National trends and ecological factors of physical activity engagement among U.S youth before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cohort study from 2019 to 2021.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to investigate the trends and ecological determinants of physical activity among U.S. children and adolescents during the 2019-2021 period, encompassing the COVID-19 pandemic's onset and subsequent years. METHODS: Utilizing data from the National Survey of Children's Health over three years, this cohort study analyzed physical activity levels and ecological determinants among 82,068 participants aged 6-17. The sample included 36,133 children (44%) and 45,935 adolescents (56%), with variables assessed by caregiver reports. RESULTS: The analysis revealed a significant decline in physical activity among children from 2019 to 2020, followed by a recovery in 2021, whereas adolescents showed a continued decrease without recovery. Over the study period, children were consistently more active than adolescents. Better health status, normal weight, less screen time, stronger peer relationships, higher parental involvement, better family resilience and greater school participation were consistently correlated with increased physical activity in both age groups. Sleep duration was a predictor of activity only in children, while mental health status was solely a predictor in adolescents. Neighborhood environment consistently predicted children's activity levels but was a significant factor for adolescents only in 2020. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the differing impacts of the pandemic on physical activity between children and adolescents, emphasizing the need for targeted public health interventions, particularly for adolescents whose activity levels have not recovered from the pandemic period. Age-specific physical activity interventions should consider sleep duration and neighborhood environmental factors when targeting children and mental health factors when focused on adolescents.

Corrigendum: Association between nutritional status, physical fitness and executive functions in preadolescents: a person-centered approach.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fped.2022.966510.].

SMURF1 activates the cGAS/STING/IFN-1 signal axis by mediating YY1 ubiquitination to accelerate the progression of lupus nephritis.

Aggravated endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and apoptosis in podocytes play an important role in lupus nephritis (LN) progression, but its mechanism is still unclear. Herein, the role of SMURF1 in regulating podocytes apoptosis and ERS during LN progression were investigated. MRL/lpr mice was used as LN model in vivo. HE staining was performed to analyze histopathological changes. Mouse podocytes (MPC5 cells) were treated with serum IgG from LN patients (LN-IgG) to construct LN model in vitro. CCK8 assay was adopted to determine the viability. Cell apoptosis was measured using flow cytometry and TUNEL staining. The interactions between SMURF1, YY1 and cGAS were analyzed using ChIP and/or dual-luciferase reporter gene and/or Co-IP assays. YY1 ubiquitination was analyzed by ubiquitination analysis. Our results found that SMURF1, cGAS and STING mRNA levels were markedly increased in serum samples of LN patients, while YY1 was downregulated. YY1 upregulation reduced LN-IgG-induced ERS and apoptosis in podocytes. Moreover, SMURF1 upregulation reduced YY1 protein stability and expression by ubiquitinating YY1 in podocytes. Rescue studies revealed that YY1 knockdown abrogated the inhibition of SMURF1 downregulation on LN-IgG-induced ERS and apoptosis in podocytes. It was also turned out that YY1 alleviated podocytes injury in LN by transcriptional inhibition cGAS/STING/IFN-1 signal axis. Finally, SMURF1 knockdown inhibited LN progression in vivo. In short, SMURF1 upregulation activated the cGAS/STING/IFN-1 signal axis by regulating YY1 ubiquitination to facilitate apoptosis in podocytes during LN progression.

Digital Technology Use and Adolescent Mental Health Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Roles of Internet Addiction and Digital Competence.

This study examined whether Internet addiction (IA) and digital competence (DC) mediated the association between digital technology use and mental health problems in adolescents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, when digital device use increased dramatically. Repeated cross-sectional data from a 3-year cross-cohort study adopting stratified random sampling were analyzed. In 2019, 569 adolescents (female = 312) from 14 secondary schools completed a DC assessment and an online survey on their digital technology use, IA, and mental health. In 2021, 775 adolescents (female = 397) from 11 of those 14 schools completed both instruments. Results showed that adolescents in 2021 spent more time using digital devices, were more digitally competent, and reported more mental health problems than adolescents in 2019. The prevalence of IA was 8 percent in 2019 and 12.4 percent in 2021. In both years, more frequent digital technology use predicted a higher risk of IA, which was associated with more mental health problems (indirect ß = 0.08, p < 0.001 for 2019 and ß = 0.05, p < 0.001 for 2021). In addition, in 2021, DC was positively associated with digital technology use and negatively with IA, which indirectly related to fewer mental health problems (indirect ß = -0.01, p = 0.03). In conclusion, DC is a protective factor alleviating the positive associations of digital technology use and IA with mental health problems in adolescents when the ecological context requires high levels of digital device use.

Child aggression and parenting behavior: Understanding the child-driven effects with parents' emotion regulation as a moderator.

