Two Years Later: How COVID-19 Has Shaped the Teacher Workforce
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Bacher-Hicks A
PROVIDER: S-EPMC9974372 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Similar Datasets
Project description: Not available
| S-EPMC9536027 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundSkipping breakfast, habitually and when experimentally manipulated, has been linked in the short-term to poorer academic performance in children. Little is known about the longer-term effects. This study examined whether skipping breakfast at aged 8-9 years predicted poorer academic performance and classroom behavior 2 years later.MethodsThe Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) collected data during 2008 (aged 8-9 years) and 2010 (aged 10-11 years). Breakfast consumption was reported by a parent/caregiver on three occasions within 4 weeks during 2008: by face-to-face interview and two subsequent questionnaires. Children who skipped breakfast on at least one of the 3 days were classified as breakfast skippers. During 2010, the child's teacher assessed their academic performance relative to other children in the same grade (below/far below average; average; above/far above average) and classroom behavior. Objective literacy and numeracy outcomes (reading, writing, spelling, grammar and numeracy, score range 0-1000) were obtained via linkage to Australian standardized national assessment program (NAPLAN) data in Year 5 (aged 10-11 years). Ordinal and linear regression were used, adjusted for sex, age and sociodemographic variables.ResultsAt baseline, 243 (10.7%) of the 2280 children skipped breakfast on at least 1 day. Two years later, breakfast skippers were more likely to have poorer teacher-reported reading (RR: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.08, 1.29), mathematics (RR: 1.11; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.20) and overall academic achievement (RR: 1.15; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.25) than non-skippers. In contrast, differences in objective NAPLAN scores were small (<3%), and only one of the five scales (numeracy) was significantly lower among skippers (mean difference - 13.0; 95% CI: -25.6, -0.8). Classroom behavior was similar between skippers and non-skippers.ConclusionIn this national sample of 8-9 year old Australian children, skipping breakfast occurred at low levels, and showed little association with measured academic performance 2 years later. This contrasted with teacher perceptions of lower academic performance among skippers than non-skippers, most likely reflecting confounding. This underscores the importance of using objective measures of academic performance to avoid inflated effect estimates and, potentially, unnecessary and costly population interventions to increase breakfast consumption.
| S-EPMC7050735 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The fetal environment has been increasingly implicated in later psychological health, but the role of lipids is unknown. Drawing on the ethnically diverse Born in Bradford (BiB) birth cohort, the current study related levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), and triglycerides in umbilical cord blood to 1,369 children's teacher-rated psychosocial competence approximately 5 years later. Results of ordinal logistic regressions indicated that low levels of HDL, high levels of VLDL, and high levels of triglycerides predicted greater likelihood of being rated as less competent in domains of emotion regulation, self-awareness, and interpersonal functioning. Furthermore, these results generalized across ethnic background and children's sex and were not accounted for by variables reflecting mothers' psychological or physical health, children's physical health, or children's special education status. Together, these results identify fetal exposure to anomalous lipid levels as a possible contributor to subsequent psychological health and social functioning.
| S-EPMC7137140 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a highly transmissible and virulent human-infecting coronavirus that emerged in late December 2019 in Wuhan, China, causing a respiratory disease called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has massively impacted global public health and caused widespread disruption to daily life. The crisis caused by COVID-19 has mobilized scientists and public health authorities across the world to rapidly improve our knowledge about this devastating disease, shedding light on its management and control, and spawned the development of new countermeasures. Here we provide an overview of the state of the art of knowledge gained in the last 2 years about the virus and COVID-19, including its origin and natural reservoir hosts, viral etiology, epidemiology, modes of transmission, clinical manifestations, pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, emerging variants, and vaccines, highlighting important differences from previously known highly pathogenic coronaviruses. We also discuss selected key discoveries from each topic and underline the gaps of knowledge for future investigations.
| S-EPMC9380879 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Elevated resting heart rate variability (HRV) in the high frequency range has been proposed to be protective against worrying when facing environmental stressors. Yet, prospective studies using real-life stressors are still scarce. The present study set out to replicate the previous finding of reduced resting HRV predicting COVID-19-associated worries in a larger, more homogenous sample over a longer period of time (N = 123; age: 42.32 [SD:10.72]; 65.9 % female; average time lag: six years). In addition, we were interested in investigating the specificity of this effect with respect to worry content, other physiological markers of autonomic functions, and additional potentially relevant covariates with a special focus on a potential moderating effect of sex on this association. In regression analyses adjusting for age, sex, BMI and smoking status, the interaction between HRV and sex was significant, with women depicting a stronger association between HRV and COVID-19 associated worries. Further sensitivity analyses revealed the specificity of the effect for HRV as distinct from mean heart rate, as well as its dependence on previous COVID-19 infection, but not COVID-19 vaccination status and chronic stress level. These data are in line with theories that propose that higher HRV levels can be protective against the deleterious effects of real-life environmental stressors. However, our results also point to the specificity of this effect, especially with respect to worry content and sex.
| S-EPMC9338444 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundPeer victimization has an adverse effect on academic outcomes. However, longitudinal research on how peer victimization affects access to higher education is lacking.AimsIn this study, we investigated the mechanisms through which peer victimization and teacher support affect aspirations for and enrolment at university 5 years later through engagement in secondary school. We also examined whether these effects were moderated by ethnicity, and whether teacher support may compensate for the effects of peer victimization.SampleThe sample (N = 15,110, 51% male, 68% White, 12% Black and 20% Asian) was drawn from a nationally representative study of young people in England. We used data from four waves, following adolescents over 3 years of secondary education (T1-T2-T3, age 13 to 15 years) until university (T4, age 18 years).MethodData were analysed in a longitudinal structural equation model in Mplus 8.ResultsAdolescents subjected to more peer victimization at T1 had lower university aspirations 2 years later and were less likely to attend university 5 years later. These effects were mediated via secondary school engagement. Teacher support at T1 was related to higher school engagement, leading to higher aspirations (T3) and higher likelihood of university enrolment (T4) over time. We also found evidence that teacher support may lessen the effect of peer victimization on school engagement, and that ethnic background may moderate the effect of teacher support.ConclusionsPeer victimization had a small long-lasting negative effect on university choices via school engagement, while teacher support had a positive effect. In summary, relationships in secondary school have long-lasting implications for university aspirations and enrolment.
| S-EPMC9790406 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundDelays in COVID-19 testing may increase the risk of secondary household and community transmission. Little is known about what patient characteristics and symptom profiles are associated with delays in test seeking.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study of all symptomatic patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and assessed in a COVID Expansion to Outpatients (COVIDEO) virtual care program between March 2020 and June 2021. The primary outcome was later test seeking more than 3 days from symptom onset. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine predictors of later testing including patient characteristics and symptoms (30 individual symptoms or 7 symptom clusters).ResultsOf 5,363 COVIDEO patients, 4,607 were eligible and 2,155/4,607 (46.8%) underwent later testing. Older age was associated with increased odds of late testing (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.007/year; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.01), as was history of recent travel (aOR 1.4; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.95). Health care workers had lower odds of late testing (aOR 0.50; 95% CI 0.39 to 0.62). Late testing was associated with symptoms in the cardiorespiratory (aOR 1.2; 95% CI 1.05, 1.36), gastrointestinal (aOR = 1.2; 95% CI 1.04, 1.4), neurological (aOR 1.1; 95% CI 1.003, 1.3) and psychiatric (aOR 1.3; 95% CI 1.1, 1.5) symptom clusters. Among individual symptoms, dyspnea, anosmia, dysgeusia, sputum, and anorexia were associated with late testing; pharyngitis, myalgia, and headache were associated with early testing.ConclusionCertain patient characteristics and symptoms are associated with later testing, and warrant further efforts to encourage earlier testing to minimize transmission.
| S-EPMC10797764 | biostudies-literature
Project description: Not available
| S-EPMC7426082 | biostudies-literature
Project description: Not available
| S-EPMC7239628 | biostudies-literature
Project description:To study the long-term symptom burden among older COVID-19 survivors 2 years after hospital discharge and identify associated risk factors. The current cohort study included COVID-19 survivors aged 60 years and above, who were discharged between February 12 and April 10, 2020, from two designated hospitals in Wuhan, China. All patients were contacted via telephone and completed a standardized questionnaire assessing self-reported symptoms, the Checklist Individual Strength (CIS)-fatigue subscale, and two subscales of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Of the 1,212 patients surveyed, the median (IQR) age was 68.0 (64.0-72.0), and 586 (48.3%) were male. At the two-year follow-up, 259 patients (21.4%) still reported at least one symptom. The most frequently self-reported symptoms were fatigue, anxiety, and dyspnea. Fatigue or myalgia, which was the most common symptom cluster (11.8%; 143/1212), often co-occurred with anxiety and chest symptoms. A total of 89 patients (7.7%) had CIS-fatigue scores ≥ 27, with older age (odds ratio [OR], 1.08; 95% CI: 1.05-1.11, P < 0.001) and oxygen therapy (OR, 2.19; 95% CI: 1.06-4.50, P= 0.03) being risk factors. A total of 43 patients (3.8%) had HADS-Anxiety scores ≥ 8, and 130 patients (11.5%) had HADS-Depression scores ≥ 8. For the 59 patients (5.2%) who had HADS total scores ≥ 16, older age, serious illness during hospitalization and coexisting cerebrovascular diseases were risk factors. Cooccurring fatigue, anxiety, and chest symptoms, as well as depression, were mainly responsible for long-term symptom burden among older COVID-19 survivors 2 years after discharge.
| S-EPMC10676794 | biostudies-literature