Early detection of children at risk for antisocial behaviour using data from routine preventive child healthcare.

Background: Youth antisocial behaviour is highly prevalent. Young people are usually not willing to disclose such behaviour to professionals and parents. Our aim was to assess whether child health professionals (CHP) working in preventive child healthcare could identify pre-adolescents at risk for antisocial behaviour through using data that they obtain in routine practice.

Effectiveness of a family-centered method for the early identification of social-emotional and behavioral problems in children: a quasi experimental study.

Background: Social-emotional and behavioral problems are common in childhood. Early identification of these is important as it can lead to interventions which may improve the child's prognosis. In Dutch Preventive Child Healthcare (PCH), a new family-centered method has been implemented to identify these problems in early childhood.

Gender differences in the association between pre-adolescent smoking initiation and emotional or behavioural problems.

Background: Emotional and behavioural problems are a risk factor for the initiation of smoking. In this study, we aimed to assess this relationship beyond clinical cut-off values of problem behaviour.

Methods: Cross-sectional national survey among 9-13 year old children with data on smoking and Childhood Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) (N = 960).

Interleukin 13 and interleukin 4 receptor-α polymorphisms in rhinitis and asthma.

Background: Asthma and rhinitis may represent two manifestations of the same airway disease. Genetic research can increase our understanding of their common or distinct pathogenesis. IL13 and IL4R polymorphisms are associated with asthma and show gene-gene interaction in asthma.

Early findings of preventive child healthcare professionals predict psychosocial problems in preadolescence: the TRAILS study.

Objective: To develop and validate a prediction model for psychosocial problems in preadolescence using data on early developmental factors from routine Preventive Child Healthcare (PCH).

Study Design: The data come from the 1692 participants who take part in the TRacking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey, a longitudinal study. Information on early developmental factors (ages 0 to 4 years) was collected from the PCH file.

Effectiveness of a parenting programme in a public health setting: a randomised controlled trial of the positive parenting programme (Triple P) level 3 versus care as usual provided by the preventive child healthcare (PCH).

Background: Considering the high burden of disease of psychosocial problems in children and adolescents, early intervention regarding problem behaviour of young children is very important. The Preventive Child Healthcare (PCH) offers a good setting to detect such problem behaviour and to provide parenting support to the parents concerned. This paper aims to describe the design of an effectiveness study of a parenting programme for parents of children with mild psychosocial problems after an initial, evidence based screening in routine PCH.

Area deprivation affects behavioral problems of young adolescents in mixed urban and rural areas: the TRAILS study.

Purpose: Behavioral problems occur more frequently among adolescents in deprived areas, but most evidence concerns urbanized areas. Our aim was to assess the impact of area deprivation and urbanization on the occurrence and development of behavioral problems among adolescents in a mixed urban and rural area and to examine the contributory factors.

Methods: We obtained data from the first two waves (n=2,230; mean ages, 11.

Wheeze in children: the impact of parental education on atopic and non-atopic symptoms.

There is conflicting evidence for the relationship between parental socioeconomic position and their children's asthma. The aim of this study was to investigate relationships between parental education and respiratory symptoms in their children, distinguishing atopic and non-atopic symptoms. A cross-sectional survey among 3262 elementary school children (age 8-13) was performed; data on parental education were obtained for 3213 children.

Limited validity of parental recall on pregnancy, birth, and early childhood at child age 10 years.

Objective: Evidence on the validity of parental recall of early childhood behavior is lacking. Our aim was to examine the validity of parental recall at child age 10-12 years for maternal lifestyle during pregnancy, the birth characteristics, and early childhood behavior.

Study Design And Setting: The study population comprised 2,230 children and their parents.

Respiratory effects in the aftermath of a major fire in a chemical waste depot.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate respiratory effects among emergency services first responders and residents with exposure to combustion products in the aftermath of a chemical waste depot fire.

Methods: The study population comprised 138 individuals who were present in the area downwind of an accidental fire. Identified by telephone interview six years later, subjects with persistent respiratory symptoms were suspected as having Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS).

Support for the global feasibility of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire as developmental screener.

Objective: To investigate the psychometric properties of the Dutch version of the 48 months Ages and Stages Questionnaire (D_ASQ_48).

Design: Prospective cohort study of a community-based sample of children born in 2002 and 2003 whose parents filled out the D_ASQ_48 and a questionnaire on school status at 60 months. The ASQ was translated into Dutch and back-translated into English by three independent translators.

