Socially complex peer play may provide opportunities for children to coordinate perspectives, negotiate roles, and respond to others' needs, but its association with prosocial judgment may differ according to children's social-cognitive resources. This small-scale longitudinal study examined whether mental state knowledge assessed at age 4–5 conditioned the concurrent association between socially complex peer play and prosocial judgment assessed at age 5–6. Participants were 35 children from a private nursery school in Japan. Mental state knowledge was assessed using a false-belief task. At age 5–6, children completed helping and sharing judgment tasks, and their free play was observed naturalistically across repeated focal-child observations. Socially complex peer play was indexed by the combined proportion of associative and cooperative play. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that the interaction between earlier mental state knowledge and socially complex peer play significantly predicted sharing judgment. The corresponding interaction for helping was positive but did not reach the conventional significance threshold. Sensitivity analyses using heteroskedasticity-consistent standard errors supported the sharing result. Given the modest sample size, the findings should be interpreted as preliminary. They suggest that the association between socially complex peer play and prosocial judgment may differ according to children's earlier social-cognitive resources.
Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine represent unprecedented global stressors with substantial consequences for mental health. Objective A repeated cross-sectional study was conducted in three independent Hungarian samples before COVID-19 ( N = 249), after the second wave of COVID-19 ( N = 265), and during the early phase of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine ( N = 148) to examine differences in meaning in life, coping competencies, and fear of death, as well as in the relationships among these constructs. The outbreak of the invasion during data collection provided a unique opportunity to examine these constructs during its early phase. Results Compared with the post-COVID sample, lower descriptive levels of fear of death were observed following the outbreak of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Lower levels of several coping resources, particularly sense of coherence and social competencies, together with the greater relevance of search for meaning, were among the key findings associated with these unforeseen stressors. Stronger associations between coping and meaning in life were identified, while the association between presence of meaning and search for meaning became stronger following the outbreak of the invasion. Network analyses further suggested a closer integration of meaning-related processes with fear of death and coping resources, although these patterns should be interpreted cautiously given the limited stability of the network estimates. Conclusion The findings suggest that exposure to successive unforeseen large-scale stressors may be associated with the reorganization of meaning-related processes and coping resources. The patterns observed following the outbreak of the war may be interpreted within the framework of distal defense processes described by the terror management theory, although these mechanisms were not directly assessed in the present study. The results suggest that longer-term existential anxiety processes and their delayed psychological and social consequences should be considered when developing mental health interventions. These findings may contribute to the refinement of healthcare interventions across multiple levels and cultural contexts in preparation for current and future crises.
Autoimmune conditions may affect wellbeing through symptoms, treatment demands, uncertainty and disruption to daily activities. This cross-sectional study examined subjective psychological wellbeing among adults living with autoimmune conditions and its association with illness-related factors. The project reports data from 21 participants. Wellbeing was measured using the World Health Organization Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5), scored from 0 to 100, alongside a researcher-developed illness-impact questionnaire. The reported mean WHO-5 score was 31.05 (SD = 21.61; median = 32; range = 0?88). Illness duration was not significantly associated with wellbeing (r = .043, p = .857; n = 20). Greater perceived severity (ρ = -.587, p = .005), treatment burden (ρ = -.519, p = .016) and interference with daily activities (ρ = -.754, p < .001) were associated with lower wellbeing. The gender comparison was not statistically significant (U = 53.0, p = .299). These preliminary results require verification against the anonymized dataset. The small, mixed-diagnosis sample and cross-sectional design limit generalizability and causal interpretation.
