European Scientific Journal, ESJ

Représentations d’attachement à la mère et développement des habiletés pragmatiques du langage chez les enfants camerounais âgés de 8 à 11 ans

Bertrand Péguy Konguea, Leonard Nguimfack — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 16:31:07 +0000

Cette étude évalue le lien entre les représentations d’attachement à la mère et le développement des habiletés pragmatiques du langage chez les enfants âgés de 8 à 11 ans. Nous partons d’une observation sur le terrain des enfants d’âge scolaire de 8 à 11 ans qui bénéficient de la disponibilité affective de leur mère (les sourires ; les gestes de réconfort ou les mots d’encouragement), et qui du point de vue développemental, sont sensés déjà avoir acquis les habiletés pragmatiques telles que l’usage complet du registre de politesse, la compréhension de l’implicite. Nous avons pourtant constaté que certains, en situation de communication avaient du mal à saisir les nuances du langage et à utiliser les regèles de politesse. Or la théorie de l’attachement stipule que les représentations d’attachement qui se construisent précocement et se pérennisent au cours de la vie constituent un socle fondamental pour le développement cognitif, socioaffectif et du langage de l’enfant dans toutes ses dimensions y compris la dimension pragmatique. Trente enfants camerounais de 8 à 11 ans ont participé à cette étude. Les représentations d’attachement ont été évaluées à l’aide du test des histoires à compléter, tandis que les habiletés pragmatiques du langage ont été mesurées au moyen du test de Shulman adapté pour les enfants de 8 à 12 ans. Les cotations ont été faites selon les normes relatives aux deux tests.

Les résultats relèvent que les représentations d’attachement à la mère comme sécure exercent une influence positive statistiquement significative sur le développement des habiletés pragmatiques du langage (β =0.31 ; P=0.010), les représentations d’attachement à la mère comme insécure ambivalent exercent une influence négative statistiquement significative sur le développement des habiletés pragmatiques du langage (β = -0.36 ; P=0.003) et les représentations d’attachement à la mère comme insécure évitant exercent une influence négative statistiquement significative sur le développement des habiletés pragmatiques du langage (β = -0.27 ; P= 0.020). Cette étude permet de mieux comprendre l’effet des représentations d’attachement à la mère sur le développement des habiletés pragmatiques du langage chez les enfants âgés de 8 à 11 ans, tout en soulignant, au niveau de la discussion des résultats, l’importance d’intégrer les particularités culturelles et relationnelles du contexte camerounais.

This study examines the relationship between children’s attachment representations to their mother and the development of pragmatic language skills among 8- to 11-year-olds. Our starting point was a field observation of school-aged children (8–11 years) who benefit from their mother’s emotional availability (smiles, gestures, encouraging words) and who, from a developmental perspective, are expected to have already acquired pragmatic abilities such as the full use of politeness registers and the understanding of implicature according. However, we observed that some children still struggled to grasp subtle linguistic nuances and to apply politeness conventions during communication. Yet attachment theory posits that attachment representations, formed early in life and consolidated over time, constitute a fundamental foundation for cognitive, socio-emotional, and language development, including its pragmatic dimension. Thirty Cameroonian children aged 8 to 11 years participated in this study. Attachment representations were assessed using the Story Stem Assessment Profile, while pragmatic language skills, adapted for children aged 8 to 12.

The results show that secure attachment representations to the mother exert a statistically significant positive influence on the development of pragmatic language skills (β = 0.31; p = 0.010), while ambivalent insecure attachment representations exert a statistically significant negative influence (β = –0.36 ; p = 0.003). Similarly, avoidant insecure attachment representations also exert a statistically significant negative influence (β = –0.27 ; p = 0.020). This study provides deeper insight into the effect of mother–child attachment representations on the development of pragmatic language skills among children aged 8 to 11, and highlights the importance of integrating the cultural and relational specificities of the Cameroonian context.

Clinical Presentation of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Related Quality of Life among Cameroonian Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 16:24:24 +0000

Background: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder characterized by chronic abdominal pain and altered bowel habits without structural abnormalities. Though non-lethal, it significantly affects the quality of life of sufferers. In Sub-Saharan Africa, data on IBS are limited.

Objective: Describe the clinical presentation of IBS and the quality of life among medical students in our country.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in two medical schools. Stratified sampling was employed for a total of 260 students recruited. Data gathered included sociodemographic details, Rome IV diagnostic criteria, Bristol stool scale, gastrointestinal symptoms, and quality of life items. Statistical analysis was done using IBM SPSS version 26.

Results: Out of the 260 students, the prevalence of presumed IBS was 11.2%. IBS-C was most common (41.4%), followed by IBS-D (31%), IBS-M (20.7%), and unclassified (6.9%). IBS-C was significantly associated with females, irregular meals, and morning predominance of pain. The triad of defecation-related abdominal pain, altered stool consistency, and altered stool frequency was present in 68.9% of cases. Most cases reported diffuse (62.1%), persistent (34.5%) abdominal pain with mixed triggers and relieving factors. Quality of life was altered in 58.6% of cases, with 10.3% experiencing severe impairment.

Conclusion: Presumed IBS among medical students in our study was non-negligible, with a predominance of IBS-C. Clinical profile was dominated by diffuse, persistent abdominal pain with multiple triggers. Quality of life was altered in most students.

Health Outcomes, Public Health Spending and Education nexus in Kenya

James Murunga, Elijah Ruttoh Chebet — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 16:19:24 +0000

The Sustainable Development Goal 3 requires countries to provide good health and well-being for their people through quality health care. It is therefore important for a country to have information on the right mix of public expenditure in the health sector and education quality to have better health outcomes. This study contributes to achieving Goal 3 by studying the role of government spending on the health sector and the role education quality has on health outcomes, namely the longevity and child mortality rate in Kenya. The study adopts the ordinary least squares method to estimate this relationship. This study applies time series data for a period spanning from 1990 to 2022. The results show that government spending on the health sector has statistically significant asymmetric quadratic effects on health outcomes in Kenya. Results of the study reveal that sustainable government spending on the health sector can achieve better health outcomes, as 1.31 for the child mortality rate and 1.42 for longevity or life expectancy at birth. In addition, results show that interacting government expenditure in the health sector and education quality reduces child mortality rate and also improves longevity. Lastly, the interaction term indicates that improving education quality beyond a threshold of 1.81 can reduce child mortality rate and beyond 1.99 can improve longevity. The study therefore recommends that policymakers ensure both public health expenditure and educational quality exceed the established thresholds for sustainable health outcomes in Kenya.