Early life predictors of child development at kindergarten: a structural equation model using a longitudinal cohort.

Introduction: Early child development sets the stage for lifelong health. Identifying early life factors related to child development can help guide programs and policies to bolster child health and wellbeing. The objective of this research was to examine how a broad range of predictors, measured prenatally to the third year of life, are related to child development at kindergarten.

Deterministic colonization arises early during the transition of soil bacteria to the phyllosphere and is shaped by plant-microbe interactions.

Background: Upon seed germination, soil bacteria are activated to transition to the plant and eventually colonize mature tissues like leaves. These bacteria are poised to significantly influence plant health, but we know little about their colonization routes. We studied the mechanisms of the transition of soil bacteria to germinating plants and leaves using an in-planta isolation approach and by experimentally manipulating inoculation times.

Glucosinolate structural diversity shapes recruitment of a metabolic network of leaf-associated bacteria.

Host defenses can have broader ecological roles, but how they shape natural microbiome recruitment is poorly understood. Aliphatic glucosinolates (GLSs) are secondary defense metabolites in Brassicaceae plant leaves. Their genetically defined structure shapes interactions with pests in Arabidopsis thaliana leaves, and here we find that it also shapes bacterial recruitment.

Impact of being taken into out-of-home care: a longitudinal cohort study of First Nations and other child welfare agencies in Manitoba, Canada.

Background: Across Canada, Child Protection Services (CPS) disrupt Indigenous families by apprehending their children at alarmingly high rates. The harms borne by children in out-of-home care (OoHC) have been extensively documented. We examined the impact of OoHC on Manitoba children's health and legal system outcomes to provide rigorous evidence on how discretionary decision-making by CPS agencies can affect these outcomes.

Obtaining deeper insights into microbiome diversity using a simple method to block host and nontargets in amplicon sequencing.

Profiling diverse microbiomes is revolutionizing our understanding of biological mechanisms and ecologically relevant problems, including metaorganism (host + microbiome) assembly, functions and adaptation. Amplicon sequencing of multiple conserved, phylogenetically informative loci has therefore become an instrumental tool for many researchers. Investigations in many systems are hindered, however, since essential sequencing depth can be lost by amplification of nontarget DNA from hosts or overabundant microorganisms.

Characterization of the total and viable bacterial and fungal communities associated with the International Space Station surfaces.

Background: The International Space Station (ISS) is a closed system inhabited by microorganisms originating from life support systems, cargo, and crew that are exposed to unique selective pressures such as microgravity. To date, mandatory microbial monitoring and observational studies of spacecraft and space stations have been conducted by traditional culture methods, although it is known that many microbes cannot be cultured with standard techniques. To fully appreciate the true number and diversity of microbes that survive in the ISS, molecular and culture-based methods were used to assess microbial communities on ISS surfaces.

A Comparison of Variable- and Person-Oriented Approaches in Evaluating a Universal Preventive Intervention.

Evaluations of prevention programs, such as the PAX Good Behavior Game (PAX), often have multiple outcome variables (e.g., emotional, behavioral, and relationship problems).

Microbial succession in an inflated lunar/Mars analog habitat during a 30-day human occupation.

Background: For potential future human missions to the Moon or Mars and sustained presence in the International Space Station, a safe enclosed habitat environment for astronauts is required. Potential microbial contamination of closed habitats presents a risk for crewmembers due to reduced human immune response during long-term confinement. To make future habitat designs safer for crewmembers, lessons learned from characterizing analogous habitats is very critical.

Effectiveness of peer-based healthy living lesson plans on anthropometric measures and physical activity in elementary school students: a cluster randomized trial.

Importance: Schools are considered an attractive setting to promote healthy living behaviors in children, but previous school-based interventions aimed at preventing weight gain in children have yielded mixed results. Novel school-based approaches are needed to modify healthy living behaviors and attenuate weight gain in children.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of a peer-led healthy living program called Healthy Buddies on weight gain and its determinants when disseminated at the provincial level to elementary school students.

The incidence of methylphenidate use by Canadian children: what is the impact of socioeconomic status and urban or rural residence?

Objective: To examine socioeconomic, demographic, and behavioural factors that influence the incidence of methylphenidate use among children aged 4 to 13 years.

Method: A total of 11,316 children, aged 2 through 11 years, from Cycle 1 (1994-95) of the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth were followed up 2 years later in Cycle 2 (1996-97). The outcome measure was methylphenidate use in Cycle 2.

Community resources and determinants of the future health of Manitobans.

Background: Life history studies in health show that some of the key determinants of health inequalities lie in biological and social experiences at the earliest times of life. The objectives of this research were to describe the regional distribution of childhood determinants of adult health, such as school achievement, and the environments which contribute to their development.

Methods: Using Manitoba data from the National Population Health Survey, the National Longitudinal Survey on Children and Youth, the Department of Education, Training and Youth, the Department of Family Services and Housing, the Library Association website and the Agriculture and Food website, the regional distribution of Grade 3 standards test scores and neighbourhood resources such as child care services, libraries, sports participation and food costs were determined for 12 Regional Health Authorities and 12 Winnipeg Community Areas, ranked by a measure of population healthiness, the premature mortality rate.

Health service utilization by Manitoba children.

Objective: To compare physician and hospital utilization rates by children across subregions of Manitoba.

Methods: 1998/99 data for physician visits and hospitalizations for children aged 0 to 19 were extracted from the Population Health Research Data Repository. Rates of utilization were compared across 12 regions (RHAs) within Manitoba, and 12 community areas within Winnipeg.

Childhood injury rates in Manitoba: socioeconomic influences.

Background: Injury is the leading cause of death among Canadian children between 1 and 19 years, and accounts for one sixth of all hospitalizations of children between 0 and 19 years. We examined the causes of injury in Manitoba children, and the relationship between injury rates and region of residence, premature mortality rate (PMR), and income.

Methods: Regional differences in injury death and hospitalization rates, and causes of injury were derived from the Population Health Research Data Repository.

Factors affecting adolescent reproductive health in Manitoba.

Objectives: To report teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STI) rates among Manitoba adolescents, and associated factors including rates of sexual intercourse and contraceptive use.

Methods: Teen pregnancy rates in females aged 15 to 19 for the fiscal years 1994/95 through 1998/99 were derived from the Population Health Research Data Repository and reported by geographical areas and income quintiles. Premature mortality rate (PMR) and the Socioeconomic Factor Index (SEFI) measured the overall health and socioeconomic well-being of regional populations.

Being born in Manitoba: a look at perinatal health issues.

Objective: The Manitoba Centre for Health Policy was commissioned by Manitoba's provincial health department to examine the health of newborns born 1994 through 1998, using three indicators: preterm birth (< 37 weeks gestation), birthweight, and type of infant feeding.

Methods: Data were derived from the Population Health Research Data Repository and the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth 1996. Variation by 12 Regional Health Authorities (RHAs) and by 12 Winnipeg Community Areas (CAs) was examined, as well as associations with the population's health and socioeconomic well-being.

Using a population-based health information system to study child health.

Objective: This paper describes the population-based analyses of measures of child health status used throughout this supplement.

Methods: The articles in this supplement examine health-related data for children 0 to 19 years. Most analyses cover the period from April 1, 1994 to March 31, 1999.