Maternal resources for care are associated with child growth and early childhood development in Bangladesh and Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: Suboptimal child growth and development are significant problems in low- and middle-income countries. Maternal resources for care may help to improve growth and development. This study examined the association of maternal resources for care on child length, motor development and language development of children 12-23.9 months old. METHODS: We used baseline data from the Alive & Thrive household surveys collected in Bangladesh (n = 803) and Vietnam (n = 635). Resources for care were represented by maternal education, knowledge, height, well-nourishment, mental well-being, decision-making, employment, support in chores and perceived support. The regression analyses were adjusted for household wealth and other covariates on households, children and parents and accounted for geographical clustering. RESULTS: Maternal height (Bangladesh ß = 0.150 p < 0.001, Vietnam ß = 0.156 p < 0.001), well-nourishment (Vietnam ß = 0.882 p = 0.007) and mental well-being (Bangladesh ß = 0.0649 p = 0.008, Vietnam ß = 0.0742 p = 0.039) were associated with child length. Well-nourishment (Vietnam ß = 0.670 p = 0.042) and support in chores (Bangladesh ß = 0.0983 p = 0.021) were associated with child motor development. Mental well-being (Vietnam ß = 0.0735 p = 0.013), decision-making autonomy (Bangladesh ß = 0.0886 p = 0.029) and perceived support (Vietnam ß = 0.445 p = 0.003) were associated with child language development. CONCLUSION: Maternal height, well-nourishment, mental well-being, decision-making, support in chores and perceived social support were associated with child outcomes. Interventions that help to improve resources among mothers have potential to foster child growth and development.

Factor Structure and Equivalence of Maternal Resources for Care in Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Ethiopia.

OBJECTIVES: Resources for care among women are crucial for children's growth and development. The objectives of this cross-sectional study were to determine if: (1) the factor structure of measures of maternal resources for care was comparable across countries and consistent with the theoretical constructs and (2) the measures showed equivalence across contexts. METHODS: The study included 4400, 4029 and 2746 women from Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Ethiopia, respectively. The measures of resources for care were maternal education, knowledge, height, body mass index, mental well-being, financial autonomy, decision-making, employment, support in chores, and perceived support. RESULTS: The factor analysis demonstrated that a two-factor solution best explained the structure of resources for care in all three countries. The first factor was associated with financial autonomy and employment in all three countries and with decision-making in two countries. The second factor was associated with education and knowledge in all three countries. The measures of resources for care had measurement equivalence across countries. CONCLUSION FOR PRACTICE: Resources for care were structurally similar and measurement equivalent across countries and can be used for measurement in low- and middle-income countries. Additional work examining the structure and cross-context equivalence of resources for care in other settings is warranted.

Understanding the relationship between Food Insecurity, Excess Body Weight, and Mental Health among Latinos in California. 2014 / Entendiendo la relación entre la Inseguridad Alimentaria, Exceso de Peso y Salud Mental en la Población Latina en California. 2014

Abstract: Objectives: 1)To determine the association between food insecurity and excess body weight among Latinos in California, and whether it differs by gender. 2) To examine the role of psychological distress as a mediator in this relationship. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted in adults participating in the California Health Interview Survey in 2014, who self-reported as Latinos (n=3779). Using logistic regression, we examined the associations of interest while controlling for key covariates. Results: Food insecurity was positive and significantly associated with excess body weight in Latino women, but not men. Psychological distress was positively associated with food insecurity, but not with excess body weight. Conclusions: Psychological distress did not appear to be a mediator in the food insecurity-body weight association in this sample. More studies are needed to fully understand the relationships among mental health, obesity and food insecurity.

Resumen: Objetivos: 1) Determinar la asociación entre la inseguridad alimentaria y el exceso de peso corporal entre los latinos en California, así como, si esta relación difiere según el género. 2) Examinar el papel del malestar psicológico como mediador en esta relación. Materiales y métodos: Se realizó un análisis transversal con las personas adultas que se autodefinieron como latinos en la Encuesta de salud de California en el 2014 (n = 3779). Usando la regresión logística, se examinaron las asociaciones de interés mientras se controlaron las covariables clave. Resultados: La inseguridad alimentaria se asoció positiva y significativamente con el exceso de peso corporal en las mujeres latinas, pero no así en los hombres latinos. El malestar psicológico se asoció positivamente con la inseguridad alimentaria, pero no con el exceso de peso corporal. Conclusiones: El distrés psicológico no parece ser un mediador en la asociación entre la inseguridad alimentaria y el exceso de peso en esta muestra. Se necesitan más estudios para comprender completamente la relación entre la salud mental, el exceso de peso y la inseguridad alimentaria.

Associations of maternal resources with care behaviours differ by resource and behaviour.

Care is important for children's growth and development, but lack or inadequacy of resources for care can constrain appropriate caregiving. The objectives of this study were to examine whether maternal resources for care are associated with care behaviours specifically infant and young child feeding, hygiene, health-seeking, and family care behaviours. The study also examined if some resources for care are more important than others. This study used baseline Alive & Thrive household surveys from Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Ethiopia. Measures of resources for care were maternal education, knowledge, height, nourishment, mental well-being, decision-making autonomy, employment, support in chores, and perceived instrumental support. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations of resources for care with child-feeding practices (exclusive breastfeeding, minimum meal frequency, dietary and diversity), hygiene practices (improved drinking water source, improved sanitation, and cleanliness), health-seeking (full immunization), and family care (psychosocial stimulation and availability of adequate caregiver). The models were adjusted for covariates at child, parents, and household levels and accounted for geographic clustering. All measures of resources for care had positive associations with care behaviours; in a few instances, however, the associations between the resources for care and care behaviours were in the negative direction. Improving education, knowledge, nutritional status, mental well-being, autonomy, and social support among mothers would facilitate provision of optimal care for children.

Integrating nutrition into health systems at community level: Impact evaluation of the community-based maternal and neonatal health and nutrition projects in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Senegal.

Maternal undernutrition and mortality remain high in several African countries. Key nutrition and health interventions improve maternal and birth outcomes. Evidence is scarce on how to strengthen health systems to ensure pregnant women and newborns are reached with these interventions. We conducted three quasi-experimental nonrandomized Community Based Maternal and Neonatal Health and Nutrition projects in regions of Ethiopia, Senegal, and Kenya to demonstrate how proven nutrition interventions could be integrated into health programs to improve knowledge and practices during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. We evaluated impact on knowledge and practices related to maternal and neonatal care using logistic regression and repeated-measures models with districts as a fixed variable and adjusted for covariates. Combined country analyses show significant positive effects of the intervention on women receiving first antenatal care visit (ANC) during first trimester (OR = 1.44; p < .001), those consuming any iron and folic acid supplement during their latest pregnancy (OR = 1.60; p = .005), those whose <6 months infants were exclusively breastfed (OR = 2.01; p=.003), those whose delivery was facility based (OR = 1.48; p=.031), and those whose postnatal care was facility based (OR = 2.15; p<.001). There was no significant differences between intervention and control groups regarding one or more and four or more ANC visits, women consuming iron and folic acid for ≥90 days, and early initiation of breastfeeding. We conclude that integrating proven nutrition interventions into health programs at community level improved components of access to and use of ANC, delivery services, and postnatal care by women in three African countries.