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Maternal, Newborn, Child and Family Health: Past, Present, and Future

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Children's Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 January 2022) | Viewed by 33165

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Alessandra N. Bazzano

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Guest Editor

Department of Global Community Health and Behavioral Sciences, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal St., New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
Interests: family health; maternal child health; community engaged research; qualitative research; nutrition; non-communicable disease; health equity

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Collaborative research efforts toward understanding maternal child health and practical solutions for improving health, wellbeing, and quality of care in families and communities are urgently needed. Families face more challenges than ever in relation to the history of unequal health, the present pandemic, and a post-pandemic future. At population level, we continue to grapple with basic health, mental health, nutrition, and reproductive health problems, especially in relation to social determinants of health. This call for papers seeks to highlight team science and interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research in these topical areas. We particularly welcome research on interventions for health equity using a broad definition of maternal child health which considers life course intergenerationally, inclusive of social, political, community, and environmental factors.

This Special Issue is open to any subject area relating to family health and maternal child health and nutrition. Research papers, systematic reviews, qualitative research, methodology studies, and policy-relevant articles are all welcome.

Dr. Alessandra N. Bazzano
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

maternal health
child health and nutrition
adolescent health
life course health development
child development
reproductive health
community health
family health
health equity

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 1176 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Yoga and Mindfulness Intervention on Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in Young Adolescents Attending Middle School: A Pragmatic Community-Based Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial in a Racially Diverse Urban Setting

by Alessandra N. Bazzano, Yaoyao Sun, Vaughne Chavez-Gray, Temitope Akintimehin, Jeanette Gustat, Denise Barrera and Cody Roi

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12076; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph191912076 - 24 Sep 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 5733

Abstract

Mental health conditions in childhood and adolescence are increasing in the U.S. population and require early intervention, as highlighted by a recent Surgeon General’s Advisory on Protecting Youth Mental Health. These health issues, which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, impair functioning, and may lead to longer term reductions in quality of life. Young adolescents are likely to experience stressors including academic pressure, feelings of loneliness and isolation, and excessive exposure to social media, all of which have been made worse by the pandemic and associated disruptions. Universal preventive programs at school serve as an important strategy for equipping youth with coping skills to address current and future social and emotional challenges. Yoga and mindfulness programs have emerged as a promising preventive approach for schools and have proven feasible and acceptable. The current study evaluated a universal, school-based mindfulness and yoga program among youth aged 11–14 in a racially diverse, urban setting in the United States. Outcomes of interest included symptoms of anxiety and depression. Anxiety and depression symptoms decreased in the intervention group, although these differences were not statistically significant. In the control group, anxiety symptoms decreased but depression symptoms increased. The resulting time effect indicated a significant decrease in anxiety symptoms, while the time by group effect revealed a strong trend in depression symptoms. Future research should investigate the utility of yoga and mindfulness interventions for early adolescents in a larger population, and the differences in intervention effect among subgroups, with attention to longer term outcomes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maternal, Newborn, Child and Family Health: Past, Present, and Future)

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12 pages, 442 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Gestational Age, Newborn Metabolic Markers and Academic Achievement

by George L. Wehby

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(3), 1549; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph19031549 - 29 Jan 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2179

Abstract

Background: Gestational age is associated with greater school achievement and variation in newborn metabolic markers. Whether metabolic markers are related to gestational age differences in achievement is unknown. This study examines whether newborn metabolic markers are associated with gestational age differences in performance on standardized school tests. Methods: This retrospective cohort study linked birth certificates of children born in Iowa between 2002 and 2010 to newborn screening records and school tests between 2009 and 2018. The analytical sample includes up to 229,679 children and 973,247 child-grade observations. Regression models estimate the associations between gestational age and 37 newborn metabolic markers with national percentile ranking (NPR) scores on math, reading comprehension, and science tests. Results: An additional gestational week is associated with 0.6 (95% CI: 0.6, 0.7), 0.5 (95% CI: 0.4, 0.5), and 0.4 (95% CI: 0.4, 0.5) higher NPRs on math, reading, and science, respectively. Compared to full term children (37–44 weeks), preterm children (32–36 weeks) have 2.2 (95% CI: −2.6, −1.8), 1.5 (95% CI: −1.9, −1.1), and 1.0 (95% CI: −1.4, −0.7) lower NPRs on math, reading comprehension, and science. Very preterm children (20–31 weeks) have 8.3 (95% CI: −9.4, −7.2), 5.2 (95% CI: −6.2, −4.0), and 4.7 (95% CI: −5.6, −3.8) lower NPRs than full term children on math, reading, and science. Metabolic markers are associated with 27%, 36%, and 45% of gestational age differences in math, reading, and science scores, respectively, and over half of the difference in test scores between preterm or very preterm and full term children. Conclusions: Newborn metabolic markers are strongly related to gestational age differences in school test scores, suggesting that early metabolic differences are important markers of long-term child development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maternal, Newborn, Child and Family Health: Past, Present, and Future)

