ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Household Food Insecurity Status and Hispanic Immigrant Children&apos;s Body Mass Index and Adiposity
Author: Hernandez, Daphne C.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Hispanic Americans,Obesity,Immigrants,Body Composition,Body Weight,Body Height,Low Income Groups,Mothers,At Risk Persons,Young Children,Food,Hunger

Objectives: Despite the high prevalence rates of food insecurity and obesity among children of Hispanic immigrants, there has been a dearth of research on the direct relationship between food insecurity and obesity among this population. Further, prior research examining the association between food insecurity and body composition among children of Hispanic immigrants have not considered adiposity, specifically percent body fat (%BF) and waist circumference (WC), as outcome measurements. The following study contributes to the literature by examining the association between food insecurity and two adiposity measurements, %BF and WC, along with body mass index (BMI) among a sample of young Hispanic immigrant children. Methods: Cross-sectional survey and direct body composition assessments were collected among 49 low-income Hispanic immigrant children (mean age = 5.5. years) and their 44 mothers (mean age = 35.5 years) from two Houston-area community centers. Data were collected on household food security status using the 18-item USDA scale, demographic characteristics, and measured height, weight, body fat percentage, and waist circumference from children and mothers. Results: Sixty-five percent of children resided in a food insecure household, 31% of the children were obese in terms of %BF, and 24% were obese in terms of BMI. A greater percentage of food secure children were classified as obese in terms of %BF, BMI, and had an elevated waist circumference. A direct relationship was not observed between food insecurity and elevated waist circumference (OR = 0.08, p = 0.10); however, children living in food insecure households had 89% lower odds of having an elevated %BF (OR = 0.11, p &lt; 0.01), 93% lower odds of being obese (OR = 0.07, p &lt; 0.05), and 87% lower odds of being overweight/obese (OR = 0.13, p &lt; 0.05). Conclusions: In young children of Hispanic immigrants, food insecurity was related to healthier levels of %BF and BMI. Studies that track adiposity and weight status of children of Hispanic immigrants in relation to food insecurity over time are needed to further understand why food insecurity and obesity co-exist for some groups but not others.
Circumstantial Disconnection: Homelessness and Parental Relationships with Children
Author: Holland, Jonathan
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Homeless People,Parents,Parent Child Relationship,Age Differences,Children,Housing,Environmental Influences,Child Rearing

This article looks at homeless individuals to see how they think their residential situation affects their relationship with their non-homeless children. Using a survey of 75 homeless parents in Houston, Texas this analysis finds that homeless parents of non-homeless children believe that their living situation has a detrimental impact on their relationship with their children. While many respondents felt that they had a good relationship with their children the chances of maintaining a good relationship were less for respondents with adult children than minor children. While a majority of respondents with children felt that finding housing stability would help their relationship with their children, those with minority children were more optimistic that finding a permanent home would help them improve their parent-child relationship than those with older children.
The Influence of &quot;Westernization&quot; on Nutrition and Physical Activity Behaviors of Adolescents in New Delhi, India: Are We Exporting an Epidemic of Obesity?
Author: Harrell, Melissa
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Nutrition,Physical Activity Level,Correlation,Health Behavior,Eating Habits,Body Weight,Secondary School Students,Case Studies,Foreign Countries,Social Influences,Cultural Influences,Body Height,Western Civilization,Identification (Psychology),Indians,Life Style,Gender Differences,Institutional Characteristics,Student Attitudes,Social Change,Obesity,Preferences,Language Usage,Mass Media,Indo European Languages,English (Second Language)

Purpose: To examine the relationships between &quot;westernization&quot; and nutrition and physical activity behaviors among older adolescents in Delhi, India. These relations have not been explored, despite increasingly strong and pervasive socio-cultural influences from the West. Methods: Students (n=1818) in 8th and 10th grades in 4 Private (higher SES) and 4 Government (lower SES) schools in Delhi, India participated in a cross-sectional study. Height and weight were measured to determine weight status. Information on &quot;westernization&quot; and nutrition, physical activity, sedentary, and dieting behaviors was collected in a survey. The measure of &quot;westernization&quot; assessed 4 domains of culture on a bi-dimensional scale that focused on these young people's identification with Indian (a=0.86) and Western (a=0.81) ways of living. Mixed-effects regression models were used to investigate the association between &quot;westernization,&quot; weight status, and health behaviors. Gender, school type (SES), and grade were evaluated as effect modifiers. Results: &quot;Westernization&quot; was not directly associated with weight status or BMI (p&gt;0.500). However, adolescents' identification with Western ways of living was consistently related to both unhealthy (e.g., fast food consumption). Conclusions: The influence of &quot;westernization&quot; on nutrition and physical activity behaviors of older adolescents in Delhi, India is complex and not wholly negative, as might be hypothesized. (This work was presented in part at the Annual Meeting of the International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, on May 25, 2012.)
Community Food Security Strategies: An Exploratory Study of Their Potential for Food Insecure Households with Children
Author: Kaiser, Michelle L.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Food,Security (Psychology),Nutrition,Health,Public Health,Cognitive Development,Risk,Chronic Illness,Mental Health,Eating Habits,Intervention,Case Studies,Diabetes,Cancer,Barriers,Low Income,Physical Health,Participant Characteristics,Body Composition,Family Income,Metropolitan Areas,Retailing,Health Behavior

