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Ku CW, Ng RRG, Chang TY, Lim CHF, Zheng RT, Ma W, Chua MC, Chan JKY, Yap FKP, Loy SL. Preliminary assessment of the Healthy Early Life Moments (HELMS) webinars in empowering Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) concept among healthcare professionals - a pragmatic serial cross-sectional study. J Perinat Med 2024; 52:406-415. [PMID: 38407193 DOI: 10.1515/jpm-2023-0549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) concept has gained prominence in maternal and child health (MCH), emphasizing how early-life factors impact later-life non-communicable diseases. However, a knowledge-practice gap exists in applying DOHaD principles among healthcare professionals. Healthy Early Life Moments in Singapore (HELMS) introduced webinars to bridge this gap and empower healthcare professionals. We aimed to conduct a preliminary assessment to gain early insights into the outreach and effectiveness of the educational initiative offered with the HELMS webinars. METHODS We employed a pragmatic serial cross-sectional study approach and targeted healthcare professionals involved in MCH care. We also collected and analyzed data on webinar registration and attendance, participants' profession and organizational affiliations, and post-webinar survey responses. RESULTS The median webinar attendance rate was 59.6 % (25th-75th percentile: 58.4-60.8 %). Nurses represented 68.6 % of attendees (n=2,589 out of 3,774). Post-webinar surveys revealed over 75 % of the participants providing positive responses to 14 out of 15 survey questions concerning content, delivery, applicability to work, and organization. CONCLUSIONS Assessment of the HELMS webinars provided insight into the outreach and early effectiveness in enhancing healthcare professionals' knowledge and confidence in delivering DOHaD education. Bridging the knowledge-practice gap remains a crucial goal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chee Wai Ku
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, 37579 KK Women's and Children's Hospital , Singapore, Singapore
- 37579 Duke-NUS Medical School , Singapore, Singapore
| | - Roderica R G Ng
- Department of Anaesthesiology, 37581 Singapore General Hospital , Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ting Yu Chang
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, 63751 National University of Singapore , Singapore, Singapore
| | - Celeste H F Lim
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, 63751 National University of Singapore , Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ruther Teo Zheng
- Department of Paediatrics, 37579 KK Women's and Children's Hospital , Singapore, Singapore
| | - Weini Ma
- Office of Strategy Management & Population Health, 37579 KK Women's and Children's Hospital , Singapore, Singapore
| | - Mei Chien Chua
- 37579 Duke-NUS Medical School , Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Neonatology, 37579 KK Women's and Children's Hospital , Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jerry K Y Chan
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, 37579 KK Women's and Children's Hospital , Singapore, Singapore
- 37579 Duke-NUS Medical School , Singapore, Singapore
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, 63751 National University of Singapore , Singapore, Singapore
| | - Fabian K P Yap
- 37579 Duke-NUS Medical School , Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Paediatrics, 37579 KK Women's and Children's Hospital , Singapore, Singapore
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, 37579 Nanyang Technological University , Singapore, Singapore
| | - See Ling Loy
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, 37579 KK Women's and Children's Hospital , Singapore, Singapore
- 37579 Duke-NUS Medical School , Singapore, Singapore
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Understanding the importance of the early-life period for adult health: a systematic review. J Dev Orig Health Dis 2023; 14:166-174. [PMID: 36345774 DOI: 10.1017/s2040174422000605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Evidence clearly indicates that the nutritional and non-nutritional environment and level of physical activity during the early-life period from preconception through infancy has a lifelong impact on the child's health. However this message must be communicated effectively to parents and other stakeholders such as grandparents, health professionals, policymakers and the wider community in order for positive change to occur. This systematic review explores how both awareness and understanding of the long-term effects of the early-life environment have been measured in various populations and whether any patterns are evident. Ten articles were retrieved via a search of Embase, Medline and Scopus databases for peer-reviewed studies designed to assess participants' knowledge of the links between early-life exposures and adult health. Eligible articles spanned a wide range of countries, population groups and research methods. Three common themes were identified using thematic analysis: 1. a tendency for researchers to conflate participant understanding of the issue (the WHY) with a knowledge of key phrases and nutrition guidelines (the WHAT); 2. bias in both researchers and participants towards short-term thinking due to difficulty conceptualising long-term risk; and 3. challenges in comprehending the complexity of the evidence resulting in oversimplification and the overemphasis of maternal factors. Taken together these findings underscore the importance of a multi-level, whole-of-society approach to communicating the evidence, with the goal of influencing policy decisions as well as building a foundation of community support for parents and prospective parents to create a healthy early-life environment for the long-term wellbeing of all.