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10 pages, 373 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Body Dissatisfaction and Its Association with Health-Related Factors in Rural and Urban Mexican Adolescents from the State of Jalisco

by María Rivera-Ochoa, Marta Arroyo-Bello, Asier Mañas, Carlos Quesada-González, Barbara Vizmanos-Lamotte, Marcela González-Gross and Amelia Guadalupe-Grau

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(22), 12215; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph182212215 - 20 Nov 2021

Viewed by 2069

Abstract

Background: To better understand Mexican adolescent’s body self-perception, this study aimed to analyze their body dissatisfaction (BD) levels according to sex and place of residence. We also aimed to explore differences in body composition (BC), physical fitness (PF), and physical activity (PA) between satisfied and dissatisfied adolescents and to find the associations between BD and these parameters. Methods: Cross-sectional, observational study carried out in Jalisco (Mexico) in which 451 adolescents (43.68% males, 43.90% rural) aged 13–17 years were evaluated. BD and self-perceived PF and PA were assessed with validated questionnaires, while objectively measured PF (strength, explosive strength, speed-agility, and cardiovascular fitness) was assessed using field tests. To evaluate BC, anthropometric measures and bioelectric impedance analysis were carried out. Regression analysis was used to ascertain the associations between health-related factors and body dissatisfaction. Results: Girls obtained higher scores on the BD questionnaire than boys (11.12 ± 3.13 vs. 10.33 ± 2.73; p < 0.05), whereas no geographical differences between rural and urban adolescents were found. BD was positively associated with higher fat mass (β = 0.15; p < 0.001), and negatively associated with muscle mass and PF (β = −0.24 and β = −0.23; p < 0.001). However, PA was not associated with any of the measured parameters. Conclusions: selected parameters of BC, PF, and sex have an impact on the Mexican adolescent’s body satisfaction levels and should be considered when designing future health policies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maternal, Newborn, Child and Family Health: Past, Present, and Future)

12 pages, 553 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Differences by School Location in Summer and School Monthly Weight Change: Findings from a Nationally Representative Sample

by Ethan T. Hunt, Bridget Armstrong, Brie M. Turner-McGrievy, Michael W. Beets and Robert G. Weaver

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(21), 11610; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph182111610 - 04 Nov 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1870

Abstract

Objectives: To examine changes in accelerations of Body Mass Index (BMI), age-and-sex specific body mass index (zBMI), and 95th percentile of BMI (%BMIp95) during the summer months and school year by school location designation (i.e., urban, suburban, exurban). This study utilized the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Class of 2010–2011. Methods: Of the 18,174 children in the ECLS-K:2011 dataset, I restricted participants to those with at least two consecutive measures that occurred August/September or April/May. Mixed-effect regression analyses estimated differences in monthly change in BMI, zBMI, and %BMIp95 between the summer and school year while accounting for the ECLS-K complex sampling design. Models also examined differences in the magnitude of BMI, zBMI, and %BMIp95 change between the summer and school year by school location. Post-hoc Benjamini–Hochberg (BH) procedure set at 10% false discovery was incorporated to account for multiple comparisons. Results: A total of 1549 children (48% female, 42% White) had at least two consecutive measures that occurred in August/September or April/May. Among all locale classifications (i.e., urban, suburban, and exurban), children from high-income households comprised the largest proportions for each group (31%, 39%, and 37%), respectively. Among urban and suburban locations, Hispanic children comprised the largest proportions for both groups (43% and 44%), respectively. Among exurban locale classifications, White children comprised the largest proportion of children (60%). Children from suburban and exurban schools experienced significantly less accelerations in monthly zBMI gain when compared to their urban counterparts −0.038 (95CI = −0.071, −0.004) and −0.045 (95CI = −0.083, −0.007), respectively. Children from exurban schools experienced significantly less acceleration in monthly %BMIp95 during the summer months when compared to the school year −0.004 (95CI = −0.007, 0.000). Conclusions: This is one of the first studies to examine summer weight gain by school location. Summer appears to impact children more negatively from urban schools when compared to their suburban and exurban counterparts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maternal, Newborn, Child and Family Health: Past, Present, and Future)

