Publications by authors named "Marcel van der Wal"

The present study examined the psychometric properties of the short Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI-5) in a Dutch adolescent sample. The sample consisted of 2063 secondary school students (mean age 13.6 years, 48% girls) who filled out a battery of screening questionnaires for a routine health check.

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This is the first Dutch study investigating symptoms of five DSM-IV-classified anxiety disorders and depression in a large sample of pre-adolescent children with and without a migration background, adjusting for socioeconomic position (SEP) and social preference. Both are potential explanatory factors for differences in mental health among migrant children. We measured anxiety and depression scores with the self-report Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS) in 2063 children (aged 8-13 years, 55% girls) in the Netherlands.

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Objective: This study aimed to explore the association of age with individual depression and anxiety symptoms and their connectivity (i.e., number/strength of connections with other symptoms) in girls and boys.

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Purpose: This study aims to link scores of the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale short version (RCADS-25) to the metric of the PROMIS pediatric item banks Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms in a general Dutch population sample.

Methods: The RCADS-25 and PROMIS pediatric item banks Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms were administered online to 2,893 Dutch children and adolescents aged 8-18. Assumptions for linking methods were checked.

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Introduction: It is unclear what role daughters play in the decision-making process regarding HPV vaccination. Therefore, we explored the impact of HPV vaccination intention among parents and their 12-13 year-old daughters on HPV vaccination uptake.

Methods: In February 2014 parents/guardians and their 12-13 year-old daughters were invited to complete a questionnaire about socio-psychological determinants of the decision-making process regarding HPV vaccination.

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Background: Anxiety and depression are common in children and adolescents, which can be detected via self-report questionnaires in non-clinical settings like the school environment. Two short versions of the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (i.e.

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Background: Evidence has not been conclusive on whether adolescent overweight is associated with mental health, possibly caused by indirect, yet untested associations. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the association between overweight or obesity and mental health problems among adolescents, and to determine whether victimization plays a mediating role in these associations.

Methods: Self-reported data on mental health and victimization and objectively measured Body Mass Index data were used, using three cohorts (2010-2011 until 2012-2013) and an interval between the measurement waves of two years later.

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Societal change in western societies may impact emotional and behavioural problems of adolescents. Firm epidemiological evidence of changes in emotional and behavioural problems during the last decade is lacking. Insight into secular changes in emotional and behavioural problems among adolescents from various sociodemographic groups is crucial for adequate and targeted policy making.

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Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination coverage in the Netherlands is low (~60%) compared to other childhood vaccinations (>90%), and even lower among ethnic minorities. The aim of this study was to explore the possible impact of ethnicity on the determinants of both HPV vaccination intention and HPV vaccination uptake among parents/guardians having a daughter that is invited for the HPV vaccination.

Methods: In February 2014, parents/guardians living in Amsterdam were invited to complete a questionnaire about social-psychological determinants of their decision making process regarding the HPV vaccination of their daughter and socio-demographic characteristics.

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Sustainability of health promotion programs is essential to maintain their positive effects. However, few studies have examined the extent of program sustainability and the factors influencing it. We examined these issues through the Good Behaviour Game (GBG), a classroom-based program in primary schools with beneficial behavioural and health-related effects that was implemented in 2008.

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Objective: To determine the trends in prevalence of moderate and severe thinness, overweight and obesity in children living in Amsterdam between 2009 and 2013 and estimate prevalences for 2020.

Design: Historical cohort study.

Method: 158,730 measurements of height and weight of 112,405 children from Amsterdam were analysed.

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Objectives: We investigated whether intervention effects of FRIENDS for Life, a school-based prevention program for children with anxiety or depression symptoms, were maintained over a period of 12 months after the intervention in a naturalistic setting.

Methods: We used a quasi-experimental design, with 339 children in the intervention group and 157 in the control group (aged 8-13 years) in schools in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. We collected self-, teacher, and peer reports of anxiety and depression scores before and after intervention, and 6 and 12 months after intervention, from 2010 to 2012.

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Background: Although anxiety and, to a lesser extent, depression are highly prevalent in children, these problems are, difficult to identify. The Revised Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS) assesses self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression in youth.

Methods: The present study examined the factor structure, internal consistency, short-term stability, and validity including sensitivity to change of the RCADS in a multi-ethnic urban sample of 3636 Dutch children aged 8 to 13 years old.

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Background: Growing up in socioeconomically deprived neighborhoods has been shown to have negative health effects on children. However, the most recent review on which measures are used to investigate the association between neighborhood characteristics and child (0-18 year) health included studies only until 2004. Insight into more recent research is needed for the further development of these measures.

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Background: The aim of the present study was to investigate factors influencing the adoption, implementation, and institutionalization process of JUMP-in-a multilevel school-based physical activity promotion program-to optimize the dissemination of the intervention and improve its effectiveness. The process evaluation concerned the constraints and success and failure factors at sociopolitical, organizational, user, and intervention levels.

Methods: A mixed methods approach including qualitative and quantitative data was conducted during two school years (2006-2008).

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Background: Important health benefits can be achieved when physical activity in children from low socio-economic status is promoted and sedentariness is limited. By specifying the mediating mechanisms of existing interventions one can improve future physical activity interventions. This study explored potential mediators of the long-term effect of the school-based multicomponent JUMP-in intervention on sport participation, outdoor play and screen time in Dutch primary schoolchildren from disadvantaged neighborhoods.

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Background And Objective: Human studies that have investigated the association between caffeine intake during pregnancy and offspring's behavioral outcomes are scant and inconclusive. We prospectively investigated the association between maternal caffeine intake during pregnancy and children's problem behavior at age 5 to 6 years. Mediation by fetal growth restriction and gestational age as well as effect modification by the child's gender and maternal smoking was tested.

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Background: Anxiety disorders and depression are highly prevalent in children and affect their current and future functioning. 'FRIENDS for Life' is a cognitive-behavioural programme teaching children skills to cope more effectively with feelings of anxiety and depression. Although 'FRIENDS for Life' is increasingly being implemented at Dutch schools, its effectiveness as a preventive intervention in Dutch schools has never been investigated.

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Objective: antenatal programmes might be effective in preventing unhealthy lifestyles, poor maternal infant care practices, and poor psychosocial health in ethnic minority women, but there are few evidence-based interventions. For this reason an antenatal education programme, called 'Happy Mothers, Happy Babies' (HMHB) was systematically designed for ethnic Turkish women in the Netherlands.

Design: in a non-randomised trial Turkish women attending HMHB (HMHB group) were compared with those receiving care as usual (control group).

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Background: The etiology of excessive infant crying is largely unknown. We hypothesize that excessive infant crying may have an early nutritional origin during fetal development.

Aims: This study is the first to explore whether (1) maternal vitamin B-12 and folate status during pregnancy are associated with excessive infant crying, and (2) whether and how maternal psychological well-being during pregnancy affects these associations.

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