This research sought to explore nutrition and related health issues of 151 households with children who participated in a survey addressing food access, food security, nutrition, health, food provisioning strategies, and barriers to optimal food consumption. This study explored the potential use of community food security strategies as a tool to address public health concerns through increasing fruit and vegetable intake by improving access to affordable healthy foods. Poor diet, stress, and food insecurity impacts adults and children in terms of cognitive development, mental health, and risk for costly chronic diseases. This research contextualized consumer responses within a contemporary policy and programmatic framework to explore the potential usefulness of federal, state, and local programs in the public and private sector.
Food Insecurity and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in U.S. Adolescents
Author: Sattler, Elisabeth L. P.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Food,Security (Psychology),Heart Disorders,Adolescents,Case Studies,Nutrition,Correlation,National Surveys,Smoking,Eating Habits,Physical Activity Level,Body Composition,Hypertension,Biochemistry,Socioeconomic Status,Health,Access to Health Care,Family Income,Poverty,Risk,At Risk Persons,Nutrition Instruction,Prevention,Adolescent Development

Introduction: Disparities in cardiovascular diseases are one of today's most important public health challenges. Pathological processes related to modifiable cardiovascular risk factors have shown to begin in childhood and disparities in these risk factors have been reported in adolescence. Food insecurity is significantly associated with cardiovascular risk factors in adults; however, little is known about cardiovascular risk in food insecure adolescents. Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between food insecurity and cardiovascular risk factors in U.S. adolescents aged 12-17 years. Methods: Using cross-sectional data on 1,853 adolescents aged 12-17 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2012, we examined the association between food insecurity and cardiovascular risk factors. Food security status was measured using the validated 18-item Household Food Security Survey Module. Cardiovascular risk was measured based on American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7 factors (LS7; tobacco smoke exposure, diet quality, physical activity, body mass index, blood pressure, total cholesterol, blood glucose levels). Results: Nearly 10.0% of U.S. adolescents were food insecure. A total of 26.1% of adolescents failed to attain ideal scores on more than 5 LS7 components. In bivariate analyses, food secure, in comparison to food insecure adolescents, were more likely to have ideal scores on 5-7 LS7 components (75.1% vs. 63.0%, p = 0.0089). In multivariate models adjusted for demographic, socioeconomic, health, and health care access factors, food insecurity was not significantly associated with cardiovascular risk in adolescents. However, food insecure adolescents had significantly lower odds of attaining ideal levels of tobacco smoke exposure ([OR] = 0.54 [95% CI 0.31, 0. 4]) than food secure adolescents. Adolescents living in families with incomes below the Federal Poverty Level (Odds Ratio [OR] = 0.59 [95% CI 0.40,0.86]) had significantly lower odds of having ideal LS7 scores and lower odds of attaining ideal scores on tobacco smoke exposure ([OR] = 0.25 [95% CI 0.13, 0.49]) and physical activity ([OR] = 0.60 [95% CI 0.38, 0.95]). Conclusion: Although cardiovascular risk is not more pronounced in food insecure adolescents than their counterparts, adolescents from low SES households may be at particular risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Multifaceted and tailored strategies inclusive of nutrition assistance are needed to facilitate effective cardiovascular risk prevention as these vulnerable populations transition into early adulthood.
Understanding Eating Behaviors of New Dehli&apos;s Youth
Author: Harrell, Melissa
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Eating Habits,Health Behavior,Foreign Countries,Barriers,Food,Private Schools,Nutrition,Adolescents,Preferences,Health,Diseases,Intervention,Obesity

