Submit to IJERPH Review for IJERPH Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Accumulating Evidence on Child and Adolescent Health from Cohort Studies

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Children's Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2023) | Viewed by 11858

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Machiko Minatoya

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
Interests: epidemiology; child health; environmental exposure

Dr. Yu Taniguchi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Japan Environment and Children’s Study Programme Office, Health and Environmental Risk Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba 305-0053, Japan
Interests: aging; epidemiological study; trajectory; growth pattern

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Environmental risks have an impact on the health and development of children, from conception through childhood and adolescence and also into adulthood. Children are particularly vulnerable to certain environmental risks, including air pollution; inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene; hazardous chemicals and waste, radiation; climate change; as well as emerging threats such as e-waste. Early childhood exposure to these environmental hazards can also increase lifelong disease risk, including for respiratory disorders, cardiovascular disease, and cancers.

This Special Issue focuses on the current state of knowledge on the links between the aforementioned environmental risks, both traditional and emerging, and child and adolescent health. Environmental risks include chemical, physical, biological, social, and cultural/practice-related exposures. This Special Issue is looking for evidence based on cohort studies of various geographical locations as well as different cultural/racial backgrounds. Manuscripts on the health outcomes of children and adolescents in association with not only simple environmental exposures, but also investigating gene environmental interaction and epigenetics are very welcomed. Additionally, systematic reviews and meta-analyses are welcome to this issue. Other manuscript types, including methodological papers, brief reports, and commentaries, may be accepted.

Dr. Machiko Minatoya
Dr. Yu Taniguchi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

cohort study
child health
adolescent health
longitudinal study
epidemiology
environmental exposure
gene environmental interaction
epigenetics

Published Papers (6 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

18 pages, 860 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Levels of Toxic and Essential Elements and Associated Factors in the Hair of Japanese Young Children

by Emiko Kusanagi, Hitoshi Takamura, Nobuko Hoshi, Shing-Jen Chen and Mayumi Adachi

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(2), 1186; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph20021186 - 09 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1189

Abstract

There is growing concern regarding the effects of toxic element exposure on the development of children. However, little is known about the level of toxic elements exposure in Japanese children. The purpose of this study was to assess the concentrations of multiple elements (aluminum, cadmium, lead, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, sodium, zinc) in the hair of 118 Japanese young children and to explore the factors associated with their element levels. The element concentration was analyzed by ICP-MS, and children’s food and water intake were assessed by the questionnaire. Results showed that there were no large differences between the level of elements in the hair of Japanese children and those of children in other developed countries. Girls had significantly higher levels of aluminum, copper, and iron (p = 0.000, 0.014, and 0.013, respectively), and boys had a higher level of sodium (p = 0.006). The levels of calcium, iron, magnesium, and sodium in nursery school children were significantly higher than those in kindergarten children (p = 0.024, 0.001, 0.046, and 0.029, respectively). Multiple regression analyses with controlling the confounding variables showed significant negative associations of frequency of yogurt intake with aluminum and lead levels (p = 0.015 and 0.037, respectively). When the children were divided into three groups based on the frequency of yoghurt consumption, viz. L (≤once a week), M (2 or 3 times a week), and H (≥4 to 6 times a week) group, the mean aluminum concentration (µg/g) in the L, M, and H groups was 11.06, 10.13, and 6.85, while the mean lead concentration (µg/g) was 1.76, 1.70, and 0.87, respectively. Our results suggested the validity of hair element concentrations as an exposure measure of essential elements and frequent yogurt intake as a viable measure for protecting children from toxic elements. However, these findings will need to be confirmed in more detailed studies with larger sample sizes in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Accumulating Evidence on Child and Adolescent Health from Cohort Studies)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 442 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Educational Expectations on Children’s Cognition and Depression

by Meimei Liu, Tao Zhang, Ning Tang, Feng Zhou and Yong Tian

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(21), 14070; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph192114070 - 28 Oct 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1894