Background School-aged children that experience social anxiety and have difficulty with interactions among peers can create significant challenges to their development in terms of both psychology and behavior. A team sport such as volleyball provides a common setting that naturally includes all aspects of social interaction (communication, cooperation, role coordination, etc.) and shared goals which is essential to improve the child’s confidence in interacting socially and abilities to interact socially with peers. Objective This research is an examination of the effect that a 12-week collective volleyball cooperative tactical training program will have on social anxiety and peer interaction in children (8–12). Methods A sample of 80 healthy school-age children was obtained via two methods of campus based, voluntary and/or open recruitment. These children were then randomly assigned to either an experimental intervention group ( n = 40) or an active control group receiving standard physical education ( n = 40). For 12 consecutive weeks, participants in the experimental group engaged in a type of volleyball cooperative tactical team training that occurred on 3 days each week at 1 h per day. During this time the participants in the control group engaged in standard physical education classes of matched frequency and duration. Social anxiety was measured by use of the Social Anxiety Scale for Children (SASC); SASC measures include total social anxiety, fear of negative evaluation and social avoidance/distress. Participant peer interaction was evaluated using a study-specific 25-item peer-interaction questionnaire covering interaction initiative, peer acceptance, interaction coordination, interaction openness, and conflict resolution ability. Data collection occurred prior to, as well as subsequent to, the intervention. Statistical analyses were conducted utilizing SPSS version 26.0 software. A 2 × 2 mixed-design ANOVA was conducted to examine Group × Time interaction effects, with group (intervention vs. control) as the between-subjects factor and time (pre-intervention vs. post-intervention) as the within-subject factor. Effect sizes were reported using partial eta squared ( η 2 p ), and post hoc comparisons were performed when significant interactions were identified. Results Group × Time Interaction Effects from a mixed-design ANOVA were found to be statistically significant for both of the outcomes (social anxiety and peer interaction) of this study. Children participating in an intervention that included an instructional program using the Collective Volleyball Cooperative Tactical Training Model showed significantly greater improvement than did those in the Control Condition in reducing their level of social anxiety as well as improving their peer interaction abilities over the course of the 12-weeks. Although we found a statistically-significant improvement in both children’s social anxiety, and their peer interaction skills through a 12-week program, there is no data available for us to understand if those positive results will continue into the future because we did not assess children at later points in time. Thus, future researchers are encouraged to consider extended assessment periods as part of their study designs to determine how long such interventions have an impact. Secondly, as a feasibility study in a controlled environment showed promise for implementation of cooperative tactical volleyball programs, there may be barriers to successful implementation in regular school settings such as lack of facilities, class size and teacher workload. Future research is needed to examine how cooperative tactical volleyball programs can be adapted to encompass large groups of students and incorporated into routine physical education curriculum. Furthermore, although the intervention showed feasibility under controlled conditions, implementation in regular school settings may face practical challenges, including limited facilities, larger class sizes, and teacher workload. Future studies should examine how cooperative volleyball tactical training can be adapted for broader school-based implementation. Conclusion Collective Volleyball Cooperative Tactical Training is an effective method for reducing social anxiety and improving the ability of school aged children to interact with peers. The program offers a viable, school-based model for integrating sport skills acquisition (training) and psychosocial growth through physical activity.
