneurotic syndrome and neurosis-like syndrome were by 2.2 times more probable among primary schoolchildren whereas vegetative dysfunction was by 1.6 times more probable among middle school children. Asthenoneurotic syndrome in primary school children was accompanied with lower NOTCH-1 levels in 41.9 % cases; lower acetylcholine content in blood, in 66.7 %; greater serotonin content in blood, in 29.2 %. The disorder became apparent through increased fatigability and weakness, as well as children being too whiny and moody. Middle school children had by 3.1–6.4 times higher risks of lower neuregulin-1β and tumor necrosis factor contents in blood; developing vegetative dysfunctions in them were accompanied with sleeping disorders, headaches, and palpitation. Primary school children were established to have slower perception of a visual and sound stimulus, developing fatigue of kinesthetic reactions as well as rigid cognitive control and poorly automated gnostic functions.

THE INFLUENCE OF THE PHYSICAL AND HEALTH PROGRAM ON THE SOMATIC HEALTH OF MIDDLE SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN WITH COMPLEX DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS IN THE TRAINING AND REHABILITATION CENTER

The article reveals the problem of improving the somatic health of children with complex developmental disorders through the use of physical culture and health program in the training and rehabilitation center. The purpose of the work is to substantiate the impact of physical culture and wellness program for middle school children with complex developmental disorders on the level of their physical health. Researchmaterial and its methods: theoretical research methods (analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction); empirical (determination of the level of somatic health); mathematical statistics methods. The study involved 90 middle school children with complex developmental disorders (intelligence and hearing impairment). Results. The tested physical training and health program for middle school students with complex developmental disorders rationally combined exercises of different orientation, duration and intensity, taking into account the individual capabilities of a child with complex developmental disorders, as well as concomitant somatic pathology and factors of general physical health. The implementation of the physical culture and health program was carried out for nine months and was divided into three consecutive periods: preparatory, training and maintenance, with the selection of tools and methods according to the periods. The implementation of the physical culture and health program was carried out for nine months and was divided into three consecutive periods: preparatory, training and maintenance with the separation of tools and methods according to the periods. After the application of the developed program it was found that the low level of somatic health was only in 25% of experimental group boys (at baseline was 60%), below average – in 35% (was 40%), the average – in 40% (no case was reported at the beginning of the study); in girls the above levels were distributed as follows: 30% (60%), 40% (30%) and 30% (10%), respectively. Conclusions. The positive influence of the developed physical culture and health program on the level of somatic health of middle school children on the level of their somatic health has been established. Key words: somatic health, means, physical culture and wellness program, training and rehabilitation center, children with complex developmental disorders. Стаття присвячена проблемі поліпшення соматичного здоров’я дітей зі складними порушеннями розвитку шляхом застосування фізкультурно-оздоровчої програми в умовах навчально-реабілітаційного центру. Мета роботи полягає у визначенні впливу засобів програми у дітей середнього шкільного віку зі складними порушеннями розвитку на рівень їх соматичного здоров’я. Матеріал дослідження та його методи: теоретичні методи дослідження (аналіз, синтез, індукція, дедукція); емпіричні (визначення рівня соматичного здоров’я); методи математичної статистики. У дослідженні брали участь 90дітей середнього шкільного віку зі складними порушеннями розвитку (порушення інтелекту та слуху). Результати. Апробована фізкультурно-оздоровча програма для учнів середнього шкільного віку зі складними порушеннями розвитку раціонально поєднувала вправи різної спрямованості, тривалості та інтенсивності з урахуванням індивідуальних можливостей дитини зі складними порушеннями розвитку, а також супутньої соматичної патології і показників факторного навантаження загального рівня фізичного здоров’я дітей. Реалізація фізкультурно-оздоровчої програми здійснювалася протягом дев’яти місяців і поділялася на три послідовні періоди: підготовчий, тренувальний та підтримувальний з виокремленням засобів і методів відповідно до періодів. Після застосування розробленої програми з використанням засобів оздоровчого фітнесу в умовах навчально-реабілітаційного центру у хлопчиків експериментальної групи низький рівень фізичного здоров’я було відзначено лише у 25% (було 60%), нижчий за середній – у 35% (було 40%), середній – у 40% (на констатувальному етапі педагогічного експерименту жодного випадку не було виявлено); у дівчат зазначені вище рівні розподілилися таким чином: 30% (було 60%), 40% (було 30%) та 30% (було 10%) відповідно. Висновки. Встановлено позитивний вплив розробленої фізкультурно-оздоровчої програми на рівень соматичного здоров’я дітей середнього шкільного віку на рівень їх соматичного здоров’я. Ключові слова: соматичне здоров’я, засоби,фізкультурно-оздоровча програма, навчально-реабілітаційний центр, діти зі складними порушеннями розвитку.

Salad Bar Use among Middle School Children in a Socio-economically Disadvantaged Rural County

Objective: Our objective in this study was to inform policymakers if including a salad bar in school cafeterias in the district would serve all subgroups of students equally. Methods: A salad bar was implemented during the 2016-2017 academic year in a rural low-income county middle-school. Halfway through, a “healthy lifestyle” educational campaign was presented. Students’ gender, race, and body mass index (BMI) were recorded along with their choice of daily lunch item. Results: Overall, 528 middle schoolers participated in this program. Students opted to consume salad for approximately 5.73 days out of the 123 days that salad was served. The educational campaign had no effect on salad bar use. There was no gender difference in frequency of salad bar use. African- American students consumed significantly more salad than Hispanic students, and marginally more salad than white students. Students classified as normal weight (by BMI percentile) chose the salad bar option more frequently than obese students. Conclusions: Salad bar was the least popular food choice, and popularity of the salad bar decreased over time. The educational campaign designed to increase salad bar use had no effect. These results can help guide future interventions in low-income rural communities.

