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Garcia IL, Fernald LCH, Aboud FE, Otieno R, Alu E, Luoto JE. Father involvement and early child development in a low-resource setting. Soc Sci Med 2022; 302:114933. [PMID: 35472657 PMCID: PMC9262343 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.114933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Evidence on the role of father involvement in children’s development from low-resource settings is very limited and historically has only relied on maternal reports of father’s direct engagement activities such as reading to the child. However, fathers can also potentially influence their children’s development via greater positive involvement with the mother, such as by offering interpersonal support or sharing decision-making duties. Such positive intrahousehold interactions can benefit maternal mental health and wellbeing, and ultimately children’s development. We use data collected from mothers, fathers and children in the context of the cluster randomized controlled trial evaluation of Msingi Bora, a responsive parenting intervention implemented across 60 villages in rural western Kenya, to explore the various pathways through which fathers may influence their children’s outcomes. In an endline survey in Fall 2019 among a sample of 681 two-parent households with children aged 16–34 months, fathers reported on measures of their behaviors towards children and with mothers, mothers reported on their wellbeing and behaviors, and interviewers assessed child cognitive and language development with the Bayley Scales. In adjusted multivariate regression analyses we found that greater father interpersonal support to mothers and greater participation in shared household decision-making were positively associated with children’s development. These associations were partially mediated through maternal wellbeing and behaviors. We found no association between fathers’ direct engagement in stimulation activities with children and children’s outcomes. Inviting fathers to the program had no impact on their involvement or on any maternal or child outcomes, and fathers attended sessions at low rates. Overall, our results show the potential promises and challenges of involving fathers in a parenting intervention in a rural low-resource setting. Our findings do highlight the importance of considering intrahousehold pathways of influence in the design of parenting interventions involving fathers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lia C H Fernald
- University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health, Berkeley, CA, 94704, USA
| | - Frances E Aboud
- McGill University, Department of Psychology, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 1G1, Canada
| | - Ronald Otieno
- Safe Water and AIDS Project (SWAP), Off Aga Khan Road, Milimani Estate, Kisumu, P. O. Box, 3323-40100, Kenya
| | - Edith Alu
- Safe Water and AIDS Project (SWAP), Off Aga Khan Road, Milimani Estate, Kisumu, P. O. Box, 3323-40100, Kenya
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Luoto JE, Lopez Garcia I, Aboud FE, Singla DR, Zhu R, Otieno R, Alu E. An Implementation Evaluation of A Group-Based Parenting Intervention to Promote Early Childhood Development in Rural Kenya. Front Public Health 2021; 9:653106. [PMID: 34026713 PMCID: PMC8131637 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.653106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Early childhood development (ECD) parenting interventions can improve child developmental outcomes in low-resource settings, but information about their implementation lags far behind evidence of their effectiveness, hindering their generalizability. This study presents results from an implementation evaluation of Msingi Bora ("Good Foundation" in Swahili), a group-based responsive stimulation and nutrition education intervention recently tested in a cluster randomized controlled trial across 60 villages in rural western Kenya. Msingi Bora successfully improved child cognitive, receptive language, and socioemotional outcomes, as well as parenting practices. We conducted a mixed methods implementation evaluation of the Msingi Bora trial between April 2018 and November 2019 following the Consolidated Advice for Reporting ECD implementation research (CARE) guidelines. We collected qualitative and quantitative data on program inputs, outputs, and outcomes, with a view to examining how aspects of the program's implementation, such as program acceptance and delivery fidelity, related to observed program impacts on parents and children. We found that study areas had initially very low levels of familiarity or knowledge of ECD among parents, community delivery agents, and even supervisory staff from our partner non-governmental organization (NGO). We increased training and supervision in response, and provided a structured manual to enable local delivery agents to successfully lead the sessions. There was a high level of parental compliance, with median attendance of 13 out of 16 fortnightly sessions over 8 months. For delivery agents, all measures of delivery performance and fidelity increased with program experience. Older, more knowledable delivery agents were associated with larger impacts on parental stimulation and child outcomes, and delivery agents with higher fidelity scores were also related to improved parenting practices. We conclude that a group-based parenting intervention delivered by local delivery agents can improve multiple child and parent outcomes. An upfront investment in training local trainers and delivery agents, and regular supervision of delivery of a manualized program, appear key to our documented success. Our results represent a promising avenue for scaling similar interventions in low-resource rural settings to serve families in need of ECD programming. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03548558, June 7, 2018. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03548558.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Frances E. Aboud
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Daisy R. Singla
- Department of Psychiatry, Sinai Health and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Rebecca Zhu
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | | | - Edith Alu
- Safe Water and AIDS Project (SWAP), Kisumu, Kenya
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Luoto JE, Lopez Garcia I, Aboud FE, Singla DR, Fernald LCH, Pitchik HO, Saya UY, Otieno R, Alu E. Group-based parenting interventions to promote child development in rural Kenya: a multi-arm, cluster-randomised community effectiveness trial. Lancet Glob Health 2020; 9:e309-e319. [PMID: 33341153 PMCID: PMC8054650 DOI: 10.1016/s2214-109x(20)30469-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Background Early childhood development (ECD) programmes can help address early disadvantages for the 43% of children younger than 5 years in low-income and middle-income countries who have compromised development. We aimed to test the effectiveness of two group-based delivery models for an integrated ECD responsive stimulation and nutrition education intervention using Kenya’s network of community health volunteers. Methods We implemented a multi-arm, cluster-randomised community effectiveness trial in three rural subcounties across 60 villages (clusters) in western Kenya. Eligible participants were mothers or female primary caregivers aged 15 years or older with children aged 6–24 months at enrolment. If married or in established relationships, fathers or male caregivers aged 18 years or older were also eligible. Villages were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to one of three groups: group-only delivery with 16 fortnightly sessions; mixed delivery combining 12 group sessions with four home visits; and a comparison group. Villages in the intervention groups were randomly assigned (1:1) to invite or not invite fathers and male caregivers to participate. Households were surveyed at baseline and immediately post-intervention. Assessors were masked. Primary outcomes were child cognitive and language development (score on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development third edition), socioemotional development (score on the Wolke scale), and parental stimulation (Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment inventory). Analysis was by intention to treat. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03548558. Findings Between Oct 1 and Nov 12, 2018, 1152 mother–child dyads were enrolled and randomly assigned (n=376 group-only intervention, n=400 mixed-delivery intervention, n=376 comparison group). At the 11-month endline survey (Aug 5–Oct 31, 2019), 1070 households were assessed for the primary outcomes (n=346 group only, n=373 mixed delivery, n=351 comparison). Children in group-only villages had higher cognitive (effect size 0·52 SD [95% CI 0·21–0·83]), receptive language (0·42 SD [0·08–0·77]), and socioemotional scores (0·23 SD [0·03–0·44]) than children in comparison villages at endline. Children in mixed-delivery villages had higher cognitive (0·34 SD [0·05–0·62]) and socioemotional scores (0·22 SD [0·05–0·38]) than children in comparison villages; there was no difference in language scores. Parental stimulation also improved for group-only (0·80 SD [0·49–1·11]) and mixed-delivery villages (0·77 SD [0·49–1·05]) compared with the villages in the comparison group. Including fathers in the intervention had no measurable effect on any of the primary outcomes. Interpretation Parenting interventions delivered by trained community health volunteers in mother–child groups can effectively promote child development in low-resource settings and have great potential for scalability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Frances E Aboud
