Adverse health effects of recruiting child soldiers.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Abu-Hayyeh R
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6422323 | biostudies-literature | 2019
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Adverse health effects of recruiting child soldiers.
Abu-Hayyeh Reem R Singh Guddi G
BMJ paediatrics open 20190225 1
Similar Datasets
Project description:Analysis of transcript abundance estimates as a function of child soldier status, PTSD symptoms, and psychological resilience.
2016-07-27 | GSE77164 | GEO
Project description:This SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below. Refer to individual Series
2016-06-24 | E-GEOD-83201 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:Analysis of transcript abundance estimates as a function of child soldier status, PTSD symptoms, and psychological resilience. Gene expression profiling was conducted on dried blood spot (DBS) samples collected from community dwelling adolescents and young adults in Nepal. Approximatley half of the sample were former child soldiers in the Nepal People's War and the other half were demographically similiar civilian non-combatants. In addition to basic demographic characteristics (age, sex, ethnic minority status, social caste status, education level), participants were also assessed on syptoms of post-traumatic stress (PTS, assessed by a culturally adapted version of The Child PTSD Symptom Scale; Kohrt BA, et al. (2011) Validation of cross-cultural child mental health and psychosocial research instruments: adapting the Depression Self-Rating Scale and Child PTSD Symptom Scale in Nepal. BMC Psychiatry 11(1):e127, with higher values indicating greater PTSD symptoms) and psychological resilience (assessed by a culturally adapted version of the Resilience Scale; Wagnild GM & Young HM (1993) Development and psychometric evaluation of the Resilience Scale. Journal of Nursing Measurement, with higher values indicating greater resilience). Dichotomous variables were coded 0=no/absent and 1=yes/present. Valid gene expression data are available for 254 samples.
2016-07-27 | E-GEOD-77164 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:This SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
2016-06-24 | GSE83201 | GEO
Project description:Rhode Island Child Health Study
| PRJNA454114 | ENA
Project description:Rhode Island Child Health Study
| PRJNA454113 | ENA
Project description:This article reviews the available quantitative research on psychosocial adjustment and mental health among children (age <18?years) associated with armed forces and armed groups (CAAFAG)--commonly referred to as child soldiers.PRISMA standards for systematic reviews were used to search PubMed, PsycInfo, JSTOR, and Sociological Abstracts in February 2012 for all articles on former child soldiers and CAAFAG. Twenty-one quantitative studies from 10 countries were analyzed for author, year of publication, journal, objectives, design, selection population, setting, instruments, prevalence estimates, and associations with war experiences. Opinion pieces, editorials, and qualitative studies were deemed beyond the scope of this study. Quality of evidence was rated according to the systematic assessment of quality in observational research (SAQOR).According to SAQOR criteria, among the available published studies, eight studies were of high quality, four were of moderate quality, and the remaining nine were of low quality. Common limitations were lack of validated mental health measures, unclear methodology including undefined sampling approaches, and failure to report missing data. Only five studies included a comparison group of youth not involved with armed forces/armed groups, and only five studies assessed mental health at more than one point in time. Across studies, a number of risk and protective factors were associated with postconflict psychosocial adjustment and social reintegration in CAAFAG. Abduction, age of conscription, exposure to violence, gender, and community stigma were associated with increased internalizing and externalizing mental health problems. Family acceptance, social support, and educational/economic opportunities were associated with improved psychosocial adjustment.Research on the social reintegration and psychosocial adjustment of former child soldiers is nascent. A number of gaps in the available literature warrant future study. Recommendations to bolster the evidence base on psychosocial adjustment in former child soldiers and other war-affected youth include more studies comprising longitudinal study designs, and validated cross-cultural instruments for assessing mental health, as well as more integrated community-based approaches to study design and research monitoring.
