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Background The impact of looking after children who live with complex chronic conditions is a growing public health issue. However, it is unclear whether sociodemographic and psychosocial variables can be used to predict the burden on the caregiver and how the profiles of families of children with chronic diseases are defined and structured. The objective of this study was to identify multivariate sociodemographic and psychosocial variables as well as sociocultural and familial factors to analyze the caregiver burden of family caregivers of children with chronic diseases. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 416 family caregivers of children with chronic diseases at the National Institute of Health in Mexico City. The participants responded to a questionnaire on sociodemographic variables and a battery of 7 instruments that examined caregiver burden, family support, parental stress, anxiety, support networks, family functioning, historic-psycho-socio-cultural premises and the World Health Organization Well-Being Index . Results A multivariate analysis using hierarchical multiple regression models showed that the variables included in the psychosocial and sociodemographic profile as a whole explained 40% of the variance in caregiver burden, taking sociocultural historical premises, stressors and anxiety into account as positive individual predictors. Negative individual predictors for caregiver burden included upper secondary education, social support networks, family support, family functioning and well-being. The sociodemographic profiles of family caregivers were as follows: female (81.7%); mean age, 31.7 years (standard deviation [SD], 8 years); married (79.3%); nuclear family (60%); basic education (62.7%); unpaid work (66.3%); and a daily household income of approximately 4 USD (61.1%). Conclusions The caregiver burden of family caregivers of children with chronic diseases is defined and structured based on personal, family, and sociocultural factors. These features provide evidence to conduct research and implement intervention strategies with regard to families facing adversity, risk and vulnerability during a child’s disease.

Background An infant requiring admission to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is frequently associated with parental stress and anxiety. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) represents one of the most common disorders of gut-brain interaction in adult population. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate IBS symptoms in mothers and fathers of NICU infants during hospitalization. Secondary objective was to explore the relationship among NICU stressors, anxiety and IBS symptoms. Methods Cross-sectional study. Eighty parents (mothers = 44, fathers = 36) of NICU hospitalized infants filled out validated questionnaires on IBS symptoms, anxiety and NICU stressors (i.e., Sights and Sounds, Infant’s Look and Behaviour, Parental Role Alterations). Student’s t test and Chi-square test were used to compare maternal and paternal IBS symptoms, prevalence and severity. The mediating effect of anxiety among NICU stressors and IBS was tested using mediation analysis. Results Mothers scored above the clinical cut-off for IBS more frequently than fathers (59.1% vs. 44.6%). Symptoms were significantly higher in mothers as compared to fathers ( p  = .021). Anxiety fully mediated the effect of Sights and Sounds (β = 0.147, SE = 0.058, 95% CI: [ 0.046, 0.277]), Infant Look and Behaviour (β = 0.117, SE = 0.049, 95% CI: [0.024, 0.215]) and Parental Role Alterations ( β  = 0.132, SE = 0.050, 95% CI: [0.044, 0.241]) on IBS symptoms. Conclusions Our study demonstrated for the first time that parents of NICU infants experience IBS symptoms during hospitalization and distinguished the somatic experience among mothers and fathers during their infant NICU stay. Parental experience of NICU hospitalization deserve to be studied as a potential stressful life event implying both psychological and somatic distress. Integrating tailored stress-reduction interventions sensitive to gender differences into Family Centered-Care practices is essential to reduce parental distress and support parental involvement during NICU hospitalization.

Background Currently, information on factors associated with anxiety in family caregivers of children with chronic diseases is unavailable, indicating a significant gap in the literature. Therefore, this study aims to identify the psychosocial and sociodemographic variables associated with anxiety in family caregivers of children with chronic diseases. Methods In 2018, a nonprobability sample of 446 family caregivers was recruited at the National Institute of Health in Mexico City. The participants completed a sociodemographic variable questionnaire, clinical questions, and 18 psychosocial assessment scales, including a scale to assess family caregiver anxiety. Results Family caregiver anxiety was correlated with almost all psychosocial variables and one out of three clinical variables but with none of the sociodemographic variables. Furthermore, a multiple linear regression model with five psychosocial variables was established to predict family caregiver anxiety. Conclusions Some psychosocial variables have effects on caregiver anxiety that are relevant for interventions. Clinical interventions should be implemented based on the psychosocial variables associated with family caregiver anxiety.

This is a retrospective case series of pediatric patients referred to the psychogenic nonepileptic events clinic (PNEE) who had comorbid diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or intellectual disability (ID). We describe 15 patients, nine with ASD and six with ID who had a telephone visit follow-up at 12 months. There were higher rates of male gender (40%) and comorbid epilepsy (53%) compared to the larger PNEE cohort. Eleven patients were available for follow-up and ten patients had improvement in events or were event-free. We report that patients with ASD or ID can develop PNEE and experience improvement from events.

Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and feeding and eating disorders (FEDs) such as anorexia nervosa (AN) are strongly linked as evidenced by frequent comorbidity and overlapping traits. However, eating and social behaviors are shaped by culture, so it is critical to examine these associations in different populations. Moreover, FEDs are heterogeneous, and there has been no examination of autistic traits in avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). Methods Therefore, we investigated the prevalence of ASD and autistic traits among Japanese children with AN ( n  = 92) or ARFID ( n  = 32) from a prospective multicenter cohort study using the Autism Spectrum Quotient Children’s version (AQC) and Children’s Eating Attitudes Test (ChEAT26). Results ASD prevalence was high in both AN and ARFID (16.3 and 12.5%, respectively). The AN group exhibited significantly higher scores on all AQC subscales than an age-matched healthy control (HC) group, but there were no significant correlations between AQC scores and ChEAT26 scores. In the AFRID group, AQC scores did not differ from HCs, but significant correlations were found between total AQC and ChEAT26 scores and between several AQC and ChEAT26 subscales. Conclusions Both the AN and ARFID groups had high prevalence rates of ASD. The AN group showed a significantly higher degree of autistic traits than the HC group; however, no difference was found between the ARFID and HC groups. Clinicians need to be aware of these rates when working with children with ED.

