Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2031-01-01

Objetivo: Avaliar a adequação da dieta de crianças de 12 a 32 meses em relação ao consumo de porções dos grupos alimentares e de energia, macro e micronutrientes. Métodos: estudo descritivo, com uma amostra de conveniência com crianças de 12 a 32 meses de Ribeirão Preto, SP, participantes de um amplo projeto temático denominado Projeto Brisa. Para a avaliação dietética foi utilizado o recordatório alimentar de 24 horas, os alimentos e preparações consumidos pelas crianças foram inseridos no software Virtual Nutri Plus para cálculo nutricional e transformados em porções relacionadas aos oito grupos da Pirâmide Alimentar Infantil. A variabilidade intrapessoal da dieta foi corrigida com a replicação de três R24h, em dias aleatórios, em uma subamostra de 20% da população do estudo. Esses dados foram submetidos ao Multiple Source Method (MSM) e obtida a dieta usual que foi analisada de acordo com a Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) e Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) das Dietary Reference Intake (DRIs) e expressa em proporção de crianças com ingestão de nutrientes abaixo ou acima dessas recomendações. As porções alimentares foram analisadas por meio dos guias alimentares infantis brasileiros. A associação entre os valores consumidos de energia, macro e micronutrientes e porções alimentares com as variáveis de interesse foi avaliada por meio do teste de qui-quadrado. Resultados: A amostra de 491 crianças foi estratificada em três faixas etárias, com predomínio de crianças entre 18 a 23 meses (52%), meninas (52,5%) eutróficas (92,9%), cujas mães tinham 9 a 11 anos de estudo (57,4%) e referiram cor da pele branca (55,2%); os prematuros representaram 22% da amostra estudada. Apenas 7,4% pertenciam a classes econômicas menos favorecidas. A alimentação das crianças apresentou consumo insuficiente de carboidrato e gordura, 38,5% e 29,5%, adequado de energia e excessivo de proteínas (79,8%). Entre os micronutrientes, Ferro, vitamina C e vitamina B12 tiveram os maiores percentuais de consumo adequado (98,6%, 97,0% e 94,9%, respectivamente), enquanto cálcio (27,3%), folato (74,8%) e vitamina E (37,7%) apresentaram maiores frequências de consumo insuficiente. A ingestão acima de UL foi mais expressiva em vitamina A (43,6%) e zinco (33,6%). O consumo de porções alimentares nas crianças mais novas, até 23 meses, foi insuficiente de carnes e ovos (42,7%), leites, queijos e iogurtes (47,7%) e excessivo dos grupos de cereais, pães e tubérculos, frutas e óleos e gorduras. Nas maiores de 24 meses o consumo insuficiente foi mais elevado no grupo dos cereais, pães e tubérculos (56,1%) e frutas (75,8%). O alto consumo insuficiente de verduras e legumes e excessivo de açúcares e doces foi encontrado em todas as crianças. Conclusão: A alimentação das crianças foi marcada por inadequações na ingestão de nutrientes, consumo insuficiente de verduras e legumes e excessivo de alimentos fontes de açúcares e doces. No entanto, a ingestão de ferro e vitamina A, micronutrientes mais deficientes no Brasil, apresentaram baixas taxas de consumo inadequado. O excesso de peso foi observado em apenas 35 (7,1%) e esteve associado ao maior consumo excedente de energia. / Objective: To assess dietary adequacy in 12-t0-32-month old children regarding the intake of portions of food groups and energy and of macro- and micronutrients. Methods: A descriptive study of a convenience sample of 12-to-32-month-old children from Ribeirão Preto, SP, participating in an ample thematic project denoted BRISA Project. The 24 hour food recall was used for assessment and the foods and preparations consumed by the children were inserted in the Virtual Nutri Plus software for nutritional calculation and transformed into portions related to the eight groups of the Infant Food Pyramid. Intrapersonal dietary variability was corrected with three R24h replication on random days in a 20% subsample of the study population. The data were submitted to the Multiple Source Method (MSM) and the usual diet was obtained and analyzed according to the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) and the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) from the Dietary Reference Intake (DRIs) and expressed as the proportion of children with nutrient intake below or above these recommendations. The food portions were analyzed using Brazilian infant food guides. The association of the energy, macro- and micronutrient values consumed and food portions with the variables of interest was determined by the chi-square test. Results: The sample of 491 children was stratified into three age ranges, with a predominance of children aged 18 to 23 months (52%), of normal weight (92.9%) girls (52.5%) whose mothers had 9 to 11 years of schooling (57.4%) and who reported white skin color (55.2%). Preterm babies represented 22% of the study sample. Only 7.4% belonged to less privileged economic classes. The children\'s diet showed insufficient carbohydrate and fat intake, 38.5% and 29.5%, adequate energy intake and excessive protein intake (79.8%). Among the micronutrients, iron, vitamin C and vitamin B12 showed the highest percentages of adequate intake (98.6%, 97.0% and 94.9%, respectively), whereas calcium (27.3%), folate (74.8%) and vitamin E (37.7%) showed higher frequencies of insufficient intake. Intake above UL was more expressive for vitamin A (43.6%) and zinc (33.6%). Among younger infants (up to 23 months of age), food portion intake was insufficient regarding meat and eggs (42.7%), milk, cheese and yogurt (47.7%), and excessive regarding cereals, breads and tubercles, fruits, oils and fats. Among children older than 24 months, insufficient intake was more marked regarding cereals, breads and tubercles (56.1%) and fruits (75.8%). A markedly insufficient intake of vegetables and legumes and excessive intake of sugars and sweets was observed in all children. Conclusion: The diet of the children studied was marked by inadequate nutrient intake, insufficient vegetable and legume intake and excessive intake of foods containing sugars and sweets. However, low rates of inadequate intake were observed for iron and vitamin A, the micronutrients more deficient in Brazil. Excess weight was observed in only 35 children (7.1%) and was associated with excessive energy intake.

