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Background: Childhood obesity has posed serious public health challenge in the 21st century since it affects child physical and emotional health. The rate of childhood obesity is dramatically rising in low- and middle-income countries where Egypt is one of those countries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between socio-economic determinants and childhood obesity among children under the age of five years in Egypt and report on the overall status of childhood obesity in the country. Methods: The study identifies Egypt as the study area where the target population for the study was children under five years. A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted. Data were derived from the Egypt Demographic Health Survey, 2014. To determine the associations, bivariate analysis based on Pearson’s chi-squared test and multivariable-adjusted logistic regression were performed. Analysis was done using R commander and R-studio. Results: The study included a sample of 12258 children. The prevalence of obesity among children under five years of age was 4.5%. Children from the richest households had higher odds (ORadj = 1.23; 95% CI 0.83, 1.82) of child obesity compared to children from the poorest households.  Children with mothers who had occupation had higher odds (ORadj = 1.22; 95% CI: 0.95,1.56) of obesity. Conclusion: The study did not establish any significant association between socioeconomic status (mother’s education, wealth index, place of residence and mother’s occupation) and childhood obesity.

Essay #1 - Parental Social Influence in Childhood Obesity Interventions: a Systematic Review The objective of this study is to understand the pathways through which social influence at the family level moderates childhood obesity interventions. We conducted a systematic review of obesity interventions in which parents' behaviors are targeted to change children's obesity outcomes, due to the potential social and environmental influence of parents on the nutrition and physical activity behaviors of children. Results for existing mechanisms that moderate parents' influence on children's behavior are discussed and a causal pathway diagram is developed to map out social influence mechanisms that affect childhood obesity. We provide health professionals and researchers with recommendations to leverage family-based social influence mechanisms for increasing the efficacy of the obesity intervention programs. Essay #2 - Dynamics of Obesity Interventions inside Organizations: a Case Study of Food Carry-Outs in Baltimore A large number of obesity prevention interventions, from upstream (policy and environmental) to downstream (individual level), have been put forward to curb the obesity trend; however, not all those interventions have been successful. Overall effectiveness of obesity prevention interventions relies not only on the average efficacy of a generic intervention, but also on the successful Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) of that intervention. In this study, we aim to understand how effectiveness of organizational level obesity prevention interventions depends on dynamics of AIM. We focus on an obesity prevention intervention, implemented in food carry-outs in low-income urban areas of Baltimore city, which aims to improve dietary behavior for adults through better food access to healthier foods and point-of-purchase prompts. Building on data from interviews and the literature we develop a dynamic model of the key processes of AIM. We first develop a contextualized map of causal relationships integral to the dynamics of AIM, and then quantify those mechanisms using a system dynamics simulation model. With simulation analysis, we show how as a result of several reinforcing loops that span stakeholder motivation, communications, and implementation quality and costs, small changes in the process of AIM can make a big difference in impact. We present how the dynamics surrounding communication, motivation, and depreciation of interventions can create tipping dynamics in AIM. Specifically, small changes in allocation of resources to an intervention could have a disproportionate long-term impact if those additional resources can turn stakeholders into allies of the intervention, reducing the depreciation rates and enhancing sustainability. We provide researchers with a set of recommendations to increase the sustainability of the interventions. Essay #3 - Dynamics of Implementation and Maintenance of Organizational Health Interventions: Case Studies of Obesity Interventions In this study, we present case studies to explore the dynamics of implementation and maintenance of obesity interventions. We analyze how specific obesity prevention interventions are built and eroded, how the building and erosion mechanisms are interconnected, and why we can see significantly different erosion rates across otherwise similar organizations. We use multiple comparative case studies to provide empirical information on the mechanisms of interest, and use qualitative systems modeling to integrate our evolving understanding into an internally consistent and transparent theory of the phenomenon. Our preliminary results identify reinforcing feedback mechanisms, including design of organizational processes, motivation of stakeholders, and communication among stakeholders, which influence implementation and maintenance of intervention components. Over time, these feedback mechanisms may drive a wedge between otherwise similar organizations, leading to distinct configurations of implementation and maintenance processes. / Ph. D.