The present study examined the longitudinal relations between child aggression and coercive parenting behaviors and the moderating role of parental emotion regulation strategies in these relations. The sample of this study were 168 children (88 girls; Mage = 60.97 months, SD = 5.51) and their parents recruited from five kindergartens. At Time 1 (T1), parents reported their own use of coercive parenting behaviors (i.e., physical coercion and psychological control) and emotion regulation strategies (i.e., suppression and reappraisal). A coloring task was administered to assess the child's aggression at the child's kindergarten. At Time 2 (T2; approximately 6 months later), mothers and fathers again reported their coercive parenting behaviors. Results indicate that suppression served as a moderator in the relations between child aggression and mothers' coercive parenting behavior. Specifically, (a) T1 child aggression was not directly predictive of T2 coercive parenting behaviors; (b) child overt aggression at T1 was associated with increased coercive parenting behaviors at T2 among mothers reporting higher use of suppression and was associated with decreased coercive parenting behaviors at T2 among mothers reporting lower use of suppression; (c) T1 child covert aggression was associated with increased T2 psychological control among mothers with more use of suppression and was associated with decreased psychological control among mothers reporting lower use of suppression. Reappraisal was not a moderator in the relations between child aggression and coercive parenting behaviors. These results shed light on the relations between child aggression and coercive parenting behavior as a function of parents' emotion regulation strategy. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Associations of Device-Measured Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Executive Function in Preadolescents: A Latent Profile Approach.

PURPOSE: This study investigated the associations between physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior, and executive function in preadolescents. METHODS: One hundred and twenty preadolescents were recruited from 2 Hong Kong primary schools. PA and sedentary behavior were recorded for 7 consecutive days by accelerometer. Executive function performance, including inhibition (Stroop task and Flanker task) and working memory (Sternberg paradigm task), were measured. Body mass index and cardiorespiratory fitness (multistage fitness test) were tested. Latent profile analysis explored the profiles of PA and sedentary behavior in preadolescents. RESULTS: Three distinct profiles were identified: low activity, average activity, and high activity. Participants in low activity performed worse in the accuracy of Stroop task (vs average activity, P = .03; vs high activity, P < .01), Flanker task (vs average activity, P = .02; vs high activity, P < .001), and Sternberg paradigm task (vs average activity, P < .01; vs high activity, P < .01). No significant difference was observed between participants with average and high activities. No significant association was observed for profiles on body mass index and cardiorespiratory fitness. CONCLUSION: Supplementing the consensus of the literature that moderate to vigorous PA benefits cognition, the authors conclude that light PA may also enhance preadolescents' executive functioning.

Association between nutritional status, physical fitness and executive functions in preadolescents: A person-centered approach.

Objective: In the current study, a person-centered approach was adopted to investigate the relationship between nutritional status and physical fitness profiles and executive functions (EF) in preadolescents. Methods: Participants (M age = 10.8 years; Male = 50.8%) were recruited from two primary schools in Hong Kong. Nutritional status [body mass index (BMI)], physical fitness including cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF, predicted VO2max, multi-stage fitness test) and speed-agility (20-m sprint) were measured on school days. EF performance was measured using the Flanker task (inhibition) and the Sternberg task (working memory). Results: Data from 120 preadolescents were considered valid. Three distinct profiles were identified by a person-centered approach. Profile 1 was featured by high BMI (21.61 ± 3.38 kg/m2), poor VO2max (33.29 ± 23.96 ml/kg/min), and slow 20-m sprint (4.51 ± 0.13 s). Profile 2 was featured by low BMI (15.99 ± 3.38), fair VO2max (44.98 ± 23.96) and fast 20-m sprint (3.97 ± 0.13). Profile 3 was featured by low BMI (15.63 ± 3.38), poor VO2max (32.37 ± 23.96), and slow 20-m sprint (4.48 ± 0.13). Wald chi-square test revealed preadolescents in profile 1 and profile 2 performed better than profile 3 in accuracy of Flanker task (1 vs. 3: χ 2 = 12.23, P < 0.001; 2 vs. 3: χ 2 = 10.86, P = 0.001). That is, for normal weight preadolescents with poor CRF and speed-agility, those with superior nutritional status performed better in inhibition. For normal weight preadolescents with poor nutritional status, those with superior CRF and speed-agility had better inhibitory capacity. Conclusion: Compared to the commonly used variable-centered approach, this person-centered approach is a valuable addition that expands the understanding of the association between nutritional status, physical fitness and EF in preadolescents. Results are discussed with regards to maximizing health behaviors and implications for educational policy.

Effect of isometric handgrip exercise on cognitive function: Current evidence, methodology, and safety considerations.

