Aligning with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, amplification of children’s voice in food practice research aims to inform initiatives that cater to children’s needs and thus improve nutritional outcomes. The aim of this study was to describe children’s (aged 6–11 years) involvement across qualitative research investigating their food practice perspectives.

A scoping review was conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Six electronic databases were searched up until March 2023 (Cochrane, CINAHL, Embase, ERIC, Medline and PsychInfo). The Wellcome Framework for young people’s involvement in health research guided data extraction. Data were described according to inclusiveness, geography, food-related study topic, research stage and method, and child involvement.

The search identified 120 peer-reviewed studies (134 papers). Active participation was only seen within research implementation stages (i.e. data collection (n 134), analysis (n 31), dissemination (n 9) and re-design (n 7)). More passive forms of participation were identified in research design stages (i.e. agenda setting, resourcing and design). Studies that utilised participatory research methodologies and developmentally appropriate and engaging methods (e.g. PhotoVoice) saw more active participation by children.

This review identified a lack of opportunities for children’s active participation in all stages of food practice research. Without a radical shift towards providing these opportunities, food and nutrition initiatives, policies or further research that do not meet the needs of children’s food-related worlds will continue to be developed. Instead, researchers and their institutions need to advocate for and, where possible, provide voluntary opportunities for children to actively participate in food practice research.

Sleep problems are common amongst children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The purpose of this study was to investigate sleep problems in children and adolescents attending a specialist ADHD service.

This was a cross-sectional online survey combined with a retrospective chart review, conducted in the ADHD Assessment, Diagnosis, Management, initiation, Research and Education (ADMiRE) service, the first public specialist ADHD service for young people in Ireland. Participants were caregivers of children and adolescents with ADHD attending ADMiRE. Sleep was assessed using The Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) and ADHD symptoms were assessed using an abbreviated version of the Swanson, Nolan and Pelham Teacher and Parent Rating Scale (SNAP-IV). Details regarding patient demographics, co-morbidities and medication were collected from patient records.

Eighty-four percent of young people scored above the clinical cut-off for a sleep disorder. The most frequently reported sleep problems were related to sleep onset and sleep duration, and 64% of respondents met the criteria for two or more sleep problems. ADHD severity was associated with greater sleep problems. Co-morbid physical, neurodevelopmental, and mental health disorders as well as stimulant use were not associated with greater sleep problems.

Sleep problems are very common amongst children and adolescents with ADHD. This study has demonstrated an association between more sleep problems and ADHD severity. These findings highlight the need for both effective ADHD treatment to ensure optional sleep in young people as well as effective interventions for sleep problems to prevent worsening of ADHD symptoms.

The purpose of this study was to clarify whether the support activities of dietitians during disasters were able to address the problems faced by mothers with regard to their children’s diet and nutrition.

Dietitians (7) and mothers (8) were selected by snowball sampling method. Semi-structured interviews were used to conduct focus group interviews about children’s diet and nutrition. Verbatim data were generated and inductively qualitative descriptive analysis was conducted.

Six categories were generated for each group. Dietitians responded to problems that mothers had regarding their children’s diet and nutrition via two activities: [dealing with allergy food shortages] and [school lunch support].

It is important for dietitians to recommend stockpiling allergy-friendly foods to accommodate children with allergies and achieve early resumption of school lunches to meet children’s nutritional needs.

To inform a package of initiatives to increase children’s vegetable intake while in long day care (LDC) by evaluating the independent and combined effects of three initiatives targeting food provision, the mealtime environment and the curriculum.

Using the Multiphase Optimisation Strategy (MOST) framework, a 12-week, eight-condition (n 7 intervention, n 1 control) randomised factorial experiment was conducted. Children’s dietary intake data were measured pre- and post-initiative implementation using the weighed plate waste method (1× meal and 2× between-meal snacks). Vegetable intake (g/d) was calculated from vegetable provision and waste. The optimal combination of initiatives was determined using a linear mixed-effects model comparing between-group vegetable intake at follow-up, while considering initiative fidelity and acceptability.

LDC centres in metropolitan Adelaide, South Australia.

32 centres, 276 staff and 1039 children aged 2–5 years.

There were no statistically significant differences between any of the intervention groups and the control group for vegetable intake (all P > 0·05). The curriculum with mealtime environment group consumed 26·7 g more vegetables/child/day than control (ratio of geometric mean 3·29 (95 % CI 0·96, 11·27), P = 0·06). Completion rates for the curriculum (> 93 %) and mealtime environment (61 %) initiatives were high, and acceptability was good (4/5 would recommend), compared with the food provision initiative (0–50 % completed the menu assessment, 3/5 would recommend).

A programme targeting the curriculum and mealtime environment in LDC may be useful to increase children’s vegetable intake. Determining the effectiveness of this optimised package in a randomised controlled trial is required, as per the evaluation phase of the MOST framework.

To conduct a systematic review of obesity prevention interventions in Latinx children ages birth to 6 years published in any language from 2010–2020.

We used PubMed, ERIC, PsycINFO, Scopus, Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) and Google Scholar databases to conduct a search on May 1 2020, January 1 2021 and November 1 2022. We included randomised controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies and non-randomised interventions with a control or comparison group that reported measures of adiposity.

