The associations between 2D:4D ratio and behavior problems among Chinese preschool children: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Digit ratio (2D:4D) is considered a biomarker of prenatal androgen activity, the prenatal hormone exposure may affect children's psychology and behavior. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the associations between 2D:4D ratio and behavior problems in Chinese preschool children, and to provide ideas for early intervention of children's behavior problems. METHODS: A total of 548 Chinese preschool children aged 3-6 years were recruited using a stratified cluster sampling method. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) was used to assess the children's behavior. Basic information of the children and their parents was also collected, finger length was directly measured by electronic vernier caliper. RESULTS: We found that sex and age of the child, mother's educational level, and whether the child was an only child were the influencing factors of behavior problems (P < 0.05). Right-handed 2D:4D was negatively correlated with parent-reported anxiety/depression (P < 0.05), father-reported aggression (P < 0.05) and attention problems (P < 0.01), that is, high levels of testosterone may increase the risk of anxiety and depression, our results were in contrast to previous studies. CONCLUSION: The 2D:4D ratio may be related to behavior problems among Chinese preschool children, and prenatal testosterone exposure may be an important factor affecting behavior problems.

Association between parental self efficacy consistency and social development of children / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To explore the relationship between parental self efficacy consistency with children s social development,and to provide a reference basis for promoting children s social development.@*Methods@#During September to October of 2019, cluster sampling method were used to select 905 children and their parents from 2 kindergarten (senior , mid and junior class) and 2 primary schools (grade one to grade three) in Bengbu. Children s social development and parental self efficacy were assessed by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire(SDQ) and the parenting sense of competence Scale, respectively. Ordinal Logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between parenting efficacy consistency with children s social development.@*Results@#Prevalence of emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity attention inability，peer problems, and abnormal prosocial behtavior was 8.95%，6.30%， 18.01%, 14.03%，7.40% and 5.41%，respectively, which were negatively associated with parental self efficacy( P <0.01). Consistent parenting sense of competence, children s emotion, hyperactivity attention inability, moral behavior and prosocial behavior anomaly detection rate lowest, mother parenting self efficacy were higher than the father, children s enotion, conduct behavior, hyperactivity attention inability and prosocial behavior anomaly detection rate is highest, when the father parenting self efficacy was higher than that of mothers, Children s conduct behavior and hyperativity attention inability had the highest detection rate( Z =6.57, 7.58,7.25, 7.06, P <0.05). Children with higher maternal parenting self efficacy were more likely to develop emotional, conduct behavior, hyperactivity attention inability and prosocial behavior abnormalities, and children with higher father parenting self efficacy were more likely to develop conduct behavior and hyperactivity attention inability ( P <0.05).@*Conclusion@#Parental self efficacy and its consistency are related to child social development.It is suggested that parents should improve the parenting efficiency and the quality of companionship, optimize the family relations, and create a harmonious atmosphere.

A comparison of aggressive behavior and influencing factors of family environment between firstborn and only children in primary school / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To understand aggressive behavior and associated family determinants of firstborn and only children in primary school, so as to provide the basis for child aggressive behavior prevention.@*Methods@#Using stratified cluster sampling method, 922 pupils from grade 2 to grade 6 were selected from three primary schools in Bengbu. The questionnaire survey included general information, family background and child aggressive behaviors.@*Results@#Among boys, the 7 year old only child scored [26.0(22.0,34.5)] higher than firstborn children [20.0(17.5,26.5)] in overall aggression, and the 9-year-old firstborn child [ 27.5 (23.0,34.3)] scored higher than the only child [23.0(18.5,28.5)]. The scores of 8-year-old firstborn child in the dimension of physical aggression [7.0(4.0,11.0)] were higher than that of only child [5.0(3.0,8.0)] ( Z=1.97, 2.39, 2.11, P < 0.05 ). Among girls, 8-year-old only child scored higher [5.0(3.0,7.0)] in the dimension of physical aggression than that of the firstborn child [ 3.0 (3.0,4.0)], and the 12-year-old firstborn child scored [7.0(6.0,8.0)] higher in the dimension of hostility than that of the only child [4.5(3.3,9.0)] ( Z=2.48, 1.98, P <0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis found that boys of firstborn children scored higher in all dimensions of aggressive behavior than those of girls except hostility, and paternal education was negatively associated with physical aggression and hostility ( P <0.05). Age was positively associated with verbal aggression among the only children ( P <0.05). Family economic status was negatively associated with physical aggression ( P <0.05). Paternal education was negatively associated with hostility among students with anger and hostility of family members higher than that of parents ( P < 0.05 ).@*Conclusion@#Higher family economic status, high quality of parent company and appropriate parenting style can reduce the occurrence of children s aggressive behavior and promote healthy physical and psychological development.

