International Journal of School Health
Volume:10 Issue: 3, Summer 2023

Quantitative analysis of echo intensity (EI) is a reliable method for discriminating between normal and neuromuscular disease-affected muscles in children. However, the effects of increased skeletal muscle fat mass and total body fat mass in healthy preschool children are yet to be determined. The purpose of this study was to compare the EI of skeletal muscles and local fat accumulation in healthy preschool children by gender and body shape using ultrasonography. Three- to six-year-old children (149 boys and 124 girls) without any known neuromuscular disorder were included in this cross-sectional research, during the period of 2015 to 2018 in Miyazaki prefecture, Japan. Anthropometry, body composition, and EI of the biceps brachii muscle (BB) and quadriceps femoris (RF) muscle were measured by ultrasonography. Differences in anthropometric measurements and body composition divided by two types of criteria using age and sex-specific percentiles were analyzed using two-way ANOVA (P<0.05). EI at the BB of overweight children (above 90th percentile) was 9.82±3.76 for boys and 10.87±3.69 for girls. EI at the BB of normal children (10th-90th percentile) was 6.02±2.62 for boys and 6.53±2.92 for girls. EI at the BB of thin children (below 10th percentile) was 5.61±2.17 for boys and 6.52±3.49 for girls. EI at the BB of overweight children is higher than normal and thin children (P<0.001). EI at the RF of overweight children (above 90th percentile) was 16.97±5.12 for boys and 18.84±3.41 for girls. EI at the RF of normal children (10th-90th percentile) was 15.32±4.55 for boys and 16.20±3.98 for girls. EI at the RF of thin children (below 10th percentile) was 14.94±3.90 for boys and 14.58±4.94 for girls. EI at the RF of overweight children is higher than normal and thin children (P=0.024). These results were also similar for the groups created using the 25th and 75th percentiles, with the above 75th percentile group showing clearly higher values of EI. Our results suggested that the accumulation of adipose tissue within skeletal muscle varies with the degree of obesity. It seems reasonable to conclude that an extreme increase in body fat might be linked to higher visceral and skeletal muscle fat (ectopic fat content).

Students’ mental well-being can be influenced by various maternal characteristics due to their close relationships with their mothers. These factors have an impact on their overall mental health. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between students’ mental well-being, mothers’ emotional breakdown, and marital justice, with the mediating role of mothers’ marital intimacy in Ahvaz, Iran. The statistical population of this descriptive-correlational study included all female and male senior high school students in Ahvaz, Iran, and their mothers during the 2022–23 academic year. A stratified cluster sampling method was employed, and 300 students and their mothers were selected as the research sample. The research utilized several tools, including the Psychological Well-being Scale, the Love Trauma Inventory, the Marital Justice Scale, and the Marital Intimacy Questionnaire. Path analysis was conducted using SPSS version 27 and AMOS version 25 to evaluate the proposed model. The mean and standard deviation (SD) of students’ mental well-being, mothers’ emotional breakdown, mothers’ marital justice, and mothers’ marital intimacy were as follows: 59.69 (12.94), 19.29 (5.11), 59.36 (8.87), and 67.99 (12.34), respectively. The findings indicated that all direct paths to students’ mental well-being were significant (P<0.001), except for the marital justice of mothers. Furthermore, mothers’ marital intimacy significantly mediated the indirect path between mothers’ emotional breakdown and students’ mental well-being (P<0.001). Similarly, the relationship between mothers’ marital justice and students’ mental well-being was significantly mediated by mothers’ marital intimacy (P<0.001). The study revealed a direct positive relationship between mothers’ marital intimacy and students’ mental well-being. Therefore, it is expected that enhancing mothers’ marital intimacy will have a positive impact on students’ mental well-being. To achieve this, training workshops should be conducted to improve marital justice between spouses, thereby enhancing mothers’ marital intimacy and boosting students’ mental well-being.

