Homeless street children in Nepal: use of allostatic load to assess the burden of childhood adversity - Worthman, C. M.; Panter-Brick, C. (Dev Psychopathol, 2008)
As challenges to child well-being through economic disadvantage, family disruption, and migration or displacement escalate world wide, the need for cross-culturally robust understanding of childhood adversity proportionately increases. Toward this end, developmental risk was assessed in four contrasting groups of 107 Nepali children ages 10-14 years that represent distinctive, common conditions in which contemporary children grow up. Relative cumulative burden (allostatic load) indexed by multiple dimensions of physical and psychosocial stress was ascertained among homeless street boys and three family-based groups, from poor urban squatter settlements, urban middle class, and a remote rural village. Biomarkers of stress and vulnerability to stress included growth status, salivary cortisol, antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus, acute phase inflammatory responses (alpha1-antichymotrypsin), and cardiovascular fitness and reactivity (flex heart rate and pressor response). Individual biomarkers of risk and allostatic load differed markedly among groups, were highest in villagers, and varied by components of allostatic load. Such data suggest a need for critical appraisal of homelessness and migration as a risk factor to youth, given prevailing local conditions such as rural poverty, and represents the only multidimensional study of childhood allostatic load and developmental risk in non-Western settings.
Worthman, Carol M Panter-Brick, Catherine eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2008/01/24 09:00 Dev Psychopathol. 2008 Winter;20(1):233-55. doi: 10.1017/S0954579408000114.
Keywords: *Developing Countries; Adolescent; Allostasis/*physiology; alpha 1-Antichymotrypsin/blood; Antibodies, Viral/blood; Arousal/physiology; Body Height; Body Weight; Child; Heart Rate/physiology; Herpesvirus 4, Human/immunology; Homeless Youth/*psychology; Humans; Hydrocortisone/blood; Life Style; Male; Nepal; Physical Fitness/physiology; Poverty/psychology; Psychosocial Deprivation; Risk Factors; Rural Population; Saliva/chemistry; Urban Population

A bioecocultural approach to supporting adolescent mothers and their young children in conflict-affected contexts - Wuermli, Alice J.; Yoshikawa, Hirokazu; Hastings, Paul D. (Development and Psychopathology, 2021)
Keywords: 2030 Sustainable Development Goals; advocacy and social policy; early childhood development; parenting programs; peacebuilding

Gender-responsive pedagogy in early childhood education: A toolkit for teachers and school leaders - WVOB; FAWE; UNESCO; AfricanUnion (Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE), 2019)
Keywords: Early childhood education; gender-responsive pedagogy

The effects of poverty on the mental, emotional, and behavioral health of children and youth: implications for prevention - Yoshikawa, H.; Aber, J. L.; Beardslee, W. R. (Am Psychol, 2012)
This article considers the implications for prevention science of recent advances in research on family poverty and children's mental, emotional, and behavioral health. First, we describe definitions of poverty and the conceptual and empirical challenges to estimating the causal effects of poverty on children's mental, emotional, and behavioral health. Second, we offer a conceptual framework that incorporates selection processes that affect who becomes poor as well as mechanisms through which poverty appears to influence child and youth mental health. Third, we use this conceptual framework to selectively review the growing literatures on the mechanisms through which family poverty influences the mental, emotional, and behavioral health of children. We illustrate how a better understanding of the mechanisms of effect by which poverty impacts children's mental, emotional, and behavioral health is valuable in designing effective preventive interventions for those in poverty. Fourth, we describe strategies to directly reduce poverty and the implications of these strategies for prevention. This article is one of three in a special section (see also Biglan, Flay, Embry, & Sandler, 2012; Munoz, Beardslee, & Leykin, 2012) representing an elaboration on a theme for prevention science developed by the 2009 report of the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine.
Yoshikawa, Hirokazu Aber, J Lawrence Beardslee, William R eng 2R01 HD042144-07A1/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/ Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. Review 2012/05/16 06:00 Am Psychol. 2012 May-Jun;67(4):272-84. doi: 10.1037/a0028015.
Keywords: *Child Development; *Psychology, Child; Adolescent; Child; Humans; Mental Disorders/*prevention & control; Mental Health/*economics; Poverty/prevention & control/*psychology