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Daisy R Singla
- Department of Psychiatry, Sinai Health and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lia C H Fernald
- Division of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Helen O Pitchik
- Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Edith Alu
- Safe Water and AIDS Project, Kisumu, Kenya
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Aboud FE, Yousafzai AK. Scaling up child psychosocial stimulation programmes for young children. Lancet Glob Health 2020; 7:e294-e295. [PMID: 30784624 DOI: 10.1016/s2214-109x(19)30018-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Frances E Aboud
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1G1, Canada.
| | - Aisha K Yousafzai
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
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Aboud FE, Yousafzai AK, Nores M. State of the science on implementation research in early child development and future directions. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2019; 1419:264-271. [PMID: 29791728 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We summarize the state of the field of implementation research and practice for early child development and propose recommendations. First, conclusions are drawn regarding what is generally known about the implementation of early childhood development programs, based on papers and discussions leading to a published series on the topic. Second, recommendations for short-term activities emphasize the use of newly published guidelines for reporting data collection methods and results for implementation processes; knowledge of the guidelines and a menu of measures allows for planning ahead. Additional recommendations include careful documentation of early-stage implementation, such as adapting a program to a different context and assessing feasibility, as well as the process of sustaining and scaling up a program. Using existing implementation information by building on and improving past programs and translating them into policy are recommended. Longer term goals are to identify implementation characteristics of effective programs and determinants of these characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances E Aboud
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Aisha K Yousafzai
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Milagros Nores
- National Institute for Early Education Research, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
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Aboud FE, Prado EL. Measuring the implementation of early childhood development programs. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2019; 1419:249-263. [PMID: 29791725 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2017] [Revised: 01/17/2018] [Accepted: 01/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
In this paper we describe ways to measure variables of interest when evaluating the implementation of a program to improve early childhood development (ECD). The variables apply to programs delivered to parents in group sessions and home or clinic visits, as well as in early group care for children. Measurements for four categories of variables are included: training and assessment of delivery agents and supervisors; program features such as quality of delivery, reach, and dosage; recipients' acceptance and enactment; and stakeholders' engagement. Quantitative and qualitative methods are described, along with when measures might be taken throughout the processes of planning, preparing, and implementing. A few standard measures are available, along with others that researchers can select and modify according to their goals. Descriptions of measures include who might collect the information, from whom, and when, along with how information might be analyzed and findings used. By converging on a set of common methods to measure implementation variables, investigators can work toward improving programs, identifying gaps that impede the scalability and sustainability of programs, and, over time, ascertain program features that lead to successful outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances E Aboud
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Elizabeth L Prado
- Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
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Luoto JE, Lopez Garcia I, Aboud FE, Fernald LCH, Singla DR. Testing means to scale early childhood development interventions in rural Kenya: the Msingi Bora cluster randomized controlled trial study design and protocol. BMC Public Health 2019; 19:259. [PMID: 30832624 PMCID: PMC6399811 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-6584-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Forty-three percent of children under five in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) experience compromised cognitive and psychosocial development. Early childhood development (ECD) interventions that promote parent-child psychosocial stimulation and nutrition activities can help remediate early disadvantages in child development and health outcomes, but are difficult to scale. Key questions are: 1) how to maximize the reach and cost-effectiveness of ECD interventions; 2) what pathways connect interventions to parental behavioral changes and child outcomes; and 3) how to sustain impacts long-term. METHODS Msingi Bora ("good foundation" in Swahili) is a multi-arm cluster randomized controlled trial across 60 villages and 1200 households in rural Western Kenya that tests different, potentially cost-effective and scalable models to deliver an ECD intervention in biweekly sessions lasting 7 months. The curriculum integrates child psychosocial stimulation with hygiene and nutrition education. The multi-arm study will test the cost-effectiveness of two models of delivery: a group-based model versus a mixed model combining group sessions with personalized home visits. Households in a third study arm will serve as a control group. Each arm will have 20 villages and 400 households with a child aged 6-24 months at baseline. Primary outcomes are child cognitive and socioemotional development and home stimulation practices. In a 2 × 2 design among the 40 treatment villages, we will also test the role of including fathers in the intervention. We will estimate intention-to-treat and local average treatment effects, and examine mediating pathways using Mediation Analysis. One treatment arm will receive quarterly booster visits for 6 months following the end of the sessions. A follow-up survey 2 years after the end of the main intervention period will examine sustainability of outcomes and any spillover impacts onto younger siblings. Study protocols have been approved by the Maseno Ethics Review Committee (MUERC) in Kenya (00539/18) and by RAND's institutional review board. This study is funded by the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (R01HD090045). DISCUSSION Results can provide policymakers with rigorous evidence of how best to design ECD interventions in low-resource rural settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinical Trial NCT03548558 registered June 7, 2018 at clinicaltrials.gov; AEA-RCT registry AEARCTR-0002913.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Daisy R. Singla