The purpose of this study is to assess the prevalence of low birth weight among non-Hispanic Blacks and non-Hispanic Whites along the rural/urban continuum, as well as the combined effect of being both non-Hispanic Black and residing in a completely rural county. Degree of social isolation and lack of support are proposed mechanisms for explaining disparities in low birth weight for Blacks in rural counties. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY79) and the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 Child (NLSY79-C) datasets, logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds of low birth weight. Key variables employed in these models include race/ethnicity, a five category measure of counties by degree of rural versus urban residence, interaction terms for race by county categorization, measures of the degree of community level support or isolation, household composition as a measure of the family support structure, access to medical care, maternal SES, birth characteristics, and maternal pregnancy behavior. Results demonstrate that Blacks have much higher odds of low birth weight than Whites and living in a completely rural county exacerbates disadvantage in birth weight outcomes for non-Hispanic Blacks but not for non-Hispanic Whites. The community and household level support measures have little mediating effect on the magnitude of the negative birth weight outcomes found for non-Hispanic Blacks in the most rural counties. However, the first order effect for non-Hispanic Blacks was almost completely explained by the presence of the father in the household when interaction effects for race and place of residence were also included in the model.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between residential segregation (the physical separation of Blacks and Whites in residential contexts) and adverse perinatal outcomes (low birth weight, preterm delivery and small for gestational age births) in Florida, Georgia and Louisiana. The study determined the independent effect of the level of residential segregation on the likelihood of adverse perinatal outcomes after controlling for contextual and individual factors. The study also assessed whether the relationship between residential segregation and adverse perinatal outcomes were moderated by ethnicity and median income.The studied employed an observational, cross-sectional study design that utilized secondary data. Live birth certificates between 1999 and 2001 provided information on individual covariates and perinatal outcomes. Structural indicators of residential segregation and contextual covariates were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau. Th e nested data structure for each birth outcome model was composed of individual, contextual, and structural data. Three-level, hierarchical generalized linear models were used to test research hypotheses.The study population consisted of non-Hispanic White and Black primaparous women between 15 and 49 years of age experiencing singleton live births delivered at less than or equal to 45 weeks gestation. The final sample consisted of 255,548 women nested within 4,360 census tracts and 63 Metropolitan or Micropolitan Statistical Areas. Residential segregation did not have a direct relationship with low birth weight, preterm delivery or small for gestational age, after controlling for other variables in multilevel models. Models testing the moderating effects of ethnicity indicated that increased Isolation decreased the risk of LBW among Black women. Several contextual --level variables and the majority of individual-level variables were significantly associated with perinatal outcome risk .Findings indicate that effects of residential segregation may be birth outcome and ethnic group specific. Relationships between individual factors, contextual factors and adverse perinatal outcomes signal the importance of proximal factors to perinatal outcomes. There is a need for specification of a broader constellation of biological, social and spatial factors and a thorough assessment of residential preferences and experiences in order to better understand the associations between neighborhoods and perinatal outcomes.

