Linking Student Absenteeism on Different Weekdays to Student Achievement

The purpose of this study was to compare the incidences of macular irregularities of elementary school (ES) and junior high school (JHS) students. This was a prospective cross-sectional observational study of 122 right eyes of 122 ES students (8–9 years) and 173 right eyes of 173 JHS students (12–13 years). Vertical cross-sectional images of the macula were obtained by optical coherence tomography. The eyes were classified based on the vertical symmetry of the posterior pole, and then sub-classified as convex-, flat-, concave-, or dome-shaped based on the direction of the curvature of the retinal pigment epithelium. One hundred and two eyes (83.6%) were placed in the symmetrical group in the ES students and 149 eyes (86.1%) in the JHS students. Twenty eyes (16.4%) were placed in the asymmetric groups in the ES students and 24 eyes (13.9%) in the JHS students. In symmetrical group, 78 and 118 eyes had a convex-shape (76.4 and 79.2%), followed by 22 and 29 eyes of dome-shaped group (21.6 and 19.4%) in ES and JHS students respectively. Because the incidences of the posterior pole shapes were not significantly different between the groups, it is likely that the macular irregularities develop before the age of ES.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a group music therapy intervention for elementary and middle school students with mood disorders through music therapy. To explore the improvement of group music therapy on the dysphoria and state of adolescent patients with mood disorders and to explore the relationship with self-identity. A music activity-based mental health education curriculum was designed based on the results of the current survey, while two homogenous classes were selected as the experimental and control classes; subsequently, the experimental teaching of the music activity-based mental health education curriculum was conducted in the experimental class, and the regular school mental health education curriculum was conducted in the control class, and the pre- and postexperimental scale tests were used to analyze that the curriculum of this study had a positive effect of this study's curriculum on elementary school students' positive emotions analyzed through pre- and postexperimental scale tests. The music activity-based mental health education program had a significant positive effect on the overall level of positive emotions of elementary school students, especially in the positive emotion index, happiness index, mental toughness, goal focus, and interpersonal assistance factor. The positive psychology-oriented music activity-based mental health education curriculum is well suited for elementary and middle school students, especially for upper elementary and middle school students. The music activity-based mental health education curriculum realizes the value of applying positive psychology to mental health education efforts at the elementary school level and flexibly uses a variety of related theories to promote positive emotional experiences for elementary and middle school students.

The trajectories of the supratemporal and infratemporal retinal arteries are associated with the position of the nerve fiber layer defects of glaucomatous eyes. However, no reports have thus far been published on changes in the retinal artery trajectory (RA trajectory) along with growth. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in the RA trajectories of elementary and junior high school students and the associations with axial length (AL). Prospective cross-sectional observational study. In total, 122 right eyes of healthy elementary school students (61 boys, 61 girls) and 170 right eyes of healthy junior high school students (83 boys, 87 girls) were studied. The AL was measured and color fundus photographs were taken, and used for the analysis. The RA trajectory was plotted in the color fundus photographs and fitted to a second-degree polynomial equation, [Formula: see text], using ImageJ. The coefficient "a" represented the steepness of the trajectories. The differences in the RA trajectories and ALs of elementary and junior high school students were determined using the Mann-Whitney test. The association between the RA trajectory and AL was determined using the Spearman rank correlation. The AL and the RA trajectory of the junior high school students were significantly greater than those of the elementary school students (P < 0.001). The RA trajectory was significantly associated with the AL in both elementary (r = 0.26, P = 0.005) and junior high (r = 0.32, P < 0.001) school students. Junior high school students have a longer AL and narrower RA trajectory than do elementary school students. A longer AL is associated with a narrower RA trajectory in both elementary and junior high school students.

Objective: The goals of this project were to (1) provide demographically adjusted normative data for three performance-based tests of everyday cognition: The Everyday Problems Test, Observed Tasks of Daily Living-Revised, and Timed Instrumental Activities of Daily Living and (2) examine the relationships between test performance and traditional cognitive test scores and relevant self-report measures. Method: A sample of 2,767 Black (n = 726) and White (n = 2,041) older adults (aged 65–94) in the ACTIVE baseline sample were included in this study. Normed scores adjusting for age, education, gender, and race were created using multivariable fractional polynomial regressions. Adjusted scores were unrelated to age, education, gender, and race. A Poisson regression was performed to predict participants’ number of demographically adjusted low (<16th percentile) test scores. Results: Higher intellectual self-efficacy (coef = −0.20), immediate memory (-0.21), reasoning (-0.25), recognition vocabulary (-0.04), and digit-symbol substitution (-0.01) significantly predicted fewer low test scores while higher physical health related QOL (0.21) and daily activity limitations (0.10) significantly predicted more low test scores (p < .01). Conclusions: Generally, persons with more widespread impairment on the tests evinced more cognitive, emotional, and functional problems. The three demographically adjusted scores fit excellently on a single factor, which uniquely accounted for 19%-36% of variance in the three test scores, in excess of what was already explained by the covariates, indicating the presence of reliable shared variance among the three tests that was not attributable to demographics nor any of the other covariates.

