Introduction A future healthy world is highly associated with the children and their mothers, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) prioritize the child and maternal health with the targets “the under-five mortality rate should be reduced by two thirds from 1990 to 2015”. A transform program in the Philippines, launched by a NGO, aims to change the life of ultra-poor, and the interventions’ impact was measured in this study. Method The study selected participants who had completed the surveys in the short term (n=2183) and long term (n=196). The Chi-square test, Cochran-Armitage trend test, and Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) model were applied to examine the hypotheses: (1) the program would have positive impacts on child health, (2) the child mortality is related to the maternal social-demographic factors and health behaviors. In the GEE model, the univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression was used to estimate the crude and adjusted odds ratio (OR). Result The univariate and multivariate analysis both show the maternal age is closely associated with the child mortality, and the child mortality of older women is higher than the younger in the short term survey (univariate: OR:8.36, 95%CI:4.17-16.77, multivariate: OR: 8.89, 95%CI: 4.27-18.54). In the long term, the results demonstrate that the child mortality of delivering in hospital (OR:0.29, 95%CI:0.11-0.76) and birthing home (OR: 0.46, 95%CI: 0.21-0.98) both lower than home (reference group). Compared to Bacolod, the child mortality rate of Gensan and Koronadal is lower in the short term. We found no difference in other maternal social-demographic factors and health behaviors. During the survey period, the literacy, PhilHealth, institutional delivery, delivery care provider, postnatal home visits, breastfeeding, and child mortality all improved, and the improvements of PhilHealth, postnatal home visits, breastfeeding were statistically significant. Conclusion The findings suggest that the program needs to constantly deliver more community-based interventions, such as: institutional delivery, skilled birth attendance, postnatal care, which would transform the children health of ultra poverty in the long run. / published_or_final_version / Public Health / Master / Master of Public Health

The ultra-processing of food has become a much more important aspect of dietary patterns and dietary quality in terms of its impact on body weight, diet related diseases, health, and well-being in the past decades. NOVA is a set of guidelines developed that classifies diet quality by degree of food processing. The NOVA guidelines distinguish four categories: unprocessed /minimally processed foods; culinary ingredients; processed foods; and ultra-processed foods. Numerous studies have found an association of ultra-processed foods and health conditions such as obesity and metabolic syndrome. This study analyzed the associations between maternal diet quality as measured by NOVA and maternal anthropometric and neonatal body composition outcomes. The optimal method of nutrition intervention and education for this special population remains unknown; using NOVA may provide researchers with a different lens to assess diet quality and health care professionals with additional vocabulary to convey more tailored messages regarding optimal nutrition strategies for mother and offspring. Using data collected from a large randomized controlled intervention trial at pre and post intervention, this study aimed to compare the NOVA guidelines assessment of maternal diet quality to the parent study assessment of diet quality, the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), using statistical correlations. Secondly, this study aimed to look at the relationship of ultra-processed food intake to the maternal gestational weight gain experience using a logistic regression. Thirdly, this dissertation aimed to explore the relationship between maternal ultra-processed food intake and neonatal lean mass as measured by quantitative magnetic resonance (QMR) and fat free mass as measured by air displacement plethysmography (ADP: PEAPOD). In terms of maternal outcomes, the study found that NOVA and HEI were significantly correlated at pre intervention but not at post intervention. The odds of gaining excessive gestational weight decreased as maternal ultra-processed food intake increased - which was not in the hypothesized direction - when using study participant data. However, the odds of gaining excessive gestational weight increased as maternal ultra-processed food intake increased - which was in the hypothesized direction - when using the Institute of Medicine weight gain recommendations. Also, while obesity did not predict excessive gestational weight gain, those with obesity ultra-processed food intake did predict gestational weight gain. These various inconsistencies are likely due to the instability of the dietary intake data because only one 24 -hour dietary recall was obtained from mother. In addition, the mothers’ diets were very healthy to begin with, where ultra-processed food intake formed about 45% of calories both pre and post intervention, when the national average is 57%. Race was also significant predictors of gestational weight gain for the mothers. Being non-white significantly increased the odds of gaining excessively as did the interaction of having obesity and eating more ultra-processed foods. In terms of neonatal outcomes, findings from this study suggest that length and fat mass are significant predictors of lean mass in neonates. In terms of the impact of maternal ultra-processed food intake, the higher the consumption of ultra-processed food, the greater the neonatal lean mass, which this was not in the hypothesized direction. However, the association was minimal with very small beta weights and regression line, when plotted was quite flat, so that the finding is not clinically meaningful. It remains important to know whether maternal ultra-processed food intake influences gestational weight gain and the body composition of the neonate. Thus, future research should include using similar data analyses on a population with a more nationally representative diet, a larger sample size, and a more robust measure of dietary intake such as three 24-hour recalls. Given that a similar recent study found ultra-processed food to be highly predictive of maternal and neonatal outcomes, and many other studies have demonstrated that ultra-processed food is related to several health conditions in many countries that this study did not measure, it seems prudent for healthcare providers to take advantage of prenatal visits as a window of opportunity to encourage the consumption of unprocessed and minimally foods and help women make informed decisions regarding ultra-processed foods.