Karate as a means of improving the physical condition of children

The article is devoted to the analysis of the use of karate in the system of physical education of middle school children. The research of leading specialists on the use of karate has been studied and areas that need new research and development of variable module "karate" in secondary education for adolescents have been identified. Objective of the study is to substantiate theoretically the use of karate in the system of physical education of schoolchildren to improve physical condition. Research methods include the analysis of data of scientific-methodical and scientific literature, official documents, idealization, abstraction, induction and deduction; methods of theoretical research (generalization of literary sources, synthesis, comparison and systematization of scientific sources, materials from the Internet resources). The results of the study: it has been found that one of the modern and effective means of improving the physical condition of children of different school ages are karate tools that require fundamental study, justification and adaptation to use in physical education for children of different school ages and genders. Conclusions: karate is a modern and progressive type of martial arts that meets the new criteria and requirements of the educational program of general secondary education and is an effective means of harmonious development of the child's personality. Unfortunately, the use of karate in physical education classes for middle school children has not been addressed by any domestic scientist, who pushes to find a scientific justification for the need and effectiveness of the use of karate in the school curriculum.

Symptoms are the Most Effective Child SCAT5 Component for Recognizing Concussion on the Day of Injury

Background: The Child Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 5th Edition (Child SCAT5) was developed to evaluate children between 5-12 years of age for a suspected concussion. However, limited empirical evidence exists demonstrating the value of the Child SCAT5 for acute concussion assessment. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to examine differences and assess the diagnostic properties of Child SCAT5 scores among concussed and non-concussed middle school children on the same day as a suspected concussion.Methods: Our participants included 34 concussed (21 boys, 13 girls; age=12.8±0.86 years) and 44 non-concussed (31 boys, 13 girls; age=12.4±0.76 years) middle school children who were administered the Child SCAT5 upon suspicion of a concussion. Child SCAT5 scores were calculated from the symptom evaluation (total symptoms, total severity), child version of the Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC-C), and modified Balance Error Scoring System (mBESS). The Child SCAT5 scores were compared between the concussed and non-concussed groups. Non-parametric effect sizes (r=z/√n) were calculated to assess the magnitude of difference for each comparison. The diagnostic properties (sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic accuracy, predictive values, likelihood ratios, and diagnostic odds ratio) of each Child SCAT5 score were also calculated.Results: Concussed children endorsed more symptoms (p<0.001, r=0.45), higher symptom severity (p<0.001, r=0.44), and had higher double leg (p=0.046, r=0.23), single leg (p=0.035, r=0.24), and total scores (p=0.022, r=0.26) for the mBESS than non-concussed children. No significant differences were observed for the SAC-C scores (p’s≥0.542). The quantity and severity of endorsed symptoms had the best diagnostic accuracy (AUC=0.76–0.77), negative predictive values (NPV=0.84–0.88), and negative likelihood ratios (-LR=0.22–0.31) of the Child SCAT5 scores.Conclusions: The symptom evaluation was the most effective component of the Child SCAT5 for differentiating between concussed and non-concussed middle school children on the same day as a suspected concussion.

Executive Functions and Сonscious Self-Regulation as Predictors of Native Language Learning Success in Russian Middle School Children

Mastering the mother tongue at school is essential for both academic and life success. It depends on many factors, including self-regulation, i. e. the ability to control one’s thoughts and behaviour. In this study, we assess the influence of conscious self-regulation, executive functions (inhibition, switching, working memory updating, and error monitoring and control) and intelligence on Russian language competences and Russian language annual grade in a group of Russian middle school children. Through structural equations modelling, we found that both categories of regulatory predictors, i. e. conscious self-regulation and executive functions, are related to academic performance in the native language. Both predictors make an indirect contribution to the annual grade in the Russian language. In the case of self-regulation, fluid intelligence acts as a mediating variable. Executive functions influence the annual grade through language competences, which also significantly contribute to the general performance. Executive functions also have an impact on self-regulation, confirming their status as the neurocognitive basis of self-regulation. Of the self-regulatory functions, Goal Planning, Modelling, Results Evaluation, and regulatory personality traits of Flexibility and Initiative have the greatest impact on the native language academic performance. We revealed the effect of «excessive flexibility», that is, an increase in number of errors at high values of the executive function Switching attention. Links to recent findings as well as directions for future research are discussed. The results can be used to improve academic performance in native language and emphasize the importance of developing conscious self-regulation at school

An Investigation into Interrelations Between Trait Emotional Intelligence and Perfectionism in Middle School Aged Children

This research focuses on the detection of interrelations between perfectionism and trait emotional intelligence in children of middle school age. The Frost multidimensional scale of perfectionism (F-MPS) for the detection of the perfectionism level was used. The global level of trait emotional intelligence was measured with the trait emotional intelligence questionnaire for children (TEIQue-CSF). The research sample consisted of 120 middle school children between 10 to 12 years old. The sample comprised of 80 girls and 40 boys. The results of the research failed to reveal any statistically significant relations between perfectionism and trait emotional intelligence.