Self-reported instruments have suggested that physical activity correlates with motor proficiency in children. However, due to inherent biases and low accuracy of self-reported instruments, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between objectively measured physical activity (via accelerometer) and motor proficiency in children. This study is a descriptive-correlational investigation involving 384 children (comprising 192 boys and 192 girls), aged 7 to 9 years (with a mean age of 7.96±0.73 years). These participants were in the first and second grades from regular primary schools in Tehran, Iran, during 2022, and were selected through a convenience sampling method. We employed the ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometer for an objective measurement of physical activity. The Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency’s short form was used to evaluate the children’s motor proficiency. Data were analyzed using Independent t-test, Pearson correlation test, and multiple linear regression analysis. The children did not meet the WHO guidelines recommending 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day. Boys had significantly more MVPA than girls (P<0.001). The results revealed that sedentary time had a significant inverse relationship with both gross (r=-0.681, P<0.001) and fine (r=-0.584, P<0.001) motor skills. Moreover, objectively measured physical activity (via accelerometer) showed a direct and significant correlation with gross motor skills (r=0.710, P<0.001), but not with fine motor skills (r=0.064, P=0.307). Sedentary time significantly and inversely impacted both gross (β=-0.68) and fine motor skills (β=-0.58). Furthermore, objective physical activity (measured by accelerometer) had a direct and significant impact on gross motor skills (β=0.71). These findings underscore the necessity to enhance the level of physical activity in children, particularly in girls. We also recommend that physical education teachers and sports coaches incorporate programs in their physical education lessons designed to facilitate motor skills development in children.

The issue of excessively heavy schoolbags remains a public health concern in Africa. This study aimed to determine the weight of schoolbags among students in the public and private sectors of Yaoundé city, Cameroon and identify factors associated with low back pain. A cross-sectional study was conducted during the first term of the 2020/2021 academic year in French-speaking private and public primary schools in Yaoundé city, Cameroon. The study involved 2000 pupils (8.41±2.11 years), with 1000 from the public sector and 1000 from the private sector. The variables analyzed included weight, height, and schoolbag weight. A questionnaire, developed specifically for this study and based on the Standardized Nordic Body Map Questionnaire, was used to collect socio-demographic information and assess potential musculoskeletal low back pain. A diagram was included to indicate the lower back area for reporting pain. The questionnaire was administered, and each student answered it, with assistance from the investigator if needed. Descriptive and inferential statistics, as well as multiple logistic regressions, were employed for data analysis. The average weight of the children and their schoolbags was 28.51±8.04 kg and 4.04±1.72 kg, respectively. Nearly 45% of the pupils were carrying a schoolbag weighing more than 15% of their body weight, and 23% reported experiencing low back pain. Schoolbag weights ranging from 10-15% of body weight were associated with a threefold higher risk (OR=2.66; 95% CI=1.65 – 4.31; P<0.0001) of developing low back pain. Pupils in the public sector had a lower risk (OR=0.28; P<0.0001) of developing low back pain. Children in the private sector experience low back pain more frequently. Carrying heavy schoolbags is associated with low back pain among pupils.

Dysregulated emotional responses may promote addictive behaviors as a means of coping with high levels of stress. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of emotion regulation training on Internet addiction, focusing on the moderating role of brain-behavior systems. This semi-experimental study used a pretest-posttest design with a control group and a follow-up phase. The study population included all Internet-using second secondary school students in Islamshahr, Iran in the second half of 2021. A total of 100 students were selected by purposive sampling and divided into three experimental groups (activation system (n=15), inhibition system (n=15), and fight-flight-freeze system (n=18)) and three control groups (activation system (n=16), inhibition system (n=17), and fight-flight-freeze system (n=19)). Over seven weeks, seven 90-minute emotion regulation training sessions were conducted, while the control group received no training. Research instruments included a revised questionnaire based on Jackson’s (2009) Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory and Young’s (2007) Internet Addiction Test. Normality of data distribution was tested using the Shapiro-Wilk index of Internet addiction for all three groups in three levels, the statistical index of Box’s M test, and the assumption of homogeneity of the covariance matrices of the dependent variable. Analysis of covariance was performed using SPSS version 26. Findings suggested that emotion regulation skill training could reduce Internet addiction in individuals with the behavioral inhibition system (BIS) compared with other brain-behavior system groups (P<0.001). In addition, the Bonferroni test showed that the difference in the mean scores of Internet addiction was significant between the BIS and behavioral activation system (BAS) (P=0.432) groups as well as between BIS and fight-flight-freeze system (FFFS) groups (P=0.002) was significant. However, no significant difference was found in the mean score of Internet addiction between the BAS and FFFS groups (P=0.006). The results of the study suggested that emotion regulation training for students with different neurological and behavioral systems can help reduce their tendency to excessive Internet use. Acquiring emotion regulation skills can significantly affect the tendency to use the Internet excessively.