Background Yoga is a multidimensional mind–body practice, yet little is known about whether the weekly practice frequency of its individual components is differentially associated with subjective wellbeing (SWB). This study examined the associations between the weekly practice frequency of asana, pranayama, relaxation, and meditation and SWB among Hungarian yoga practitioners. Methods A cross-sectional online survey based on convenience snowball sampling was conducted in April–May 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, among 379 adult yoga practitioners (44.31 ± 10.12 years). SWB was assessed using the World Health Organization-Five Wellbeing Index (WHO-5). Associations between participant characteristics and SWB were examined using one-way ANOVA and Pearson’s correlations. Separate ANCOVA models examined associations between the weekly practice frequency of each yoga component and SWB after adjustment for place of residence, other physical exercise, yoga practice duration, and yoga expertise (Holm–Bonferroni corrected). Independent associations were examined using multiple linear regression, with a dummy-coded sensitivity analysis. Results Place of residence, yoga expertise, other physical exercise, and, weakly, yoga practice duration were associated with SWB. After adjustment, all four yoga components remained significantly associated with higher SWB (corrected p ≤ 0.029), with medium effect sizes for asana (ηp 2 = 0.070) and meditation (ηp 2 = 0.061) and small effect sizes for pranayama (ηp 2 = 0.050) and relaxation (ηp 2 = 0.024). Daily practice was consistently associated with the highest SWB. The regression model explained only 12.9% of the variance in SWB (Cohen’s f 2 = 0.15), and only asana ( B = 0.69, 95% CI [0.22, 1.17]) and meditation frequency ( B = 0.61, 95% CI [0.21, 1.00]) remained independently associated with SWB, as supported by the sensitivity analysis. Conclusion In this predominantly female, highly educated convenience sample, more frequent weekly practice of all four yoga components was associated with higher SWB. However, after accounting for participant characteristics, yoga experience, and the overlap among components, only asana and meditation frequency remained independently associated with SWB. These associations were small, and most of the variance in SWB remained unexplained. Given the cross-sectional design, causal conclusions cannot be drawn and generalization should be cautious; longitudinal and intervention studies of individual yoga components are needed.
Objective: To investigate the relationship between orthorexia dimensions, specifically healthy orthorexia (HeOr) and orthorexia nervosa (OrNe), and hematological inflammatory markers.Methods: This cross-sectional, analytical study included 218 healthy volunteers (73.9% male, median age: 25.0 years) who were evaluated between February 2026 and April 2026.Sociodemographic profiles and the Teruel Orthorexia Scale scores were obtained.Complete blood count parameters and inflammatory indices, including the monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) and systemic inflammation response index (SIRI), were analyzed.Results: HeOr scores demonstrated significant negative correlations with white blood cell count (r = -0.163,P = 0.016), neutrophil count (r = -0.160,P = 0.019), monocyte count (r = -0.244,P < 0.001), platelet count (r = -0.168,P = 0.013), MLR (r = -0.134,P = 0.049), and SIRI (r = -0.185,P = 0.006).Conversely, OrNe scores exhibited a significant negative correlation only with monocyte count (r = -0.171,P = 0.012) and showed no significant associations with other hematological parameters or systemic inflammatory indices.Conclusion: Individuals with higher HeOr tendencies display a healthier systemic inflammatory profile, likely reflecting beneficial dietary choices.Despite being characterized by more rigid cognitions and behaviors toward healthy eating, OrNe tendencies do not manifest a healthier inflammatory profile.
This study examined whether an 8-week progressive temporal-occlusion training program improves early anticipation of forehand drop-shot direction in badminton. Seventy-eight university students with systematic badminton training experience were randomly assigned to a progressive temporal-occlusion group, a full-information active-control group, or a regular-activity control group ( n = 26 per group); 72 completed both pretest and posttest. The two video-training groups trained twice weekly for 8 weeks. Anticipation was assessed at four occlusion points: 80 ms before racket–shuttle contact, 40 ms before contact, at contact, and 40 ms after contact. Shot-direction anticipation accuracy was the primary performance measure, and correct-response reaction time (RT) was the secondary measure. Data were analyzed using mixed repeated-measures ANOVA, planned comparisons, and trial-level sensitivity analyses. Accuracy showed a significant group × test-session interaction ( p < 0.001), whereas the group × test-session × occlusion-point interaction was not significant ( p = 0.185). Relative to the active-control group, the progressive group showed larger accuracy gains at 40 ms before contact and at contact (Holm-adjusted p = 0.048 and 0.009, respectively). For correct-response RT, the three-way interaction was significant ( p < 0.001), with larger reductions in the progressive group at 80 ms before contact, 40 ms before contact, and at contact (all Holm-adjusted p = 0.013). Thus, the progressive temporal-occlusion training program produced additional improvements in selected anticipation measures beyond those obtained with dose-matched full-information video practice. The additional accuracy gains were observed at 40 ms before contact and at contact, whereas additional RT reductions extended from 80 ms before contact to contact. Because the three-way interaction for accuracy was not significant, the apparent temporal specificity of the accuracy gains should be interpreted cautiously.