This qualitative study documents perceived benefits of and barriers to engaging in healthy eating behaviors among adolescents in New Delhi, India. Researchers explored factors that influenced the consumption of breakfast, fruits and vegetables, and soft drinks in this population and adolescents' ideas about how to intervene to encourage or discourage, respectively, these behaviors. Students (n=151 6th and 8th graders) from five private schools participated in focus group discussions. Findings showed that the majority of youth eat breakfast that may consist of traditional and Western choices. Despite sound knowledge of the benefits of fruits and vegetables consumption, adolescents do not eat the recommended daily servings due to flavor preferences. Soft drink consumption was, reportedly, universal. Several factors influenced these decisions and details are herein provided. The paucity of studies on this subject provides researchers with the opportunity to explore how eating patterns of Indian youth might be shaping the health and disease landscape of India in the upcoming decades. The study adds to the slim body of literature on the subject and could be used to inform future nutrition interventions in India.
Supporting Parent Engagement in Linguistically Diverse Families to Promote Young Children&apos;s Life Success
Author: Barrueco, Sandra
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Parent Participation,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Child Care,Preschool Education,Capacity Building,Access to Education,Child Development,Parent Child Relationship,Family Environment,Program Descriptions,Learning Activities,Second Language Instruction,Literacy,Mathematics Instruction,Spanish Speaking,School Readiness,Educational Quality,Standards,Educational Policy,Disadvantaged Youth

This paper examines research that can inform policies aimed at building the capacity of early care and education programs to promote parent engagement in linguistically diverse families. The key questions addressed include: 1) What factors affect linguistically diverse families' access to early care and education programs?; 2) What do we know about linguistically diverse families and how parents in these families support their young children's learning and development?; 3) What features of early care and education programs appear to contribute to high levels of parent engagement in linguistically diverse families?; and 4) What policies can help increase the capacity of early care and education programs to support parent engagement in linguistically diverse families?
Task Persistence: A Potential Mediator of the Income-Achievement Gap
Author: Whipple, Sara S.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Poverty,Achievement Gap,Academic Achievement,Persistence,Prediction,Educational Attainment,Income,Academic Ability,Correlation,Longitudinal Studies,Self Concept,Elementary School Students,Secondary School Students,Outcomes of Education,Task Analysis,Rural Areas

Background: The pervasive gap in achievement among impoverished children has been investigated primarily in terms of parental investments, specifically parent to child speech and other forms of cognitive stimulation (e.g., toys, print materials). This research extends that literature by considering the role of a non-cognitive factor, namely task persistence, in the income-achievement gap. Using task persistence as the hypothesized mediator, duration of childhood in poverty is used to predict two educational variables - perceived academic competence and educational attainment. Although bivariate relationships between each of the variables have been demonstrated in past research, a full model linking task persistence with the income-achievement gap has not been investigated thus far. Methods: Using multiple waves of longitudinal data, duration of childhood poverty (ages 0-9) is used to predict both perceived academic competence (age 17) and educational attainment (age 23) with task persistence (average of ages 9, 13, 17) as a mediator. Results: With task persistence included in each model, the relationships between duration of childhood in poverty and both perceived academic competence and educational attainment are significantly reduced, confirming a mediational influence of task persistence. Conclusions: As hypothesized, task persistence statistically mediates the relationship between duration of childhood in poverty and educational outcomes. The implications of these findings on school success and intergenerational poverty are addressed, as well as suggestions for future research.
A Development Evaluation Study of a Professional Development Initiative to Strengthen Organizational Conditions in Early Education Settings
Author: Whalen, Samuel P.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Early Childhood Education,Low Income Students,Federal Programs,Faculty Development,Teacher Student Relationship,Program Implementation,Fidelity,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Educational Quality,Instructional Improvement,Program Effectiveness,Adult Learning,Outcomes of Education,Preschool Teachers,Administrators,Minority Group Teachers,Teaching Methods

High quality instruction is essential to producing developmental gains for young children and can mitigate risk factors such as family poverty and low parental education. Even in programs with highly qualified teachers, teacher-child interactions often do not provide the level of instructional support that children need to be well-prepared for success in kindergarten. In order to improve instructional quality, an emerging focus on early childhood professional development involves supporting leaders in creating a web of supports for teacher learning and child growth. The purpose of the 3-year evaluation study was to assess the effectiveness of an Early Childhood Education Professional Development Initiative (ECE PDI) in advancing the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of community-based early childhood leaders and teachers in relation to creating the conditions for superior developmental outcomes for low-income students served by these community-based centers. Findings from the implementation and impact studies are reported.
Extending an Effective Classroom-Based Math Board Game Intervention to Preschoolers&apos; Homes
Author: Sonnenschein, Susan
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Intervention,Mathematics Instruction,Low Income,Preschool Children,Games,Instructional Effectiveness,Preschool Education,Disadvantaged Youth,Child Development,Mathematics Skills,Family Environment,Parent Attitudes,Parent Child Relationship,African American Students

