A comprehensive GPS-based analysis of activity spaces in early and late pregnancy using the ActMAP framework.

Health implications of mobility during pregnancy entail a need to understand pregnant women's activity spaces. We present ActMAP, a framework for quantifying multiple aspects of activity spaces from distinct trips and stays derived from GPS data. We applied ActMAP to data from 238 pregnant women in Barcelona, Spain (2018-2020) and explored weekday, weekend and intraday associations between pregnancy trimester and activity spaces.

Development of land use regression, dispersion, and hybrid models for prediction of outdoor air pollution exposure in Barcelona.

Background: Air pollution is the leading environmental risk factor for health. Assessing outdoor air pollution exposure with detailed spatial and temporal variability in urban areas is crucial for evaluating its health effects.

Aim: We developed and compared Land Use Regression (LUR), dispersion (DM), and hybrid (HM) models to estimate outdoor concentrations for NO, PM, black carbon (BC), and PM (Fe, Cu, Zn) in Barcelona.

Functional structure of local connections and differentiation of cerebral cortex areas in the neonate.

Neuroimaging research on functional connectivity can provide valuable information on the developmental differentiation of the infant cerebral cortex into its functional areas. We examined healthy neonates to comprehensively map brain functional connectivity using a combination of local measures that uniquely capture the rich spatial structure of cerebral cortex functional connections. Optimal functional MRI scans were obtained in 61 neonates.

Effect of walnut consumption on neuropsychological development in healthy adolescents: a multi-school randomised controlled trial.

Background: Omega-3 fatty acids are critical for neuropsychological functioning. Adolescence is increasingly believed to entail brain vulnerability to dietary intake. The potential benefit on adolescent neurodevelopment of consuming walnuts, a source of omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), remains unclear.

The effects of exposure to road traffic noise at school on central auditory pathway functional connectivity.

As the world becomes more urbanized, more people become exposed to traffic and the risks associated with a higher exposure to road traffic noise increase. Excessive exposure to environmental noise could potentially interfere with functional maturation of the auditory brain in developing individuals. The aim of the present study was to assess the association between exposure to annual average road traffic noise (LAeq) in schools and functional connectivity of key elements of the central auditory pathway in schoolchildren.

Impact of Mobile Phone Screen Exposure on Adolescents' Cognitive Health.

There is existing evidence on how excessive screen exposure can be detrimental to cognitive health, and in recent years there has been an increase in the usage of mobile phones by adolescents. We aimed to examine the association between mobile phone screen exposure and cognitive function among a young healthy population. We carried out a cross-sectional study conducted in 632 adolescents (13.

Red blood cell omega-3 fatty acids and attention scores in healthy adolescents.

Omega-3 fatty acids are critical for brain function. Adolescence is increasingly believed to entail brain vulnerability to dietary intake. In contrast to the abundant research on the omega-3 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in cognition, research on DHA and attention in healthy adolescents is scarce.

Identifying Factors Influencing Attention in Adolescents with a Co-Created Questionnaire: A Citizen Science Approach with Secondary Students in Barcelona, Spain.

Studies on factors that can influence attention in healthy adolescents are recent and focus on recurrent topics. Students' contribution to public health research often revolves around collecting data but rarely around creating data collection instruments. The ATENC!Ó project reunited secondary students and scientists to create a questionnaire including factors that students thought could affect their attention.

Walnuts, Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, and Adolescent Brain Development: Protocol for the Walnuts Smart Snack Dietary Intervention Trial.

Adolescence, when the most complex behaviors are refined to adult sophistication, represents a major window of opportunity and vulnerability for neuropsychological development. To support and protect this complex and active brain growth, different nutritional components considered essential need to be acquired from the diet. For instance, omega-3 fatty acids are mainly obtained from seafood, seeds, and walnuts.

Urban environment and obesity and weight-related behaviours in primary school children.

Background: Urban environments are characterised by many factors that may influence children's lifestyle and increase the risk of childhood obesity, but multiple urban exposures have scarcely been studied.

Objective: We evaluated the association between multiple urban exposures and childhood obesity outcomes and weight-related behaviours.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study including 2213 children aged 9-12 years in Sabadell, Spain.

Short-term effect of air pollution on attention function in adolescents (ATENC!Ó): A randomized controlled trial in high schools in Barcelona, Spain.

Background: The recent evidence of the short-term impact of air pollution on youth cognitive functions is based primarily on observational studies.

Objectives: We conducted a randomized controlled trial to assess whether purifying the air of the classrooms produced short-term changes in attention processes of adolescents.

Methods: We recruited a total of 2,123 adolescents (13-16 years old) in 33 high schools in Barcelona metropolitan area (Spain).

Association Between Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Symptoms and Attentional Network and Working Memory in Primary Schoolchildren.

Few consistent data are available in relation to the cognitive and neuropsychological processes involved in sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) symptoms. The objective of this study was to determine the association of working memory and attentional networks with SCT symptoms in primary schoolchildren. The participants were schoolchildren aged 7 to 10 years ( = 183) from primary schools in Catalonia (Spain).

Sluggish Cognitive Tempo: Sociodemographic, Behavioral, and Clinical Characteristics in a Population of Catalan School Children.

Objective: The aims of the present study were to examine the presence of sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) symptoms in children; associations of the symptoms with sociodemographic characteristics of the children; and relationships between SCT symptoms and symptoms of ADHD, dyslexia, academic performance, and behavioral problems.

Method: We evaluated Catalan schoolchildren aged 7 to 10 years in Barcelona, 2012-2013. Parents filled out the SCT-Child Behavior Checklist (SCT-CBCL), the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and a questionnaire concerning sociodemographic characteristics.