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- Contreras, Mariela, 1979-
(författare)
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Child nutrition in rural Nicaragua : Population-based studies in a transitional society
- 2015
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Emerging favourable as well as unfavourable nutrition patterns are observed in societies undergoing rapid social and economic change. The aim of this thesis is to analyse the associations between household and maternal resources and infant and young child feeding habits and nutritional status in rural Nicaragua, a low-income transitional society.All households (n=1,500) in Los Cuatro Santos with at least one child (0-3 y) were visited to collect information on feeding of the youngest child. Children´s anthropometry was also measured using standardised World Health Organisation (WHO) techniques. Validated instruments were used to assess household and maternal resources. All instruments had been adapted to the local context and piloted in a nearby community. The education of the mother showed more independent variation in the studied outcomes. The odds for exclusive breastfeeding were highest in infants aged 0 to 5 months of mothers with the lowest education. Further, children aged 6 to 35 months with lowest educated mothers were less likely to consume highly processed snacks (HP snacks) and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). They were also less likely to be exposed to a double burden of suboptimal feeding (concurrent unmet WHO recommended feeding practices and consumption of HP snacks or SSBs). However, children aged 6 to 35 months were more prone to infrequently meet dietary diversity and to more shortness. Children in the same age group with lower educated mothers were also shorter in households with the lowest housing quality.Higher level of maternal education contributed both favourably and unfavourably to child feeding and nutrition. This was reflected in more and less frequent practice of the WHO feeding indicators, but also in more frequent children´s consumption of HP snacks and SSBs. Higher maternal education was associated with taller children, even in households with the lowest housing quality.
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| 2. |
- Contreras, Mariela, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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Consumption of highly processed snacks, sugar-sweetened beverages and child feeding practices in a rural area of Nicaragua
- 2016
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Ingår i: Maternal and Child Nutrition. - : Wiley. - 1740-8695 .- 1740-8709. ; 12:1, s. 164-176
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Appropriate feeding behaviours are important for child growth and development. In societies undergoing nutrition transition, new food items are introduced that may be unfavourable for child health. Set in rural Nicaragua, the aim of this study was to describe the infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices as well as the consumption of highly processed snack foods (HP snacks) and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). All households with at least one child 0- to 35-month-old (n = 1371) were visited to collect information on current IYCF practices in the youngest child as well as consumption of SSBs and HP snacks. Breastfeeding was dominant (98%) among 0- to 1-month-olds and continued to be prevalent (60%) in the second year, while only 34% of the 0- to 5-month-olds were exclusively breastfed. Complementary feeding practices were deemed acceptable for only 59% of the 6- to 11-month-old infants, with low dietary diversity reported for 50% and inadequate meal frequency reported for 30%. Consumption of HP snacks and SSBs was frequent and started early; among 6- to 8-month-olds, 42% and 32% had consumed HP snacks and SSBs, respectively. The difference between the observed IYCF behaviours and World Health Organization recommendations raises concern of increased risk of infections and insufficient intake of micronutrients that may impair linear growth. The concurrent high consumption of SSBs and HP snacks may increase the risk of displacing the recommended feeding behaviours. To promote immediate and long-term health, growth and development, there is a need to both promote recommended IYCF practices as well as discourage unfavourable feeding behaviours.