U.S. immunization and well child-care rates are below desired levels with lower income individuals being at higher risk for receiving inadequate care. To enhance the understanding of motivating factors to health care utilization, this study explored relationships between a mother's interaction style (secure, anxious, avoidant), her reported experiences with pediatric health care and her child's utilization of pediatric health care. Participants included 126 US-born, English-speaking women with an infant 12 to18 months of age. Linear regression analyses found no bivariate associations between maternal interaction style and reported experiences of care. Poisson regression analyses measured associations of maternal interaction style, reported experiences of care, and moderating variables with health care visits and immunizations received. Main effect models found no associations between maternal interaction style and reported experiences of care. Significant associations were identified between provider ratings and sick visits. There were no associations between provider office ratings and utilization rates. When interaction style and provider/provider office ratings were included in the model, high provider ratings (P<.05) and high anxious interaction scores (p<.0001) were associated with more sick visits while higher avoidant interaction style scores (p<.01) were associated with decreased use of sick visits. Multivariate modeling identified provider rating (p<.05) and anxious interaction score (p<.01) as main effects, child's health rating as a confounder, as well as target child being mother's first, WIC/Healthy Start participation, maternal bonding and feelings about going to the doctor acting as moderators to associations between interaction style and sick/follow-up visits. Secure interaction style scores were associated with increased use of emergency department visits, controlling for the confounding effects of maternal bonding and the moderating effects of child's health status and maternal age. Findings indicate that, in some cases, maternal interaction style is associated with how and when mothers access health care for their children. The confounders and moderators identified also highlight the need for more understanding regarding what motivates individuals. Finally, there were racial and ethnic differences including higher rates of avoidant interaction styles in Black, non-Hispanic mothers. Predicting health care utilization patterns will help better target the specific needs of mothers and ultimately improve health outcomes.

Among the Baliem valley Dani of the central highlands of Irian Jaya, Indonesia, infants play a prominent role in social relations. Infant mortality rates among the Dani are above two hundred and fifty deaths per thousand live births and birth rates are low. To these patterns of infant survival and growth the Dani consistently ascribe complex meaning. Drawing from anthropological research conducted in 1994--1995 in the Baliem valley, this dissertation demonstrates that indigenous meanings about the infant body and assessments of infant health link the infant to political relations within polygynous families, to antagonistic gender relations, and to affiliations with powerful ancestor spirits. Gender relations play a prominent role in explanations about infants. When an infant dies, parents explain the death in ways that reflect the lower social status of women in relation to men. A study of sex ratios during the first year of life and biased use of health services by gender of the infant suggest that the Dani may generate and validate cultural patterns of gender inequality during the earliest months of life. / Infants also play an important role in national politics. In Indonesia's attempts to assimilate indigenous peoples into the country's economic development agenda, the infant appears in health promotions as a member of a contrived ideal family. These national cultural models, grounded in a concern with population control, translate into an applied health agenda for infants that has little impact on the mortality rates of the very young in Dani society. / The infant, though mute, is a powerful figure at the center of many social and political relations. The richness of meaning attributed to infants in the Baliem valley suggests that further research is needed to correct lacunae in anthropological theory about one of life's key social figures.

Thesis (M.S.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1938.

Thesis (M.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1946.

Thesis equivalent (M.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1947.