L’étiologie de l’obésité infantile est multifactorielle et complexe. Le patrimoine génétique tout comme l’environnement d’un enfant peuvent favoriser l’apparition d’un surplus de poids. C’est pourquoi plusieurs études se sont penchées sur le lien entre l’environnement familial et en particulier le rôle de la mère et le risque d’obésité chez l’enfant. L’objectif est de mieux comprendre quels sont les facteurs de risque maternels spécifiques à chaque population afin de mieux prévenir ce fléau. Ce projet a donc cherché à identifier quelles sont les relations entre les facteurs de risque maternels et l’indice de masse corporelle d’enfants québécois avec surcharge pondérale. Parmi les facteurs de risque étudiés, on note des liens entre le niveau de scolarité de la mère, son statut familial et son niveau d’insécurité alimentaire. Sur le plan cognitif et comportemental, le lien entre l’indice de masse corporelle (IMC) de l’enfant et la perception maternelle du poids de son enfant ainsi que le niveau de restriction alimentaire maternel ont également été analysés. Au total, 47 entrevues ont été complétées par téléphone auprès des mères d’enfants obèses ou en embonpoint grâce à un large questionnaire destiné à décrire le profil des familles consultant les cliniques externes du CHU Ste Justine. Les tests de Fisher pour les variables catégorielles, le test de T de comparaison des moyennes du Z-score de l’IMC des enfants ont permis d’effectuer les analyses statistiques. Les résultats obtenus démontrent qu’un lien existe entre le niveau de scolarité maternel et la présence d’insécurité alimentaire. De même, il a été possible de constater que les enfants avec une mère restrictive des apports alimentaires de leur enfant avaient un Z-score de l’IMC significativement plus élevé. Ces résultats suggèrent qu’il existe des liens entre le profil socio-économique et comportemental de la mère et le surplus de poids de l’enfant. Des tests auprès d’un plus large échantillon seront nécessaires afin de confirmer ces résultats, l’objectif étant, entre autres, de mieux cibler les enfants à risque d’embonpoint ou d’obésité et de mieux outiller les professionnels de la santé en contact avec ces familles. / The etiology of childhood obesity is multifactorial and complex. Both the genetic inheritance and the environment of the child can contribute to overweight. As a result several studies have focused on the link between the family environment and in particular the role of the mother, and the child’s risk of obesity, in order to understand the maternal risk factors specific to each type of population and prevent this public health problem. This project aims to identify the relationships between maternal risk factors and the body mass index of overweight Quebecois children. Among the risk factors studied, relationship were observed among the mother’s level of education, her family status and the level of food insecurity. On the cognitive and behavioral level, we analysed the relation between the child’s body mass index (BMI) and the maternal perception of the child’s weight as well as the maternal level of dietary restriction. Forty seven telephone interviews were completed with mothers of obese or overweight children with a large questionnaire aimed to describe the profile of the family during their visit to Sainte Justine Hospital outpatient clinic. The tests of Fisher for category-specific variables and the T test for the comparison of the averages of children’s BMI Z-score were used to perform the statistical analyses. The results show that there is a significant correlation between the mother’s level of education and the presence of food insecurity in families of overweight children. Concerning the cognitive aspect, children whose mother restricted their food consumption had obtained a significantly higher BMI Z-score than those whose mother did not restrict food. These results suggest that there are links between the socioeconomic and behavioural profil of the mother and the child’s body mass index. Tests taken over a larger sample will be necessary in order to confirm those results. The objective, among other things, is to better target children with risks regarding stoutness or obesity and to improve tools for health professionals that are in contact with those families.

