ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Access to readily available, reliable, and easy-to-use coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) tests remains critical, despite great vaccination progress. Universal back-to-school testing offered at early care and education ([ECE]; ie, preschool) sites to screen for positive cases may help preschoolers safely return to, and stay in, ECE. We examined the acceptability and feasibility of using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction COVID-19 saliva test for young children (n = 227, 54.0% girls: mean age = 52.3 ± 8.1 months) and their caregivers (n = 70 teachers: mean = 36.6 ± 14.7 years; n = 227 parents: mean = 35.5 ± 9.1 years) to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and reduce days of school and work missed for households with children who test positive. METHODS: Participants were recruited at ECE sites serving low-income communities as part of the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostic Testing-Underserved Populations Back to Early Care and Education Safely with Sustainability via Active Garden Education project (NCT05178290). RESULTS: Surveys in English or Spanish administered at testing events to children and caregivers at ECE sites showed child and adult acceptability and feasibility ratings were generally high. More favorable child and parent ratings were positively associated with child age and whether the child was able to produce a saliva sample. Language preference was not associated with any outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Saliva sampling for COVID-19 at ECE sites is an acceptable strategy as an additional layer of protection for 4- and 5-year-olds; however, alternate testing strategies may be needed for younger children.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Female , Adult , Child, Preschool , Child , Humans , Male , COVID-19/diagnosis , Feasibility Studies , Saliva , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Surveys and Questionnaires , COVID-19 TestingABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The medical body composition analyzer (mBCA) incorporates advances in multifrequency technology and has been validated using a 4-compartment (4C) model in adults but not in youths aged <18 y. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to formulate a 4C model based on 3 reference methods and develop and validate a body composition prediction equation for the mBCA in youths aged 10â17 y. METHODS: The body density of 60 female and male youths was measured by air displacement plethysmography, total body water by deuterium oxide dilution, and BMC by DXA. Data from the equation group (n = 30) were used to formulate a 4C model. The all-possible-regressions method was used to select variables. The model was validated in a second cohort (n = 30) in a random split design. The accuracy, precision, and potential bias were evaluated by the Bland and Altman procedure. RESULTS: Mean age, weight (W), height (H), waist circumference, and z-score of BMI were 13.6 ± 2.3 y, 54.5 ± 15.5 kg, 156 ± 11.9 cm, 75.5 ± 10.9 cm, and 0.70 ± 1.32 z, respectively. The prediction equation was as follows: FFM in kg (FFMkg) = ([0.2081] ∗ [W] + [0.8814] ∗ [H2cm/RΩ] + [0.2055 ∗ XcΩ])-15.343; R2 = 0.96; standardized root-mean-square error (SRMSE) = 2.18 kg. FFM did not differ between the 4C method (38.9 ± 12.0 kg) and the mBCA (38.4 ± 11.4 kg) (P > 0.05). The relationship between these 2 variables did not deviate from the identity line, was not significantly different from 0, and the slope was not significantly different from 1.0. In the precision prediction model of mBCA, the R2 value was 0.98 and SRMSE was 2.1. No significant bias was found when regressing differences between methods and their means (P = 0.08). CONCLUSIONS: The equation for the mBCA was accurate, precise, had no significant bias, had substantial strength of agreement and could be used in this age group when subjects were preferentially within the constraints of a specified body size.
