Presenting the Good Mother: Experiences of Canadian Adolescent Mothers Living in Rural Communities

Adolescent mothers and their children are at risk for suboptimal health outcomes making adolescent motherhood a public health concern. However, the experiences of rural-living adolescent mothers are not well understood. Using Lieblich, Tuval-Mahiach, and Zilber’s (1998) narrative methodology approach, the experiential accounts of three rural-living adolescent mothers was explored. Reflecting Goffman’s (1959) presentation of self, the findings of this study revealed how adolescent mothers attempted to construct and present their notion of being a good mother, while coping with complicating rural factors. The need to present as a good mother, the lack of anonymity associated with rural living, and geographical barriers had particular implications for the way in which adolescent mothers access and use professional and personal supports. Maintaining relationships with the infants’ fathers, even when that relationship exhibited unhealthy characteristics, was important for study participants. Implications for practice, education, and recommendations for future research are discussed

The Sociological Advantage

Abstract: To some, sociology is in a significant decline as a relevant social science. To others, the discipline provides a unique perspective of the interaction of social forces that define the role of race, class and gender. Through the development of useful theoretical propositions and pedagogical practices, the discipline can address its potential for social management and the application of sociological principles at the individual, group, organizational, and societal levels. By understanding intersectionality and the patterns or forms of social interaction, the informed sociologist can effectively practice, teach and apply the sociological advantage, possibly even five moves ahead

Sources of Sodium in Australian children\u27s diets and the effect of the application of sodium targets to food products to reduce sodium intake

The average reported dietary Na intake of children in Australia is high: 2694 mg/d (9&ndash;13 years). No data exist describing food sources of Na in Australian children\u27s diets and potential impact of Na reduction targets for processed foods. The aim of the present study was to determine sources of dietary Na in a nationally representative sample of Australian children aged 2&ndash;16 years and to assess the impact of application of the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) Na reduction targets on Na intake. Na intake and use of discretionary salt (note: conversion of salt to Na, 1 g of NaCl (salt) = 390 mg Na) were assessed from 24-h dietary recall in 4487 children participating in the Australian 2007 Children\u27s Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey. Greatest contributors to Na intake across all ages were cereals and cereal-based products/dishes (43 %), including bread (13 %) and breakfast cereals (4 %). Other moderate sources were meat, poultry products (16 %), including processed meats (8 %) and sausages (3 %); milk products/dishes (11 %) and savoury sauces and condiments (7 %). Between 37 and 42 % reported that the person who prepares their meal adds salt when cooking and between 11 and 39 % added salt at the table. Those over the age of 9 years were more likely to report adding salt at the table (&chi;2 199&middot;5, df 6, P &lt; 0&middot;001). Attainment of the UK FSA Na reduction targets, within the present food supply, would result in a 20 % reduction in daily Na intake in children aged 2&ndash;16 years. Incremental reductions of this magnitude over a period of years could significantly reduce the Na intake of this group and further reductions could be achieved by reducing discretionary salt use.<br /

Iron intakes of Australian infants and toddlers: findings from the Melbourne Infant Feeding, Activity and Nutrition Trial (InFANT) Program

Fe deficiency remains the most common nutritional deficiency worldwide and young children are at particular risk. Preventative food-based strategies require knowledge of current intakes, sources of Fe, and factors associated with low Fe intakes; yet few data are available for Australian children under 2 years. This study&rsquo;s objectives were to determine intakes and food sources of Fe for Australian infants and toddlers and identify non-dietary factors associated with Fe intake. Dietary, anthropometric and socio-demographic data from the Melbourne Infant Feeding, Activity and Nutrition Trial Program were analysed for 485 infants (mean age: 9&middot;1 (sd 1&middot;2) months) and 423 toddlers (mean age: 19&middot;6 (sd 2&middot;6) months) and their mothers. Dietary intakes were assessed via 24-h recalls over 3 non-consecutive days. Prevalence of inadequate Fe intake was estimated using the full probability approach. Associations between potential non-dietary predictors (sex, breast-feeding status, age when introduced to solid foods, maternal age, maternal education, maternal employment status and mother&rsquo;s country of birth) and Fe intakes were assessed using linear regression. Mean Fe intakes were 9&middot;1 (sd 4&middot;3) mg/d for infants and 6&middot;6 (sd 2&middot;4) mg/d for toddlers. Our results showed that 32&middot;6 % of infants and 18&middot;6 % of toddlers had inadequate Fe intake. Main food sources of Fe were Fe-fortified infant formula and cereals for infants and toddlers, respectively. Female sex and current breast-feeding were negatively associated with infant Fe intakes. Introduction to solid foods at or later than 6 months was negatively associated with Fe intake in toddlers. These data may facilitate food-based interventions to improve Australian children&rsquo;s Fe intake levels.<br /