Advancing Methods in Research on Asian American Children and Youth - Yoshikawa, H.; Mistry, R.; Wang, Y. (Child Dev, 2016)
Asian American children and youth constitute at the same time an immigrant group, a set of ethnic groups, and a set of cultural groups. Research on these populations can therefore take on one or more of these perspectives. This article provides guidance for research methods in three areas: (a) conceptualizing and assessing migration-related factors, (b) assessing ethnicity and national origin, and (c) using culturally and contextually relevant measures. Methodological recommendations are made for each area, with attention to small-scale studies with community samples as well as large-scale data sets. In addition, this article recommends researchers attend to within-group variations (i.e., intersections of ethnicity, generational status, gender, class, sexuality), the embeddedness of individual development in context, and specificity of developmental periods.
Yoshikawa, Hirokazu Mistry, Rashmita Wang, Yijie eng Review Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2016/07/10 06:00 Child Dev. 2016 Jul;87(4):1033-50. doi: 10.1111/cdev.12576.
Keywords: *Acculturation; *Asian Americans; *Emigrants and Immigrants; *Human Development; Adolescent; Child; Humans; Research/*standards

Welfare dynamics, support services, mothers' earnings, and child cognitive development: implications for contemporary welfare reform - Yoshikawa, H. (Child Dev, 1999)
This prospective longitudinal study, using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY; N = 614), addresses the gap in the research literature regarding the effects of welfare reform on children. Key questions addressed include whether welfare dynamics and support services relevant to welfare reform, both measured across the first 5 years of life, are associated with mothers' earnings in the 6th year and three child cognitive outcomes in the 7th and 8th years: Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT) math and reading scores, and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT). Welfare dynamics are represented by total time on welfare, degree of cycling on and off welfare, and degree to which welfare and work are combined. Support services measured include three forms of child care (relative, babysitter, and center-based), as well as three forms of human capital supports (child support, job training, and education). Controlling for a range of background factors and for different patterns of welfare use across the first 5 years, small positive associations with mother's earnings were found for child support, education, and job training. Small positive associations also were found between child support and both math and reading scores. Finally positive associations of medium effect size were found between center care and both mothers' earnings and child PPVT scores. Although effect sizes are generally small, the results suggest the potential value of welfare reform approaches that emphasize long-term human capital development. Interactions between welfare dynamics and support services suggest subgroup differences. Specifically, positive effects of support services on earnings are strongest among mothers with higher levels of human capital (higher levels of work while on welfare, lower total time on welfare). Babysitter care appears to have negative effects on both reading and math scores of children whose mothers report low levels of work while on welfare. Implications for welfare reform policy are discussed.
Yoshikawa, H eng 96ASPE280A/PHS HHS/ Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. 1999/06/16 00:00 Child Dev. 1999 May-Jun;70(3):779-801.
Keywords: *Achievement; *Child Development; *Public Assistance/standards/trends; *Social Welfare; Chi-Square Distribution; Child; Child Care/standards/statistics & numerical data; Child, Preschool; Developmental Disabilities/epidemiology/etiology; Family Characteristics; Family Health; Female; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Poverty/statistics & numerical data; Prospective Studies; Regression Analysis; Salaries and Fringe Benefits/statistics & numerical data; Social Work/standards/statistics & numerical data; United States/epidemiology; Women, Working/statistics & numerical data

Effects of the Global COVID-19 Pandemic on Early Childhood Development: Short- and Long-Term Risks and Mitigating Program and Policy Actions - Yoshikawa, Hirokazu; Wuermli, Alice J.; Britto, Pia Rebello; Dreyer, Benard; Leckman, James F.; Lye, Stephen J.; Ponguta, Liliana Angelica; Richter, Linda M.; Stein, Alan (The Journal of Pediatrics, 2020)
Keywords: COVID-19; early childhood development; Parenting; policy