The present study addressed the different contributors to social anxiety in children with Selective Mutism (SM), with and without co-occurring Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (SM + ASD). Seventy-five parents completed an online composite questionnaire consisting of the symptoms of SM and ASD, anxiety and sensory measures. The results found the SM + ASD group showed significantly higher levels of social anxiety and sensory avoidance compared to the SM only group. However, a simple mediation model revealed sensory avoidance to be a mediator of this relationship between the diagnosis and social anxiety.. Therefore, higher levels of sensory avoidance may help to differentiate social anxiety between the groups and may also be a sign of ASD in children with SM who have and/or are yet to receive an ASD diagnosis.

Background Orthostatic intolerance (OI), which is common in children and adolescents, negatively impacts their quality of life (QOL) due to physical symptoms that limit work, school, and daily activities. The purpose of this study is to explore the association of physical and psychosocial factors with QOL scores in children and adolescents with OI. Methods A cross sectional observational study was conducted. The study participants included 95 Japanese pediatric patients of age 9–15 years who were diagnosed with OI from April 2010 to March 2020. The QOL scores and the QOL T-scores of children with OI assessed using the KINDL-R questionnaire at the initial visit were compared with conventional normative data. The associations of physical and psychosocial factors with the QOL T-scores were examined using multiple linear regression. Results Pediatric patients with OI had significantly lower QOL scores than healthy children in both elementary (50.7 ± 13.5 vs. 67.9 ± 13.4, p  < 0.001) and junior high schools (51.8 ± 14.6 vs. 61.3 ± 12.6, p  < 0.001). This finding was observed in the physical, mental, self-esteem, friends, and school domains. Total QOL scores were significantly associated with school nonattendance (β =  − 3.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] =  − 5.8 to − 0.5, p  = 0.022) and poor relationship with school (β =  − 5.0, 95% CI =  − 9.8 to − 0.4, p  = 0.035). Conclusions These results suggest that the assessment of QOL, including both physical and psychosocial aspects, especially school factors, needs to be implemented earlier in children and adolescents with OI.

Background Black children and youth in Canada experience significant health inequity due to systemic racism, socioeconomic inequities, and inadequate access to culturally responsive healthcare services, affecting their overall well-being. This scoping review mapped and synthesised empirical evidence on the health of Black children and youth in Canada to inform policy and practice. Methods The review followed Arksey and O’Malley’s scoping review framework and adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Seven databases (Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, APA PsycINFO, Web of Science, Scopus, Academic Search Complete, and SocINDEX) were searched for empirical studies published in peer-reviewed journals. Studies were included if they focused on Black children and youth (0–30 years) residing in Canada and their findings were synthesised thematically. Results A total of 56 health-related studies were included. The included studies were conducted across all the Canadian provinces and territories between 1993 and 2024, with 87.5% based in a single province and 48.2% published between 2021 and 2024. Quantitative studies accounted for 55.4% of the total. The health conditions identified included sickle cell disease, preterm birth, HIV, pediatric lupus, and mental health disorders such as depression, PTSD, and psychosomatic symptoms (reported in up to 81.7% of participants in one study). Racism was a prominent social determinant contributing to health conditions and barriers to healthcare access. Cultural practices and religiosity protected the Blacks from engaging in risky lifestyles while contributing to the distorted view of some illnesses. Conclusion A high variety of health conditions were identified, with racism being a key determinant of health for Black children and youth in Canada. Culturally responsive, anti-racist health policies, community-led health education, and equitable access to services are critical to improving health outcomes.

Background Psychosomatic complaints have increased among adolescents in recent decades, as have overweight and obesity rates. Both of these trends are regarded as public health concerns. However, the associations between weight status and psychosomatic complaints are not yet clear, necessitating further research. The aim of the present study was to investigate the associations between weight status and psychosomatic complaints in Swedish adolescent boys and girls, as well as to explore the potential buffering effect of family support. Methods The data was obtained from the cross-sectional Swedish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study conducted in 2017/18, which involved 3,135 students aged 11, 13, and 15 years. Weight status was based on self-reported information on weight and height, which allowed for the calculation of body mass index (BMI) and the categorisation of participants into three groups: non-overweight, overweight, and obese. Psychosomatic complaints were assessed based on information regarding the frequency of eight different complaints, which were summed into an index. Family support was measured using three items describing the level of perceived emotional support, and an index was created, which was dichotomised into low and high family support. Gender stratified linear regression models were run to examine the associations between weight status and psychosomatic complaints. Age and family affluence were included as covariates. Interaction terms were included to evaluate whether family support moderated the main association. Results Obesity was associated with higher levels of psychosomatic complaints in both boys and girls when compared to being non-overweight (boys: b = 2.56, 95% CI 0.32, 4.79; girls: b = 3.35, 95% CI 0.77, 5.94), while being overweight did not show any statistically significant associations with the outcome (boys: b = 0.21, 95% CI -0.72, 1.15; girls: b = 0.78, 95% CI -0.42, 1.98). In girls, a statistically significant interaction effect between family support and weight status was observed ( p  = 0.031), indicating that family support buffered against psychosomatic complaints in girls with obesity. No statistically significant interaction was found for boys ( p  = 0.642). Conclusions The findings of this study highlight the importance of public health initiatives aimed at preventing childhood obesity. They also underscore the significant role of family support in reducing psychosomatic complaints among adolescents with obesity. Further research is necessary to gain a deeper understanding of these relationships.