Kindergarten conduct problems could cost society later, researchers find
Aug 31, 2023
A new economic analysis has linked, for the first time, conduct problems among kindergarten students with significant costs to society in terms of crime and associated medical expenses and lost productivity when they are adults. “Providing effective, evidence-based programming designed to address…
It’s not just the shy kids who get nervous in front a crowd, study shows
Apr 25, 2023
SSRI cofund and Associate Director Koraly Pérez-Edgar was quoted in this CNN article. Is shy something you feel or something you are? According to a new study, it could be either. Whether shyness is part of your child’s personality or just something they feel when they are in front of a group of…
Healthy sleep habits before kindergarten help children adjust to school
Jul 25, 2022
The transition to kindergarten is a notable milestone for children and families, who typically prepare by gathering school supplies and meeting the teacher. New research suggests that one important way to prepare for the transition to first-time schooling is to develop a bedtime routine in which…
Depression in fathers and children linked, regardless of genetic relatedness
Jun 27, 2022
Adolescent depression and behavior problems are on the rise due to many factors, but parental depression is contributing to the increase in their children regardless of whether they are genetically related, say researchers from Penn State and Michigan State. The work appears in the Cambridge…
Filling half of kids' plates with fruits and veggies helps increase consumption
Oct 20, 2021
Filling half of a child’s plate with fruits and veggies isn’t just recommended by the United States Dietary Guidelines, it also helps increase the amount of produce that kids end up eating, according to Penn State research. In a controlled feeding study, the researchers tested two strategies for…News Topics: NutritionChild Health
Local law-enforcement policy may affect pediatric health care
Mar 22, 2021
Local law-enforcement of immigration policy may affect preventable hospitalization rates for children, according to new research led by a Penn State investigator. “This research shows that there is an association between these policies and the health of the entire community’s children,” said…
Professor contributes to federal report on child and youth mental health
Sep 24, 2019
A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine calls for a comprehensive national agenda to improve mental, emotional and behavioral health in children and youth. Jennifer Frank, assistant professor of education, senior research associate with the Edna Bennett…
Examining state policies governing opioid use and pregnancy
Sep 19, 2019
Opioid use disorders during pregnancy have risen at alarming rates in the U.S. in recent years, increasing the risks of preterm labor and delivery, poor fetal growth, prolonged hospital stays, maternal death and stillborn infants. Maternal opioid use can also result in neonatal abstinence syndrome…
Communities that Care prevention system helps to protect youth, study finds
Sep 13, 2019
Students in Pennsylvania school districts that participated in Communities that Care (CTC) coalitions were significantly less likely to use alcohol or marijuana, or to engage in delinquent behavior than those in non-CTC districts, according to a recent study published in Prevention Science. Penn…
Examining the link between puberty and functional brain development
Sep 10, 2019
Puberty causes significant physical and psychological changes, especially in brain development, changing the way adolescents think and behave. Despite this, the effects of puberty on brain development is not well known. To gain a better understanding, two Penn State researchers reviewed published…
Bigger portions lead to preschoolers eating more over time
Apr 16, 2019
Preschoolers may not be as good at resisting large portions of everyday foods as was previously thought, according to Penn State researchers. In a study, the researchers examined whether children between the ages of three and five were susceptible to the portion size effect — the tendency of people…
Gatzke-Kopp's research featured in publications
Dec 18, 2018
SSRI co-funded faculty member Lisa Gatzke-Kopp's research into second- and third-hand smoke and its effects on infants and toddlers was recently featured in the The Philadelphia Inquirier and republished in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Her work was also feature in Consumer Affairs.
Low-Income, Rural Kids at Higher Risk for Second- or Third-Hand Smoke Exposure
Dec 6, 2018
Infants and toddlers in low-income, rural areas may be at higher risk for second- and third-hand smoke than previously reported, according to new Penn State-led research. As many as 15 percent of children tested had levels of cotinine, a byproduct formed when the body breaks down nicotine,…
High childhood BMI linked to obesity at age 24 in women
Dec 4, 2018
Girls who gain weight more rapidly between the ages of 5 and 15 are more likely to be obese at age 24, according to researchers. "This highlights the importance of prevention efforts in childhood and adolescence," said Emily Hohman, assistant research professor of the Center for Childhood Obesity…News Topics: Child HealthObesity
Biobehavioral health major working on Child Health Study
Oct 12, 2018
Penn State senior Rachel Brettler, who is majoring in biobehavioral health and minoring in human development and family studies, is being mentored by renowned faculty experts, as well as gaining real-world research experience, through her role as an undergraduate research assistant in the multiyear…
Young children’s oral bacteria may predict obesity
Sep 19, 2018
Weight gain trajectories in early childhood are related to the composition of oral bacteria of two-year-old children, suggesting that this understudied aspect of a child’s microbiota — the collection of microorganisms, including beneficial bacteria, residing in the mouth — could serve as an early…News Topics: Child HealthChild Obesity
Center for Healthy Children recommends evidence-based programs
Sep 13, 2018
Federal legislation will radically change how foster care dollars can be used, and Penn State’s Child Maltreatment Solutions Network and Center for Healthy Children(CHC) is leading the charge to ensure services intended to prevent foster care placement, and better serve foster youth, are backed by…
Parents may help prep kids for healthier, less violent relationships
May 2, 2018
Warm, nurturing parents may pass along strategies for building and maintaining positive relationships to their kids, setting them up for healthier, less-violent romantic relationships as young adults, according to researchers. Researchers found that when adolescents reported a positive family…
Solutions Network researcher funded to study cardiovascular disease risk in children
Mar 26, 2018
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) causes over 30 percent of all deaths in the U.S. and its roots can be found even in children. Hannah Schreier, Child Maltreatment Solutions Network co-funded faculty member and assistant professor of biobehavioral health, was recently awarded a grant from the National…News Topics: Child Maltreatment Solutions NetworkChild Health