Experimental impacts of a teacher professional development program in Chile on preschool classroom quality and child outcomes - Yoshikawa, H.; Leyva, D.; Snow, C. E.; Trevino, E.; Barata, M. C.; Weiland, C.; Gomez, C. J.; Moreno, L.; Rolla, A.; D'Sa, N.; Arbour, M. C. (Dev Psychol, 2015)
We assessed impacts on classroom quality and on 5 child language and behavioral outcomes of a 2-year teacher professional-development program for publicly funded prekindergarten and kindergarten in Chile. This cluster-randomized trial included 64 schools (child N = 1,876). The program incorporated workshops and in-classroom coaching. We found moderate to large positive impacts on observed emotional and instructional support as well as classroom organization in prekindergarten classrooms after 1 year of the program. After 2 years of the program, moderate positive impacts were observed on emotional support and classroom organization. No significant program impacts on child outcomes were detected at posttest (1 marginal effect, an increase in a composite of self-regulation and low problem behaviors, was observed). Professional development for preschool teachers in Chile can improve classroom quality. More intensive curricular approaches are needed for these improvements to translate into effects on children.
Yoshikawa, Hirokazu Leyva, Diana Snow, Catherine E Trevino, Ernesto Barata, M Clara Weiland, Christina Gomez, Celia J Moreno, Lorenzo Rolla, Andrea D'Sa, Nikhit Arbour, Mary Catherine eng Comparative Study Randomized Controlled Trial Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2015/02/24 06:00 Dev Psychol. 2015 Mar;51(3):309-22. doi: 10.1037/a0038785.
Keywords: *Education, Continuing; *Faculty; Adult; Child; Child, Preschool; Chile; Education/standards; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Program Development; Program Evaluation; Quality Improvement; Schools, Nursery/*standards; Teaching/*methods/standards

Long-term effects of early childhood programs on social outcomes and delinquency - Yoshikawa, H. (Future Child, 1995)
The search for ways to prevent juvenile crime in the United States has become a matter of national urgency, as the incidence of serious offenses continues to rise. Most prevention initiatives focus on late childhood or adolescence. Such initiatives may be missing an important additional opportunity to intervene earlier in children's lives. This review of literature from criminology, psychology, and education shows that there exist key early childhood factors which are associated with later antisocial or delinquent behavior and that early childhood programs which seek to ameliorate the effects of those factors can prevent later antisocial or delinquent behavior. In particular, the review focuses on programs which have demonstrated long-term effects on antisocial behavior or delinquency. These programs have in common a combination of intensive family support and early education services, and effects on a broad range of child and family risk factors for delinquency. Moreover, there is promising evidence of their cost-effectiveness. As one element in a comprehensive plan to address poverty and other environmental causes of crime, programs combining family support with early education show promise in lessening the current devastating impact of delinquency on America's children and families.
Yoshikawa, H eng Review 1995/01/01 00:00 Future Child. 1995 Winter;5(3):51-75.
Keywords: *Personality Development; *Social Adjustment; Adolescent; Antisocial Personality Disorder/prevention & control/psychology; Child; Child, Preschool; Crime/prevention & control/psychology/trends; Early Intervention (Education)/*trends; Family Therapy/trends; Female; Forecasting; Humans; Infant; Juvenile Delinquency/*prevention & control/psychology/trends; Male; Outcome and Process Assessment (Health Care); United States

Child development and public policy: toward a dynamic systems perspective - Yoshikawa, H.; Hsueh, J. (Child Dev, 2001)
Little theoretical work exists that proposes general mechanisms for how public policies may influence child development. This article argues that dynamic systems theories may be useful in illuminating such processes, as well as highlighting gaps in current research at the intersection of public policy analysis and developmental science. A brief review of dynamic systems theories as they are currently utilized in other areas of developmental science is provided, as well as a statement of why they may help advance research in public policy and child development. Five principles of dynamic systems theories are presented and discussed using examples from research that address the question, "How do current antipoverty and welfare reform policies affect children?" Also presented are examples of hypotheses and research questions that each principle may generate for future work. The concluding section presents challenges that each principle poses for research methodology, and potential uses of the dynamic systems approach for developing and integrating policy and program initiatives.
Yoshikawa, H Hsueh, J eng 2002/01/05 10:00 Child Dev. 2001 Nov-Dec;72(6):1887-903.
Keywords: *Child Development; *Public Policy; Child; Humans

Access to institutional resources as a measure of social exclusion: relations with family process and cognitive development in the context of immigration - Yoshikawa, H.; Godfrey, E. B.; Rivera, A. C. (New Dir Child Adolesc Dev, 2008)
Few studies have examined how experiences associated with being an undocumented immigrant parent affects children's development. In this article, the authors apply social exclusion theory to examine how access to institutional resources that require identification may matter for parents and children in immigrant families. As hypothesized, groups with higher proportions of undocumented parents in New York City (e.g., Mexicans compared to Dominicans) reported lower levels of access to checking accounts, savings accounts, credit, and drivers' licenses. Lack of access to such resources, in turn, was associated with higher economic hardship and psychological distress among parents, and lower levels of cognitive ability in their 24-month-old children.
Yoshikawa, Hirokazu Godfrey, Erin B Rivera, Ann C eng Comparative Study 2008/09/17 09:00 New Dir Child Adolesc Dev. 2008 Fall;2008(121):63-86. doi: 10.1002/cd.223.
Keywords: *Child Development; *Emigrants and Immigrants; *Parents; Acculturation; Adult; Child, Preschool; Cohort Studies; Dominican Republic; Eligibility Determination/*statistics & numerical data; Family Characteristics; Female; Health Services Accessibility/statistics & numerical data; Hispanic Americans/*statistics & numerical data; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; mexico; New York City; Poverty/*statistics & numerical data; Sampling Studies; Social Environment; Social Support; Stress, Psychological; Surveys and Questionnaires