The dance piece “Luka Pulih” (Healing Wounds) is a contemporary dance work that explores the emotional experiences of individuals who have been bullied and subjected to social pressure from their surroundings. This work was created as an effort to visualize the psychological process of a person when facing adversity until they are able to rise again through inner strength. The purpose of this work is to convey the message about the impact of bullying on mental health and to describe the healing process as a form of courage and determination in living life. The creative method in this work includes the stages of idea gathering, movement exploration, concept formation, composition, and evaluation. The movements were developed from observations of human body expressions under emotional pressure, which were then processed into contemporary movements with varying dynamics. The accompanying music, makeup, and costumes were designed to reinforce the emotional character in each part of the work. The results of the creation show that the processing of movement, tempo dynamics, and changes in spatial composition are able to present a representation of the character's emotional transition from a phase of despair and indecision to a phase of awakening. Through the work “Luka Pulih”, the choreographer hopes that the audience can understand that the healing process from the experience of bullying requires time, acceptance, and determination. Keywords: Wound Healing, Bullying, Empirical Experience, Langon Method
Orthorexia Nervosa (ON) is widely regarded as an emerging eating disorder although it is not currently recognised as a formal diagnosis. It is characterised by a strict adherence to “pure” eating which becomes excessive and can lead to nutritional deficiencies, psychological distress, and impaired daily functioning. Restrictive eating behaviour in ON shows overlap with Restricted Repetitive Behaviours (RRBs) observed in autism. However, the conceptual relationship between ON and autism remains underexplored. This perspective article synthesises existing literature to explore potential overlapping and diverging mechanisms of RRBs across ON and autism. Intolerance for Uncertainty is highlighted as a possible shared mechanism that may contribute to RRBs observed in both ON and autism, whereas Cognitive Inflexibility and Perfectionism may mechanistically differentiate the conditions. We consider that autistic RRBs reflect neurodevelopmental divergence, whereas orthorexic RRBs may be influenced by evaluative belief-centred cognitions. We propose a conceptual model outlining how cognitive, affective and functional factors may interact to produce and maintain RRBs. Clarifying these distinctions is important in supporting clinicians to appropriately consider the drivers and mechanisms underlying RRBs across ON and autism, therefore supporting accurate diagnosis, formulation and treatment.
Background Cumulative exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is associated with an increased risk of substance use, overdose, and suicide. Rural children are more likely to experience most ACEs. There is limited literature contextualizing rural individuals’ experiences with ACEs. Public Health 3.0 calls for multisector partner engagement to generate collective impact. The purpose of this study was to evaluate rural providers’ perspectives on challenges and recommendations for ACEs mitigation in their community from a cross-sector context. Participants and setting Participants were 74 providers enrolled in an online ACEs training. Participants lived and/or worked in five rural Missouri counties with high drug overdose death rates. Methods This was a conventional content analysis of written responses to structured discussion prompts from three training modules. Analysis included familiarization, inductive identification of major codes, and refinement of codes, followed by independent coding by two authors until consensus, and reporting major patterns. Artificial intelligence supported preliminary code development. An adapted Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) framework organized challenges and recommendations by setting. Results Results included personal stories about how ACEs impacted their communities through overdose, suicide, homelessness, unemployment, and adverse health effects. Settings included schools, government, healthcare, daycares, criminal justice, Extension, fire departments, libraries, and nonprofits. Participants recommended expanding the ACEs definition to include satanic abuse, bullying, incest, war, genocide, military family stressors, and death of a loved one. Intervention recommendations included whole-family interventions, community-wide training, trauma-informed training, expanded access to treatment, classes in prison/jails, and fostering positive childhood experiences. Conclusion Community voice is necessary to contextualize setting-specific insights that inform development of upstream interventions appropriate for and tailored to the community. Participants identified both strategies that could be incorporated into everyday practice—including empathy, listening, providing judgment-free and safe spaces, providing food for children experiencing hunger, encouraging positive childhood experiences, mentoring, and connecting individuals with resources for food, shelter, clothing, and mental health—and broader structural changes that may require policy-level action. The adapted SIM organizes these concepts.