| S-EPMC4167714 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveTo investigate the associations of war and postconflict factors with mental health among Sierra Leone's former child soldiers as adults.MethodIn 2002, we recruited former child soldiers from lists of soldiers (aged 10-17 years) served by Disarmament, Demobilization, Reintegration centers and from a random door-to-door sample in 5 districts of Sierra Leone. In 2004, self-reintegrated child soldiers were recruited in an additional district. At 2016/2017, 323 of the sample of 491 former child soldiers were reassessed. Subjects reported on war exposures and postconflict stigma, family support, community support, anxiety/depression, and posttraumatic stress symptoms.ResultsOf the subjects, 72% were male, with a mean age of 28 years. In all, 26% reported killing or injuring others; 67% reported being victims of life-threatening violence; 45% of female subjects and 5% of male subjects reported being raped; and 32% reported death of a parent. In 2016/2017 (wave 4), 47% exceeded the threshold for anxiety/depression, and 28% exceeded the likely posttraumatic stress disorder threshold. Latent class growth analysis yielded 3 trajectory groups based on changes in stigma and family/community acceptance; "Improving Social Integration" (n = 77) fared nearly as well as the "Socially Protected" (n = 213). The "Socially Vulnerable" group (n = 33) had increased risk of anxiety/depression above the clinical threshold and possible PTSD, and were around 3 times more likely to attempt suicide.ConclusionFormer child soldiers had elevated rates of mental health problems. Postconflict risk and protective factors related to outcomes long after the end of conflict. Targeted social inclusion and family interventions could benefit the long-term mental health of former child soldiers.
| S-EPMC6908764 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundA considerable part of the worldwide production of surgical instruments takes place in Sialkot, Pakistan. Many children work in hazardous conditions in this industry.ObjectiveWe investigated exposure to metals and possible health effects among children working in surgical instruments manufacturing units compared with schoolchildren from the same city.MethodsIn a cross-sectional study we studied a convenience sample of 104 male children (10-14 years of age) working in surgical instruments manufacturing units and 75 male children of similar age from a school in Sialkot, Pakistan. A respiratory questionnaire was administered, spirometry was performed, and blood pressure was measured. In a spot urine sample, concentrations of metals were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8OHdG, reflecting oxidative DNA damage) by ELISA.ResultsThe working children reported more asthma (10% vs. 0%; p = 0.005) and dry cough at night (36% vs. 20%; p = 0.02) than did the schoolchildren, but there were no significant differences in pulmonary function or blood pressure. The urinary concentration of chromium was 35 times higher in working children [geometric mean, 23.0 µg/L; 25th-75th percentile, 8.38-58.6] than in schoolchildren [0.66 µg/L; 0.38-1.09)], and largely in excess of the occupational Biological Exposure Index for adult workers (25 µg/L). Urinary 8-OHdG concentrations were not significantly higher in working children than in schoolchildren (19.3 vs. 17.6 µg/g creatinine, p = 0.4), but were significantly correlated with urinary nickel (r = 0.41; p < 0.0001) and with a composite index of metal exposure (r = 0.46; p < 0.0001).ConclusionsChildren working in the surgical instruments manufacturing industry had substantial exposure to several metals, especially chromium and nickel, which are established carcinogens. Exposure to nickel was associated with evidence of increased oxidative DNA damage.
| S-EPMC3491927 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The goal of this project was to determine gene expression changes in the liver at different times post treatment with the common freshwater cyanobacterial toxin, cylindrospermopsin (CYN). The liver is generally considered to be the primary target of this toxin and all the data has been derived from livers of exposed animals as well as concurrent controls. Preliminary gene expression effects have been reported (Chernoff et al., 2010) and the current data extend the time course from 1 hour post exposure to 1-day post cessation of a 5-day period dosing period. Gene expression changes were determined in the livers of pregnant mice exposed to toxic levels of cyanobacterial toxin, cylindrospermopsin. Animals were exposed to a dose of CYN that elicited significant hepatic toxicity. This single dose study analyzed liver samples collected at 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 hours post dose. Gene expression changes were analyzed on the Illumina MouserRef-8v2.0 expression beadchip.
2016-06-24 | E-GEOD-83197 | biostudies-arrayexpress