scholarly journals Development of a Mindful-Eating Intervention Program among Third Through Fifth Grade Elementary School Children and Their Parents

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 70-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon Pierson ◽  
Keiko Goto ◽  
Joan Giampaoli ◽  
Alyson Wylie ◽  
Ben Seipel ◽  
...  

The prevalence of obesity among children in the United States is a major health concern and is associated with increased health risks. The goal of this intervention was to develop and pilot test strategies based on mindful eating practices that foster healthy eating behaviors among elementary school children and their families. Mindful eating practice engages all of ones senses and has been shown to decrease impulsive food decisions and increase awareness of hunger and fullness cues. Using Experiential Learning Theory (ELT), class interventions and take-home activities were developed to teach mindful eating strategies to Hispanic and non-Hispanic 3rd through 5th grade elementary school children and their parents. The results of this research will: 1) contribute to the scientific literature regarding the impact of mindful eating practice on children’s eating behavior, 2) provide an alternate strategy for weight loss and management among children, and 3) provide parents and teachers with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote mindful eating among children and families.

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 41-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon Pierson ◽  
Keiko Goto ◽  
Joan Giampaoli ◽  
Shelly Hart ◽  
Alyson Wylie

Background and Purpose: Mindful eating approaches encourage paying purposeful attention on purpose to body sensations, thoughts and emotions related to food and eating. The current study examined the impact of Foodie U, a mindful-eating intervention, among elementary school children and their families. Methods: A total of 178 third- through fifth grade children and their parents in rural northern California participated in Foodie U. The quasi-experimental intervention included two parent workshops, six monthly in-class mindful eating lessons and activities, and mindful eating activities to complete at home. Outcomes included food consumption, mindful-eating practices, emotional eating, and cue-elicited food craving among children. Results: T-tests and linear regression results revealed that students who received the intervention reported significantly less intense craving responses, especially among female and Hispanic students. The impact of the intervention on food craving was significant after controlling for gender and ethnicity. Fruit consumption significantly increased among intervention students. The mindful eating awareness score significantly increased among female intervention students. Conclusions: Foodie U had a positive impact on some food-related behaviors among elementary school-aged students. Further research is needed to examine the effectiveness of each element of the intervention.


Author(s):  
Catherine Malboeuf-Hurtubise ◽  
Terra Léger-Goodes ◽  
Geneviève A. Mageau ◽  
Geneviève Taylor ◽  
Catherine M. Herba ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Emerging literature on the current COVID-19 crisis suggests that children may experience increased anxiety and depression as a result of the pandemic. To prevent such school and mental health-related problems, there is a timely need to develop preventive strategies and interventions to address potential negative impacts of COVID-19 on children’s mental health, especially in school settings. Results from previous child clinical research indicate that art-based therapies, including mindfulness-based art therapy, have shown promise to increase children’s well-being and reduce psychological distress. Objective The goal of the present pilot and feasibility study was to compare the impact of an emotion-based directed drawing intervention and a mandala drawing intervention, on mental health in elementary school children (N = 22), in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Both interventions were group-based and delivered online and remotely. A pilot study using a randomized cluster design was implemented to evaluate and compare both interventions in relation to child anxiety, depression, inattention and hyperactivity symptoms. Results Analyses of covariance revealed a significant effect of the type of drawing intervention on levels of inattention, after controlling for baseline levels. Participants in the emotion-based directed drawing group showed lower inattention scores at post-test, when compared to participants in the mandala group. Post-hoc sensitivity analyses showed significant decreases in pre-to-post scores for levels of hyperactivity for the complete sample. Conclusion Overall, results from this pilot and feasibility study showed that both an emotion-based directed drawing intervention and a mandala drawing intervention may be beneficial to improve mental health in elementary school children, in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic. From a feasibility standpoint, results indicate that the implementation of both interventions online and remotely, through a videoconference platform, is feasible and adequate in school-based settings. Further work incorporating larger sample sizes, longitudinal data and ensuring sufficient statistical power is warranted to evaluate the long-term impact of both interventions on children’s mental health.


Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 183
Author(s):  
Yoko Komada ◽  
Yoshiki Ishibashi ◽  
Shunta Hagiwara ◽  
Mariko Kobori ◽  
Akiyoshi Shimura

Excessive daytime sleepiness is increasingly being recognized as a major global health concern. However, there have been few studies related to sleepiness and its associated factors in elementary school children. In Japan, all schools were closed from February to May 2020 to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreaks. The aim of this study was to identify changes in the subjective sleepiness of pupils during the 1.5-year period and to elucidate factors associated with changes in sleepiness. Questionnaire surveys about pupils’ sleep habits and the Japanese version of the Pediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale (PDSS-J) were conducted longitudinally at one elementary school in June 2019, January 2020, and June 2020. The average ∆PDSS score was 0.94 ± 5.51 (mean ± standard deviation) from June 2019 to January 2020 and −1.65 ± 5.71 (t[498] = 6.13, p < 0.01) from January 2020 to June 2020. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that decreasing social jetlag was associated with decreasing PDSS scores (OR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.62–0.96, p = 0.02) during the school closure. A less restrictive school schedule secondary to a COVID-19-related school closure decreased sleepiness in children and was associated with decreasing social jetlag.


2014 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Miksza ◽  
Brent M. Gault

The primary purpose of this study was to describe the music experiences elementary school children in the United States receive in the academic classroom setting. The data were drawn from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study of the Kindergarten Class of 1998–1999 (ECLS-K), a nationally representative study that followed kindergarteners through to their eighth-grade school year with the last data collection wave in 2006–2007. The variables pertaining to music experiences in the academic classroom that were available in the ECLS-K were (a) the frequency and duration with which children received music instruction, (b) the frequency that music was used to teach math, and (c) the percentage of children receiving formal music instruction outside of school. Each of these variables also was analyzed as a function of child urbanicity, socioeconomic status (SES), and race. Statistically significant ( p < .001) disparities among children based on urbanicity, SES, and race were found on each of the music experience variables. Overall, White suburban students of high levels of SES tended to receive significantly more music experiences than students of color from urban and rural settings and of low SES. The findings support the need to advocate for high-quality music programs for all students and particularly for those from traditionally underserved populations.


2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 435-453 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuhiro Ohtani ◽  
Ryo Okada

This study examines the interaction between gender and classroom social goal structures and the impact they have on children's prosocial behaviors and classroom adjustment. Specifically, classroom social goal structures (consisting of prosocial and compliance goal structure) are the degree to which focal social goals are presented in classrooms. Numerous previous studies have tested the gender differences in social outcomes; however, the results of such past studies have been mixed, as some detected gender differences while others did not. This suggests the existence of moderator variables. Consequently, in this research, we focused on classroom-level moderators in the relationship between gender and social outcomes. We analysed a sample of 3,609 Japanese public elementary school children from 114 classrooms, and we detected the presence of cross-level interactions and found that classroom social goal structures can promote or degrade boys' social outcomes.


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