Abstract: This study assessed whether characteristics of individuals that are predictors of youth problem behavior such as substance use, delinquency, and violence also predict academic achievement. Longitudinal data from 576 students participating in the Raising Healthy Children (RHC) project were analyzed. The RHC project is a study of students recruited from a suburban Pacific Northwest school district. Tenth-grade academic achievement was measured by scores on a standardized test administered to students in Washington State (as part of compliance with the No Child Left Behind Act) and by student self-report of grades. Measures of social and behavioral characteristics at seventh grade were based on data from student, parent, and teacher surveys. Researchers assessed overall correlations between 7th-grade predictors and 10th-grade academic achievement as well as partial correlations adjusted for demographic characteristics and scores on an earlier achievement test, the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills, in 4th grade. Results indicated that higher levels of school bonding and better social, emotional, and decision-making skills were related to higher test scores and higher grades. Lower test scores and lower grades were predicted by elevated levels of attention problems, negative behavior of peers, and disruptive and aggressive behavior. Lower test scores also were predicted by early use of alcohol and cigarettes. These findings support the premise that school-based social development interventions that address specific risk factors, curb early manifestations of antisocial behavior, and promote school bonding and social and emotional skills are likely to improve student academic achievement. (J Sch Health. 2005;75(9):342–349)

BackgroundThe impact of low-to-moderate levels of alcohol consumption during pregnancy on child cognitive outcomes has been of recent concern. This study has tested the hypothesis that low-to-moderate maternal alcohol use in pregnancy is associated with lower school test scores at age 11 in the offspring via intrauterine mechanisms.MethodsWe used data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), a birth cohort study based in the South West of England. Analyses were conducted on 7062 participants who had complete data on: maternal and paternal patterns of alcohol use in the first trimester and at 18 weeks' gestation, child's academic outcomes measured at age 11, gender, maternal age, parity, marital status, ethnicity, household crowding, home ownership status and parental education. We contrasted the association of mother's alcohol consumption during pregnancy with child's National Curriculum Key Stage 2 (KS2) test scores with the association for father's alcohol consumption (during the time the mother was pregnant) with child's National Curriculum Key Stage 2 (KS2) test scores. We used multivariate linear regression to estimate mean differences and 95% confidence intervals [CI] in KS2 scores across the exposure categories and computed f statistics to compare maternal and paternal associations.Findings and conclusionsDrinking up to 1 unit of alcohol a day during pregnancy was not associated with lower test scores. However, frequent prenatal consumption of 4 units (equivalent to 32 grams of alcohol) on each single drinking occasion was associated with reduced educational attainment [Mean change in offspring KS2 score was −0.68 (−1.03, −0.33) for maternal alcohol categories compared to 0.27 (0.07, 0.46) for paternal alcohol categories]. Frequent consumption of 4 units of alcohol during pregnancy may adversely affect childhood academic outcomes via intrauterine mechanisms.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to investigate the differences of sodium intake in the diet according to the kind of meal, food group, and dish group. Methods: A dietary survey was conducted using the 24-hour recall method from April to May, 2009. The study subjects consisted of 701 elementary and 1,184 middle school students in the Jeju area. Mean sodium intake and the percentage contribution of meals and each dish and food group to daily sodium intake were calculated. Results: The daily sodium intake was 2,868.4 mg and 3,032.5 mg in elementary and middle school students. For elementary school students, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack provided approximately 18.0%, 35.1%, 32.8%, and 14.1% of total daily sodium intake, and for middle school students, 15.3%, 40.2%, 29.1%, and 15.5%, respectively. Major food groups for sodium intake were spices (1,252.5 mg in elementary, 1158.0 mg in middle school students), vegetables and their products (409.0 mg, 495.6 mg), cereal and grain products (322.4 mg, 647.8 mg), and fish and shellfish (255.3 mg, 336.6 mg). Except cereal and grain products, sodium intake of the food groups mentioned above was greater at lunch and dinner than at breakfast and snack. And, the elementary and middle school students obtained 5.9% and 9.8% of total daily sodium intake from cereal and grain products at snack. Among the 29 dish groups, the highest dish groups contributing to dietary sodium intake were soup and stew and tang/jeongol, consuming 19.8% (elementary school students) and 25.4% (middle school students) of daily sodium intake. The following major dish groups contributing to dietary sodium intake, in order, were kimchi, seasoned vegetables, grilled dish, stir-fried dish, and a` la carte. By meals, the percentage of sodium intake from soup, kimchi, stew, fried dish, and stir-fried dish at school lunch was high, from noodles, grilled dish, and a` la carte at dinner, and from bakery/snacks and noodles at snack. Conclusion: Sodium intake from the various side dishes at school lunch was high and noodles and bakery/snacks were popular snack foods in elementary and middle school students in Jeju area. In order to lower the intake of sodium, students need to be educated about eating less soup and choosing better snacks.