The aim is to describe the development of selected demographic characteristics and their comparison in the long term or in selected years characterizing the babies and their mothers in the Czech Republic. The indicators are divided according to what they described to the biological factors, social factors and health factors. The analysis of biological characteristics includes age, frequency, order of birth and mothers parity. Social characteristics examined include marital status and education. Health characteristics in the thesis deal with pregnancy and childbirth, addictive substances use and childlessness. This thesis also describe the evolution of the mentioned characteristics and their combinations for the region NUTS II. in the Czech Republic supported by cluster analysis, which confirmed the regional differentiation. The major finding is that mothers still continuing moving to higher age groups, increasing the proportion of births outside marriage, increasing the representation of women in higher education and increasing the proportion of childbearing by caesarean section. In conclusion, this work also includes a description of the current typical woman, who has a children

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karolinska institutet, 2005. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Thesis (M.P.H.M. (Primary Health Care Management))--Mahidol University, 2007. / LICL has E-Thesis 0023 ; please contact computer services.

Reducing health disparities and achieving health equity in maternal and infant health is a critical concern for social work and public health stakeholders more generally. This three-paper dissertation is dedicated to exploring program or policy modifiable social determinants of maternal and infant health with a particular focus on vulnerable populations. Paper one explores the influence of household members on women’s sexual and reproductive behaviors. Paper two studies the impact of smoke-free regulations on birth outcomes in Latin America. Lastly, paper three looks at the effects of police use of force, and racialized police use of force, on maternal and infant health. The findings of these papers provide important information to inform programs and policies aimed at improving reproductive health and well-being in the U.S. and Latin America.

Parents of a child who undergoes cochlear implantation typically go through an incredibly difficult and lengthy process. Mothers tend to carry the brunt of this stress because they are the most likely parent to be the main caregiver of children, particularly children who have special needs. Many aspects of cochlear implantation have been researched; however little is known about the experiences of the primary caregivers of children who make use of this technology. Using Narrative Inquiry this study explores the experiences of mothers whose children have undergone the cochlear implantation process as told through their stories. A thematic analysis revealed three interrelated themes: (a) struggling with new realities, (b) feelings of uncertainty and isolation, and (c) moving on. The findings suggest that the mothers experienced a personal transformation: they found new ways of thinking and being. Implications for practice focus on supporting mothers’ health and well-being so that they may ultimately provide for and support their children’s needs. Specific recommendations for practice have been made.

Parents of a child who undergoes cochlear implantation typically go through an incredibly difficult and lengthy process. Mothers tend to carry the brunt of this stress because they are the most likely parent to be the main caregiver of children, particularly children who have special needs. Many aspects of cochlear implantation have been researched; however little is known about the experiences of the primary caregivers of children who make use of this technology. Using Narrative Inquiry this study explores the experiences of mothers whose children have undergone the cochlear implantation process as told through their stories. A thematic analysis revealed three interrelated themes: (a) struggling with new realities, (b) feelings of uncertainty and isolation, and (c) moving on. The findings suggest that the mothers experienced a personal transformation: they found new ways of thinking and being. Implications for practice focus on supporting mothers’ health and well-being so that they may ultimately provide for and support their children’s needs. Specific recommendations for practice have been made.

The aim of this study was to investigate and understand how west African immigrant mothers of children with neuropsychiatric disability are been supported by the Lss service provider. Method: Qualitative semi- structured interviews were conducted with seven participants , therein four were west African mothers of children with neuropsychiatric disability, and three were Lss service workers.  The interviews were transcribed and then later thematically analysed. The Result shows that there are challenges for the mothers to understand the supportive information avaliable because of language barriers, therefore making it difficult for the Lss to know whom to provide structural services to, thus there are no health promotional interventions mapped out for the mothers.  A total of five main themes and ten subthemes emerged . Conclusion: The findings from this study showed that west African immigrant mothers of children with neuropsychiatric disability in Sweden have a cultural perception that disability is outlawed and prohibited,  and their insufficient knowledge on the importance of health literacy affects the Lss from providing sustainable rehabilitation  and structural services.

Ghana is identified among the developing countries with high maternal mortality ratio in Africa. This study unpacked the Demographic and Health Survey data by examining the maternal health indicators at the district level using GIS methods. Understanding the geographic patterns of antenatal care, place of delivery, and skilled birth attendants at the small scale will help to formulate and plan for location-specific health interventions that can improve maternal health care behavior among Ghanaian women. Districts with high rates and low rates were identified. Place of residence, Gini-Coefficient, wealth status, internet access, and religious affiliation were used to explore the underlying factors associated with the observed patterns. Economic inequality was positively associated with increased use of maternal health care services. The ongoing free maternal health policy serves as a cushion effect for the economic inequality among the districts in the Northern areas. Home delivery is common among the rural districts and is more prominent mostly in the western part of Northern Region and southwest of Upper West. Educating women about the free maternal health policy remains the most viable strategy for positive maternal health outcomes and in reducing MMR in Ghana.