A comparative study of sociality between firstborn children and only children of young age / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To understand the current situation of the social development between only children and firstborn of young age, so as to provide a reference for the promotion of the social development of young children.@*Methods@#Stratified cluster sampling method was used to select 734 only children and firstborn children aged 3-9 in two kindergartens and two primary schools from grade 1 to grade 3 for questionnaire survey in Bengbu City. The content included the general information of children and their parents and the social assessment of children.@*Results@#The rate of emotional symptoms in firstborn children(27.8%) was higher than those of only children (17.6%)( χ 2=9.45, P <0.01). The results of univariate analysis showed that the rate of hyperactivity and inattention in social development of both only children and firstborns decreased with the increase of family socioeconomic status ( P < 0.05 ). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis of only children showed that only children with high economic status had a lower risk of hyperactivity and inattention and had a higher risk of peer interaction( P <0.05). The prosocial behavior of girls was better than that of boys in the aspect of social development of only children and firstborn children( OR =1.70, 2.85, P <0.05). For only children, the occurrence risk of being difficult was lower when the primary caregiver was parents than grandparents( OR =1.63, P < 0.05 ). For firstborn children, the risk of being difficult in nuclear families was lower than that in third generation families( OR = 2.14 , P <0.05). Multivariate analysis of the only child showed that boys had higher risk of hyperactive attention and less prosocial behavior than girls ( OR =2.24, 1.70, P <0.05), and a lower risk of developing mood disorders than girls( OR =0.57, P <0.05). The social development of only children varied among different grades, and the risk of abnormal prosocial behavior was lower with the increase of grades ( P <0.05).@*Conclusion@#Higer family social status is positively associated with children s social development level. But parents with high economic status should also avoid too much material and spiritual doting. Parents should strengthen their own learning to enhance the level of socialized education, raising siblings equally, improve the quality of parent child relationship, and promote the all round development of children s socialization level.

Impact of father’s parenting effectiveness and children’s sociality on the acceptance of "second-born children" / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To explore the interrelationships among fathers’ parenting effectiveness, urban children’s sociality and the acceptance of “second-born children” by children (including only children and “first-born children”), and to provide a reference for interventional measured for improving children’s acceptance rate of "second-bron children".@*Methods@#Stratified cluster sampling method was used to select 3 to 9-year-old 778 only children and “first-born children” in two kindergartens and grades 1-3 of two primary schools in a city, and the children and their fathers were investigated with questionnaires survey regarding general information of both fathers and children, the acceptance degree of “second-born children”, the sociality of children and the parenting effectiveness of fathers.@*Results@#Children in different grades had different acceptance levels of “second-born children” and the difference was statistically significant (F=2.89，P<0.05). Correlation analysis showed that the acceptance of “second-born children” was negatively correlated with the interaction between the only children and “first-born children”, and positively correlated with the prosocial behavior of the only children and “first-born children”, both of which are statistically significant (r=-0.10，0.10,P<0.01). Father’s role efficacy was negatively correlated with onlychildren and “first-born-children” peer interaction problems(r=-0.15), and positively correlated with prosocial behavior(r=0.32), both of which were statistically significant (P<0.01). The structural equation model of father’s parenting effectiveness, children’s sociality and acceptance of “second-born children” showed that low father’s parenting effectiveness could positively predict children’s peer communication problems and negatively predict children’s prosocial behavior, and thus children’s peer communication problems could negatively predict the acceptance degree of only children and “first-born children” to “second-born children”, and prosocial behaviors could positively predict the acceptance degree of “second-born children”.@*Conclusion@#Promoting father’s parenting efficiency can facilitate the social development of children and the acceptance of siblings.It’s recommended that fathers actively participate in specific parenting matters for the only child and "one child",and consciously improve parenting effectiveness.