The preschool years are a critical time for math development. Unfortunately, children from low-income backgrounds often enter kindergarten with lower math skills than middle-income peers, perhaps due to less math exposure at home. Few home-based math interventions are available for preschool age children; those that do exist are costly and difficult to implement. Interventions conducted in children's schools using linear numeric board games developed by researchers have been particularly successful with low-income preschool children. Researchers have suggested they may be adapted for home-use by using commercially available board games, such as Chutes and Ladders, and teaching parents how to play. The two studies described in this paper explored the effectiveness of using Chutes and Ladders with a specialized counting procedure with Head Start families. Implementation proved to be challenging and children did not improve as much as in previous classroom-based interventions.
Behavioral Economics and Developmental Science: A New Framework to Support Early Childhood Interventions
Author: Gennetian, Lisa
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Early Intervention,Early Childhood Education,Decision Making,Parent Participation,Parent Role,Economics,Attention,Self Control,Poverty,Parent Child Relationship,Child Development

Public policies have actively responded to an emergent social and neuroscientific evidence base documenting the benefits of targeting services to children during the earliest period of their development. But problems of low utilization, inconsistent participation, and low retention continue to present themselves as challenges. Although most interventions recognize and address structural and psycho-social barriers to parent's engagement, few take seriously the decision making roles of parents. Using insights from the behavioral sciences, we revisit assumptions about the presumed behavior of parents in a developmental context. We then describe ways in which this framework informs features of interventions that can be designed to augment the intended impacts of early development, education and care initiatives by improving parent engagement.
Leveraging University-School District Research Partnerships: Exploring the Longitudinal Effects of an Early Kindergarten Transition Program
Author: Tarasawa, Beth
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: College School Cooperation,Partnerships in Education,School Districts,Longitudinal Studies,Kindergarten,Transitional Programs,Program Evaluation,Public Schools,Elementary School Students,Emergent Literacy,Reading Tests,Reading Fluency,Attendance,Early Childhood Education,School Demography

With increasingly tight budgets, many public school districts lack research personnel to evaluate program efficacy or investigate best practices that raise student achievement. We highlight an example of a successful university-district partnership that offers district-driven research support while providing opportunities for practitioner-scholars to learn first-hand how to perform rigorous evaluation work. This article details the Early Kindergarten Transition program evaluation study conducted by a university-district partnership as well as testimony from district leadership on the utility of the research deliverables and long-term benefits of the research collaboration.
Latina Women in the United States: Child Care Preferences and Arrangements
Author: Satkowski, Laura
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Child Care,Hispanic Americans,Females,Immigrants,Social Influences,Cultural Influences,Beliefs,Employed Women,Employed Parents,Child Care Centers,Decision Making,Preferences,Trust (Psychology),Acculturation

Formal child care has been associated with myriad benefits for children, such as improvements in cognitive development and language skills. Immigrant children may derive unique benefits from formal child care, as research has also confirmed that center-based child care is associated with gains in English language proficiency and school readiness. However, immigrant families are less likely than nonimmigrant families to enroll their children in formal child care. Considering the growing immigrant population in the US--a large proportion of which is Latino--more research is needed to understand the child care decision-making processes of immigrant Latino families. The current study examined the previously understudied social and internal factors that may influence the child care preferences and arrangements of immigrant and nonimmigrant Latina women. The study sample comprised 278 Latina women living in the US. Of these participants, 43% were born in the US and 57% were born outside of the US; 32% were currently pregnant and 68% were parenting at least one child. Participants were recruited from Offerwise's Hispanic Panel to complete an online survey covering questions related to demographic characteristics, child care preferences and arrangements, social support, perceived quality of child care types, acculturation, and beliefs about maternal employment. Results demonstrated that immigrant and nonimmigrant Latina participants differed significantly in their beliefs about maternal employment, perceptions of relative child care quality, and levels of acculturation. Multiple regression models of social and internal factors (e.g., social support and importance of trust in a caregiver) predicted relative and center-based child care preference and utilization, although few individual factors significantly predicted these outcomes. Findings indicate that the child care decision-making process cannot be assumed to be homogenous across Latina immigrant and nonimmigrant women, and that this decision-making process is influenced by social and internal factors. Future research should incorporate concrete, social, and internal factors in models predicting child care preferences and arrangements.