OAR@UM Community:

Identifying a protocol to assess literacy-related skills in Maltese children and adolescents with Down syndrome

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Title: Identifying a protocol to assess literacy-related skills in Maltese children and adolescents with Down syndrome Authors: Muscat, Loredana; Grech, Helen; Buckley, Sue Abstract: Acquiring the ability to read is a complex process that involves a number of skills. Recent literature confirms that many individuals with Down syndrome (DS) can acquire useful levels of reading ability which can open new opportunities. In contrast with the typically-developing (TD) population, students with DS portray an uneven pattern of development of pre-reading and reading skills. This commentary explores the aspects that need to be considered when assessing the pre-literacy and literacy abilities of students with DS in the Maltese bilingual context. Its aim is to identify the components of an assessment protocol that could be used to evaluate the literacy-related abilities of students with DS.

Investigating determinants of obesity in 5- to 6-year-old Maltese children

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Title: Investigating determinants of obesity in 5- to 6-year-old Maltese children Authors: Zarb Adami, Roberta; Jones, Petra; Camilleri, Liberato; Sillato Copperstone, Claire Abstract: Childhood obesity is increasing in most countries worldwide and Malta is no exception. However, local data regarding determinants of obesity is lacking. The aim of this preliminary study was to link some possible determinants of childhood obesity, namely, dietary intake and activity levels with anthropometric data in a sample of 5- to 6-year-old Maltese children and to investigate possible associations with parental body mass index (BMI). Stratified sampling which ensured good gender, geographical and socioeconomic representation and adequate representation from the three school-types (state, church, independent), provided a sample of 66 participants. Anthropometric measurements of children and parents were collected in 2015 and diet and lifestyle factors were assessed through food and activity diaries. The diaries were coded to retrieve energy and macronutrient intake and activity levels of the children. Multiple regression related BMI and waist circumference (WC) with dietary intake, activity levels and parental BMI. Children’s BMI and WC were positively and significantly (rs = 0.71, p < 0.001) correlated. Consumption of Non-Milk Extrinsic Sugars (NMES) were significantly higher for girls than boys (U = 366.0, p = 0.031). Multiple regression analysis yielded a significant positive relationship between NMES with both BMI (t (56) = 3.095, p = 0.003) and WC (t (56) = 3.365, p = 0.002). Paternal and child BMI were positively significantly correlated (rs = 0.372, p = 0.005). NMES intake was one possible contributing factor to obesity and central adiposity with physical activity having a protective effect, whilst sedentary behaviour and fat intake did not appear to be risk factors at this age. Further studies are recommended on larger sample sizes to extensively investigate the effect of different determinants on obesity in this age group and work towards developing nutritional recommendations on a national basis.

The impact of socioeconomic status on auditory processing skills in Maltese children

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Title: The impact of socioeconomic status on auditory processing skills in Maltese children Authors: Tabone, Nadine; Said, Jamie; Grech, Helen; Bamiou, Doris-Eva Abstract: Auditory processing skills (APS) may affect the development of language. Understanding the impact that socioeconomic status (SES) has on APS can help to identify individuals at risk of poor auditory processing skills and in turn develop more focused intervention strategies to target these skills before serious repercussions emerge. This study explored the impact of SES on the auditory processing skills of 41 Maltese children aged between 7 and 9 years. A self-devised questionnaire was used to gather information relating to the SES of the children, using maternal education and occupation to categorise SES. Such information was compared with the children’s performance on an auditory processing test battery in order to analyse its effect. Results demonstrated a significant correlation between SES groups and performance on the Duration Patterns Test (DPT), an auditory processing subtest which presents tones of varying duration as a stimulus. In addition, overall higher mean scores on almost all the tests were observed for the mid and high-mid socioeconomic groups. This study provides the first preliminary indications that lower SES could be associated with poorer APS in Maltese children.

Auditory temporal order and resolution in younger and older Maltese adults

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Title: Auditory temporal order and resolution in younger and older Maltese adults Authors: Balzan, Pasquale; Tabone, Nadine Abstract: Recent studies are accruing support for the existence of auditory processing disorder in adults as a multifactorial condition underlying alterations in the auditory mechanisms and the brain. However, local research that evaluates age-related changes in temporal order and resolution is still very limited. This paper explores agerelated differences on non-speech measures of temporal order and resolution by investigating the performance of younger and older Maltese adults on four tests of temporal processing. The study also compares the four measures of temporal processing and explores their relationship. Sixteen younger adults (YA) aged between 18 and 25 years and 10 older adults (OA) aged between 60 and 74 years participated in the study. Temporal ordering, as measured by the Duration Pattern Test (DPT) and the Frequency Pattern Test (FPT), and temporal resolution, as measured by the Random Gap Detection Test (RGDT) and the Gaps-in-Noise Test (GIN), were evaluated. Results indicated that in comparison to OA, YA performed significantly better in all four tests. Thus, the OA group required more time to identify temporal changes in a stream of sound and were less able to label patterns of duration and frequency. With regards to the comparison between measures, while a statistically significant difference between the two tests of temporal resolution emerged, no significant difference between temporal order tests was revealed. A negative correlation between temporal order and resolution was established, indicating that a greater percentage of correct responses on temporal order tests was related to shorter gap detection thresholds on resolution tests. These findings tentatively suggest that the two subtypes of temporal measures may underlie common auditory processing abilities but may be influenced by the type of stimuli employed or the auditory processing mechanisms being assessed.