Development and evaluation of a food frequency questionnaire for use among young children

Background/Objectives:&nbsp;This study described the development of a parent food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for measuring diets of young children over the past month and the validation of this FFQ against three non-consecutive 24 hour recalls.&nbsp;&nbsp;Subjects/Methods:&nbsp;Food and nutrient intakes from a 68-item FFQ were compared with three non-consecutive 24 hour recalls in a follow-up cohort of children aged 1.5, 3.5 and 5.0 years old. Data from both methods were available for 231, 172 and 187 participants at ages 1.5, 3.5 and 5.0 years, respectively.&nbsp;&nbsp;Results:&nbsp;Out of 11 nutrients, four (protein, fat, fibre, iron), two (Vitamin C, folate) and three (protein, vitamin C and folate) nutrients showed good-acceptable outcome for 2 out of 3 group-level validation tests at ages 1.5, 3.5 and 5.0 years, respectively. Of 26 food groups, good-acceptable outcome for 2 out of 3 group-level validation tests was revealed for two, four and six food groups at ages 1.5, 3.5 and 5.0 years, respectively. For individual-level validation tests, all nutrients showed good-acceptable outcome for 2 out of 3 individual level tests across three time points, except for folate at age 1.5 years and energy intake at age 3.5 years. Most food groups (22 out of 26) at age 1.5 years and all food groups at both ages 3.5 and 5.0 years showed good-acceptable outcome for 2 out of 3 individual-level validation tests.&nbsp;&nbsp;Conclusions:&nbsp;At all three time points, the FFQ demonstrated good-acceptable validity for some nutrients and food groups at group-level, and good-acceptable validity for most nutrients and food groups at individual-level. This quantitative FFQ is a valid and robust tool for assessing total diet of young children and ranking individuals according to nutrient and food intakes

Association between neighbourhood fast-food and full-service restaurant density and BMI: A cross-sectional study of Canadian adults

OBJECTIVE: Frequent fast-food consumption is a well-known risk factor for obesity. This study sought to determine whether the availability of fast-food restaurants has an influence on body mass index (BMI). METHODS: BMI and individual-level confounding variables were obtained from the 2007-08 Canadian Community Health Survey. Neighbourhood socio-demographic variables were acquired from the 2006 Canadian Census. The geographic locations of all restaurants in Canada were assembled from a validated business registry database. The density of fast-food, full-service and non-chain restaurants per 10,000 individuals was calculated for respondents’ forward sortation area. Multivariable regression analyses were conducted to analyze the association between restaurant density and BMI. RESULTS: Fast-food, full-service and non-chain restaurant density variables were statistically significantly associated with BMI. Fast-food density had a positive association whereas full-service and non-chain restaurant density had a negative association with BMI (additional 10 fast-food restaurants per capita corresponded to a weight increase of 1 kilogram; p\u3c0.001). These associations were primarily found in Canada’s major urban jurisdictions. CONCLUSIONS: This research was the first to investigate the influence of fast-food and full-service restaurant density on BMI using individual-level data from a nationally representative Canadian survey. The finding of a positive association between fast-food restaurant density and BMI suggests that interventions aiming to restrict the availability of fast-food restaurants in local neighbourhoods may be a useful obesity prevention strategy

Is socioeconomic status associated with dietary sodium intake in Australian children? A cross-sectional study