Abstract

Cognitive and psychological conditions in childhood will have an important impact on adult life. There is relatively little literature on the impact of educational expectations on children’s cognition and psychological health from the perspective of urban and rural differences. Based on the cohort data of the CFPS from 2012 and 2016, this study screened a total of 994 children aged 10–15 to study the effects of parents’ educational expectations and children’s educational expectations on children’s cognition and depression. The results show that both parents’ educational expectations and children’s educational expectations have a positive impact on children’s cognition. Parents’ educational expectations and children’s educational expectations have negative effects on children’s depression. When parents’ educational expectations are greater than their children’s educational expectations, educational expectations have a negative impact on children’s cognition and a positive impact on children’s depression. In both urban and rural samples, parents’ educational expectations and children’s educational expectations have a positive impact on children’s cognition and a negative impact on children’s depression. However, the impact of educational expectations on children’s cognition and depression was greater in rural areas than in urban areas. When parents’ educational expectations are greater than their children’s educational expectations, educational expectations in urban areas have no effect on children’s cognition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Accumulating Evidence on Child and Adolescent Health from Cohort Studies)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

8 pages, 329 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Secular Changes in the Age of Menarche of Rural and Urban Girls from an Industrial Region of Poland in Relation to Family Structure

by Jarosław Domaradzki, Teresa Sławińska, Małgorzata Kołodziej and Zofia Ignasiak

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(14), 8692; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph19148692 - 17 Jul 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1051

Abstract

Purpose: The consequence of better living conditions for every subsequent generation is the phenomenon of change in the rate of maturation and body dimensions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the intergenerational changes in the age of menarche of girls living in rural and urban communities in the industrial region of Poland using samples from two different centuries and to determine the relationship between family structure (two-parent and single-parent) and sexual maturation of the girls in both environments. Methods: The study included 3643 rural and urban girls aged 7–16 from southwestern Poland (Copper Basin). The research was cross-sectional in each environment around 2000 and 2010, and it was carried out twice. Two types of family structure were taken into account: two-parent and single-parent families. The median age of menarche and odds ratio (OR) of menarche depending on the place of residence and family structure were calculated. The status quo method was used when assessing the age of menarche. Results: In both groups, the age of menarche significantly decreased during the decade. The median age of menarche in the urban girls was lower compared with their rural peers, but a significant difference was found only during the second examination (a decade after the first examination). There were no significant changes in menarche during the decade regarding family structure (neither in girls from two-parent families nor those from single-parent families), except in rural girls from two-parent families. Comparing the median age of menarche of girls from two-parent families with girls from single-parent families (urban and rural) showed lower median values in the girls from two-parent families, but no differences were significant. Conclusions: The acceleration of the maturation rate over the last decade has been observed among both rural and urban girls. Environmental differences in maturation rates between rural and urban girls increased over the course of the decade, and the difference between the rural and urban girls’ age of menarche was statistically significant in the second examination (around 2010).The living conditions related to family structure did not significantly affect the timing of menarche. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Accumulating Evidence on Child and Adolescent Health from Cohort Studies)

15 pages, 2004 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Photorefraction with Spot Vision Screener versus Visual Acuity Testing as Community-Based Preschool Vision Screening at the Age of 3.5 Years in Japan

by Toshihiko Matsuo, Chie Matsuo, Masami Kayano, Aya Mitsufuji, Chiyori Satou and Hiroaki Matsuoka

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(14), 8655; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph19148655 - 16 Jul 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2148

Abstract

Nationwide in Japan, a community-based vision-screening program in 3.5-year-old children is conducted in three steps: questionnaires and home visual acuity testing as the primary screening; visual acuity testing by nurses and pediatricians’ inspection in community health centers as the secondary screening; and examinations by ophthalmologists as the tertiary screening. In this study, we introduced photorefraction with a Spot vision screener in addition to visual acuity testing to answer the clinical question of whether photorefraction could better detect eye diseases and potentially replace visual acuity testing. Photorefraction was performed on 813 consecutive 3.5-year-old children in a center. The children were sent to tertiary examinations, which were based on the Spot vision screener standard, in addition to the visual acuity testing standard: failure in either eye to pass 0.5 visual acuity in a center. A notice to visit ophthalmologists was issued for 95 children (11%), and documents with the diagnosis were sent back to the Heath Office for 76 children (80%). The rate of children with anisometropic or ametropic amblyopia or accommodative esotropia as treatment-requiring diseases was highest in cases of no pass at both standards (10/15 = 66%), and higher in cases of no pass only at the Spot vision screener standard (13/45 = 28%), compared with cases of no pass only at the visual acuity testing standard (6/33 = 18%, p = 0.0031). Photorefraction, in addition to visual acuity testing and inspection led to additional eye diseases detection at 3.5 years. Visual acuity testing at home would not be omitted in the introduction of photorefraction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Accumulating Evidence on Child and Adolescent Health from Cohort Studies)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 460 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Baseline Complete Blood Count and Chemistry Panel Profile from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS)

by Yu Taniguchi, Shin Yamazaki, Shoji F. Nakayama, Makiko Sekiyama, Takehiro Michikawa, Tomohiko Isobe, Miyuki Iwai-Shimada, Yayoi Kobayashi, Mai Takagi, Michihiro Kamijima and The Japan Environment and Children’s Study Group