It has also taken over a century for science to fully realize that oxytocin is far more than a “female reproductive hormone.” Both the measurement and interpretation of the biochemical and functional properties of oxytocin have raised controversy and remain works in progress. However, oxytocin is now recognized as a pleiotropic molecule that sits at the center of an extended system which includes vasopressin, the autonomic nervous system, the immune system and more. This larger system affects essentially every bodily function and helps to coordinate these with social context, the history of each individual and perhaps the existence of humans as a species. Together these support survival, reproduction and wellbeing, allowing mammals to manage and benefit from various forms of hormetic challenge. Here we suggest that oxytocin, viewed as a system, in turn acts as a keystone capable of connecting mammalian regulatory physiology to the benefits of social connection.
Background Eating-related behavioural factors may contribute to the complexity of glycaemic management in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but their relationships with treatment context remain insufficiently understood. This study examined hedonic hunger and eating-disorder symptom dimensions in relation to glycaemic control across different treatment regimens in adults with T2DM. Methods This cross-sectional study included 203 adults with T2DM attending an outpatient diet clinic in southeastern Turkey between March and September 2025. Participants were receiving oral antidiabetic medication only ( n = 108), insulin only ( n = 32), or combined oral medication plus insulin therapy ( n = 63). Hedonic hunger was assessed using the Power of Food Scale (PFS), and eating-disorder symptom dimensions using the 13-item Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire–Short Form (EDE-Q-13). Anthropometric measurements, 24-h dietary recall data, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) were obtained. Hierarchical linear regression was used to examine factors associated with HbA1c. Results HbA1c differed substantially across treatment groups and was highest in the insulin-only group ( p < 0.001). Several PFS subscales and EDE-Q-13 symptom dimensions also differed between groups, although their effect sizes were small. Selected PFS dimensions were weakly positively correlated with glycaemic indicators, whereas the EDE-Q-13 eating-restraint subscale and total score showed weak inverse correlations with HbA1c. In the fully adjusted model, insulin-only and combination therapy were associated with higher HbA1c compared with oral medication only, while body mass index (BMI) was inversely associated with HbA1c. Neither the PFS food available subscale nor the EDE-Q-13 total score remained independently associated with HbA1c. The final model explained 27.2% of the variance in HbA1c (adjusted r 2 = 0.230). Conclusion Treatment context was more strongly related to glycaemic status than the behavioural measures assessed, although modest differences in hedonic hunger and eating-disorder symptom dimensions were evident across treatment regimens. These findings suggest that eating-related behavioural characteristics may provide complementary information in nutritional assessment and should be interpreted alongside the broader clinical context of T2DM management.
Bullying is a problem in educational settings associated with students’ psychological conditions and learning processes. However, research on the relationship between bullying and students’ interest in learning in Islamic Religious Education (PAI) and Character Education at the junior high school level, particularly at SMPN 02 Sungai Beremas Pasaman Barat, remains limited. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between bullying and students’ interest in learning in PAI and Character Education. The study employed a quantitative approach with a correlational design involving 45 eighth-grade students at SMPN 02 Sungai Beremas Pasaman Barat. Data were collected through questionnaires and documentation and analyzed using normality tests, linearity tests, and Pearson’s product–moment correlation with IBM SPSS Statistics 27. The analysis revealed a significant relationship between bullying and students’ interest in learning (r = .531; p < .001), with a moderately strong correlation. Based on the instrument’s scoring system, this relationship was interpreted as indicating that lower levels of bullying were associated with greater interest in learning. These findings contribute to the empirical evidence on the association between bullying and interest in learning in PAI and Character Education and underscore the importance of a safe and comfortable learning environment. The practical implication is that schools need to address bullying prevention as part of their efforts to support students’ interest in learning. Future research should involve a broader sample, examine a wider range of variables, and employ more comprehensive data collection methods.
This study was motivated by low learning outcomes in Buddhist Religious Education and Character Building at SMKS Bakti Pangkalpinang: 82.35% of students had not achieved mastery in Semester 1 and 58.82% in Semester 2, presumably related to differing learning styles and low viriya (perseverance). This study analyzed the influence of learning styles and viriya on learning outcomes, partially and simultaneously, using a quantitative ex post facto approach on 58 of 68 students (Slovin formula, purposive sampling). Data were collected via a Likert questionnaire and outcome documentation, analyzed using multiple linear regression (IBM SPSS 25); instruments were valid-reliable and the model met the classical assumption tests. Results: Y = 15.479 + 0.747X1 + 0.297X2. Learning styles (t = 7.510; sig. = 0.000) and viriya (t = 2.993; sig. = 0.004) each had significant positive partial effects, and jointly significant effects (F = 74.112; sig. = 0.000) with an Adjusted R Square of 0.720 (72.0%). Learning styles were the most dominant, contributing 55.14%, underscoring the importance of appropriate learning styles and strengthened viriya.
Background Psychedelic retreats are increasingly used to promote wellbeing outside clinical settings, yet the psychological processes associated with sustained improvements in wellbeing remain poorly understood. From a public mental health perspective, identifying mechanisms that support positive mental health beyond symptom reduction is of growing importance. Methods This naturalistic longitudinal study followed 173 participants attending guided psilocybin retreats conducted within a structured framework of preparation, dosing, and integration. Mental wellbeing was reported before the retreat and across a 12-month follow-up period. Longitudinal changes were examined using linear mixed-effects models. Mediation analyses investigated whether changes in connectedness, neuroticism (anxiety facet), spiritual transcendence, and absorption were associated with changes in wellbeing. Mystical-type experiences were examined as potential predictors of these psychological changes. Results Participants reported substantial and sustained improvements in mental wellbeing over 12 months, moving from levels below Swedish population norms at baseline toward comparable levels at follow-up. Connectedness showed the strongest statistical association with improvements in wellbeing and accounted for the largest proportion of variance in wellbeing change, followed by reductions in the anxiety facet of neuroticism and absorption. Spiritual transcendence was associated with wellbeing improvements when examined separately but did not retain unique effects in the multiple mediation model. More intense mystical-type experiences predicted greater increases in connectedness, spirituality, and absorption, as well as greater reductions in neuroticism (trait anxiety). The association between mystical experiences and wellbeing was substantially attenuated when connectedness was included in the model, suggesting that connectedness may act as a candidate mediator linking mystical-type experiences to longer-term wellbeing, though the observational design precludes causal inference. Conclusions These findings extend prior work on psychedelic-assisted therapy to naturalistic retreat settings, suggesting that connectedness may represent a key psychological process linking psychedelic retreat experiences to sustained improvements in mental wellbeing. From a public mental health perspective, the results highlight the potential importance of social and relational factors in promoting wellbeing beyond the treatment of mental illness. Future controlled studies are needed to clarify the relative contributions of psychedelic, social, and contextual components.