Interventions taking place in the United States, Latin America or the Caribbean.

Latinx children ages birth to 6 years.

Of 8601 unique records identified, forty manuscripts about thirty-nine unique studies describing thirty distinct interventions in the United States and nine interventions in Latin America and the Caribbean met our inclusion criteria. Interventions were primarily based in early care and education centres (n 13) or combined home settings, for example home and community (n 7). Randomised interventions taking place in community or home settings were more likely to report significant reductions in adiposity or weight-related outcomes compared to other settings. Using the Cochrane risk of bias tools for randomised and non-randomised studies, we judged thirty-eight randomised trials and nine non-randomised interventions to have a high or unclear risk of bias.

The results highlight a need for more rigorous designs and more effective intervention strategies in Latinx children at risk for having overweight and obesity. Registered with the PROSPERO database for systematic reviews under registration number CRD42020161339.

Socially assistive robots (SARs) are a promising tool to manage children’s pain and distress related to medical procedures, but current options lack autonomous adaptability. The aim of this study was to understand children’s and caregivers' perceptions surrounding the use of an artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced SAR to provide personalized procedural support to children during intravenous insertion (IVI) to inform the design of such a system following a user-centric approach.

This study presents a descriptive qualitative needs assessment of children and caregivers. Data were collected via semi-structured individual interviews and focus groups. Participants were recruited from two Canadian pediatric emergency departments (EDs) between April 2021 and January 2022.

Eleven caregivers and 19 children completed 27 individual interviews and one focus group. Three main themes were identified: A. Experience in the clinical setting, B. Acceptance of and concerns surrounding SARs, and C. Features that support child engagement with SARs. Most participants expressed comfort with robot technology, however, concerns were raised about sharing personal information, photographing/videotaping, and the possibility of technical failure. Suggestions for feature enhancements included increasing movement to engage a child’s attention and tailoring language to developmental age. To enhance the overall ED experience, participants also identified a role for the SAR in the waiting room.

Artificial intelligence-enhanced SARs were perceived by children and caregivers as a promising tool for distraction during IVIs and to enhance the overall ED experience. Insights collected will be used to inform the design of an AI-enhanced SAR.

Social media and other technologies are reshaping communication and health.

This review addresses the relationship between social media use, behavioural health conditions and psychological well-being for youth aged <25 years.

A scoping review of 11 literature databases from 2000 to 2020 explored research studies in youth in five areas: clinical depression and anxiety, quantitative use, social media mode, engagement and qualitative dimensions and health and well-being.

Out of 2820 potential literature references, 140 met the inclusion criteria. The foci were clinical depression and anxiety disorders (n = 78), clinical challenges (e.g. suicidal ideation, cyberbullying) (n = 34) and psychological well-being (n = 28). Most studies focused on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Few studies are longitudinal in design (n = 26), had comparison groups (n = 27), were randomised controlled trials (n = 3) or used structured assessments (n = 4). Few focused on different youth and sociodemographic populations, particularly for low-income, equity-seeking and deserving populations. Studies examined association (n = 120; 85.7%), mediating (n = 16; 11.4%) and causal (n = 4; 2.9%) relationships. Prospective, longitudinal studies of depression and anxiety appear to indicate that shorter use (≤3 h/day) and purposeful engagement is associated with better mood and psychological well-being. Depression may predict social media use and reduce perception of support. Findings provide families, teachers and providers ways to engage youth.

Research opportunities include clinical outcomes from functional perspective on a health continuum, diverse youth and sociodemographic populations, methodology, intervention and privacy issues. More longitudinal studies, comparison designs and effectiveness approaches are also needed. Health systems face clinical, training and professional development challenges.

We examined the association between food insecurity and positive childhood experiences (PCE).

Outcome measure was number of PCE and seven PCE constructs. Food insecurity was assessed with a three-category measure that ascertained whether the respondent could afford and choose to eat nutritious food. We then used bivariate and multivariable Poisson and logistic regressions to analyse the relationship between food insecurity and the outcome measures. The analyses were further stratified by age (≤ 5, 6–11 and 12–17 years).

The National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) from 2017 to 2020, a nationally representative sample of children and adolescents in the USA.

Parents/caregivers who reported on their children’s experiences of PCE and food insecurity from the 2017–2020 NSCH (n 114 709).

Descriptively, 22·13 % of respondents reported mild food insecurity, while 3·45 % of respondents reported moderate to severe food insecurity. On multivariable Poisson regression analyses, there was a lower rate of PCE among children who experienced mild (incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 0·93; 95 % CI 0·92, 0·94) or moderate/severe food insecurity (IRR = 0·84; 95 % CI 0·83, 0·86) compared with those who were food secure. We found an inverse relationship between food insecurity and rate of PCE across all age categories.

Our study finding lends evidence to support that interventions, public health programmes, as well as public health policies that reduce food insecurity among children and adolescents may be associated with an increase in PCE. Longitudinal and intervention research are needed to examine the mechanistic relationship between food insecurity and PCE across the life course.