The prevalence of childhood obesity and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) has increased during recent decades. T2DM is accompanied with functional changes in the islets of Langerhans, which can be identified early in the pathogenesis. The aim of this thesis was to explore how metabolic changes caused by obesity early in life relate to islet function prior to overt T2DM. To address this, Uppsala Longitudinal Study of Childhood Obesity (ULSCO) was established (paper I). Initially, the association between palmitate and insulin secretion was investigated using a translational approach with obese and lean normoglycemic juveniles and isolated human islets (paper II). Secondly, dynamics of islet-hormones insulin and glucagon, and gut-hormones glucagon like-peptide 1 (GLP-1) and glicentin (paper III) and magnetic resonance imaging of pancreatic fat fraction (PFF) (paper IV) were studied in association to glucose tolerance and beta-cell function. Finally, a novel method of analysing shape features of oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) curves was introduced and evaluated (paper V). Obese subjects had high prevalence of prediabetes and metabolic syndrome (MetS) (paper I). In obese pre-pubertal children with elevated palmitate levels, hyperinsulinemia was observed (paper II). In contrast, obese pubertal adolescents with similar palmitate levels showed moderate insulin levels during OGTT with delayed first phase insulin response. To explore mechanisms for these variations, isolated human islets were exposed to palmitate for different time periods in vitro. After 2 days accentuated insulin response was observed. Impaired beta-cell function and apoptosis were evident after 7 days, however. Hyperglucagonemia and disturbed GLP-1 and glicentin levels were associated with obesity and glycaemic status, with fasting glicentin being predictive of prediabetes (paper III). Furthermore, PFF was increased in obese subjects and associated to MetS and visceral adipose tissue, but not to beta-cell function (paper IV). OGTT curves were converted into geometric centres, centroids, which correlated with differences in glucose tolerance (paper V). In conclusion, the islet function in obese children was associated with elevated levels of palmitate, but not pancreatic fat. Fasting palmitate and glicentin levels, as well as centroid analyses of OGTT curves, could potentially identify obese children at risk of prediabetes and subsequent T2DM.

Submitted by SBI Biblioteca Digital (sbi.bibliotecadigital@puc-campinas.edu.br) on 2018-04-09T13:41:31Z No. of bitstreams: 1 ANITA COLLETES BELLODI.pdf: 4974375 bytes, checksum: 3bdee6ea638525af435f08f10b15571b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-04-09T13:41:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ANITA COLLETES BELLODI.pdf: 4974375 bytes, checksum: 3bdee6ea638525af435f08f10b15571b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-02-22 / Pontif?cia Universidade Cat?lica de Campinas - PUC - Campinas / Overweight in children and adolescents, which includes obesity and excessive body mass indexes, configure a serious public health problem. Understanding the relationships among some of the modifiable variables involved is the general objective of this Thesis, which was elaborated in three studies. Study 1 presented a systematic review of the literature on psychological and psychosocial variables related to Overweight in childhood and adolescence (three to 18 years old). Were applied descriptors indexed by the American Psychological Association (APA): obesity OR overweight, AND Child Psychology OR Child Characteristics OR Adolescent characteristics OR Adolescent Psychology OR psychosocial development, in the multidisciplinary databases of Academic Search Premier, including empirical studies, reviewed by pairs, published in the last 10 years. Depressive and anxiety symptoms were the most common evaluated. Studies have indicated that these symptoms are more frequent in children and adolescents who are overweight or obese compared to those with normal weight. Other psychological variables were less evaluated, but were shown to be influential, such as temperament. Therefore, it is suggested that child / adolescent overweight studies analyze a greater number of