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12 pages, 327 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Breastfeeding Supportive Services in Baby-Friendly Hospitals Positively Influenced Exclusive Breastfeeding Practice at Hospitalization Discharge and Six Months Postpartum

by Lingling Li, Heqing Song, Yu Zhang, Hang Li, Mu Li, Hong Jiang, Yajuan Yang, Ying Wu, Chunyi Gu, Yulian Yu and Xu Qian

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(21), 11430; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph182111430 - 30 Oct 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2402

Abstract

Background: Studies have shown that implementing the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative can protect, promote, and support breastfeeding. However, few studies have valuated the quality of breastfeeding supportive services provided by Baby-Friendly Hospitals from the perspective of service users. Methods: This was a hospital-based prospective study, conducted at eight Baby-Friendly Hospitals with a total of 707 pregnant women in Shanghai, China between October 2016 and September 2021. Breastfeeding supportive services during hospitalization were assessed at childbirth discharge using a 12-question questionnaire based on the Chinese “Baby-Friendly Hospital Evaluation Standards”. Women were followed up on six months postpartum. The impact of breastfeeding supportive services during hospitalization on the exclusive breastfeeding at discharge and six months postpartum were assessed. Results: Of the 707 mothers who completed the survey at discharge, 526 were followed up on six months after delivery. The overall exclusive breastfeeding rate among participants was 34.4% at discharge and 52.1% at six months postpartum. Mothers who received better breastfeeding supportive services during hospitalization were more likely to practice exclusive breastfeeding at hospitalization discharge compared with mothers who received poorer services (aOR: 3.00; 95% CI: 2.08, 4.35; p < 0.001). Furthermore, they were also more likely to exclusively breastfeed at six months postpartum (aOR: 1.50; 95% CI: 1.03, 2.22; p = 0.033). Conclusion: Better breastfeeding supportive services during hospitalization were significantly associated with higher rate of exclusive breastfeeding at discharge and six months postpartum. More effective measures should be adopted to improve the implementation of the breastfeeding supportive services in Baby-Friendly Hospitals to promote exclusive breastfeeding and better maternal and child health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maternal, Newborn, Child and Family Health: Past, Present, and Future)

13 pages, 411 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Prevalence of Psychoactive Substance Use in Mexican Municipalities on Early Childhood Development

by Francisco-Javier Prado-Galbarro, Copytzy Cruz-Cruz, Jorge-Ameth Villatoro-Velázquez and Juan-Manuel Martínez-Núñez

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(19), 10027; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph181910027 - 24 Sep 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2563

Abstract

Children’s early development is influenced by characteristics of the child, family, and environment, including exposure to substance abuse. The aim was to examine the association of early childhood development (ECD) with the prevalence of psychoactive substance use in Mexican municipalities. We obtained ECD data from the 2015 Survey of Boys, Girls, and Women (ENIM, for its Spanish acronym), measured with the ECD Index. The prevalence of psychoactive substance use was estimated at the municipal level, using the 2016 National Survey of Drug, Alcohol, and Tobacco Use (ENCODAT, for its Spanish acronym). Multilevel logistic models were fitted to evaluate the association between drug use and inadequacies in ECD overall and in four specific ECD domains: socio-emotional, literacy-numeric, learning, and physical. Inadequate ECD was directly associated with illegal drug use (OR = 1.10; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.17). For the specific ECD domains, inadequate socio-emotional development was directly associated with illegal drug use (OR = 1.08; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.15). These findings suggest that exposure to illegal drug use may influence ECD, and especially can lead to socio-emotional problems, although this cannot be considered the unanimous determinant of the problems presented. The implementation of evidence-based interventions to prevent drug abuse is necessary. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maternal, Newborn, Child and Family Health: Past, Present, and Future)