최근 환경, 건강, 배려의 지속가능한 식생활로 교육 패러다임 전환이 이루어지고 있는 가운데 학생 스스로 자신의 식생활역량을 진단하고 지속가능한 식생활을 실천할 수 있도록 교육할 필요가 있으나, 아직 지속가능한 식생활역량을 검사할 수 있는 진단도구는 부재한 실정이다. 이에 본 연구에서는 선행연구 분석, 전문가 자문, 예비조사를 거쳐 유아&#65381;초등학교 저학년생, 초등학교 고학년생 그리고 청소년 대상의 지속가능한 식생활역량 진단도구를 개발하였고, 현장 적용을 통해 대상별 식생활역량 실태를 파악하였다. 주요 연구 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, ‘지속가능한 식생활역량 진단도구’ 3종을 개발하였다. 이 진단도구는 2018년도에 개발된 ‘지속가능한 식생활교육 내용 체계’에 근거하여 환경, 건강, 배려 영역별로 진단항목을 설정하였으며, 유아&#65381;초등 저학년용 10개 문항, 초등 고학년용 15개 문항, 청소년용 20개 문항으로 구성하였다. 둘째, 개발된 진단도구의 현장 적용 결과에 따라 유형별 분류기준을 개발하였다. 영역별 점수를 기준으로, 환경, 건강, 배려의 영역별로 75% 이상 점수를 획득하였을 경우 각각 ‘환경친화형’, ‘건강한 식생활형’, ‘배려형’으로 분류하였다. 총점 기준으로는 ‘지속가능한 식생활 우수 실천형’, ‘지속가능한 식생활 실천형’, ‘식생활 개선형’의 3단계로 분류하였다. 셋째, 개발된 진단도구를 서울 지역 초, 중, 고등학생 1,255명을 대상으로 시범 적용 평가 결과, 전반적으로 청소년 집단이 초등학생 집단보다 지속가능한 식생활역량이 낮은 것으로 나타났으며, 학교급이 올라갈수록 ‘지속가능한 식생활 우수 실천형’이 줄어드는 것을 확인할 수 있었다. 본 연구에서 개발된 지속가능한 식생활역량 진단도구는 지속가능한 식생활교육 플랫폼인 ‘식생활교실’에 탑재되어 초등학생과 청소년들이 온라인상에서 스스로 지속가능한 식생활역량을 진단하고 지속가능한 식생활을 실천하는 데 유용하게 활용될 수 있을 것이다.Along with the paradigm shift toward sustainable food education focusing on environment, health and consideration, it is necessary to educate students to diagnose their food competency and practice sustainable diet. However, there are no evaluation tools developed so far. Therefore, three kinds of Sustainable Food Competency Evaluation Tool (SFCET) were developed for lower elementary students, upper elementary students as well as for adolescents in this study by the analysis of previous studies, advices from experts in food education, and preliminary test for these student groups. The main results of this study were as follows: First, three kinds of SFCET were developed based on the sustainable food education content system suggested by Kim et al.(2018). SFCETs for lower elementary students, upper elementary students and adolescents consist of 10, 15, 20 questions, respectively, including the areas of environment, health and consideration. Second, classification criteria for each group were developed according to the results of pilot application of the developed evaluation tools. The evaluation criteria by area were classified as ‘eco-friendly type’, ‘healthy diet type’ and ‘considerate type’, respectively, if the scores of 75% or more were achieved in each area of environment, health and consideration. The total score was divided into three stages: ‘excellent practice of sustainable diet type’, ‘sustainable diet practice type’ and ‘dietary improvement type’. Third, when the developed evaluation tools were applied to 1,255 elementary, middle and high school students in Seoul, the results showed that the overall adolescent group showed a lower sustainable food competency than the elementary student groups, and the higher the school level, the lower the ratio of ‘excellent practice of sustainable diet type’. The SFCETs developed in this study were uploaded on the sustainable food education platform ‘Food Classroom’ and could be utilized to help elementary school students and adolescents evaluate their own sustainable food competency and practice sustainable diets in their lives.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of parenting attitudes on peer relationship quality of elementary and middle school students through the mediation of social mindset and social achievement goals. This study utilized questionnaire data from 1,010 students from the 5th grade of elementary school to the 3rd grade of middle school at 2 elementary schools and 2 middle schools in D City. SPSS 23.0 was used to conduct preliminary analysis, and Amos 21.0 was used to conduct two-stage structural equation model analysis to test the hypothesized model. As a result of the study, first, the positive parenting attitudes positively predicted elementary and middle school children's social growth mindset, social achievement goals, and peer relationship quality. Second, elementary and middle school children's social growth mindset and social achievement goals significantly predicted their peer relationship quality, and social growth mindset also had a positive effect on social achievement goals. Third, social growth mindset and social achievement goals each mediated the relationship between elementary and middle school students' perceived parenting style and peer relationship quality, and also had a sequential dual mediation effect. By confirming that positive parenting attitudes directly influence children's social beliefs, motivation, and peer relationship quality this study provides an opportunity to inform parents about the need to foster positive parenting attitudes. In addition, the identification of psychosocial variables (social mindset, social achievement goals) that predict children's social relationships and their causal relationships with parenting attitudes may expand parents' understanding of children's psychology and provide a theoretical basis for program interventions to help elementary and middle school students.

