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Ethnic Disparities in Mental Health and Movement Behaviors During Childhood: Examining the Longitudinal Developmental Patterns

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine the longitudinal developmental patterns of mental health (i.e., physical, psychosocial, and executive functioning) and movement behaviors (i.e., sedentary behavior and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity [MVPA]) between Hispanic and non-Hispanic children.

Method

We tracked 153 children for 3 years from kindergarten (time 1) to third grade (time 2; 91 Hispanic; mean age = 5.36, SD = .48). Physical, psychosocial, and executive functioning was assessed using validated surveys, while school-based sedentary behavior and MVPA were assessed by accelerometers.

Result

A 2 × 2 (time × ethnicity) factorial repeated measures MANCOVA (gender and SES as covariates) revealed significant ethnicity effect (p = .05) and time by ethnicity interaction effect (p < .05). Hispanic children reported lower physical (p < .05) and psychosocial functioning (p > .05) but higher executive functioning (p < .05) than non-Hispanic children in kindergarten, but the gaps narrowed in third grade. Results also revealed that children’s sedentary behavior increased significantly (p < .05) and MVPA showed a declining trend (p > .05) over time.

Conclusion

Ethnic disparities in mental health between Hispanic and non-Hispanic children exist but may reduce from early to middle childhood. The longitudinal changes relative to ethnicity highlight the need for tailored interventions to address health disparities in mental health and movement behaviors between Hispanic and non-Hispanic children.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Kinesiology, College of Nursing and Health Innovation, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA

    Xiaoxia Zhang, Senlin Chen & Xiangli Gu

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  1. Xiaoxia Zhang
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  2. Senlin Chen
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  3. Xiangli Gu
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Correspondence to Xiangli Gu.

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The University of North Texas Institutional Review Board (IRB) reviewed and approved the study protocol prior to data collection. Informed written consents and minors’ assent were obtained from parents and children as per the IRB approval.

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Zhang, X., Chen, S. & Gu, X. Ethnic Disparities in Mental Health and Movement Behaviors During Childhood: Examining the Longitudinal Developmental Patterns. J. Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities 7, 1249–1257 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-020-00750-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-020-00750-6

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