Educational development can be achieved through various means, including the analysis of academic engagement among gifted students. This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of achievement motivation in the association between academic engagement and academic self-concept, as well as academic support, in gifted students. This descriptive-correlational study employed path analysis to determine the relationships among the research variables. The statistical population comprised male and female gifted students in junior and senior high schools in Tehran, Iran during 2022- 23 academic year. The cluster sampling method was used to select 406 gifted high school students. The participants completed several research measurement tools, namely the Academic Engagement Inventory, Academic Self-Concept Questionnaire, Academic Support Scale, and Achievement Motivation Questionnaire. The proposed model was evaluated using path analysis, and the indirect associations were examined through bootstrapping. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 26 and AMOS version 25, with a significance level set at 0.05. The mean (±SD) scores for academic engagement, self-concept, academic support, and achievement motivation were 27.24±6.03, 37.22±5.62, 56.44±18.71, and 72.00±9.90, respectively. Positive correlations were found between academic engagement and academic self-concept (r=0.21), academic support (r=0.35), and achievement motivation (r=0.42) among the students. The results revealed significant associations between all direct paths P<0.001), except for the path from academic selfconcept to academic engagement. Moreover, significant associations were observed between the indirect paths from academic achievement to academic engagement (P<0.001). The proposed model exhibited a good fit according to the results (CFI=0.99, RMSEA=0.001). Achievement motivation played a mediating role in the associations between academic engagement and academic self-concept, as well as academic support, in gifted students. These findings can serve as a suitable model for designing and developing specific programs aimed at improving academic engagement and enhancing the academic motivation of students.

The transition to school brings about changes in a student’s self-perception and relationships with others, which can make adjustment difficult. This research aimed to investigate the mediating role of smartphone addiction in the correlation between loneliness and impulsivity with academic adjustment in female high school students. The statistical population of this descriptive-correlational study included all female high school students in Ahvaz, Iran, during 2022-23 academic year. The stratified cluster sampling method was employed to select 406 students as the research sample. The research instruments included the Academic Adjustment Scale, Loneliness Scale, Impulsivity Inventory, and Mobile Phone Addiction Scale. The proposed model was evaluated through path analysis in SPSS version 26 and AMOS version 25, while the indirect paths were tested through bootstrapping. There was a negative correlation between smartphone addiction (r=-0.43, P=0.001), loneliness (r=-0.32, P=0.001), and impulsivity (r=-0.27, P=0.001) with academic adjustment in the students. In contrast, there was a positive correlation between smartphone addiction and loneliness (r=0.31, P=0.001) as well as impulsivity (r=0.32, P=0.001). Moreover, there was a positive correlation between impulsivity and loneliness in the students (r=0.45, P=0.001). The results showed that all direct paths, except loneliness, were significantly correlated with academic adjustment (P<0.001). Indirect paths to academic adjustment were also significant when mediated by smartphone addiction (P<0.001). According to the results, the research model had a good fit (TLI=0.94, CFI=0.96, NFI=0.96, and RMSEA=0.059). Based on the research model, impulsivity and smartphone addiction had a negative correlation with the academic adjustment of female students. Smartphone addiction played a mediating role in the correlation between loneliness and impulsivity with the adjustment of female students. The results can provide a good model for designing and developing specific plans to prevent academic failure and improve academic adjustment.