variables, including biological, psychological and social variables, applying more integrative statistical analyzes, such as network analysis, for a comprehensive and procedural evaluation. Study 2 analyzed data from a cross-sectional study of 3,471 public school students aged three to 13 years from the city of Campinas, SP - Brazil. Measurements of 31 variables were submitted to agglutination, remaining 16 variables, which were applied correlations analyzes, predictions and bivariate correlation network analysis and principal components analysis. We found 33.7% of students with overweight, 17.5% with obesity and 16.2% with excessive body mass. The network analysis showed that under stress these children and adolescents tend to have higher cholesterol levels, followed by a greater use of medications or supplements, and an increase in physical activity, higher ratios for boys and non-white ethnicity. Eating the lunch provided by the school and being female served as a protective factor for cardiovascular risk. It is concluded that stress is impacting the physical health of students, increasing their cardiovascular risk. We suggest actions that verify the sources of stress for this child and youth population and propose policies to manage these conditions. Study 3 analyzed 37 variables: psychosocial (ethnicity, psychosocial risk, city of residence, study in public or private school, influences of advertisements on food), treatment variables (time in treatment, periodicity, comorbidities, medical treatments), family variables (sex, age, body mass index (BMI), physical activity habit, diabetes of the mother, smoking during pregnancy, complications in pregnancy or childbirth, feeding behaviors such as restriction for weight loss, health restrictions, pressure and monitoring, adaptative/non-adaptative coping), child or adolescent variables (gender, age, weight at birth, exclusive breastfeeding, physical activity, hours of physical activity per week, hours of sleep, snacking from home to school, place of meals, screen time, temperament characteristics of effort control, negative affect, extroversion, adaptive and non-adaptive coping) and outcome variables: excessive body mass and obesity. There were 80 participants, 40 patients aged three to 17 years, from a pediatric endocrinology clinic of a university hospital in Campinas, SP - Brazil, and their caregiver (responsible family member), totaling 40 caregivers. Weight and height of participants were measured, and BMI was calculated. Psychosocial Assessment Tool (2.0), Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire, Motivational Theory of Coping Scale - 12, Children's Behavior Questionnaire, Early Adolescence Temperament Questionnaire - Revised. The network analysis emphasized that overweight begins with impaired maternal health, especially with diabetes mellitus and complications in pregnancy and childbirth, while children / adolescents with a negative temperament affective feature have poor adaptive coping in a context of psychosocial risk. This information should guide prevention strategies in women's health and gestational health, followed by multidisciplinary care programs for the patient and their caregiver, for those already under treatment. With the data from the three studies, it is a general conclusion that treatments for overweight based exclusively on indications of healthy life habits are insufficient. For prevention of overweight in children / adolescents, it is suggested to focus on maternal health and actions to reduce psychosocial risk. To achieve greater success in adherence to treatment, it is necessary to broaden the evaluation of psychological and psychosocial aspects, including stress and stressors evaluation, temperament, coping, in a multidisciplinary and contextualized assessment of the family psychosocial risk, and the economic and social reality of the target population. / El exceso de peso (EP), en ni?os y adolescentes, que incluye el sobrepeso y la obesidad, se presenta como un grave problema de salud p?blica. Comprender las relaciones entre algunas de las variables modificables involucradas es objetivo general de esta Tesis, que fue elaborada en tres estudios. El estudio 1 present? un levantamiento sistem?tico de literatura sobre variables psicol?gicas