Browsing by Subject "Mothers"
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Item Association of Basic Maternal Factors and Maternal Autonomy with Malnourishment among Children 6-36 Months Old in an Urban Slum in Bangalore, India(2016-04-29) Sudanagunta, Sindhu; Baldridge, Courtney; Reisch, Joan; Niwagaba, LillianBACKGROUND: Child malnutrition is a significant problem in many developing countries with much of the burden falling on economically and historically underprivileged societies. Chronic undernutrition leads to decreased height for age (stunting) and contributes to reduced intellectual capacity, morbidity, and mortality. Acute undernutrition results in decreased weight for height (wasting) and can decrease a child's reserve for fighting illnesses and thriving. Recent attention on psychosocial dynamics has encouraged researchers to focus on maternal factors and its effect on child malnourishment. OBJECTIVE: Maternal autonomy - the freedom and ability to control the resources available to the mother to care for her child - are likely important factors influencing child health outcomes, especially in an economically disadvantaged, culturally segregated slum society. METHODS: To examine this relationship in an urban slum in Karnataka, India, a cross-sectional observational study was conducted on 199 mother-child dyads. Anthropometric measurements were collected from children between 6-36 months of age. A 34 question survey uncovering issues of basic maternal factors, decision-making abilities, and domestic violence was administered to the mothers. RESULTS: Stunting was present in 32% of children (7.5% were severely stunted) and wasting was present in 23% (6.5% were severely wasted). Logistic regression models were used to test association between maternal factors and risk of having stunted or wasted children. Number of people in the household and mother's education were significantly associated with stunting. This breakdown shows that both maternal education and more members in the household were independently protective against stunting. The only maternal autonomy factor significantly associated with stunting and wasting was her ability to decide on major household purchases. The correlation, however, is inverse between stunting and wasting. Mothers who were more autonomous in this scenario were more likely to have children who were wasted, but less likely to have children who were stunted. CONCLUSION: In the psychosocial context of an urban slum in Karnataka, India, maternal autonomy poses an interesting inverse relationship between stunting and wasting suggesting the need for more research on this topic.Item A Biopsychosocial Model of Attachment Styles and Adverse Birth Outcomes in High-Risk Pregnancies(2016-04-13) Cassedy, Hannah; Robinson, Richard C.; Frank, Blake; Bernstein, Ira; Evans, Harry M.; Stringer, Claude A.Because stress during pregnancy can contribute to preterm birth, low birth weight, and other adverse birth outcomes, there is a need for research on psychosocial factors that may mitigate this risk. Social support and attachment security have been shown to buffer the effects of stress in certain contexts. This study therefore evaluated the degree to which social support, attachment anxiety, and attachment avoidance affect stress-related birth outcomes in a sample of women with high-risk pregnancies. The study focused on women who had been hospitalized for pregnancy complications, as the population was identified as in need of further biopsychosocial research. The hypotheses were that women with more secure attachment would have greater social support, less stress, and therefore superior birth outcomes. Participants (N = 188) completed the 10-Item Perceived Stress Scale, Social Provisions Scale, and Experiences in Close Relationship Scale-Short Form, during their pregnancies. Birth outcome data (gestational age, birth weight, and Apgar scores) were extracted from their medical records after delivery. Biserial correlation analyses revealed that high stress levels were associated with more insecure attachment styles. Analysis of variance indicated that participants were more likely to have avoidant attachment if they were black, poorly educated, or unmarried. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that stress, social support, and attachment levels were not predictive of birth outcomes over and above the effects of physiological risk factors. This result diverges from research on low-risk pregnancies, where a clear link is observed between stress and adverse birth outcomes. By contrast, in this sample of high-risk pregnancies, psychosocial factors did not influence the profound effects of biological risk. In high-risk pregnancies, therefore, psychosocial interventions may be better suited to target psychosocial, rather than biological, outcomes. Furthermore, this study highlights a need for further research into demographic disparities in attachment styles, as well as the sociocultural factors that may impact them.Item The Prevalence of Postpartum Depressive Symptoms in Women from a Public Maternity Hospital in Tucumán, Argentina at 4 Weeks Postpartum(2017-03-31) Pham, Diana; Doty, Meitra; Chi, Benjamin; Johnson, AndreaOBJECTIVE: The primary objective of our study is to investigate the prevalence of postpartum depression at 4 weeks postpartum in women from a public hospital in Tucuman, Argentina. Our secondary objective is to determine a relationship between postpartum depression and the associated sociodemographic, medical and obstetric factors. METHODS: We conducted an observational cross-sectional study that was carried out from March 17, 2016 to May 30, 2016 and from June 28, 2016 to July 29, 2016. There were 539 participants. Women were excluded if they: Were less than 18 years old, were located in the intensive care unit (ICU), gave birth to a stillborn or recent newborn that died during delivery, with a multiple gestation, had a recent newborn in the neonatal ICU, had a recent newborn with congenital abnormalities, or gave birth at gestational age less than 28 weeks old. RESULTS: Of the 539 participants, 167 (31.0%) had depressive symptoms. Important risk factors for developing PPD included employment status, education level, positive personal and family history of psychiatric illnesses, perceived social stresses such as poor patient-physician relationship or lack of childcare help, and giving birth to a female newborn. CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of postpartum depression (31.97%) in Tucuman demonstrates that the public sector is twice that of the private sector in Buenos Aires. This study results shows that postpartum depression is a serious public health issue and further study is needed about the cultural acceptance of mental health and how to provide adequate follow-up or treatment in a low-resource setting.Item [Southwestern News](2003-06-02) Siem, Staishy BostickItem [Southwestern News](2002-11-25) Harrell, AnnItem [Southwestern News](2002-11-12) Bedrick, BarbaraItem [UT News](1985-11-04) Harrell, AnnItem [UT Southwestern Medical Center News](2006-03-21) Hansard, Donna StephItem [UT Southwestern Medical Center News](2008-09-03) McKenzie, AlineItem [UT Southwestern Medical Center News](2011-05-10) Ladson, LaKisha