The Grizzly, September 18, 2003

Senate Debates Future of Pell Grants • Presidential Address on Iraq • Downloading a Lawsuit • Working for the Weekend • How Accessible is Ursinus College? • Time of the Month not Every Month • Doors Close on an Urban Myth: Elevator Danger • Opinions: Zack\u27s: Not Always a Good Alternative; Have you Thanked Your Cleaning Staff Today?; The Negative Side of Reality TV; Out of the Middle East: Part Two • Nonsense! • An Off-campus Opportunity: Southlander • Potions, Pills and Prescriptions: Careers in the Pharmaceutical Industry • Dance with the Best! • Dave Matthews\u27 Experience: From the Eyes of UC Students • Student Profile: Jennifer Cackowski Challenged at Frankfurt Consulate • Price Comparison: Gas Prices • Bears Defense Crushes Catholic • Volleyball Team Continues Streaky Play • UC Cross Country Battles Elements and Competition • Women\u27s Soccer Team off to Best Start Ever • Men\u27s Soccer: Continuing to Fight • Field Hockey: Bears Lose Tough Onehttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1541/thumbnail.jp

Mothers’ Facebook posts about infant health: findings from the Grow2Gether study

Abstract Background Social media is a common way for mothers to seek advice about their infants. However, little is known about how low-income urban mothers use social media to obtain infant health information and whether this information is consistent with expert pediatric recommendations. Objectives (1) identify the types of health questions asked by low-income mothers of infants in a social media parenting group; (2) describe whether peer answers are consistent with or contradict AAP guidelines; (3) identify the practices that mothers post about that are inconsistent with AAP guidelines. Methods Forty-three low-income mothers were enrolled in Grow2Gether, a private Facebook group intervention focused on infant care and moderated by a psychologist. All health questions posted by mothers were coded thematically; answers to questions from the group were assessed for consistency with American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines related to infant feeding, sleep, screen time, and safety. Additionally, all unique posts that contained practices inconsistent with these AAP guidelines were thematically coded. Results In total, 215 posts were coded. Participants posted 61 questions related to infant health, most commonly solid food introduction (8/61), teething (8/61), and breastfeeding (7/61). Of the 77 answers given by peers, 6 contradicted guidelines. Separately, mothers had 73 posts demonstrating practices inconsistent with AAP guidelines [safe sleep (43/73) and screen time (21/73)]. Conclusions Mothers’ Facebook group interactions in the context of an infant care intervention revealed that when mothers posed direct questions regarding infant health, their peers generally gave answers that did not contradict AAP guidelines. In contrast, mothers’ posts simply describing sleep and screen time practices commonly contradicted guidelines

The impact of caregiver mental health on child prosocial behavior: A longitudinal analysis of children and caregivers in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

BackgroundProsocial behavior has positive social, cognitive, and physical health effects on the individual exhibiting the behavior as well as on society as a whole, and is integral to overall mental and physical wellbeing. The development of prosocial behavior is rooted in early childhood and learned through observation. As such, those spending time with children, especially their caregiver, play a critical role in their prosocial development. The current study investigates the impact of caregiver mental health on the prosocial development of young children over time.MethodsThis paper presents a secondary analysis of child prosocial development in the Asenze Study, a longitudinal, population-based cohort study based in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Children were followed-up over time from an average age of five to seven years along with their caregivers. Linear GEE regression analysis was used to assess whether a change in presence of a mental health disorder in a caregiver during this 2-year interval (using the Client Diagnostic Questionnaire) impacted the development of their child's prosocial behavior (using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire).ResultsAfter adjusting for early child-care, child HIV status, SDQ child prosocial subscale, SDQ total difficulties score, and household order score (CHAOS), children whose caregivers acquired a mental health disorder had a significantly smaller increase in prosocial behavioral development compared to children whose caregivers never had a mental health disorder.ConclusionsIdentifying contextually relevant modifiable factors such as this will help stimulate the development of interventions to promote prosocial development in childhood