Background Sleep duration is an important component of healthy aging, yet gender differences in short and long sleep among older adults remain insufficiently understood. This study aimed to examine gender differences in sleep duration among Chinese older adults and quantify the contributions of socioeconomic, behavioral, functional, and health-related factors to these differences. Methods Data were obtained from 9,590 adults aged ≥65 years who participated in the 2018 wave of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. Sleep duration was self-reported and categorized as short (<6 h), normal (6–8 h), or long (>8 h). Multinomial logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with short and long sleep, with weighted analyses and Poisson regression performed as sensitivity analyses. Separate Fairlie decomposition analyses were conducted for short and long sleep to quantify the contributions of observed characteristics to gender differences. Results Overall, 44.95% of participants had abnormal sleep duration, with a higher prevalence among women than men (46.87% vs. 42.66%, p < 0.001). Compared with men, women had a higher relative risk of short sleep (RRR = 1.399, 95% CI: 1.204–1.625) but a lower relative risk of long sleep (RRR = 0.856, 95% CI: 0.754–0.972). The association with short sleep remained significant in the weighted analysis (RRR = 1.530, 95% CI: 1.210–1.935), whereas the gender difference in long sleep was attenuated (RRR = 0.821, 95% CI: 0.661–1.021). For short sleep, observed characteristics explained 21.65% of the gender disparity. Education (22.75%), depressive symptoms (11.07%), IADL limitation (6.02%), and self-assessed health (4.82%) contributed positively to the disparity, whereas smoking status (−22.57%), drinking status (−12.45%), and exercise (−4.87%) partially offset it. The gender difference in long sleep was negligible, with substantial offsetting contributions across factors. Conclusion Gender differences in sleep duration among Chinese older adults were primarily concentrated in short sleep, with women experiencing a higher risk. Socioeconomic, behavioral, psychological, and functional characteristics contributed to this disparity, although most of the short-sleep difference remained unexplained. Gender-sensitive interventions addressing educational disadvantage, depressive symptoms, functional limitations, and health behaviors may help reduce inequalities in sleep duration among older adults.
This study examined the relationship between teachers’ pedagogical approaches and the Kindergarten learners’ reading performance in selected schools in the Division of Cagayan de Oro. It assessed five approaches: context support, ICT integration, language experience, phonemic awareness, and the whole-word approach. It also evaluated learners’ performance in comprehension, phonics, and vocabulary. Using a descriptive-correlational research design, the study involved 115 Kindergarten teachers and 230 learners. Data were gathered through a modified questionnaire and standardized test, then analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient. The findings revealed that teachers demonstrated a very high level of pedagogical approaches, with the whole-word approach rated highest and language experience lowest. Meanwhile, learners achieved satisfactory reading performance, with comprehension as their strongest area and vocabulary as their weakest. However, no significant relationship was found between teachers’ pedagogical approaches and learners’ reading performance. The study concluded that teachers were well-equipped to facilitate reading instruction through various strategies. It recommended providing more opportunities for learners to connect reading and writing activities with their personal experiences, interests, and real-life situations. Teachers were also encouraged to explore alternative instructional practices that address learners’ specific reading needs and improve their overall reading performance.
Background: Patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) undergoing treatment may experience poor sleep quality and fatigue, potentially affecting daily activities and quality of life. Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between sleep quality and fatigue levels among patients with pulmonary TB undergoing treatment. Methods: This observational analytic study employed a cross-sectional design. The study was conducted in April 2026 at Primary Health Center X, Deli Serdang Regency, Indonesia, involving 21 participants selected through total sampling. Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), while fatigue was measured using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Spearman's correlation test was planned with a significance level of α = 0.05. Results: According to the data presented in the manuscript, 14 participants (66.7%) had poor sleep quality, while 7 participants (33.3%) had good sleep quality. Moderate fatigue was the most frequent category, reported in 8 participants (38.1%), followed by severe fatigue in 7 participants (33.3%) and mild fatigue in 6 participants (28.6%). Cross-tabulation indicated that all participants classified as having severe fatigue belonged to the poor sleep quality group. Conclusion: The descriptive findings suggest a tendency toward greater fatigue among patients with poor sleep quality. However, the statistical significance of this relationship remains unconfirmed pending verification of the analysis using individual participant data