- Department of Psychiatry, Sinai Health System and University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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Yousafzai AK, Aboud FE, Nores M, Kaur R. Reporting guidelines for implementation research on nurturing care interventions designed to promote early childhood development. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2018; 1419:26-37. [DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2017] [Revised: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aisha K. Yousafzai
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Harvard University; Boston Massachusetts
| | - Frances E. Aboud
- Department of Psychology; McGill University; Montreal Quebec Canada
| | - Milagros Nores
- National Institute for Early Education Research; Rutgers University; New Brunswick New Jersey
| | - Raghbir Kaur
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Harvard University; Boston Massachusetts
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Ahun MN, Aboud FE, Aryeetey R, Colecraft E, Marquis GS. Child development in rural Ghana: Associations between cognitive/language milestones and indicators of nutrition and stimulation of children under two years of age. Can J Public Health 2018; 108:e578-e585. [PMID: 29356667 DOI: 10.17269/cjph.108.5875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2016] [Revised: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 09/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Two studies aimed to assess the provision of nutrition and psychosocial stimulation in the home and to examine associations between mental development and nutrition and stimulation using a validated measure of development milestones. METHODS The first study consisted of secondary analyses on health and nutrition data from 1081 mother-child pairs (the children aged 0-12 months) and their households in Ghana's Eastern Region. For the second study, the Ghana Milestones Measure, consisting of items assessing cognitive and language development, was used to assess child development in a subsample (N = 330) of Study 1 participants one year later (children 10-24 months of age). This measure was mother-reported and had been validated in a separate community in Ghana. Correlation and linear regression analyses were used to analyze the data. RESULTS Family assets and maternal education were identified as key factors of the family context. Both variables were positively associated with preventive health practices (r = 0.08 to 0.13, p < 0.0001 to 0.01), and dietary diversity (r = 0.15, p = 0.0001 to 0.0006), and negatively associated with maternal depressive symptoms (r = -0.19 to -0.12, p < 0.0001). Taller children had higher receptive (standardized beta = 0.16; p = 0.04) and expressive (0.21; 0.003) language, but not cognitive (0.15; 0.07) milestone scores, and psychosocial stimulation was positively associated with all three milestones (receptive = 0.13, p = 0.01; expressive = 0.21, p < 0.0001; and cognitive = 0.24, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION Our study provides the first validated measure of children's language and cognitive development in Ghana, finding associations with nutrition and stimulation. The Ghana Milestones Measure can be used to assess and help promote children's mental development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilyn N Ahun
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC (at time of study; currently a PhD candidate, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC).
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Aboud FE, Rahman E, Kassam R, Khan J, Ali NA, Taleb F. Interrupting pathways to sepsis: Effectiveness of an intervention to reduce delays in timely care for sick children in rural Bangladesh. Soc Sci Med 2017; 177:269-277. [PMID: 28190626 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.01.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Revised: 01/15/2017] [Accepted: 01/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE The time it takes for a child with suspected sepsis to receive care is critical. OBJECTIVE We evaluated care-seeking practices for sick children under 5 years in rural Bangladesh, following interpersonal communication to inform households of newly introduced supports for quality care. Based on the Delays Framework, we assessed length and source of care-seeking delays, use of formal providers, and autonomous decision-making among mothers. METHOD Using two cross-sectional rounds before and after the 3-year intervention (August 2012 and August 2015), we surveyed 400 mothers of recently sick children in 26 randomly sampled villages from 2 intervention and 2 control subdistricts, using structured questions about delays. Six to ten times during the 18-month intervention period, local workers communicated four key messages to most intervention households in 292 villages: serious symptoms of suspected sepsis in children, a call-in center number for referral advice, a reliable transport hub, and upgrades to the local hospital. RESULTS Compared to baseline, endline results demonstrated a significant difference in the total delay between the onset of child's illness and seeking external care, with intervention families having shorter delays. Over 90% of mothers informed someone in the family, mainly the husband, about the sick child before acting to seek care. Delays due to transportation and receiving provider care were short and not different. Using a benchmark of seeking external care within 24 h of onset, only 14.14% of intervention households and 13.40% of control households were "timely" in seeking care. Approximately 78% of parents, similar for the two groups, sought care from a non-formal practitioner (the village doctor). CONCLUSION The results demonstrate that the delay in deciding to seek external care is most serious, and that communication strategies at the community level are necessary to increase the uptake of improved health services.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ehsanur Rahman
- International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh
| | - Rosemin Kassam
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jasmin Khan
- International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh
| | | | - Fahmida Taleb
- International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh
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Aboud FE, Proulx K, Asrilla Z. An impact evaluation of Plan Indonesia's early childhood program. Can J Public Health 2016; 107:e366-e372. [PMID: 28026699 DOI: 10.17269/cjph.107.5557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Revised: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 09/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES High-quality preschools are known to prepare children for success in primary school. Over half of Indonesia's children now pass through preschools whose quality and effectiveness are unknown. Our goal was to evaluate two government preschool models, namely kindergarten (TK) and the less formal health-post (PAUD), with and without capacity-building efforts of a non-governmental organization (NGO-Plan), on children's language and math skills. METHODS Thirteen TK and 17 PAUD Plan-supported and the same number of government-supported preschools were randomly selected from East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Five children from each (n = 292) and five who had graduated from each and were now in first grade (n = 241) were randomly selected and tested on language and math measures. The Plan-supported preschools were assessed for quality. Mothers reported on their family's socio-demographic situation and their child's preventive health practices, illnesses and diet over the previous two weeks. RESULTS Analyses of covariance adjusting for clusters indicated that children attending Plan-supported preschools performed better overall, and especially those in TK preschools. Plan-supported TKs were observed to have higher quality than Plan-supported PAUDs. First graders who graduated from Plan-supported preschools, both TK and PAUD, achieved higher scores on language and math tests than government-supported graduates. Preventive health practices were better in the Plan group, though diet and height-for-age were poor overall. CONCLUSIONS Upgrades to the government preschool program are needed to raise its quality and effectiveness, specifically by introducing a mix of instructional and indoor free-choice play, resources and teacher training to support children's learning.