Commentary: New Directions in Developmentally Informed Intervention Research for Vulnerable Populations - Yoshikawa, H.; Whipps, M. D.; Rojas, N. M. (Child Dev, 2017)
This special section of Child Development brings together experts in developmental science and intervention research to incorporate current evidence on resilience for vulnerable populations and give concrete suggestions for action and research. This commentary synthesizes the contributions of the articles, noting themes such as simultaneous attention to multiple risk, protective, and promotive processes; integrating new principles from clinical and therapeutic interventions; and adapting intervention approaches for new populations. It then describes additional directions for interventions to maximize resilience, including approaches that address social psychological processes, issues related to demographic and other forms of diversity, policy-related individual behaviors, and sequenced interventions across the life span. It also gives suggestions for integrating implementation science on expansion and scale with behavioral intervention science.
Yoshikawa, Hirokazu Whipps, Mackenzie D M Rojas, Natalia M eng Review Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2017/02/06 06:00 Child Dev. 2017 Mar;88(2):459-465. doi: 10.1111/cdev.12736. Epub 2017 Feb 3.
Keywords: *Child Development; Child; Humans; Psychotherapy/*methods; Vulnerable Populations/*psychology

ANYAS special Issue | Implementation research and practice for early childhood development 2018i - Yousafzai, A.; Aboud, F. E.; Nores, M.; Britto, P. R. (2018)
Keywords: early childhood development

Implementation research for early childhood development programming in humanitarian contexts - Murphy, Katie Maeve; Yoshikawa, Hirokazu; Wuermli, Alice J. (Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2018)

Measuring the cost of investing in early childhood interventions and applications of a standardized costing tool - Gustafsson-Wright, Emily; Boggild-Jones, Izzy (Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2018)
Keywords: early childhood development; early childhood education; costs; quality; financing

LEAPS: a strategy to benefit young children and youth - Yousafzai, A.; Rasheed, M. A.; Siyal, S.; Franchett, E.; Sudfeld, C.; Ponguta, L. A.; Reyes, C.; Fink, G. (Early Childhood Matters, 2019)
Keywords: early childhood care and education; Pakistan; Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); youth development

Effectiveness of a youth-led early childhood care and education programme in rural Pakistan: A cluster-randomised controlled trial - Yousafzai, A. K.; Rasheed, M. A.; Rizvi, A.; Shaheen, F.; Ponguta, L. A.; Reyes, C. R. (PLoS One, 2018)
BACKGROUND: The United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals encompass lifelong learning from birth to youth to adulthood (Goal 4) and economic opportunities for young people (Goal 8). The targets include improving access to quality early childhood care and education (ECCE) as well as learning and training opportunities for adolescents and youth. Cross-generational models for young children and youth may offer opportunities to address the interconnections between goals and targets for the next generation. We investigated whether an ECCE programme for young children (3.5-6.5 years) delivered by female youth (18-24 years) in rural Pakistan would be effective on children's school readiness. METHODS: In partnership with the National Commission for Human Development in Pakistan, we implemented the 'Youth Leaders for Early Childhood Assuring Children are Prepared for School' (LEAPS) programme to train female youth to deliver ECCE. The effectiveness of the LEAPS programme on children's school readiness was evaluated in a cluster-randomised controlled trial. We randomly allocated five clusters (villages) to receive the intervention (n = 170 children) and five clusters to control (n = 170 children). Children's school readiness was assessed after nine months of intervention exposure using the International Development and Early Learning Assessment tool. Analyses was by intention-to-treat. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02645162. FINDINGS: At endline, the intervention group had significantly higher school readiness scores (n = 166, mean percentage score 59.4, 95% CI 52.7 to 66.2) compared with the control group (n = 168, mean percentage score 45.5, 95% CI 38.8 to 52.3). The effect size (Cohen's d) was 0.3. CONCLUSION: Trained female youth delivered an ECCE programme that was effective in benefitting young children's school readiness. The cross-generational model is a promising approach to support early child development; however, further evaluation of the model is needed to assess the specific benefits to youth including their skills and economic development.
1932-6203 Yousafzai, Aisha K ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1592-8923 Rasheed, Muneera A Rizvi, Arjumand Shaheen, Fariha Ponguta, Liliana A Reyes, Chin R Journal Article United States PLoS One. 2018 Dec 19;13(12):e0208335. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0208335. eCollection 2018.