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| 6. |
- Contreras, Mariela, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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Socio-economic resources, young child feeding practices, consumption of highly processed snacks and sugar-sweetened beverages : a population-based survey in rural northwestern Nicaragua
- 2015
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Ingår i: BMC Public Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2458. ; 15
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Socio-economic resources may be associated with infant feeding in complex patterns in societies undergoing a nutrition transition. This study evaluates associations of housing quality, food security and maternal education to the World Health Organization (WHO) feeding recommendations and to consumption of highly processed snacks (HP snacks) and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in rural Nicaragua. Methods: Data were collected from May to November 2009, with mothers of 0- to 35-month-olds being asked about young child feeding using a food frequency questionnaire. A validated questionnaire was used to assess household food insecurity and data were collected on maternal education and housing quality. Pearson's chi-squared test was used to compare proportions and determine associations between the resources and young child feeding. The three socio-economic resources and other confounders were introduced to multivariate logistic regression analyses to assess the independent contribution of the resources to the feeding practices and consumption of HP snacks and SSBs. Results: Mothers with the lowest education level were more likely to be exclusively breastfeeding (EBF) their infants (OR not EBF: 0.19; 95% CI: 0.07, 0.51), whilst mothers of 6- to 35-month-olds in the lowest education category had more inadequate dietary diversity (DD) (OR for not meet DD: 2.04; 95% CI: 1.36, 3.08), were less likely to consume HP snacks (OR for HP snacks: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.32, 0.68) and SSBs (OR for SSBs: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.46, 0.98), compared to mothers with the highest level of education. Similarly, children residing in households with the highest food insecurity were also more prone to have inadequate dietary diversity (OR for not meet DD: 1.47; 95% CI: 1.05, 2.05). The odds for double burden of suboptimal feeding (concurrent inadequate diet and consumption of HP snacks/SSBs) were significantly lower in children of least educated mothers (OR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.44, 0.92). Conclusions: Higher level of education was associated with both more and less adherence to the WHO recommended feeding practices as well as with more consumption of HP snacks and SSBs. Regardless of educational strata, the children in the community were exposed to suboptimal feeding practices conducive to both under-as well as overnutrition.
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| 7. |
- Källestål, Carina, 1954-, et al.
(författare)
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Assessing the Multiple Dimensions of Poverty : Data Mining Approaches to the 2004-14 Health and Demographic Surveillance System in Cuatro Santos, Nicaragua
- 2020
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Ingår i: Frontiers In Public Health. - : FRONTIERS MEDIA SA. - 2296-2565. ; 7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We identified clusters of multiple dimensions of poverty according to the capability approach theory by applying data mining approaches to the Cuatro Santos Health and Demographic Surveillance database, Nicaragua. Four municipalities in northern Nicaragua constitute the Cuatro Santos area, with 25,893 inhabitants in 5,966 households (2014). A local process analyzing poverty-related problems, prioritizing suggested actions, was initiated in 1997 and generated a community action plan 2002-2015. Interventions were school breakfasts, environmental protection, water and sanitation, preventive healthcare, home gardening, microcredit, technical training, university education stipends, and use of the Internet. In 2004, a survey of basic health and demographic information was performed in the whole population, followed by surveillance updates in 2007, 2009, and 2014 linking households and individuals. Information included the house material (floor, walls) and services (water, sanitation, electricity) as well as demographic data (birth, deaths, migration). Data on participation in interventions, food security, household assets, and women's self-rated health were collected in 2014. A K-means algorithm was used to cluster the household data (56 variables) in six clusters. The poverty ranking of household clusters using the unsatisfied basic needs index variables changed when including variables describing basic capabilities. The households in the fairly rich cluster with assets such as motorbikes and computers were described as modern. Those in the fairly poor cluster, having different degrees of food insecurity, were labeled vulnerable. Poor and poorest clusters of households were traditional, e.g., in using horses for transport. Results displayed a society transforming from traditional to modern, where the forerunners were not the richest but educated, had more working members in household, had fewer children, and were food secure. Those lagging were the poor, traditional, and food insecure. The approach may be useful for an improved understanding of poverty and to direct local policy and interventions.
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- Källestål, Carina, 1954-, et al.