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Abstract
Ethnic minority and majority students in the United States were given the opportunity to receive score information about their own and about the other ethnic group, after they themselves had taken a test. Young majority white children generally chose to look at other whites' scores. A large portion of young Chicanos also -sought white score information, or sought Chicanos who had performed better and whites who had performed worse than they. This group-enhancement strategy was also prevalent among college blacks. Ethnic information seeking was discussed in terms of three strategies-seeking in-group information, seeking out-group information, and seeking group-enhancement information-and the differential use of these strategies by minority and majority students.
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Abstract
Empirical research reported in the literature over the past 18 years was integrated and critically evaluated to determine the age at which ethnic attitudes are formed, their course of development after this age of onset, and psychological factors influencing attitude development. Conclusions were drawn about the effects of age and ethnic status that differed in certain respects from those made a decade ago. The development of ethnic attitudes was found to parallel certain developments in affective, perceptual, and cognitive processes, such as the differentiation between groups and between individuals. Within this framework, differences between majority and minority children were discussed in terms of the effects of social factors on affect, perception, and cognition.
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Abstract
This study examined two social factors thought to mediate the beneficial consequences of peer conflict. One was the social relationship between the peers, namely best friend or lukewarm friend. The second was the evaluation of self and partner after performing on the task. Children performed on two tasks: one was an ethnic preference task and the second was a measure of their understanding of multiple emotions. After each, they were given fictitious information about their partner's discrepant judgements, and asked to evaluate the two performances, and then retested for changes to their judgement. The first hypothesis was that a best friend's performance would be evaluated more highly than a lukewarm friend's. The second hypothesis was that evaluation of own judgements would be lower after disagreement with a best friend than a lukewarm friend. The third hypothesis was that judgement changes would be correlated with evaluations. The three hypotheses were confirmed differentially, depending on the task. Results were discussed in terms of the link between interpersonal and intrapersonal conflict.
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Abstract
Intergroup contact and friendship are keystones to the reduction of prejudice, yet most available data on this topic are based on indices that do not actually reflect contact or relationships. This study examined various indices of peer relations (viz., interactive companions, mutual friendships, and the stability and perceived qualities of mutual friends) for elementary school students who differed in grade, gender, and racial background; and it explored whether racial attitudes were associated with befriending or avoiding classmates. Cross-race mutual friendships declined with grade, and among fifth-graders were less likely to show 6-month stability than same-race friendships. Despite overall same-race selectivity, mutual cross-race friends, once selected, did not differ significantly from same-race ones in friendship functions such as loyalty and emotional security; only with respect to intimacy were they rated lower. Finally, racial prejudice was most strongly related to the number of excluded classmates, while children with less biased attitudes had more cross-race interactive companions and more positive perceptions of their friends.
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Abstract
A cross-sectional design was used to inquire about peer relations of 85 second and fifth grade students in two integrated Anglophone and Francophone schools in Montreal, Canada. Data on same- and cross-ethnic identification, interactive companions and mutual best friends were collected for each student. Overall findings were that students had more companions from their own than the other ethno-linguistic group, but equivalent numbers of mutual best friends. Same- and cross-ethnic mutual friends were rated similarly in terms of friendship quality (as assessed by the McGill Friendship Questionnaire). Exploratory in-depth interviews with 16 students indicated that cross-ethnic relationships ran into two barriers. One was that they were limited to only a few activities and locations and so did not become personalized. The second was that in-group and out-group friends did not always mix well.
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Aboud FE, Bougma K, Lemma T, Marquis GS. Evaluation of the effects of iodized salt on the mental development of preschool-aged children: a cluster randomized trial in northern Ethiopia. Matern Child Nutr 2016; 13. [PMID: 27145299 DOI: 10.1111/mcn.12322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2015] [Revised: 03/03/2016] [Accepted: 03/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A cluster randomized effectiveness trial was used to examine the effects on mental development of introducing iodized salt to children 4 to 6 years of age in Ethiopia, where there were reportedly high levels of iodine deficiency. Sixty district clusters were randomized to receive iodized salt early at their markets with assistance from regular salt distributors or later as introduced by market forces. At pre- and post-iodization, 1602 children were given cognitive/language tests (namely School Readiness, WPPSI verbal reasoning, WPPSI Matrix reasoning), and mothers were interviewed concerning demographics, nutrition and health. Children's weight, height, urine and a blood sample were taken. Analyses of covariance, adjusting for clustering and baseline levels were conducted. Urinary iodine concentrations were significantly higher at endline in the intervention children than controls though both medians were above threshold. Overall, less than 5% were anemic. There were no significant main effect differences between groups on the cognitive/language tests, but there were effect modifiers, namely mother's education, child's sex and diet. For example, the intervention group performed better on the school readiness test than controls if their mothers had attended school, but not otherwise. In conclusion, the data are consistent with negative findings from studies where children 6 to 12 years were supplemented with an iodine capsule, indicating that the benefits of iodine, in salt or capsule form, for brain development may be restricted to children under 3 years. Yet, benefits may be tied to those with more educational resources or may compensate for conditions of disadvantage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances E Aboud
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Karim Bougma
- School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, McGill University, Sainte Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec, Canada
| | - Tizita Lemma
- Department of Psychology, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Grace S Marquis
- School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, McGill University, Sainte Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec, Canada
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Aboud FE, Friedmann J, Smith S. Direct and indirect friends in cross-ethnolinguistic peer relations. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science / Revue canadienne des sciences du comportement 2015. [DOI: 10.1037/a0037590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Singla DR, Shafique S, Zlotkin SH, Aboud FE. A 22-element micronutrient powder benefits language but not cognition in Bangladeshi full-term low-birth-weight children. J Nutr 2014; 144:1803-10. [PMID: 25143374 DOI: 10.3945/jn.114.193094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Low-birth-weight children are known to be at risk of both anemia and cognitive/language deficits in their early years. OBJECTIVE The aim of the current study was to examine the effects of a 22-element multiple micronutrient powder (MNP) on the cognitive and language development of full-term low-birth-weight (LBW-T) children in Bangladesh. METHODS The current study was a follow-up of children who were enrolled in a randomized cluster trial at 7-12 mo of age. Children in 12 intervention clusters (communities) were administered a daily 22-element MNP sachet with their food for 5 mo, and both intervention and control groups (also 12 clusters) received nutrition, health, and hygiene education. The current study involved the assessment of children at 16-22 mo of age (22-element MNP group: n = 96; control group: n = 82) on 3 subtests of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development III test to measure cognitive, receptive language, and expressive language development. RESULTS There was a significant effect of the 22-element MNP on children's expressive language scores (d = 0.39), and stunting moderated the effect on receptive language scores; there was no effect on cognitive development (d = 0.08). CONCLUSION An MNP may thus offer one feasible solution to improve language development of LBW-T children in low-resource community settings. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01455636.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisy R Singla
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Sohana Shafique
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Frances E Aboud
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
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Abstract
Health and nutritional risks co-occur in the lives of children under the age of 2 years who live in developing countries. We review evidence showing how these risks, in addition to inadequate psychosocial stimulation, prevent children from developing expected cognitive and language abilities. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 21 interventions aimed at enhancing stimulation and 18 interventions that provided better nutrition--all conducted since 2000--revealed that stimulation had a medium effect size of 0.42 and 0.47 on cognitive and language development, respectively, whereas nutrition by itself had a small effect size of 0.09. The implementation processes of these interventions are described and compared. A number of unresolved issues are outlined and discussed, including ways to maximize parental health behavior change, assess mediators that account for intervention effects, and expand the assessment of young children's brain functions that underlie language and cognition and are affected by nutrition and stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances E Aboud
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, H3A 1B1 Canada;
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Singla DR, Kumbakumba E, Aboud FE. A randomised cluster evaluation of a parenting programme to address child development and maternal wellbeing in Uganda. The Lancet Global Health 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/s2214-109x(15)70066-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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Aboud FE. Where in the world are Canadian psychologists? Canadian Psychology/Psychologie canadienne 2014. [DOI: 10.1037/a0035101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Bougma K, Marquis GS, Aboud FE, Frongillo EA, Singla D, Harding KB, Lemma T, Samuel A, Serfu D. Iodine Deficiency and Child Development in Ethiopia. FASEB J 2013. [DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.27.1_supplement.845.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Karim Bougma
- School of Dietetics and Human NutritionMcGill UniversitySainte‐Anne‐de‐BellevueQCCanada
| | - Grace S Marquis
- School of Dietetics and Human NutritionMcGill UniversitySainte‐Anne‐de‐BellevueQCCanada
| | | | - Edward A Frongillo
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, and BehaviorUniversity of South CarolinaColombiaSC
| | - Daisy Singla
- Department of PsychologyMcGill UniversityMontrealQCCanada
| | | | - Tizita Lemma
- School of PsychologyBahir Dar UniversityBahir DarEthiopia
| | - Aregash Samuel
- Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research InstitutionAddis AbabaEthiopia
| | - Dilnesaw Serfu
- Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research InstitutionAddis AbabaEthiopia
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Aboud FE, Tredoux C, Tropp LR, Brown CS, Niens U, Noor NM. Interventions to reduce prejudice and enhance inclusion and respect for ethnic differences in early childhood: A systematic review. Developmental Review 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2012.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 204] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Abstract
Due to their sociocognitive limitations, children between the ages of 4 and 8 years tend to resist antibias messages from others. The purpose of this study was to examine if children would be more responsive to an antibias message as a function of the race of the communicator, the strength of the antibias message, and their ability to reconcile different perspectives. As children’s inferences of communicators’ attitudes constitute an unintended message, we assessed children’s inferences of communicators’ Black and White attitudes before and after the intervention. Children’s own attitudes and cognitive elaboration of the antibias message were assessed after the intervention. Very few children were able to reconcile different ethnic perspectives. Results further revealed that communicators were inferred to hold more positive attitudes after the intervention, but that this was largely due to an increase in the ingroup communicator’s inferred White attitudes and when the message was weak. Moreover, no difference was observed for children’s own attitudes and cognitive elaboration of the message. Results are discussed with respect to social cognitive barriers that result in children’s distortion or dismissal of antibias messages.
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Aboud FE, Singla DR. Challenges to changing health behaviours in developing countries: a critical overview. Soc Sci Med 2012; 75:589-94. [PMID: 22633158 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2012] [Accepted: 04/25/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
This overview of recent research on health behaviour change in developing countries shows progress as well as pitfalls. In order to provide guidance to health and social scientists seeking to change common practices that contribute to illness and death, there needs to be a common approach to developing interventions and evaluating their outcomes. Strategies forming the basis of interventions and programs to change behaviour need to focus on three sources: theories of behaviour change, evidence for the success and failure of past attempts, and an in-depth understanding of one's audience. Common pitfalls are a lack of attention to the wisdom of theories that address strategies of change at the individual, interpersonal, and community levels. Instead, programs are often developed solely from a logic model, formative qualitative research, or a case-control study of determinants. These are relevant, but limited in scope. Also limited is the focus solely on one's specific behaviour; regardless of whether the practice concerns feeding children or seeking skilled birth attendants or using a latrine, commonalities among behaviours allow generalizability. What we aim for is a set of guidelines for best practices in interventions and programs, as well as a metric to assess whether the program includes these practices. Some fields have approached closer to this goal than others. This special issue of behaviour change interventions in developing countries adds to our understanding of where we are now and what we need to do to realize more gains in the future.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES The goal of this study was to determine if a responsive stimulation and feeding intervention improved developmental and nutritional outcomes compared with a regular information-based parenting program. The hypothesis was that mothers in the intervention would exhibit better parenting skills and children would exhibit better developmental and nutritional outcomes than controls. METHODS A cluster-randomized field trial was conducted with 302 children aged 8 to 20 months and their mothers in rural Bangladesh who were randomly assigned according to village to 1 of 3 groups. The control mothers received 12 informational sessions on health and nutrition. The intervention groups received an additional 6 sessions delivered by peer educators who included modeling and coached practice in self-feeding and verbal responsiveness with the child during play. A second intervention group received, along with the sessions, 6 months of a food powder fortified with minerals and vitamins. Developmental outcomes included the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) Inventory, mother-child responsive talk, and language development. Nutritional outcomes included weight, height, self-feeding, and mouthfuls eaten. We used analysis of covariance to compare the 3 groups at the posttest and at follow-up, covarying the pretest levels and confounders. RESULTS At follow-up, responsive stimulation-feeding groups had better HOME inventory scores, responsive talking, language, mouthfuls eaten, and hand-washing. Micronutrient fortification resulted in more weight gain. CONCLUSIONS A brief behavior-change program that focused on modeling and practice in stimulation and feeding was found to benefit children's nutrition and language development. Micronutrients benefited children's weight but not length.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances E Aboud
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 1B1.