y psicosociales relacionadas al EP en la infancia y adolescencia (3 a 18 a?os). Se aplic? descriptores indexados por la American Psychological Association (APA): obesity OR overweight, AND Child Psychology OR Child Characteristics OR Adolescent characteristics OR Adolescent Psychology OR psychosocial development, en las bases de datos multidisciplinares de la Academic Search Premier, incluyendo estudios emp?ricos, revisados por pares en idioma ingl?s, publicados entre los a?os 2007 y 2017. Los s?ntomas depresivos y de ansiedad fueron los m?s comunes evaluados. Los estudios indicaron que estos s?ntomas son m?s frecuentes en los ni?os y adolescentes con sobrepeso o obesidad, si se compara con aquellos con peso normal. Otras variables psicol?gicas fueron menos evaluadas, pero se mostraron influyentes, tales como el temperamento. Por eso, se sugiere que los estudios del EP del ni?o / adolescente analizan mayor n?mero de variables, incluyendo biol?gicas, psicol?gicas y sociales, aplicando an?lisis estad?sticas m?s integrativas, como el an?lisis de red, para una evaluaci?n amplia y procesal. El estudio 2 analiz? datos de un estudio transversal con 3.471 estudiantes de escuelas p?blicas, de 7 a 13 a?os, de la ciudad de Campinas ? SP, Brasil. Las medidas de 31 variables fueron sometidas a la aglutinaci?n, restando 16 variables, las cuales se aplicaron an?lisis de correlaciones, predicciones y an?lisis de red de correlaci?n bivariada y an?lisis de componentes principales. Se encontr? 33,7% de estudiantes con EP, 17,5% con obesidad y 16,2% con sobrepeso. El an?lisis de red mostr? que, sufriendo estr?s, estos ni?os y adolescentes tienden a presentar niveles de colesterol m?s elevados, seguido por un mayor uso de medicamentos o suplementos, y un aumento de la actividad f?sica, relaciones mayores para ni?os y de etnia no blanca. Alimentarse con la merienda proporcionada por la escuela y ser del sexo femenino actu? como factor de protecci?n para el riesgo cardiovascular. Se concluye que el estr?s est? impactando la salud f?sica de los estudiantes, aumentando su riesgo cardiovascular. Se sugieren acciones que verifiquen las fuentes de estr?s para esta poblaci?n infantojuvenil y que propongan pol?ticas de manejo de esas condiciones. El estudio 3 analiz? 37 variables: psicosociales (etnia, riesgo psicosocial, ciudad de residencia, estudiar en escuela p?blica o particular, influencias de propagandas en la alimentaci?n), variables del tratamiento (tiempo en tratamiento, periodicidad, comorbilidades, especialidades m?dicas), variables familiares (sexo, edad, ?ndice de masa corporal (IMC), h?bito de actividad f?sica, diabetes de la genitora, tabaquismo de la genitora en la gestaci?n, complicaciones en la gestaci?n o parto, comportamientos de alimentaci?n v?a restricci?n para p?rdida de peso, restricci?n para la salud, presi?n y monitoreo, coping adaptativo y mal adaptativo), variables del ni?o o adolescente (sexo, edad, peso al nacer, lactancia materna exclusiva (AME), realizaci?n de actividad f?sica, horas de actividad f?sica por semana, horas de sue?o, h?bito de llevar la merienda de casa para la escuela, lugar de realizaci?n de comidas, tiempo en dispositivos con pantalla, caracter?sticas de temperamento de control con esfuerzo, afecto negativo, extroversi?n, coping adaptativo y el mal adaptativo) y las variables de desenlace: sobrepeso y obesidad (EP). Se tuvo a 80 participantes, siendo 40 pacientes, de 3 a 17 a?os, de un ambulatorio de obesidad infantil de la endocrinolog?a de un hospital universitario de Campinas ? SP, Brasil y su cuidador (familiar responsable), totalizando 40 cuidadores. El peso y la altura de los participantes fueron evaluados y se calcul? el IMC. Se aplic? individualmente instrumentos, de acuerdo con cada edad: Ficha de Caracterizaci?n, Psychosocial Assessment Tool (2.0), Compreensive Feeding Practices Questionnarie, Motivacional Theory of Coping Scale - 12, Children?s Behavior Questionnarie, Early Adolescence Temperament Questionnaire ? Revised. El an?lisis de red destac? que el EP se inicia con la salud materna perjudicada, principalmente con diabetes mellitus y complicaciones en el embarazo y parto, ya los ni?os / adolescentes con caracter?stica de afecto negativo de temperamento, presentan coping mal adaptativo, en