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(6), 3277; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph19063277 - 10 Mar 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2221

Abstract

Background: The Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS) is a nationwide birth cohort study of environmental factors affecting children’s health and development. We summarize the complete blood count and chemistry panel statistical data from pregnant women enrolled in JECS. Methods: Statistical data of up to 58,056 mother’s sample in their first (gestational age ≤ 13 weeks) and second trimester (22–27 weeks) were calculated. Results: Mean (SD) values in the first trimester were: white blood cell count, 7866 (1906)/μL; red blood cell count, 417 (33) 10⁴/μL; hemoglobin, 12.4 (1.0) g/dL; hematocrit, 37.1 (2.6)%; mean corpuscular volume, 89.2 (4.7) fL; mean corpuscular hemoglobin, 29.8 (1.9) pg; mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, 33.3 (0.9)%; platelet count, 24.8 (5.2) 10⁴/μL; HbA1c, 5.26 (0.26)%; total cholesterol, 181 (28) mg/dL; low density lipoprotein cholesterol, 95 (23) mg/dL; high density lipoprotein cholesterol, 73 (13) mg/dL; free cholesterol, 41 (7) mg/dL; triglycerides, 109 (47) mg/dL; total protein, 6.9 (0.4) g/dL; and albumin, 4.1 (0.2) g/dL. Mean values (SD) in the second trimester were: total cholesterol, 246 (38) mg/dL; free cholesterol, 61 (9) mg/dL; triglycerides, 183 (70) mg/dL; total protein, 6.5 (0.4) g/dL; and albumin, 3.6 (0.2) g/dL. Conclusions: These data will be useful for future JECS studies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Accumulating Evidence on Child and Adolescent Health from Cohort Studies)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 556 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hypertensive Disorders during Pregnancy and Anthropometric Measurement of Children up to 7 Years of Age: The Hokkaido Birth Cohort Study in Japan

by Kritika Poudel, Sumitaka Kobayashi, Chihiro Miyashita, Takeshi Yamaguchi, Naomi Tamura, Atsuko Ikeda-Araki, Yu Ait Bamai, Sachiko Itoh, Keiko Yamazaki, Hideyuki Masuda, Mariko Itoh and Reiko Kishi

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(20), 10951; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph182010951 - 18 Oct 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2387

Abstract

Hypertensive disorders during pregnancy (HDP) increase the risk of offspring with a low birth weight, preterm birth and small-for-gestational age; however, evidence of the anthropometric measurements during early childhood remains limited. We aimed to understand the associations between maternal HDP and anthropometric measurements of children aged up to seven years in a Japanese cohort. In total, 20,926 mother–infant pairs participated in the Hokkaido Study on Environment and Children’s Health, Japan, from 2002 to 2013. Medical reports were used to confirm HDP exposure, while weight, height, height z score, and weight z score were the outcomes. The prevalence of HDP in the study population was 1.7%. The birth height of male children born to HDP mothers was smaller as compared to those born to non-HDP mothers. When adjusted with covariates, the linear regressions showed significant changes in birth weight (β: −79.3; 95% confidence interval [CI]: −154.8, −3.8), birth height (−0.67; 95% CI: −1.07, −0.26), weight at seven years (1.21; 95% CI: 0.13, 2.29), and weight gain between four and seven years (1.12; 95% CI: 0.28, 1.96) of male children exposed to HDP. Differences were more significant in male children than female. Our study showed that despite low birth weight, male children exposed to HDP caught up with their growth and gained more weight by seven years of age compared with male children not exposed to HDP, whereas no such differences were observed in female children; however, this finding requires replication. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Accumulating Evidence on Child and Adolescent Health from Cohort Studies)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Accumulating Evidence on Child and Adolescent Health from Cohort Studies

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (6 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI