Digital Commons Network^™

Associations Between Community Built Environments With Early Care And Education Classroom Physical Activity Practices And Barriers, Bethany D. Williams, Susan B. Sisson, Dipti Dev, Bryce Lowery, Diane Horm, Janis Campbell, Denise Finneran, Jennifer Graef-Downard, Linda Whaley

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

The influence of community-built environments on physical activity (PA) support in Early Childhood Education settings (ECEs) is unknown. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine associations between community PA environments and ECE classroom PA practices. We included licensed Oklahoma ECE directors serving 3-to-5-year-old children. Parks and playground locations were exported from Google Earth. NationalWalkability Index was derived from 2010 US Census data. ArcMap 10.6 was used to geocode ECE locations, which were within an Activity Desert if no parks/playgrounds were located within a 1-mile radius or if Walkability Index was 10.5 or below. Classroom PA practices were determined …

Examining Correlates Of Feeding Practices Among Parents Of Preschoolers, Deepa Srivastava, Lucy R. Zheng, Dipti Dev

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Background: Parent feeding practices play a critical role in children’s eating behaviors. Limited research has explored child-level correlates of parent feeding practices.

Aim: To identify correlates of feeding practices (responsive and controlling) among parents of preschoolers in the United States.

Methods: Participants included parents (n = 273) of preschoolers (3–5 years), recruited from early care and education settings (n = 24) located in a metropolitan city in the US. Analysis included descriptives, correlations, and multiple regression.

Results: For responsive feeding practices, positive associations included child’s weight with unintentional modeling (β = .17, 95% CI [0.12, 0.53]), child vegetable …

Childhood Disadvantage, Social And Psychological Stress, And Substance Use Among Homeless Youth: A Life Stress Framework, Kimberly A. Tyler, Rachel M. Schmitz

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

We used a life stress framework to examine linkages between distal or primary stressors (e.g., child abuse) and proximal or secondary stressors (e.g., street victimization) and their association with substance use among 150 youth experiencing homelessness in the Midwestern United States. Results revealed that numerous primary stressors such as number of times youth ran from home and number of foster care placements were associated with secondary stressors, such as anxiety, total duration of homelessness, and street victimization. Only street physical victimization (e.g., been beaten up since leaving home) was associated with greater substance use. Our findings provide a more holistic …

Nebline, July 2021

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Smart Techniques Conserve Water in Your Yard

Building a Healthy Community: What Lincolnites Say

Recipe of the Month

Saving and Sing and Storing Garden Seeds

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month

Naturally Occurring Elements in Groundwater: Last in a Series - Uranium

UNL East Campus Discovery Days

Nebraska 4rs Nutrient Stewardship Field Day

Ants in the Home & Landscape

Lawn Care and Young Children: Creating a Safe and Fun Place to Play

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: Marti Thomson

Summer Programming 4-H Interns

4-H Announcements for 4H'ers and Volunteers

Extension News

Extension Calendar

Exploring Non-Contact Time In Early Childhood Education, Erin Hamel

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Early childhood teachers have been the subject of many studies. Their qualifications, practices, and interactions with children have been widely researched as avenues for improving early childhood education. Yet little is known about the work supports early childhood teachers need to be successful. Non-contact time is one element of a supportive work environment that supports teachers’ ability to address their professional expectations. However, information and guidance on non-contact time is lacking or absent from the literature. This study addresses this gap by exploring non-contact time from the perspectives of directors and teachers.

An embedded mixed methods design was used to …

Associations Between Community Built Environments With Early Care And Education Classroom Physical Activity Practices And Barriers, Bethany D. Williams, Susan B. Sisson, Dipti Dev, Bryce Lowery, Diane Horm, Janis Campbell, Denise Finneran, Jennifer Graef-Downard, Linda Whaley

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

The influence of community-built environments on physical activity (PA) support in Early Childhood Education settings (ECEs) is unknown. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine associations between community PA environments and ECE classroom PA practices. We included licensed Oklahoma ECE directors serving 3-to-5-year-old children. Parks and playground locations were exported from Google Earth. National Walkability Index was derived from 2010 US Census data. ArcMap 10.6 was used to geocode ECE locations, which were within an Activity Desert if no parks/playgrounds were located within a 1-mile radius or if Walkability Index was 10.5 or below. Classroom PA practices were …

Editorial: Children’S Competencies Development In The Home Learning Environment, Frank Niklas, Caroline Cohrssen, Simone Lehrl, Amy R. Napoli

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Keeping The Child In Mind: A Mixed Methods Study Of Reflections On Parenting Among Families In Shelter, Ann Matthews

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Homelessness among families is a growing problem across the United States (Beard, 2020). Homelessness is associated with stressful and impoverished caregiving environments that contribute to problematic parent-child relationships and increase children’s risks for poor health and academic outcomes (e.g., Perlman et al., 2012).

Responsive caregiving may protect children from adverse outcomes and foster resilience during periods of homelessness (Labella et al., 2019; Miliotis et al., 1999; Perlman et al., 2012). A parent’s capacity to understand their own and their child’s behavior as a function of internal mental states supports such responsive caregiving (e.g., Fonagy & Target, 1997; Slade, 2005) and …

Attachment Injury-Related Responses From The Offending Partner And Forgiveness In Romantic Relationships, Shruti Pillai

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Attachment injuries in romantic relationships carry the potential for several negative outcomes for the injured partner, the offending partner, and the relationship. Forgiveness can serve to repair the damage caused by such an injury. The concept of forgiveness, however, has predominantly only been studied as the responsibility of and of primary interest to the injured partner. There is a growing need for closer examination of what the offending partner can do to promote forgiveness. The Attachment Injury Resolution Model (AIRM) proposes eight distinct steps including actions for each partner that can lead a couple towards recovery. This study examined the …

Cultural Bereavement And Resilience In Refugee Resettlement: A Photovoice Study With Yazidi Women In The Midwest United States, Julie A. Tippens, Kaitlin Roselius, Irene Padasas, Gulie Khalaf, Kara Kohel, Elizabeth Mollard, Izdihar (Vianne) Sheikh

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

This study explored how ethnic Yazidi refugee women overcome adversity to promote psychosocial health and well-being within the context of U.S. resettlement. Nine Yazidi women participated in two small photovoice groups, each group lasting eight sessions (16 sessions total). Women discussed premigration and resettlement challenges, cultural strengths and resources, and strategies to overcome adversity. Yazidi women identified trauma and perceived loss of culture as primary stressors. Participants’ resilience processes included using naan (as sustenance and symbol) to survive and thrive as well as by preserving an ethnoreligious identity. Findings suggest that women’s health priorities and resilience-promoting strategies center on fostering …

Characteristics Related To Parent-Child Literacy And Numeracy Practices In Preschool, Amy R. Napoli, Irem Korucu, Joyce Lin, Sara A. Schmitt, David J. Purpura

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Despite evidence suggesting that home literacy and numeracy environments are related to children’s school readiness skills, little research has examined the child and family characteristics that relate to the home literacy and numeracy environments within the same sample. These factors are important to investigate in order to determine what may foster or prevent parent-child engagement. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the shared and unique parent-reported child and parent variables that are related to the frequency of parent-child literacy and numeracy practices. The 199 preschoolers included in the study ranged in age from 3.00 to 5.17° years …

Mediating Asian-Ness: How And Why Does Asian Identity Salience Vary By Biracial Status?, Kaitlan Wong

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The following study explores how and why Asian identity salience may vary between biracial and monoracial Asians. This study further aims to find potential mediators—including daily Asian contact, linked fate, group solidarity, and microaggressions—that might explain any group differences in Asian identity salience. I used the 2016 Post-Election National Asian American Survey to explore these research aims. Contrary to expectations, I found that biracial Asians have higher Asian identity salience than monoracial Asians. As expected, linked fate and microaggressions were positively associated with Asian identity salience. Surprisingly, daily Asian contact was negatively associated and group solidarity was not significantly associated …

The Influence Of Childhood Socioeconomic Status And Community Type On Visuospatial Attention Scores In Young Adulthood, Sophia C. Menting

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between various childhood experiences and young adult visuospatial attention scores. In particular, this study investigated factors such as where participants grew up (rural or urban community), childhood socio- economic status (SES) and how these factors relate to cognitive control, i.e., control of attention and impulsivity, in young adulthood. The sample consisted of 84 college students. There was no direct relationship between SES and visuospatial attention; however, there was a significant interaction with type of community such that young adults raised in low-SES families in rural communities had lower scores than …

Review Of Nature Experience In Learning, Donger Liu, Emily A. Fisher, Guy Trainin

Research and Evaluation in Education, Technology, Art, and Design

The current review examines the impact of nature experience on student academic performance. The findings suggest that the effect exists in two types of association: (1) green space and school-level academic performance; (2) outdoor educational programs and student school motivation and knowledge. Overall, the researchers predominantly found that students exposed to green space performed better academically in Grades K to 12. Meanwhile, students’ socio-economic status, the proximity of green space, types of vegetation, and subjects could also affect the association. Considering it is not unusual that researchers found SES contributing to the correlational model, future studies ought to control for …

The Development Of Sensory, Fine Motor, And Gross Motor Performance Through An After School Club Curriculum: Using Dr. Seuss Stories To Create Occupational Therapy Based Interventions, Madelyn Beck

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The goal of occupational therapy is to assist individuals in fulfilling their daily occupations. For many children, their occupations primarily consist of school and play. In order to successfully fulfil these occupations, children need a specific skill set centered around sensory performance and fine- and gross- motor development. This text examines children who were selected from a Lincoln, Nebraska public elementary school to participate in an after-school club program with Dr. Seuss themed curriculum. The curriculum focused on developing sensory, fine motor, and gross motor execution through various classroom activities and play-based interventions.

Best Practices For Preschool Music Education: Supporting Music‑Making Throughout The Day, Jentry Stoneman Barrett, Rachel E. Schachter, Danni Gilbert, Mathew Fuerst

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Active engagement in music has numerous academic and social benefits for young children and music-making is included in many early childhood standards and preschool curricula. The purpose of this article is to provide quality resources for classroom teachers to use in providing music-making activities for young children, ages 3–5. Although teachers may use music in their classrooms, we provide resources and suggestions for more intentional and extended integration of music-making. Specifically, we identify best practices for preschool music education based on key standards and research as well as with common music pedagogies. We then turn to concrete examples of how …

Manyclasses 1: Assessing The Generalizable Effect Of Immediate Feedback Versus Delayed Feedback Across Many College Classes, E.R. Fyfe, J. R. De Leeuw, P. F. Carvalho, R. L. Goldstone, J. Sherman, D. M. Admiraal, J. Turk Et Al.

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Healthy Nebraska: Advancing Human Health And Developing Healthy Communities, Laura E. Young, Mary Garbacz, Kelli Mashino, Michael J. Boehm, Amanda Ramer-Tait, Jessica Rudolph, Heather Rasmussen, Abigail Durheim, Kaustav Majumder, Taryn Sehnert, Dipti Dev, Krista Ott, Martha Rhoades, Morgan Leefers, Richard Wilson, Mya Donelson, James Schnable, Brent Lemmer, Virginia Chaidez, Rebecca Reagan, Helen Fagan, Bailee Tucker, Jean Ann Fischer, Molly Suhr

Strategic Discussions for Nebraska

Healthy Nebraska: Advancing Human Health and Developing Healthy Communities

Every day, the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) is putting together a wickedly complex puzzle, in which each faculty member, researcher, Extension educator, student, staff member, partner and stakeholder is a vitally important piece. As the pieces come together, we see a picture of the world in which IANR is making a meaningful difference in sustainable food, fuel, feed, and fiber production.

Research At Nebraska, 2020-2021 Report, University Of Nebraska-Lincoln

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

This publication is a snapshot of the fiscal year’s activities. To read more stories about research and creativity at Nebraska, visit the online edition at https://research.unl.edu/annualreport/2021. Additional multimedia are available for many stories.

Nebline, January 2021

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

2020 Extension Highlight Highlights Responding as Local Needs Changed

Helping People Solve Real-World Problems

20,311 Youth Engaged in 4-H Programs

Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Stick

Recipe of the Month

Crop Production Clinics, Jan. 7, 14, and 21

Pesticide Applicator Trainings

Extension’s 2021 Master Gardener Trainings, Two Sites Available

Upcoming Green Industry Conferences

Garden Guide Things to do This Month

HEART OF 4-H VOLUNTEER AWARD: Emalea Dean

PASE Results

4-H Thanks Sponsors

4-H Announcements for 4-H’ers and Volunteers

4-H Thanks Volunteers

EXTENSION CALENDAR

EXTENSION NEWS

Research And Creative Activity, July 1, 2020-June 30, 2021: Major Sponsored Programs And Faculty Accomplishments In Research And Creative Activity, University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, Office Of Research And Economic Development, University Of Nebraska-Lincoln

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

Foreword by Bob Wilhelm, Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development, University of Nebraska-Lincoln:

This booklet highlights successes in research, scholarship and creative activity by University of Nebraska–Lincoln faculty during the fiscal year running July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021.

It lists investigators, project titles and funding sources on major grants and sponsored awards received during the year; fellowships and other recognitions and honors bestowed on our faculty; books and chapters published by faculty; performances, exhibitions and other examples of creative activity; patents and licensing agreements issued; National Science Foundation I-CORPS teams; and peer-reviewed journal articles and conference presentations. …

Examining Differences In Achievement Of Physical Activity Best Practices Between Urban And Rural Child Care Facilities By Age, Danae Dinkel, John P. Rech, Yage Guo, Matthew R. Bice, Emily Hulse, Donnia Behrends, Christina Burger, Dipti Dev

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Go Nutrition and Physical activity Self Assessment in Child Care (NAP SACC) is an evidence based intervention developed to positively impact childhood obesity in early childhood education (ECE) facilities. One focus of Go NAP SACC is the development of physical activity best practices. However, little research has examined differences in achievement of best practices based on age of child and geographic location. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in the achievement of physical activity best practices between urban and rural childcare facilities by age-specific recommendations (infants, toddlers, and preschoolers) and in the overall physical activity environment. Urban …

Protecting Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory

United States Natonal Institutes of Health: Materials

Conclusion

As we learn the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic, and start recovering and rebuilding, we have an opportunity to offer a more comprehensive, more fulfilling, and more inclusive vision of what constitutes public health. And for a generation of children facing unprecedented pressures and stresses, day in and day out, change can’t come soon enough.

It won’t come overnight. Many of the recommendations offered in this Advisory require structural buy-in and change.

But everyone has a role to play in combating this mental health pandemic. Without individual engagement, no amount of energy or resources can overcome the biggest barrier …

Using Photovoice To Understand And Amplify Youth Voices To Prevent Sexual And Relationship Violence, Victoria Banyard, Katie Edwards, Ramona Herrington, Skyler Hopfauf, Briana Simon, Linda Shroll

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

Aims: Efforts to improve prevention of sexual and relationship violence (SRV) among adolescents call for more centering of youth voices, experiences, and skills to design prevention programs that incorporate youth engagement rather than those that are designed by adults for youth. Amplifying the voices of historically marginalized youth are especially needed. Photovoice (PV) is a participatory action method that can empower youth and generate prevention knowledge.

Methods: The current project used PV to engage youth in late middle and early high school to discuss how they could work to prevent SRV in their community. A convenience sample of nine youth …

Informal Caregivers’ Well-Being At The Transition To Caregiving, Natalie A. Williams, Holly Hatton-Bowers, Kara Kohel, Shruti Pillai, Judith M. Burnfield

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

The aim of this study was to describe the psychological and physical health needs of informal caregivers in a rehabilitation hospital and explore differences related to informal caregiver and care recipient characteristics. Readiness to engage in health promotion and perspectives on mindfulness meditation were assessed. Informal caregivers (N = 33) to patients receiving inpatient or outpatient treatment completed the Multidimensional Health Profile screening tools. Readiness to change was assessed using the readiness ruler approach. Almost half of participants (45.5%) had a chronic illness and 18.2% reported that it interferes with daily functioning. Low Positive Health Habits were reported by …

The Foster Care System: Domestic Abuse, Guadalupe Hernandez Rodriguez

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

In the United States, children not only experience domestic abuse at home but can also be an issue while placed in the foster care system. In the foster care system, the abuse suffered by these individuals is increased due to home instability. Abuse can take place in many forms (physical, emotional, economical, and sexual) and can occur in many places. It can become a life-threatening crime or a crime that affects an individual’s day-to-day life. The youth and young adults who pass through this system are left with physical injuries and adverse childhood experiences (abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction). The …

Mental Health Incorporation In Nebraskan Recovery Plans Following The 2019 Midwestern Floods, Isabelle Murray

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

In March 2019, Nebraska was hit with major floods that caused extensive damage throughout the state. Nebraskans spent the following months recovering from many aspects of the natural disaster. One aspect of emergency response and the act of recovery that is commonly overlooked is the mental health of individuals following the traumatic events. The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the level of incorporation of mental health care and services in recovery plans following natural disasters. The qualitative analysis of recovery plans focused on Nebraska and the county-level response to the 2019 Midwestern floods. The objectives were to identify …

What Educators In Mexico And In The United States Need To Know And Acknowledge To Attend To The Educational Needs Of Transnational Students, Edmund T. Hamann, Víctor Zúñiga

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

This chapter from the edited volume "The Students We Share" explains to both US and Mexican audiences that a persistent number and proportion of K-12 students continue to circulate between both countries and thus that it is a challenge for both countries' education systems—including teacher preparation, curriculum, assessment, etc.—to see how students' knowledge and experience from the other system is both salient to their new schooling in a new country and valuable for how it will contribute to their future means for negotiating adulthood.

Protective Factors Against Dating Violence Perpetration And Victimization, Meagan Kunitzer

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Dating violence is a prominent problem among college students that can result in harmful physical and mental health outcomes. To date, much research has focused on risk factors, but less is known about protective factors that may decrease the likelihood of dating violence. As such, the current paper examines protective factors (e.g. religion, positive parental relationships) against perpetrating and/or experiencing dating violence and whether these protective factors operate similarly for both perpetration and victimization. Data were gathered in 2013-2014 at two large public universities using pencil and paper surveys (N = 1482). Bivariate results revealed that women have more protective …

Using The Very Short Form Of The Children’S Behavior Questionnaire For Spanish-Speaking Populations In Low- And Middle-Income Countries: A Psychometric Analysis Of Dichotomized Variables, Elsa Lucia Escalante-Barrios, Sonia Suarez Enciso, Samuel P. Putnam, Helen Raikes, Sergi Fàbregues

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

While the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Very Short Form of the Children’s Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ-VSF) have been assessed in the US and Europe in samples composed of middle- and high-income parents with high levels of education, no studies have tested the instrument in low-income Spanish-speaking populations living in low- and middle- income countries. To fill this gap, our cross-sectional study assessed the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the CBQ-VSF version in a sample of 315 low-income and low-educated parents with preschool children living in the Caribbean Region of Colombia. While our findings revealed problems …