Introduction: During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global prevalence of anxiety and depression rose by about 25%, with women and young people most affected. Now that the emergency phase is over, it is necessary to know the mental health status of university students' families, a group that is rarely measured directly. Objective: To describe the levels of anxiety, depression and perceived stress among nursing students and their family members, and to explore their relationship with age, gender, socioeconomic stratum and religion. Methods: Quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study with non-probability convenience sampling. Thirty-nine people aged 17 to 79 took part: third-semester nursing students at Universidad Metropolitana de Barranquilla and their family members. The GAD-7, the PHQ-9 and the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) were administered. Associations were tested with the chi-square test and, because of the small cell counts, with an exact test estimated by Monte Carlo simulation.Results: Of the participants, 67% were women, 31% were aged 17 to 25, 49% belonged to socioeconomic stratum 2 and 87% were Catholic. Absence of symptoms and mild levels predominated. Mild anxiety was the most frequent category among those aged 17 to 25 (66.7%), and 25% of those aged 44 to 52 had severe anxiety. The chi-square test suggested an association between age and anxiety (p = 0.046), but the exact test did not confirm it (p = 0.080). No other variable was significantly associated with anxiety, depression or stress. Conclusions: Participants mostly showed mild or no symptoms, with no significant differences by sociodemographic variables. The cross-sectional design and the sample size do not allow these levels to be attributed to the pandemic, but the cases of severe anxiety and moderately severe depression among middle-aged family members warrant follow-up of family mental health in the post-pandemic period.
Background and objectives Health literacy in adulthood plays a major role in an individual’s ability to use health information to benefit their health. Social determinants in early childhood initiate the development of health literacy through newborn brain development and oral language acquisition. Both of these processes are promoted by stimulation from everyday interactions with parents/caregivers at home and in the community. Unequal access to language-learning opportunities during early childhood represents a modifiable developmental and social determinant of later educational and health outcomes. There are inequities in these time-sensitive interactions—specifically language-learning opportunities—across families in the population, which are social determinants of early literacy, achievement in school, and later-life education, health, and economic and social well-being across the life span. This gap is most pronounced among children who grow up in poverty in the United States and internationally. The healthcare system in the United States effectively reaches to nearly all infants; however, language-learning opportunities are not a focus during well-child visits. The term “Language Nutrition” (LN) was coined in prior research to refer to these developmentally rich interactions known to support brain and language growth in children younger than preschool age. We developed Kansas City Brain Builders (KCBB) to address this inequity by promoting LN broadly among families and children in a community so that all children have a more equitable home language environment. The purpose of this study is to report longitudinal empirical findings on families and children related to the implementation of KCBB, a public health approach to community change, over 2 years. Methods The evaluation involved two parallel longitudinal studies: the Community study and the Family study. The Community study assessed the implementation of a KCBB multisectoral community partnership to promote LN-friendly changes in local programs, practices, and policies. The Family study involved longitudinal assessments of a sample of 83 English- and Spanish-speaking families with children younger than 36 months of age, evaluating the KCBB impacts on parental behaviors and child growth in language skills. Results KCBB led to a high level of documented program implementation and substantial LN promotion throughout the community. Repeated parent assessments indicated that participants had received LN messages from multiple community sectors over time, increased their knowledge of the importance of LN, and used LN through storybook reading, verbal responsiveness, and teaching behaviors during interactions with their children. Growth in children’s early language skills was significantly associated with the amount of LN they received. Discussion/Conclusion KCBB is one of the few multisectoral interventions designed to promote community-wide change targeting LN. It is a manualized intervention that can be replicated by other communities. This study employed three levels of measurement such that change could be evaluated in a theoretical framework of influence from community engagement to parental behavior and growth in child language skills. Findings provide preliminary evidence that a multisectoral community approach can achieve broad reach and is associated with changes in caregiver practices and child language growth. Larger, controlled, and replicated studies are needed to establish causal effects and determine whether such approaches reduce disparities in language-learning opportunities.