The current real condition in Indonesia, reading has not become a daily culture of society, especially for the students. For the students, reading is not something fun to be done even on the contrary it becomes something boring and saturating. This study aimed at examining the effect of the Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRC) learning model assisted by a fairytale toward students' reading skills. This study was a quasi-experimental study designed in a non-equivalent post-test only control group. The population of this study was 98 students. The sample of this study was the fifth grade of Kaliuntu 3 Elementary School, with 23 students and the fifth grade of Kaliuntu 2 Elementary School with 18 students, determined by random sampling technique. Reading skill test in the form of an objective test of 25 questions was used as the instrument. The obtained data were analyzed using inferential statistical analysis (t-test). Based on the results of the t-test calculation, tcount was greater than ttable (tcount 4.31&gt; ttable 2.042) so H0 was rejected and Ha was accepted. It means that there are significant differences in reading skills between the groups of students who are taught using Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRC) learning models assisted by fairy tales and the groups of students who were taught using conventional learning. Based on the average value it was known that the average value of the experimental group was greater than the control group. Thus, it can be concluded that the fairytale assisted Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRC) learning model has a positive effect on students' reading skills in elementary school students. This finding will have implications that is, to improve students' reading skills at the elementary school can be done by using a CIRC learning model assisted by fairy tales assisted by fairy tales.

Discipline and learning motivation of students are factors that can affect student learning outcomes at school. Based on the results of observations, it shows that the discipline and learning motivation of fifth-grade students is not optimal and still need to be improved. This study aims to analyze the effect of discipline and learning motivation on the learning outcomes of high school students in elementary schools. The method used is a quantitative method with a correlational design. The population in this study were high school students in elementary school with a sample of 30 students. The data collection technique was carried out using a questionnaire based on the results of the discipline instrument and learning motivation with a Likert scale score of 1 to 4, while the data in the form of learning outcomes were obtained from their respective teachers in the form of PTS scores for the second semester. In this study, the data analysis technique used was the normality test and hypothesis testing with Microsoft Excel 2019. The results showed that there was an influence of learning discipline on the learning outcomes of high-class students. Then there is the influence of learning motivation on the learning outcomes of high-grade students in elementary school. There is an influence of discipline and learning motivation in the learning outcomes of high-grade students in elementary schools.