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Abstract
Children throughout the world are confronted with growth problems ranging from underweight and stunting to overweight and obesity. The development of healthy eating behaviors depends on both healthy food and responsive parenting behaviors. With origins from anthropology, psychology, and nutrition, responsive parenting reflects reciprocity between child and caregiver, conceptualized as a 4-step mutually responsive process: 1) the caregiver creates a routine, structure, expectations, and emotional context that promote interaction; 2) the child responds and signals to the caregiver; 3) the caregiver responds promptly in a manner that is emotionally supportive, contingent, and developmentally appropriate; and 4) the child experiences predictable responses. This paper examines evidence for the practice and developmental benefits of responsive parenting with a view to providing a theoretical basis for responsive feeding. Recommendations are made that future efforts to promote healthy growth and to prevent underweight and overweight among young children incorporate and evaluate responsive feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen M Black
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
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Aboud FE, Taylor DM, Doumani RG. The Effect of Contact on the Use of Role and Ethnic Stereotypes in Person Perception. The Journal of Social Psychology 2010. [DOI: 10.1080/00224545.1973.9922607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Aboud FE, Shafique S, Akhter S. A responsive feeding intervention increases children's self-feeding and maternal responsiveness but not weight gain. J Nutr 2009; 139:1738-43. [PMID: 19587124 DOI: 10.3945/jn.109.104885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Responsive complementary feeding, whereby the mother feeds her child in response to child cues and psychomotor abilities, is low in some countries and likely contributes to malnutrition. Interventions are needed to evaluate whether promoting responsive feeding would add any benefit. Using a cluster-randomized field trial, we evaluated a 6-session educational program that emphasized the practice of child self-feeding and maternal responsiveness. A total of 108 mothers and their 8- to 20-mo-old children in 19 clusters were randomly assigned to the intervention group and 95 in 18 clusters were assigned to the informational control group. Outcomes were assessed at pretest, postintervention, and follow-up. Research assistants, who were unaware of group assignment, observed and coded mother and child midday meal behaviors. At follow-up, the percent of self-fed mouthfuls was 47.8 +/- 42.4 (mean +/- SD) in the responsive feeding group children compared with 32.2 +/- 41.0 in the controls (P = 0.01); likewise, the number of responsive verbalizations was 6.55 +/- 5.9 in the responsive feeding mothers and 4.62 +/- 4.5 in controls (P = 0.01). Intervention mothers recalled more messages. Mouthfuls of food eaten by children and weight were equivalent in the 2 groups. Lack of change in foods eaten and small quantities may explain the similarly low levels of weight gain. These results provide evidence that self-feeding and maternal verbal responsiveness, two developmentally important behaviors, can be increased by targeting specific behaviors with appropriate behavior change strategies of modeling and coached practice. Weight gain may require more nutritional input, especially in areas of high food insecurity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances E Aboud
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal H3A 1B1, Canada. frances.aboud@mcgill
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Aboud FE, Moore AC, Akhter S. Effectiveness of a community-based responsive feeding programme in rural Bangladesh: a cluster randomized field trial. Matern Child Nutr 2009; 4:275-86. [PMID: 18811792 DOI: 10.1111/j.1740-8709.2008.00146.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Responsive complementary feeding, whereby the mother feeds her child in response to child cues of hunger state and psychomotor abilities, is a problem in some countries, and likely contributes to malnutrition. Interventions are needed to evaluate whether promoting responsive feeding would add any benefit. Using a cluster randomized field trial, we evaluated a six-session educational programme that emphasized practice of two key behaviours, namely child self-feeding and maternal responsiveness. One hundred mothers and their 12- to 24-month-olds attended the sessions as part of village clusters randomly assigned to the intervention group. A similar number of controls received sessions on foods to feed and nutritional disorders. Outcomes assessed at pre-test, 2-week post-intervention and again 5-months post-intervention included weight, mouthfuls of food taken, self-feeding and maternal responsiveness. Research assistants, blind to group assignment, observed and coded mother and child behaviours during the midday meal. Secondary measures included foods fed and feeding messages recalled. Analysis was based on intention to treat and accounted for clustering. Only 10% of each group was lost to follow-up. Weight (d = 0.28), weight gain (d = 0.48) and child self-feeding (d = 0.30) were significantly higher in the responsive feeding group. Mouthfuls of food eaten and maternal responsiveness were not significantly increased by the intervention. Mothers in the intervention gave their children more vegetables, and spontaneously recalled more feeding messages at the 5-month follow-up. These results provide evidence that self-feeding and weight gain can improve by targeting specific behaviours, while maternal responsiveness may require more intensive strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances E Aboud
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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Abstract
This evaluation research compares the first-grade competencies of two cohorts of Bangladesh children who attended ‘Succeed’ preschools, with a control group who did not attend preschool. Testing of these groups occurred in 2006, 2007, and 2005, respectively. The Succeed program aims to improve children's learning and children's school success by developing and testing an affordable, sustainable preschool model that can be implemented in school, community and home settings. Researchers assessed the quality of school- and home-based preschool environments using the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS) plus two curricular subscales that tap program quality. An independently developed test based on government-defined competencies assessed school achievement of Grade 1 children. Results showed that children who attended Succeed preschools performed better in four of the five competencies relating to reading, writing, and oral math, compared with children without any preschool experience. Better quality preschool environments were positively associated with children's competencies in Grade 1. There were no statistically significant differences in first-grade performance between children from home-based preschools compared with school-based preschools, both using the same Succeed program.
