Background: Adolescent loneliness and poor mental health represent dual public health concerns. Yet, associations between loneliness and mental health, and critically, how these associations vary in school settings are less understood. Aims: Framed by social-ecological theory, we aimed to identify key predictors of adolescent mental health and…

This hermeneutic phenomenological research project involved nonprofit board members' insights into their leadership role in dealing with children with rare illnesses. The organization studied was a charitable 501(3)(C) nonprofit foundation in Indiana and utilized interviews with 13 nonprofit board members to gain information attained from these…

School closures were part of a larger COVID-19 mitigation effort. However, policymakers over-weighted concerns about the virus to the neglect of other aspects of pediatric health, including mental health. This narrative review summarizes findings from 40 studies. School closures appear to have been an ineffective mitigation strategy, yet children…

Children's early experiences have potential to shape their development through early childhood, middle childhood, and into adolescence. Family structure at birth and material hardship may offer insight into how children's health and well-being are shaped within their family of origin. The current paper examined (a) the association between family…

Inclusive education communities and systems are based on how teachers can use their knowledge, skills, and social awareness to meet the increasingly diverse needs of the learners within their classrooms. International research suggests that teachers often feel underprepared to meet the needs of all learners and are largely ill-prepared to know how…

Children, like everyone, have been affected in multiple ways by the changes the pandemic has caused. This study aims to explore how 4-6-year-olds (N = 50) express through drawings and narrations their meanings and feelings around coronavirus. From a rights-based approach and in particular, children's rights to access information, to express their…

COVID-19 pandemic has caused young children to be isolated from their neighborhood only interacting with people living under the same roof as them, to avoid spreading the virus. Limited social interaction might have affected young children's social and emotional development. This study aimed to explore the socio-emotional struggles of young…

Few fat kids enjoy physical education in school. Uniforms that do not fit, activities that have not been modified for fat bodies, taunting from peers and anti-fat bias from teachers, all of these result in a hostile environment that removes the joy associated with movement and exercise for fat kids. This is further reinforced as they are taught…

This dissertation in practice sought to understand the major contributors to suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in preadolescent children as described by health professionals in Washington state. Interview participants, made up of mental health therapists in private and public practice, emergency room personnel, school psychiatrists, and…

We examined the effects of insurance type on health service utilization among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) following autism insurance reform by analyzing the most recent data from the 2019 National Survey of Children's Health. Families with private insurance were less likely to report that their health insurance covered needed…

Background: Outdoor education may positively impact the educational, physical, and emotional development of youth, but studies are sparse among urban children. Purpose: To investigate 1) physical activity (PA) levels in outdoor versus indoor education environments, 2) science learning gains during outdoor education, and 3) programmatic…

Early school leaving (ESL) is considered a significant societal issue globally due to the negative effect on young people's health, affect, and quality of life. Continued absenteeism is a risk factor for ESL. This study aimed to explore Irish children's health and wellbeing experiences during school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These…

The purpose of this narrative review was to synthesize the existing literature on the impact of sleep on daytime functioning in both typically developing (TD) children and children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Correlational studies in children suggest that insufficient sleep and impaired daytime functioning are…

This reflection on practice provides a foundation for understanding the impact of Hurricane Harvey on teachers and children across the Texas Gulf Coast. It also documents the emergence of a professional development initiative born when early childhood teacher educators in the community outreach arm of a major university sought to provide immediate…

Background: Youth in the United States have low levels of cardiorespiratory fitness, a risk factor for childhood obesity. Lower levels of physical fitness for black and Hispanic youth contribute to health disparities. In this feasibility study, we examined active video games (AVGs) as a tool to improve fitness and attitudes toward physical…