Online learning is mandatory to be conducted at all educational levels to minimize the spread of COVID-19. To support the online learning activities, many online platforms are being used, one of them is Google Classroom that was suggested by the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture. However, the sudden changes from offline to online learning made students, especially elementary school students, have difficulties in using the platform. The aim of this study was to evaluate the suitability of Google Classroom for elementary school students. The think-aloud method and system usability scale (SUS) were used for the evaluation. Two groups of elementary school and college students were recruited in this study. The results showed that Google Classroom's SUS score was only 63.32, which is below average. Whereas, the SUS score in college students was 76.56. These findings indicate that Google Classroom is suitable for college students, but not for elementary school students.

AimThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic has had a significant psychological impact on children and adolescents, increasing depression, anxiety, and suicide‐related behaviors. In Japan, suicide remained the leading cause of death among individuals aged 10–19 years, with rates rising after the pandemic onset. However, few studies have examined these changes in psychiatric outpatient settings. We aimed to determine whether the prevalence of suicide‐related behaviors and associated psychiatric symptoms—depression and anxiety—differed pre‐ and post‐pandemic among elementary and junior high school students attending psychiatric outpatient clinics.MethodsIn this retrospective case–control study, we analyzed registry data from a child and adolescent psychiatric outpatient clinic in Japan. Patients were classified into pre‐ and post‐COVID‐19 groups based on the visit date (cutoff: March 2, 2020). Clinical characteristics were assessed at the initial visit through interviews and standardized rating scales: Depression Self‐Rating Scale for Children, Spence Children's Anxiety Scale, and Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Rating Scale‐IV. Group differences were examined using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.ResultsBetween 2016 and 2022, 2878 patients were included. The prevalence of suicide‐related behaviors increased post‐pandemic, from 3.0% to 6.9% among elementary school students and from 15.5% to 21.2% among junior high school students. In the post‐COVID‐19 group, elementary students more often exhibited antisocial behaviors and hyperactivity/conduct disorder diagnoses. Junior high students more often exhibited anxiety symptoms, particularly social anxiety, panic, and trauma‐related fear.ConclusionSuicide‐related behaviors significantly increased after the COVID‐19 pandemic, with distinct clinical characteristics observed across age groups.

Background: Carotid artery atherosclerosis is a major risk factor for stroke and subsequent cognitive impairment. Prospective population studies have shown associations between carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and stenosis and cognitive decline and dementia in elderly stroke-free persons, whereas results in the middle-aged are conflicting. Methods: In this prospective population-based study, 4,371 stroke-free middle-aged participants underwent carotid ultrasound examination and assessment of vascular risk factors at baseline and were tested for cognitive function 7 years later. Associations between IMT, number of plaques and total plaque area and cognitive test scores on verbal memory test, digit symbol-coding test and tapping test were assessed in linear regression models. Results: In the multivariable analyses adjusted for sex, age, education, depression and vascular risk factors, the presence of plaques was significantly associated with lower test scores on the verbal memory test (p = 0.01) and on the digit symbol-coding test (p = 0.03). The number of plaques (p = 0.01) and the total plaque area (p = 0.02) were associated with lower scores on the verbal memory test. No significant association was seen between common carotid artery IMT and cognitive test scores. The tapping test was not associated with the carotid ultrasound variables. Conclusions: In this middle-aged general population, subclinical carotid atherosclerosis measured as the presence of plaques, number of plaques and total plaque area were independent long-term predictors of lower cognitive test scores.

BackgroundIt is important for children to maintain high self-perceived competence and self-esteem, and there are few measures to evaluate them through elementary to junior high school days in Japan. To evaluate psychometric properties of the Children’s Perceived Competence Scale (CPCS).MethodsData were collected from 697 elementary school and 956 junior high school students. Some of these students completed measures for construct validity, whereas others repeated the CPCS.ResultsThe results demonstrated the three-factor structure of the CPCS: cognitive (nine items), social (eight items) and physical (nine items). Factorial invariance was confirmed between elementary and junior high school students, as well as between boys and girls. Construct validity was excellent. Scores on the cognitive, physical and general self-worth domains declined with increasing age. Boys scored significantly higher than girls on physical and general self-worth domains.ConclusionsThe CPCS is a valid and reliable measure of perceived competence in Japanese children aged 6–15 years. The CPCS may be applied to students from elementary through junior high school days as a measure of self-perceived and psychological state in Japan.