10 pages, 538 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Childhood Socioeconomic Position, Adult Educational Attainment and Health Behaviors: The Role of Psychological Capital and Health Literacy

by Karlijn Massar, Natalie Kopplin and Karen Schelleman-Offermans

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(17), 9399; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18179399 - 06 Sep 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2234

Abstract

Socioeconomic circumstances during childhood and adulthood are known to negatively affect health promoting behaviors. On the other hand, psychological capital (PsyCap) and health literacy are positively associated with these lifestyle behaviors. We, therefore, reasoned that PsyCap and health literacy might “buffer” the negative influences of socioeconomic circumstances on health-promoting behaviors. Method: We measured subjective childhood socioeconomic position (SEP) and adult educational attainment (as a proxy for adult socioeconomic circumstances), health literacy, PsyCap, and health behaviors (fruits and vegetables consumption, exercise, and sweets and cookies consumption) in a sample of N = 150 individuals (mean age 34.98 years, 66.7% female). Results: Bootstrapped mediation analyses including PsyCap and health literacy as parallel mediators revealed that: (I) The relationship between childhood SEP and (a) fruits and vegetables consumption and (b) exercise was mediated by PsyCap, and (II) the relationship between adult educational attainment and (a) fruits and vegetables consumption and (b) exercise was mediated by PsyCap and health literacy. We found no significant effects for consumption of sweets and cookies. Conclusion: These results suggest that larger studies are warranted that confirm the potential of PsyCap and health literacy in mitigating the negative effects of lower SEP on health behaviors and health outcomes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maternal, Newborn, Child and Family Health: Past, Present, and Future)

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Other

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13 pages, 334 KiB

Open AccessProtocol

Evidence of Violations of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes since the Adoption by the World Health Assembly in 1981: A Systematic Scoping Review Protocol

by Genevieve E. Becker, Constance Ching, Paul Zambrano, Allison Burns, Jennifer Cashin and Roger Mathisen

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(18), 9523; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18189523 - 09 Sep 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4173

Abstract

This is the protocol for a scoping review that aims to systematically explore and summarise the published evidence of violations of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes (the Code) and subsequent World Health Assembly Resolutions globally. The planned scoping review will seek to identify what research has been conducted on the topic, examine the geographic spread and nature of violations, and summarise knowledge gaps. The Code was adopted in 1981 by the World Health Assembly to protect infant health, in particular from aggressive and inappropriate marketing of breastmilk substitutes including formula and related products. Non-compliance with the Code or violations are described in reports, however, no existing systematic review of the global research appears to have been conducted that encompasses the varied disciplines including health, economics, and gender. The review will inform international and national decision-makers on the nature of violations and potentially highlight the need for new modalities to regulate this marketing. The proposed scoping review will use the six-step process of Arksey and O’Malley which includes defining the research question; identifying the relevant literature; selecting studies; charting the data; collating, summarising and reporting the findings; and will include a consultative group. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maternal, Newborn, Child and Family Health: Past, Present, and Future)

25 pages, 854 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Yoga and Mindfulness Interventions for Preschool-Aged Children in Educational Settings: A Systematic Review

by Yaoyao Sun, Renee Lamoreau, Samantha O’Connell, Raquel Horlick and Alessandra N. Bazzano

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(11), 6091; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18116091 - 05 Jun 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 8608

Abstract

Early childhood and the pre-school stage of development constitute a dynamic period for acquisition of social-emotional competencies. Yoga and mindfulness practices (YMP) have become increasingly used in schools for social emotional learning, but less is known about their utility in early childhood settings. A systematic review using PRISMA guidelines was undertaken to explore the effect of YMP on social emotional function among preschool-aged children (3–5 years). The review resulted in identification of 1115 records, of which 80 full text articles were screened, with final inclusion of 16 studies. Included studies evaluated the effect of YMP on social-emotional functioning, and identified the potential for YMP to improve regulatory skills such as behavioral self-regulation and executive function. Among studies reviewed, 13 reported improvements in these domains, but quality appraisal indicated significant variability in risk of bias across studies, and heterogeneity of outcome measurements hindered comparison. Programs appeared to produce better results when implemented for at least 6 weeks and among children who had lower baseline social-emotional functioning. YMP constitute a promising strategy for social emotional development in early childhood settings, but additional rigorously designed studies are needed to expand understanding of how and why these programs are effective. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maternal, Newborn, Child and Family Health: Past, Present, and Future)

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