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Aboud FE. Evaluation of an early childhood parenting programme in rural Bangladesh. J Health Popul Nutr 2007; 25:3-13. [PMID: 17615899 PMCID: PMC3013259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
To promote physical and mental development of children, parenting education programmes in developing countries focus on specific practices such as age-appropriate responsive stimulation and feeding. A programme delivered to groups of poor mothers of children, aged less than three years, in rural Bangladesh was evaluated using an intervention-control post-test design. Mothers (n=170) who had attended a year of educational sessions and their children were compared with those (n=159) from neighbouring villages who did not have access to such a programme. After covariates were controlled, the parenting mothers obtained higher scores on a test of child-rearing knowledge and on the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) inventory of stimulation. The parenting mothers did not communicate differently with their children while doing a picture-talking task, and children did not show benefits in nutritional status or language comprehension. Parenting sessions offered by peer educators were informative and participatory, yet they need to include more practice, problem-solving, and peer-support if information is to be translated into behaviour.
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Quintana SM, Aboud FE, Chao RK, Contreras-Grau J, Cross WE, Hudley C, Hughes D, Liben LS, Nelson-Le Gall S, Vietze DL. Race, ethnicity, and culture in child development: contemporary research and future directions. Child Dev 2007; 77:1129-41. [PMID: 16999787 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2006.00951.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The editors of this special issue reflect on the current status and future directions of research on race, ethnicity, and culture in child development. Research in the special issue disentangles race, ethnicity, culture, and immigrant status, and identifies mediators of sociocultural variables on developmental outcomes. The special issue includes important research on normal development in context for ethnic and racial minority children, addresses racial and ethnic identity development, and considers intergroup processes. The methodological innovations as well as challenges of current research are highlighted. It is recommended that future research adhere to principles of cultural validity described in the text.
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Abstract
It is now widely recognized that malnutrition can partly be attributed to caregiver-child interaction during feeding episodes. Current conceptual frameworks emphasize the importance of responsiveness (including active and social behaviour), psychomotor abilities of the child to self-feed, and a non-distracting feeding environment. The present observational study had three main objectives: (1) to define operationally key terms such as responsive and active feeding and observe their frequency in a rural Bangladesh sample; (2) to examine whether self-feeding, responsive and active behaviours of the mother and child varied with child's age and amounts eaten; and (3) to determine associations between mother and child behaviours. Fifty-four mother-child pairs were observed during one feeding episode and behaviours were coded for 5 categories, namely self-feeding, responsive, active, social and distracting behaviours. Children were between 8 and 24 months of age. Results indicated that the five behaviours could be observed and reliably coded. Two-thirds of mothers had an active feeding style but only a third were responsive; the two styles did not overlap. With older children, mothers encouraged more eating and more self-feeding, but children did not feed themselves more; instead older children were more negatively responsive (refusing offered food). Positively responsive mothers tended to have active children who explicitly signaled their desire for food or water, and who ate more mouthfuls of food. Positively active mothers adopted different strategies to encourage eating, such as verbally directing the child to eat, focusing, and temporarily diverting. These mothers tended to have children who were negatively responsive and refused food. Children accepted on average 5.31 mouthfuls of food and rejected 2.13. Mothers who used intrusively active strategies (e.g. force feeding) tended to have children who were both positively and negatively responsive, thus partially reinforcing her forceful behaviour. Thus, the responsive feeding framework, once operationalized, has the potential to identify specific behaviours that support or impede mother-child interaction during complementary feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna C Moore
- ICDDR, B: Centre for Health and Population Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
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Aboussafy D, Campbell TS, Lavoie K, Aboud FE, Ditto B. Airflow and autonomic responses to stress and relaxation in asthma: the impact of stressor type. Int J Psychophysiol 2006; 57:195-201. [PMID: 15975675 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2005.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2004] [Accepted: 02/01/2005] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The impact of stress on respiratory airflow in asthmatics is unclear. Part of the uncertainty may spring from the different physiological effects of different stressors. Given their potential to elicit increases in parasympathetic vagal activity, stressful situations that present few opportunities for coping (passive coping stressors) may be particularly problematic for people with asthma. Thirty-one adult asthmatics participated in a protocol including a widely used passive coping stressor (the cold pressor test), an active coping stressor (mental arithmetic), an interview about an upsetting asthma-related incident (viewed as a potential passive coping stressor given the exposure to unpleasant memories), and progressive muscle relaxation. Repeated measurements of airflow (via peak expiratory flow), vagal tone (via heart rate variability), and other variables were obtained. The cold pressor test, asthma interview and progressive muscle relaxation produced significant decreases in airflow compared to the baseline period. The cold pressor test and progressive muscle relaxation produced significant, complementary increases in vagal tone. These results suggest that passive coping stressors and other stimuli (e.g., certain forms of relaxation) that elicit increased vagal tone may be associated with poorer asthma control, a view consistent with a significant negative correlation between the participant's mean vagal tone response to the tasks and score on a measure of asthma self-efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Aboussafy
- Respiratory Division, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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Abstract
Although standardized measures of prejudice reveal high levels of ethnocentric bias in the preschool years, it may reflect in-group favoritism or out-group prejudice. A measure that partially decouples the two attitudes was given to White children between 4 and 7 years of age to examine the reciprocal relation between and the acquisition and correlates of in-group and out-group attitudes. The two attitudes were reciprocally correlated in 1 sample from a racially homogeneous school but not in a 2nd sample from a mixed-race school. In-group favoritism did not appear until 5 years of age but then reached significant levels; it was strongly related to developing social cognitions. Out-group prejudice was weaker, but its targets suffer from comparison with the high favoritism accorded in-group members.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances E Aboud
- Department of Psychology, 1205 Dr. Penfield Avenue, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1B1, Canada.