contexto de riesgo psicosocial. Estas informaciones deben orientar estrategias de prevenci?n en salud de la mujer y salud gestacional, seguido por programas de atenci?n multidisciplinaria para el paciente y su cuidador, para aquellos ya en tratamiento. Frente a los datos de los tres estudios, se concluye en general que los tratamientos para EP basados exclusivamente en indicaciones de h?bitos de vida saludables son insuficientes. Para la prevenci?n del EP en ni?os / adolescentes, se sugiere foco en salud materna y acciones que disminuyen riesgo psicosocial. Para alcanzar m?s ?xito en la adhesi?n al tratamiento, es necesario ampliar la evaluaci?n de los aspectos psicol?gicos y psicosociales, incluyendo evaluaci?n sobre estr?s y estresores, temperamento, coping, en evaluaci?n multidisciplinaria y contextualizada al riesgo psicosocial familiar, ya la realidad econ?mica y social de la poblaci?n objetivo. / O excesso de peso (EP), em crian?as e adolescentes, que inclui o sobrepeso e a obesidade, apresenta-se como um grave problema de sa?de p?blica. Compreender as rela??es entre algumas das vari?veis modific?veis envolvidas ? objetivo geral desta Tese, que foi elaborada em tr?s estudos. O Estudo 1 apresentou um levantamento sistem?tico de literatura sobre vari?veis psicol?gicas e psicossociais relacionadas ao EP na inf?ncia e adolesc?ncia (tr?s a 18 anos). Aplicou-se descritores indexados pela American Psychological Association (APA): obesity OR overweight, AND Child Psychology OR Child Characteristics OR Adolescent characteristics OR Adolescent Psychology OR psychosocial development, nas bases de dados multidisciplinares da Academic Search Premier, incluindo estudos emp?ricos, revisados por pares, em idioma ingl?s, publicados entre os anos de 2007 e 2017. Sintomas depressivos e de ansiedade foram os mais comuns avaliados. A revis?o indicou que esses sintomas s?o mais frequentes nas crian?as e adolescentes com sobrepeso ou obesidade, se comparadas ?quelas com peso normal. Outras vari?veis psicol?gicas foram menos avaliadas, mas se mostraram influentes, tais como o temperamento. Por isto, ? sugerido que as pesquisas do EP da crian?a/adolescente analisem maior n?mero de vari?veis, incluindo biol?gicas, psicol?gicas e sociais, aplicando-se an?lises estat?sticas mais integrativas, como a an?lise de rede, para uma avalia??o ampla e processual. O Estudo 2 analisou dados de um estudo transversal com 3.471 estudantes de escolas p?blicas, de sete a 13 anos, da cidade de Campinas ? SP. Medidas de 31 vari?veis foram submetidas ? aglutina??o, restando 16 vari?veis, as quais aplicaram-se an?lises de correla??es, predi??es e an?lise de rede de correla??o bivariada e an?lise de componentes principais. Encontrou-se 33,7% de estudantes com EP, 17,5% com obesidade e 16,2 % com sobrepeso. A an?lise de rede mostrou que, sob estresse, essas crian?as e adolescentes tendem a apresentar n?veis de colesterol mais elevados, seguido por um maior uso de medica??es ou suplementos, e um aumento da atividade f?sica, rela??es maiores para meninos e de etnia n?o branca. Alimentar-se com a merenda fornecida pela escola e ser do sexo feminino atuou como fator de prote??o para o risco cardiovascular. Conclui-se que o estresse est? impactando a sa?de f?sica dos estudantes, aumentando seu risco cardiovascular. Sugerem-se a??es que verifiquem as fontes de estresse para esta popula??o infantojuvenil e que proponham pol?ticas de manejo dessas condi??es. O Estudo 3 analisou 37 vari?veis: psicossociais (etnia, risco psicossocial, cidade de resid?ncia, estudar em escola p?blica ou particular, influ?ncias de propagandas na alimenta??o), vari?veis do tratamento (tempo em tratamento, periodicidade, comorbidades, especialidades m?dicas), vari?veis familiares (sexo, idade, ?ndice de massa corporal (IMC), h?bito de atividade f?sica, diabetes da genitora, tabagismo da genitora na gesta??o, complica??es na gesta??o ou parto, comportamentos de alimentar via restri??o para perda de peso, restri??o para sa?de, press?o e monitoramento, coping adaptativo e mal adaptativo), vari?veis da crian?a ou adolescente (sexo, idade, peso ao nascer, amamenta??o materna exclusiva (AME), realiza??o de atividade f?sica, horas de atividade f?sica por semana, horas de sono, h?bito de levar lanche de casa