(författare)
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Predicting poverty : data mining approaches to the health and demographic surveillance system in Cuatro Santos, Nicaragua
- 2019
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Ingår i: International Journal for Equity in Health. - : BioMed Central. - 1475-9276. ; 18:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: In order to further identify the needed interventions for continued poverty reduction in our study area Cuatro Santos, northern Nicaragua, we aimed to elucidate what predicts poverty, measured by the Unsatisfied Basic Need index. This analysis was done by using decision tree methodology applied to the Cuatro Santos health and demographic surveillance databases.METHODS: Using variables derived from the health and demographic surveillance update 2014, transferring individual data to the household level we used the decision tree framework Conditional Inference trees to predict the outcome "poverty" defined as two to four unsatisfied basic needs using the Unsatisfied Basic Need Index. We further validated the trees by applying Conditional random forest analyses in order to assess and rank the importance of predictors about their ability to explain the variation of the outcome "poverty." The majority of the Cuatro Santos households provided information and the included variables measured housing conditions, assets, and demographic experiences since the last update (5 yrs), earlier participation in interventions and food security during the last 4 weeks.RESULTS: Poverty was rare in households that have some assets and someone in the household that has a higher education than primary school. For these households participating in the intervention that installed piped water with water meter was most important, but also when excluding this variable, the resulting tree showed the same results. When assets were not taken into consideration, the importance of education was pronounced as a predictor for welfare. The results were further strengthened by the validation using Conditional random forest modeling showing the same variables being important as predicting the outcome in the CI tree analysis. As assets can be a result, rather than a predictor of more affluence our results in summary point specifically to the importance of education and participation in the water installation intervention as predictors for more affluence.CONCLUSION: Predictors of poverty are useful for directing interventions and in the Cuatro Santos area education seems most important to prioritize. Hopefully, the lessons learned can continue to develop the Cuatro Santos communities as well as development in similar poor rural settings around the world.
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| 9. |
- Pérez, Wilton, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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Food insecurity and self-rated health in rural Nicaraguan women of reproductive age : a cross-sectional study
- 2018
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Ingår i: International Journal for Equity in Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1475-9276. ; 17:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Access to food is a basic necessity, and food insecurity may impair the individual's well-being and health. Self-rated health measurements have frequently been used to assess population health. Little is known, however, as to whether food security is associated with self-rated health in low- and middle-income settings. This study aims at analyzing the association between food security and self-rated health among non-pregnant women of reproductive age in a rural Nicaraguan setting.METHODS: Data was taken from the 2014 update of a health and demographic surveillance system in the municipalities of Los Cuatro Santos in northwestern Nicaragua. Fieldworkers interviewed women about their self-rated health using a 5-point Likert scale. Food insecurity was assessed by the household food insecurity access (HFIAS) scale. A multilevel Poisson random-intercept model was used to calculate the prevalence ratio.RESULTS: The survey included 5866 women. In total, 89% were food insecure, and 48% had poor self-rated health. Food insecurity was associated with poor self-rated health, and remained so after adjustment for potential confounders and accounting for community dependency.CONCLUSION: In this Nicaraguan resource-limited setting, there was an association between food insecurity and poor self-rated health. Food insecurity is a facet of poverty and measures an important missing capability directly related to health.
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| 10. |
- Pérez, Wilton, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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Trends and factors related to adolescent pregnancies : an incidence trend and conditional inference trees analysis of northern Nicaragua demographic surveillance data
- 2021
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Ingår i: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. - : BioMed Central. - 1471-2393 .- 1471-2393. ; 21:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: We aimed to identify the 2001-2013 incidence trend, and characteristics associated with adolescent pregnancies reported by 20-24-year-old women.METHODS: A retrospective analysis of the Cuatro Santos Northern Nicaragua Health and Demographic Surveillance 2004-2014 data on women aged 15-19 and 20-24. To calculate adolescent birth and pregnancy rates, we used the first live birth at ages 10-14 and 15-19 years reported by women aged 15-19 and 20-24 years, respectively, along with estimates of annual incidence rates reported by women aged 20-24 years. We conducted conditional inference tree analyses using 52 variables to identify characteristics associated with adolescent pregnancies.RESULTS: The number of first live births reported by women aged 20-24 years was 361 during the study period. Adolescent pregnancies and live births decreased from 2004 to 2009 and thereafter increased up to 2014. The adolescent pregnancy incidence (persons-years) trend dropped from 2001 (75.1 per 1000) to 2007 (27.2 per 1000), followed by a steep upward trend from 2007 to 2008 (19.1 per 1000) that increased in 2013 (26.5 per 1000). Associated factors with adolescent pregnancy were living in low-education households, where most adults in the household were working, and high proportion of adolescent pregnancies in the local community. Wealth was not linked to teenage pregnancies.CONCLUSIONS: Interventions to prevent adolescent pregnancy are imperative and must bear into account the context that influences the culture of early motherhood and lead to socioeconomic and health gains in resource-poor settings.
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