Objective To assess the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and dietary sodium intake, and to identify if the major dietary sources of sodium differ by socioeconomic group in a nationally representative sample of Australian children.Design Cross-sectional survey.Setting 2007 Australian National Children\u27s Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey.Participants A total of 4487 children aged 2&ndash;16 years completed all components of the survey.Primary and secondary outcome measures Sodium intake was determined via one 24 h dietary recall. The population proportion formula was used to identify the major sources of dietary salt. SES was defined by the level of education attained by the primary carer. In addition, parental income was used as a secondary indicator of SES.Results Dietary sodium intake of children of low SES background was 2576 (SEM 42) mg/day (salt equivalent 6.6 (0.1) g/day), which was greater than that of children of high SES background 2370 (35) mg/day (salt 6.1 (0.1) g/day; p&lt;0.001). After adjustment for age, gender, energy intake and body mass index, low SES children consumed 195 mg/day (salt 0.5 g/day) more sodium than high SES children (p&lt;0.001). Low SES children had a greater intake of sodium from processed meat, gravies/sauces, pastries, breakfast cereals, potatoes and potato snacks (all p&lt;0.05).Conclusions Australian children from a low SES background have on average a 9% greater intake of sodium from food sources compared with those from a high SES background. Understanding the socioeconomic patterning of salt intake during childhood should be considered in interventions to reduce cardiovascular disease.<br /

Pregnant women\u27s knowledge of weight, weight gain, complications of obesity and weight management strategies in pregnancy

BACKGROUND: Obesity is increasingly common in the obstetric population. Maternal obesity and excess gestational weight gain (GWG) are associated with increased perinatal risk. There is limited published data demonstrating the level of pregnant women's knowledge regarding these problems, their consequences and management strategies.We aimed to assess the level of knowledge of pregnant women regarding: (i) their own weight and body mass index (BMI) category, (ii) awareness of guidelines for GWG, (iii) concordance of women's own expectations with guidelines, (iv) knowledge of complications associated with excess GWG, and (v) knowledge of safe weight management strategies in pregnancy. METHODS: 364 pregnant women from a single center university hospital antenatal clinic were interviewed by an obstetric registrar. The women in this convenience sample were asked to identify their weight category, their understanding of the complications of obesity and excessive GWG in pregnancy and safe and/or effective weight management strategies in pregnancy. RESULTS: Nearly half (47.8%) of the study population were overweight or obese. 74% of obese women underestimated their BMI category. 64% of obese women and 40% of overweight women overestimated their recommended GWG. Women's knowledge of the specific risks associated with excess GWG or maternal obesity was poor. Women also reported many incorrect beliefs about safe weight management in pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Many pregnant women have poor knowledge about obesity, GWG, their consequences and management strategies. Bridging this knowledge gap is an important step towards improving perinatal outcomes for all pregnant women, especially those who enter pregnancy overweight or obese

Prevalence and trajectories of depressive symptoms in mothers of children with newly diagnosed epilepsy

Purpose: To examine the prevalence, trajectories, and predictors of depressive symptoms (DS) in mothers of children with new-onset epilepsy. Methods: A sample of 339 mothers was analyzed from the health-related quality of life in children with epilepsy study assessed four times during the first 24 months after diagnosis. Mothers\u27 DS were measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Trajectories of DS were investigated using group-based trajectory modeling, and maternal, child, and family factors were compared across groups using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and chi square tests. Multinomial logistic regression identified predictors of DS trajectories. Key Findings: A total of 258 mothers completed the study. Prevalence of depression ranged from 30-38% across four times within the first 24 months after their child\u27s diagnosis. Four trajectories of DS were observed: low stable (59%), borderline (25%), moderate increasing (9%), and high decreasing (7%). Using the low stable group as the reference group, the borderline group was younger, had worse family functioning, and fewer family resources; the moderate increasing group was younger, had children with cognitive problems, worse family functioning, and more family demands; and the high decreasing group had less education and children with lower quality of life. Significance: Risk for clinical depression is common among mothers of children with new-onset epilepsy. These mothers are not homogenous, but consist of groups with different trajectories and predictors of DS. Child\u27s cognitive problems was the strongest predictor identified; epilepsy severity did not predict DS trajectory. Health care professionals should consider routinely assessing maternal depression during clinic visits for pediatric epilepsy. © 2010 International League Against Epilepsy