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Ku CW, Kwek LK, Loo RSX, Xing HK, Tan RCA, Leow SH, Yap F, Chan JKY, Loy SL. Developmental origins of health and disease: knowledge, attitude and practice of obstetrics & gynecology residents, pediatric residents, and medical students. Women Health 2023; 63:175-185. [PMID: 36597593 DOI: 10.1080/03630242.2022.2164396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Developmental Origin of Health and Disease (DOHaD) explains how the health of the mother influences the offspring's risk of non-communicable diseases in later life. However, this remains underutilized in clinical practice. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of medical students, Obstetrics and Gynecology (O&G) and Pediatrics residents, toward DOHaD, identify potential barriers to DOHaD counseling, and translate DOHaD concepts into clinical practice. This cross-sectional study was conducted with a multi-section digital questionnaire, rated on a five-point Likert scale (1-5), with a higher score indicating better KAP. The scores between groups were compared using ANOVA. A total of 117 participants, comprising medical students (n = 75, 64.1 percent), O&G (n = 33, 28.2 percent) and Pediatric residents (n = 9, 7.7 percent), completed the questionnaire. The mean scores for the "Knowledge," "Attitude" and "Practice" sections were 3.73 (standard deviation 0.82), 4.27 (0.59) and 3.03 (0.52), respectively. O&G residents scored higher for the "Practice" section than Pediatric residents (mean scores 3.17 vs. 2.16; p = .048). Overall, the participants demonstrated good knowledge and attitude, but poor practice toward DOHaD. Thus, there is a need to improve education and training for health care professionals, develop a structured implementation framework, and provide a transdisciplinary care continuum for mother and child.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chee Wai Ku
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.,Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Lee Koon Kwek
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Rachael Si Xuan Loo
- Department of Pediatrics, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hui Kun Xing
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ryo Chee Ann Tan
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shu Hui Leow
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Fabian Yap
- Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Pediatrics, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.,Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jerry Kok Yen Chan
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.,Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, Singapore, Singapore.,Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - See Ling Loy
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.,Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, Singapore, Singapore
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Monk C, Dimidjian S, Galinsky E, Gregory KD, Hoffman MC, Howell EA, Miller ES, Osborne C, Rogers CE, Saxbe DE, D'Alton ME. The Transition to Parenthood in Obstetrics: Enhancing Prenatal Care for Two Generation Impact. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM 2022; 4:100678. [PMID: 35728782 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajogmf.2022.100678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Obstetrics, the specialty overseeing infant and parent health before birth, could be expanded to address the inter-related areas of parents' prenatal impact on children's brain development and their own psychosocial needs during a time of immense change and neuroplasticity. Obstetrics is primed for the shift that is happening in pediatrics, which is moving from its traditional focus on physical health to a coordinated, whole child, two or multi-generation approach. Pediatric care now includes developmental screening, parenting education, parent coaching, access to developmental specialists, brain-building caregiving skills, linkages to community resources, and tiered interventions with psychologists. Drawing on decades of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease research highlighting the prenatal beginnings of future health and new studies on the transition to parenthood describing adult development from pregnancy to early postpartum, we propose that, similar to pediatrics, the integration of education and intervention strategies into the prenatal care ecosystem should be tested for its potential to improve child cognitive and social-emotional development and parental mental health. Pediatric care programs can serve as models of change for the systematic development, testing and, incorporation of new content into prenatal care as universal, first-tier treatment as well as evidenced-based, triaged interventions according to level of need. To promote optimal beginnings for the whole family, we propose an augmented prenatal care ecosystem that aligns with, and could build on, current major efforts to enhance perinatal care individualization through consideration of medical, social, and structural determinants of health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Monk
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY.
| | - Sona Dimidjian
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University Colorado, Boulder
| | | | | | - M Camille Hoffman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora; Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora
| | - Elizabeth A Howell
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Emily S Miller
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
| | - Cynthia Osborne
- Department of Leadership, Policy, and Organizations, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Cynthia E Rogers
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Darby E Saxbe
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
| | - Mary E D'Alton
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
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Tohi M, Bay JL, Tu’akoi S, Vickers MH. The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease: Adolescence as a Critical Lifecourse Period to Break the Transgenerational Cycle of NCDs-A Narrative Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19106024. [PMID: 35627561 PMCID: PMC9141771 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19106024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, represent a significant and growing global health burden. To date, a primary focus has been on treatment approaches to NCDs once manifested rather than strategies aimed at prevention. In this context, there is clear evidence that a range of adverse early life exposures can predispose individuals towards a greater risk of developing NCDs across the lifecourse. These risk factors can be passed to future generations, thus perpetuating a cycle of disease. This concept, preferentially termed “developmental programming”, forms the basis of the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) framework. To date, DOHaD has focused on preconception, pregnancy, lactation and, more recently, paternal health at the time of conception. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that investment in the window of adolescence is perhaps the most critical developmental window. Adolescence is a period where lifestyle behaviours become entrained. Therefore, a focus on adolescent behaviours, health literacy and emotional development may afford the best opportunity to break the cycle of NCDs. As the next generation of parents, adolescents should therefore be considered a priority group in advancing appropriate and informed actions aimed at reducing NCD risk factors across the lifecourse. This advancement requires a more comprehensive community understanding and uptake of DOHaD knowledge and concepts. NCD prevention strategies have typically entailed siloed (and often disease-specific) approaches with limited efficacy in curbing NCD prevalence and breaking the transgenerational transmission of disease traits. Recent findings across various disciplines have highlighted that a lifecourse systems approach is required to establish a comprehensive and sustainable framework for NCD intervention. A whole community approach with a particular focus on adolescents as potential agents of change is necessary to break the disease cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melenaite Tohi
- Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand; (M.T.); (J.L.B.)
| | - Jacquie Lindsay Bay
- Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand; (M.T.); (J.L.B.)
| | - Siobhan Tu’akoi
- School of Population Health, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand;
| | - Mark Hedley Vickers
- Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand; (M.T.); (J.L.B.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +64-99-236-687
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