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School Work (school + work)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	50%

Selected Abstracts

Reduced accommodative function in dyskinetic cerebral palsy: a novel management strategy

DEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE & CHILD NEUROLOGY, Issue 10 2000
Linda M Ross MBCh B MRCP MRCPCH
A9-year-old boy with dyskinetic cerebral palsy secondary to neonatal encephalopathy is described. He presented with blurring of near vision which had begun to impact on his school work. Objective assessment of accommodation showed that very little was present, although convergence was almost normal. The near-vision symptoms were completely removed and reading dramatically improved with the provision of varifocal spectacles. Varifocal lenses provide an optimal correction for far, intermediate (i.e. for computer screens), and near distances (i.e. for reading). Managing this type of patient with varifocal spectacles has not been previously reported. It is clearly very important to prescribe an optimal spectacle correction to provide clear vision to optimize learning. [source]

Acne vulgaris in Nigerian adolescents , prevalence, severity, beliefs, perceptions, and practices

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 5 2009
Husain Yahya MSc
Background, Community-based studies of acne vulgaris conducted in many parts of the world show that it is very common in adolescents but little is known from Africa. Methods, In a cross-sectional study, 539 randomly selected students aged 11,19 years in a secondary school in Kaduna, Nigeria were administered a questionnaire to assess self-report of acne, its severity and impact; beliefs and perceptions of causes, and treatments used. 418 students were later examined to detect and grade acne severity. Results, 274 (50.8%) were male while 265 (49.2%) were female. Mean age for respondents was 16 years. 320 students (59.4%) self-reported acne. Of 418 students examined, 379 had acne giving a prevalence of 90.7%. There was no significant gender difference in prevalence at all ages of adolescence. Prevalence of acne increased with age (76.7% at age 10,13 years; 88.2% at age 14,16 years; 97.1% at age 17,19 years). 353 of 379 (93.1%) had mild acne while 26 of 379 (6.9%) had moderate acne. The severity of acne was similar in boys and girls. 47.7% of students reported feeling "very sad/unhappy" about their acne although in more than 70% of those who self-reported, this did not interfere with relationship with family, friends or school work. Diet was the commonest factor believed to cause acne. Cleansing agents were the most commonly used treatments. Conclusions, Acne vulgaris is very common in Nigerian adolescents, although it is mild acne in most. [source]

Gender disparities in mental health service use of Puerto Rican children and adolescents

THE JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY AND ALLIED DISCIPLINES, Issue 8 2006
José J. Cabiya
Background:, Differences in service utilization indicating that boys use more mental health services than girls were analyzed to see if they could be explained by known correlates of service use. These correlates were arranged into individual (severe emotional disturbance, level of impairment and externalizing disorders), family (parental education, psychopathology and parental concern) and school factors (difficulties with school work). The objectives were to understand and identify the factors accounting for gender differences in mental health service utilization in order to develop alternatives to promote equity in service delivery. Methods:, A representative sample of 1,896 children 4 to 17 years of age and their primary caretakers were interviewed for this study. Reports of service use were obtained using the Service Assessment for Children and Adolescents. Logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between gender and service use, adjusting for known correlates. Results:, Our results showed that, except for impairment, other individual, family and school factors did not explain gender differences in service utilization. Males with impairment were 2.87 times more likely to receive services than impaired females (p , .01), and this result continued to hold true for impaired undiagnosed boys compared to impaired diagnoses-free girls (p , .001). Conclusions:, Our findings showed a service disparity between impaired boys and girls who did not meet criteria for a DSM IV diagnosis, but no observed differences in service use between boys and girls who met criteria for severe emotional disturbance (SED). Continued investigations are necessary to analyze, assess and understand the different circumstances that bring boys and girls into treatment, followed by the development of appropriate intervention programs at the school and community levels. [source]

Children who have complex health needs: parents' experiences of their child's education

CHILD: CARE, HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 4 2009
J. Hewitt-Taylor
Abstract Background An increasing number of children have complex and continuing health needs. These children have the same right to a full range of education opportunities as other children. Methods This paper reports on the findings from a small qualitative study of the experiences of parents whose children have complex heath needs, related to their experiences of their child's education. Interviews with parents were used to generate data. Findings Parents encounter a number of challenges to their children achieving equal opportunities in relation to education. The factors which influence their opportunities include: staffing issues, funding issues, the attitudes of individuals and organizations, staff confidence in meeting children's needs, clarity over responsibilities and funding. For parents, what seemed most important is not whether their child accesses mainstream education, but whether the school which they attend assists them to achieve their potential. Children who have complex health needs may have to make a greater effort than their peers to achieve educational goals, and may miss considerable school time. This can impact on their leisure time. Accessing pre-school education can be difficult for children who have complex health needs. Conclusions Inclusion in education should include pre-school provision, and more work in this area would be beneficial. Inclusion in mainstream education is only beneficial if it enables the child to participate fully with their peers. This requires practical and organizational issues to be addressed, services to be well co-ordinated, responsibilities and funding to be clear, and staff to be enabled to be confident in meeting the child's needs. However, it is also vital that individuals and organizations have a positive attitude to children and to inclusion. The additional effort and time which children may have to spend on their school work because of their health needs should also be recognized and supported appropriately. [source]