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Abstract
Although standardized measures of prejudice reveal high levels of ethnocentric bias in the preschool years, it may reflect in-group favoritism or out-group prejudice. A measure that partially decouples the two attitudes was given to White children between 4 and 7 years of age to examine the reciprocal relation between and the acquisition and correlates of in-group and out-group attitudes. The two attitudes were reciprocally correlated in 1 sample from a racially homogeneous school but not in a 2nd sample from a mixed-race school. In-group favoritism did not appear until 5 years of age but then reached significant levels; it was strongly related to developing social cognitions. Out-group prejudice was weaker, but its targets suffer from comparison with the high favoritism accorded in-group members.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances E Aboud
- Department of Psychology, 1205 Dr. Penfield Avenue, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1B1, Canada.
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Aboud FE, Hiwot MG, Arega A, Molla M, Samson S, Seyoum N, Ressom S, Worku S, Mulatu M, Egale T. The McGill Pain Questionnaire in Amharic: Zwai Health Center patients' reports on the experience of pain. Ethiop Med J 2003; 41:45-61. [PMID: 12765000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents for the first time an Amharic translation of the McGill Pain Questionnaire developed by Melzack and used in many countries around the world. It allows for a quantitative and qualitative assessment of the intensity, location, and nature of experienced pain, as well as conditions that relieve pain. Data collected from one hundred patients attending the Zwai Health Center indicated that 81% reported pain at the time, one-quarter of whom were in severe pain. The most commonly chosen descriptors were: burning, stabbing, sore, gnawing, aching, and cramping. Descriptors were often associated with certain diagnoses: burning with gastrointestinal problems, stabbing with respiratory diseases, and gnawing or aching with myalgia/neuralgia. Approximately 40% of those in pain had previously sought relief from a clinic or pharmacy and were attending the center because the pain persisted. Analgesics were more likely to be prescribed for those in mild pain, while other medication without analgesics were prescribed for those in severe pain. The McGill Pain Questionnaire--Amharic (MPQ-Am) could be a useful tool for future studies of illness-specific pain, and of the effectiveness of pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical strategies for pain management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances E Aboud
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, 1205 Dr. Penfield Avenue, Montreal, Qc., Canada H3A 1B1.
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Mendelson MJ, Aboud FE. Measuring friendship quality in late adolescents and young adults: McGill Friendship Questionnaires. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1999. [DOI: 10.1037/h0087080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Abstract
The study examined Filipino mothers' problem solving on issues related to child feeding, using a dyadic, peer-help approach. The participants were mothers of children under 6 yr of age from a village in the southern Philippines, where malnutrition among children is prevalent. Mothers were paired with a mutual friend (each nominated the other as a best friend) or a unilateral friend (only one nominated the other as a best friend) to discuss a feeding problem to which they initially gave similar solutions (agreed) and one to which they gave different solutions (disagreed). In the final step, they were asked to give privately the solutions they considered best for the problem. The number and quality of these final-step solutions were analyzed as a function of the friend relation, the level of initial agreement with their friend partner, and the source of the solution. Results indicated that the quantity and quality of solutions increased from before to after the dyadic discussion, especially among mothers paired with a mutual friend with whom they agreed. Most of their final-step solutions came from ones they themselves had generated during the discussion, not ones their friend partner had proposed. There was also evidence that high quality solutions were generated by mothers paired with a disagreeing unilateral friend. Implications for nutrition education concern the benefits of a peer-help, dyadic problem-solving approach, taking into account the role of a friend in facilitating a mother's production of new solutions to child feeding problems. The procedure may be used by health promoters who want to build capacities and self-reliance through collective problem solving.
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Affiliation(s)
- C J Ticao
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Qc., Canada
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Abstract
Forty children between the ages of 16 and 42 months and their mothers, living in an Ethiopian rural village, participated in the study. The objective was to determine the mental development of the children using the Bayley Scale of Mental Development, and to examine its relation to nutritional status and mother-child interaction. Forty-eight percent of the children were mildly or moderately malnourished; 7.5% severely so. The child's weight for age was significantly related to the child's scores on the Bayley scale. Mother-child interaction was assessed through a 30-60 min observation of the pair in a naturalistic setting around the home. The number of verbal, gestural and motor actions spontaneously initiated by the mother and child, as well as responses made by each to the others' behavior were recorded and coded separately. The rate of a mother's verbal responses to the child positively predicted the child's verbal score. In contrast, the mother's spontaneously initiated motor actions toward the child correlated negatively with the child's performance score. The mother's responsiveness was unrelated to the child's nutritional status, age or sex, but was best predicted by a fussing/crying child and by her expectations about the ages when specific social-cognitive abilities would be acquired by a child.
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Affiliation(s)
- F E Aboud
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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Abstract
A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 2000 adult Ethiopians living in rural communities to determine firstly the prevalence of mental illness and secondly its association with stress and demographic variables. The Self-Reporting Questionnaire developed by WHO experts was used as the measure of mental illness. A modified version of the Holmes-Rahe Social Readjustment Scale was the measure of stress. Respondents were interviewed in their homes. Those experiencing 11 or more of the 20 neurotic symptoms and 3 or more of the 4 psychotic symptoms were considered mentally ill. Despite the use of high cut-off points for identifying potential cases, the prevalence of mental illness was 17.2%--neurotic 11.2% and psychotic 6.0%. This is higher than earlier reports for Ethiopia, but comparable to rates found in other African countries. Mental illness scores were most strongly associated with stress in that the odds of experiencing 6 or more stressful life events in the past year were 2.7 times greater for neurotics and 2.1 times greater for psychotics. In addition, neuroses and psychoses were significantly associated with a family history of mental illness and with being divorced, separated or widowed. Neurosis alone was also associated with chronic illness, females, those between the ages of 35 and 44, and illiteracy. These findings were discussed in terms of their relevance for identifying high stress groups and thus for preventing mental illness through community activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Tafari
- McGill-Ethiopia Community Health Project, Addis Ababa
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