Review of implementation processes for integrated nutrition and psychosocial stimulation interventions - Yousafzai, A. K.; Aboud, F. (Ann N Y Acad Sci, 2014)
This article reviews the implementation processes for interventions that integrate nutrition and psychosocial stimulation for children under 5 years of age in low- and middle-income countries. We examine the content of these programs, the delivery strategy, intensity and duration, personnel training and supervision, compliance, and fidelity. A systematic search of the Global Health Ovid database yielded 1020 articles, of which 29 fit the criteria, and two further studies recently completed were reported by author communication. Some of these articles describe efficacy or effectiveness studies where nutritional supplements or education along with psychosocial stimulation experiences or education were delivered directly to children or their caregivers. Other papers describe large-scale programs, such as conditional cash transfers in Latin America, Integrated Child Development Services preschools in India, and World Bank collaborations with national governments in Africa. A summary table of the implementation processes of the 31 programs is included. We conclude with a set of recommendations summarizing what we know so far regarding best practices for integrative programs.
1749-6632 Yousafzai, Aisha K Aboud, Frances Journal Article Review United States Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2014 Jan;1308:33-45. doi: 10.1111/nyas.12313. Epub 2013 Dec 26.
Keywords: *Child Development; *Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Child, Preschool; compliance; delivery strategies; Developing Countries; dosage; Early Intervention (Education); Early Medical Intervention; fidelity; Global Health; Humans; implementation processes; Program Evaluation; Psychology; Social Support

A Paternal-fetal Attachment Pilot Intervention on Mental Health for Pregnant Mothers - Limei Yuan; Zhenrong Gu; Hui Peng; Lijun Zhao (2018)
Pregnancy and post-pregnancy periods are associated with very important psychological and physiological changes, sometimes associated with pathological changes. Spouses' participation is one of the effective factors in promoting the mental health of pregnant women. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of paternal-fetal attachment pilot intervention on perceived mental health and perceived attachment to fetus. We implemented a paternal-fetal attachment pilot intervention designed to promote the mental health of pregnant women. We used an experimental pretest/posttest study design to evaluate the impact of paternal-fetal attachment that resulted in a hospital-affiliated prenatal centre, before and after pilot implementation. As hypothesised, perceived mental health and perceived attachment to fetus increased in the intervention group, but not in the control group. The pilot intervention that we set up in this study was effective for promoting mental health in pregnant mothers.
Keywords: intervention; Mental Health; Paternal-Fetal Attachment; Pregnant Mothers

The history of The Culture of Peace - Zaragoza, F.M. (1999)

A Skeptics View - I. W. Zartman (Culture and Negotiation: The Resolution of Water Disputes, 1993)

State of Babies Yearbook: 2021 (US) - ZEROtoTHREE (Zero to Three, 2021)
Keywords: early childhood care and education

Epigenetics and the environmental regulation of the genome and its function. - Zhang, Tie-Yuan; Meaney, Michael J (Annu Rev Psychol, 2010)
There are numerous examples in psychology and other disciplines of the enduring effects of early experience on neural function. In this article, we review the emerging evidence for epigenetics as a candidate mechanism for these effects. Epigenetics refers to functionally relevant modifications to the genome that do not involve a change in nucleotide sequence. Such modifications include chemical marks that regulate the transcription of the genome. There is now evidence that environmental events can directly modify the epigenetic state of the genome. Thus studies with rodent models suggest that during both early development and in adult life, environmental signals can activate intracellular pathways that directly remodel the "epigenome," leading to changes in gene expression and neural function. These studies define a biological basis for the interplay between environmental signals and the genome in the regulation of individual differences in behavior, cognition, and physiology.
Keywords: Animals; DNA Methylation; Environment; Epigenesis, Genetic; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Genome; Genomic Imprinting; Humans; Maternal Behavior

Leaving the youngest behind: Declining aid to early childhood education - Zubairi, A.; Rose, P.; Moriarty, K. (UNICEF, 2019)
Keywords: children at risk; Early childhood education; pre-primary education