Associations between pre-employment immunologic and airway mucosal factors and the development of occupational allergy.

Background: Sensitization to occupational allergens is frequently found in laboratory animal workers (LAWs) and can cause serious health problems. Atopy is a major risk factor for sensitization, but it is considered insufficient to advise against working with animals.

Objective: We investigated whether immunologic measures, including serology and cytokine production profiles of blood cells, and parameters for airway inflammation are associated with the development of occupational sensitization.

Parents' concerns about children are highly prevalent but often not confirmed by child doctors and nurses.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence in the general population of parents' concerns about the development of their child, to identify groups at risk and to assess the association between parents' concerns and professional judgement.

Methods: We obtained cross-sectional data on a Dutch nationally representative sample of children aged 14 months, 3 3/4, 5-6 and 8-12 years within the setting of routine well-child visits provided to the entire population. A total of 4,107 participated (response rate 85.

No differences in physical activity in (un)diagnosed asthma and healthy controls.

To establish whether asthma affects physical activity levels in children (aged 7-10 years) we evaluated physical activity levels in children with undiagnosed asthma (UDA), diagnosed asthma (DA), and healthy controls (HCs). A cross-sectional community-based study was performed which included a parental questionnaire on their child's respiratory health, and testing of airway reversibility and bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR). DA was defined as the parents' confirmation of a physician's diagnosis of asthma in the past 12 months.

Quality of life in children with undiagnosed and diagnosed asthma.

This study describes the impact of undiagnosed and diagnosed asthma on quality of life in schoolchildren aged 7-10 years and their caregivers in a cross-sectional community-based study. Diagnosed asthma was defined as the parents' confirmation of a physician's diagnosis of asthma. Undiagnosed asthma was defined by asthma symptoms combined with airway reversibility or bronchial hyperresponsiveness.

Excessive body weight is associated with additional loss of quality of life in children with asthma.

Background: Asthma and excessive body weight frequently coexist, whereas the exact relationship between the 2 diseases is unknown.

Objective: To study whether asthma combined with excessive body weight has a greater effect on quality of life in children than the separate effects of asthma or excessive body weight alone.

Methods: In a cross-sectional design, 1758 school children (age 7-10 years) participated: 4 study groups were composed of children with asthma and with/without excessive body weight, and healthy controls with/without excessive body weight.

Change in airway responsiveness over a workweek in organic waste loaders.

Objective: Organic waste workers are exposed to high endotoxin levels that may result in respiratory health effects. This study describes changes in lung function and methacholine airway responsiveness over a workweek in household organic waste loaders.

Methods: Assessment of lung function and methacholine airway responsiveness before and after a workweek in six organic waste loaders with and ten loaders without regular respiratory symptoms.

Interaction of atopy and smoking on respiratory effects of occupational dust exposure: a general population-based study.

Background: For individual exposures, effect modification by atopy or smoking has been reported on the occurrence of occupational airway disease. It is unclear if effect modification can be studied in a general population by an aggregated exposure measure. Assess relationship between airway obstruction and occupational exposure using a job-exposure-matrix (JEM) classifying jobs into 3 broad types of exposure, and test for effect modification by atopy, and smoking.

Presence and timing of cat ownership by age 18 and the effect on atopy and asthma at age 28.

Background: Asthma and allergic sensitization to cats frequently coexist, although recent studies show less atopic disease among people who had pets in infancy. However, no longterm evaluations have been performed thus far.

Objective: We sought to evaluate the relationship between cat ownership at different age periods (< 18, > 18, and both periods and atopic disease at age 28.

Lung function decrease in relation to pneumoconiosis and exposure to quartz-containing dust in construction workers.

Background: Prevalence of exposure related respiratory symptoms and decreases in lung function are unknown among quartz dust exposed construction workers.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study (n = 1335), the occurrence of respiratory symptoms, was recorded and spirometric lung function was measured. Results were associated with exposure data and presence of radiographic abnormalities and compared with a reference population.

Bronchial responsiveness to adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP) and methacholine differ in their relationship with airway allergy and baseline FEV(1).

Bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) and inflammation are central hallmarks of asthma. Studies in patients with asthma suggest that BHR to adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP) is a better marker of bronchial inflammation than BHR to methacholine. The association between markers of airway inflammation and BHR to methacholine and AMP in a population of young adults, with mild symptoms if any, was evaluated.