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Researchers address early childhood needs of Nebraska’s immigrant, refugee families

Early screening and support are vital for healthy child development, especially for immigrant and refugee families navigating unfamiliar systems in the U.S.

A recent multi-campus study found that many immigrant and refugee families in Nebraska struggle to access services to address developmental delays or disabilities in children, particularly those age 3 and younger. Barriers include language differences, limited awareness of available services and discomfort with the health care system due to past discrimination or negative experiences. Full Article

Researchers examine parents’ role in aiding children with autism

For families raising a child with autism spectrum disorder, everyday moments of connection can be difficult. The disorder affects about 1 in 36 children in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and often hinders social communication skills essential for personal, professional and academic growth. Full Article

Study explores factors influencing youth sports participation

For years, research has shown that active children — including those who participate in youth sports — tend to be healthier than those who are less active.

Ann Rogers, assistant professor in the Department of Health Promotion in the College of Public Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, is leading a project to understand what influences youth sports participation, including where children and adolescents live. Full Article

Family-school partnership program earns national recognition

Decades of research show that Teachers and Parents as Partners (TAPP) improves children’s academic, social and behavioral outcomes, while building stronger, more effective relationships between parents and teachers.

Developed at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the family-school partnership intervention has been implemented in Nebraska, Colorado, Missouri, Wisconsin and rural Appalachian communities, expanding its reach in recent years through distance technology. Full Article

CHIME expands its reach to Ghana

A transformative program designed to help educators use mindfulness and reflection in their daily work is expanding its global reach.

Holly Hatton, associate professor of child, youth and family studies, is collaborating with researchers in Ghana to adapt CHIME — Cultivating Healthy Intentional Mindful Educators — an interactive compassion- and mindfulness-based program developed at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The program will support caregivers, young children and college students in the small west African country. Full Article

National data reveal breastfeeding barriers for new moms at work

For new mothers, returning to work often means deciding whether to continue breastfeeding. But systemic barriers often make it difficult to do so.

To explore the relationship between breastfeeding and returning to work, Kailey Snyder, assistant professor in the School of Health & Kinesiology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, partnered with the Nebraska Academy for Methodology, Analytics and Psychometrics (MAP Academy) to examine a decade’s worth of national lactation data. Full Article

NAECR Networking event highlights latest research on social-emotional development

A panel of researchers discussed the latest programming, interventions and resources being used to promote early childhood social-emotional development across Nebraska at the NAECR Networking event April 15.

Panelists included Kerry-Ann Escayg, assistant professor of teacher education, University of Nebraska at Omaha; Sara Kupzyk, assistant professor of psychology, University of Nebraska at Omaha; and Abbie Raikes, associate professor of health promotion, University of Nebraska Medical Center Full Article

Data integrity, security, best practices outlined in methodology presentation

In recent years, remote technology-based research has rapidly increased in popularity and offers several advantages.

However, this approach also carries the risk of disingenuous responses, posing a real threat to data integrity.

Alexandra Terrill, associate professor, Departments of Occupational & Recreational Therapies and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the University of Utah, led an April 4 MAP Academy methodology presentation that outlined real-world examples of scammers across a range of study design types. Full Article