para a escola, local de realiza??o de refei??es, tempo em dispositivos com tela, caracter?sticas de temperamento de controle com esfor?o, afeto negativo, extrovers?o, coping adaptativo e mal adaptativo) e as vari?veis de desfecho: sobrepeso e obesidade (EP). Teve 80 participantes, sendo 40 pacientes, de tr?s a 17 anos, de um ambulat?rio de obesidade infantil da endocrinologia de um hospital universit?rio de Campinas ? SP e seus cuidadores (familiar respons?vel), totalizando 40 cuidadores. Peso e altura dos participantes foram aferidos e calculou-se o IMC. Aplicou-se individualmente instrumentos, de acordo com cada idade: Ficha de Caracteriza??o, Psychosocial Assessment Tool (2.0), Compreensive Feeding Practices Questionnarie, Motivacional Theory of Coping Scale - 12, Children?s Behavior Questionnarie, Early Adolescence Temperament Questionnaire ? Revised. A an?lise de rede destacou que o EP se inicia com a sa?de materna prejudicada, principalmente com diabetes mellitus e complica??es na gravidez e parto. As crian?as/adolescentes com caracter?stica de afeto negativo de temperamento apresentam coping mal adaptativo, em contexto de risco psicossocial. Essas informa??es devem orientar estrat?gias de preven??o em sa?de da mulher e sa?de gestacional, seguido por programas de atendimento multidisciplinar para o paciente e seu cuidador, para aqueles j? em tratamento. Frente aos dados dos tr?s estudos, conclui-se no geral, que os tratamentos para EP baseados exclusivamente em indica??es de h?bitos de vida saud?veis s?o insuficientes. Para preven??o do EP em crian?as/adolescentes, sugere-se foco em sa?de materna e a??es que diminuam o risco psicossocial. Para atingir mais sucesso na ades?o ao tratamento, ? necess?rio ampliar a avalia??o dos aspectos psicol?gicos e psicossociais, incluindo a avalia??o do estresse e estressores, temperamento, coping, em avalia??o multidisciplinar e contextualizada ao risco psicossocial familiar, e ? realidade econ?mica e social da popula??o-alvo.

This dissertation is a collection of three separate essays on the health of women and children. In the first essay, I along with my co-authors, analyzed the impact of two large, national-level health policies (the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) and the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM)) on maternal health outcomes (proportion of institutional deliveries) in India. We used data from the India Human Development Survey (IHDS) and found that the JSY and the NRHM had a greater impact on institutional deliveries in high-focus states. We also found that the conditions of the public health facilities, did not change after the implementation of the JSY and the NRHM. Finally, we found that adequacy of health facilities was not associated with the likelihood of mothers in high-focus states having an institutional delivery. In the second essay, I examined whether a key social determinant of health in South Asia- gender inequality, is associated with physical health outcomes among Indian women. I found that the gender inequality expressed as the gendered household practice of seclusion was negatively associated with body weight of Indian women. Further, I found that participation in all household decisions by women of the household was generally not associated with body weight outcomes. The association between gendered household practices and women’s body weight outcomes was generally similar among rural and urban Indian women. In the final essay, I examined whether perinatal food environments (FE), maternal gestational weight gain (GWG) and early childhood weight (ECW) outcomes are associated. I used data on mother-children dyads from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Birth cohort (ECLS-B), Area Resource Files (ARF) and Current Business Practices (CBP). I found that maternal GWG was associated with ECW outcomes. I also found that measures of food environment were associated with ECW outcomes. Specifically, I found that having an additional full-service restaurant per one thousand population in the maternal perinatal county of residence was associated with lower Body Mass Index (BMI) among children at age two years. Finally, I found that GWG did not mediate the association between food environment and ECW outcomes.