Cognitive function is essential for most behaviors of daily living and is a critical component in assessing the quality of life. Mounting prospective evidence supports the use of isometric handgrip exercise (IHE) as a small muscle mass practice to promote health-related outcomes in clinical and healthy populations. The aim of the present review was to systematically investigate whether IHE is effective in improving the cognitive function of adults (aged ≥18 years). Studies were identified by searching five databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE, SPORTDiscus, PsychINFO, and Web of Science). Eight out of 767 studies met the inclusion criteria, including three types of studies: 1) acute effect for IHE with various intensity protocols (n = 4); 2) acute effect for IHE with one set exhaustion protocol (n = 2); and 3) chronic effect of IHE on cognitive function (n = 2). To assess the methodological quality of studies, the PEDro scale was used (mean score = 6.75). The evidence on whether IHE exerts acute positive effects on cognitive performance is currently rather inconclusive. However, a trend was discernible that implementing IHE can generate a beneficial chronic effect on cognitive function, although the results should be interpreted with caution. The clinical relevance of IHE as a time-efficient type of physical exercise to improve cognitive function warrants further investigation. Methodology and safety considerations were discussed. Systematic Review Registration: (https://osf.io/gbzp9).

Digital Technology Use and Cyberbullying Among Primary School Children: Digital Literacy and Parental Mediation as Moderators.

Cyberbullying has become a critical issue in many parts of the world. Children affected by bullying in cyberspace may also experience various other problems in their daily lives, such as emotional and behavioral issues. Despite the well-documented positive correlation between digital technology use and cyberbullying experiences in adolescents, a paucity of research has explored the association between digital technology use and cyberbullying, and the extent to which digital literacy (DL) and parental mediation moderate these relationships among primary school-aged children. This study addressed these research gaps. A total of 736 children (third grade, female = 52 percent) in Hong Kong, selected through stratified random sampling, reported on their digital technology use, parental mediation of technology use (i.e., active mediation and restriction), and cyberbullying experiences. A performance-based assessment measured children's DL. Results showed a positive association between children's digital technology use (both for leisure activities and for schoolwork) and cyberbullying experiences (both as perpetrator and victim). These positive associations were more pronounced among children with low levels of DL (only victims) as well as among children with highly restrictive parents (both perpetrators and victims). Implications for digital citizenship education and parental intervention are discussed.

Coparenting and Parental Involvement During School Transition Among Chinese Mothers and Fathers: Children's School Liking as a Moderator.

Parental involvement is a vital social resource that helps children to deal with different challenges in their learning and development in the transition period and may be a strong determinant of children's outcomes. While the role of fathers has been increasingly recognized, there has been a lack of studies examining the predictive role of mother and fathers' coparenting to parental involvement and child readiness outcomes. The purpose of this study is to examine the longitudinal association between coparenting behavior and parental involvement for parents with children in the transition to primary school in a Chinese context, and test whether children's school liking moderated these associations. Using stratified random sampling, 324 children (M age=70.57months, female=51%) and their parents from 10 kindergartens in Hong Kong participated in the study. Both mothers and fathers provided information about their spouse's coparenting behavior at Time 1 (the final year of kindergarten), and their parental involvement at home and school at Time 1 and 2 (the first year of primary school). Children's school liking was assessed by puppet interview at Time 1. Results indicated that maternal cooperation was positively associated with paternal involvement at home and in school, and paternal cooperation was positively associated with maternal involvement at home. Children's school liking moderated the longitudinal associations between coparenting behavior (Time 1) and parental involvement (Time 2). Specifically, mothers of children with high levels of school liking were involved more in school when they perceived more cooperation from the spouse. Fathers of children with low levels of school liking were less involved in school when they perceived more cooperation, while involved more at home and in school when they perceived more triangulation from the spouse. Additionally, fathers perceiving more triangulation decreased their home involvement when the child reported high levels of school liking. Findings of this study revealed that coparenting, children's school liking, and parental gender might be important to understanding parental involvement during school transition.

Long non-coding RNA T-cell leukemia/lymphoma 6 serves as a sponge for miR-21 modulating the cell proliferation of retinoblastoma through PTEN.

Retinoblastoma (Rb) is one of the most common eye malignancies occur in childhood. The crucial roles of non-coding RNAs, particularly long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs), have been widely reported in Rb progression. In the present study, we found the expression of lncRNA T-cell leukemia/lymphoma 6 (TCL6) was significantly downregulated in Rb tissues and cell lines. Knockdown of lncRNA TCL6 promoted cell proliferation while reduced cell apoptosis in Rb cells. Moreover, lncRNA TCL6 serves as a sponge for miR-21, a previously-reported oncogenic miRNA in Rb, by direct targeting to negatively regulated miR-21 expression, therefore modulating Rb proliferation through miR-21. TCL6 overexpression inhibited Rb cell proliferation while miR-21 overexpression exerted an opposing effect; the effect of TCL6 overexpression was partially attenuated by miR-21 overexpression. PTEN/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was involved in lncRNA TCL6/miR-21 axis modulating Rb cell proliferation. Taken together, lncRNA TCL6 serves as a tumor suppressor by acting as a sponge for miR-21 to counteract miR-21-mediated PTEN repression.