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Special Issue "Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition in Latin American Populations"

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2023) | Viewed by 12917

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Ana Cristina Lindsay

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Guest Editor

Department of Exercise and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA 02125, USA
Interests: maternal and child health and nutrition; childhood obesity prevention; minority health; health disparities; community-based health promotion research; global health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Latin Americans are a large, multi-ethnic population from Latin American countries (more than 20 countries across South, Central, and North America) and dependencies, whose primary languages are Spanish and Portuguese. In addition to living in their countries of origins, Latin Americans are now amongst the largest and fastest growing population groups in several countries across the globe including the United States, Spain, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom, Portugal, and Australia.

This Special Issue will focus on current psychological, socio-cultural, and environmental factors that influence maternal and child health and nutrition, both in early and later life among Latin American populations across the world and innovative strategies to prevent and address maternal and child health and nutrition issues affecting Latin American population groups. We are interested in topics such as though not limited to the following:

Multi-level, factors influencing health, nutrition, and diet-related behaviors;
The role of key stakeholders (i.e., children, peers, parents, teachers, and community members) in promoting health and health-related behaviors;
Various settings (i.e., home, child care settings, school, neighborhood, churches, and communities);
Innovative interventions;
Environmental, organizational, and/or policy changes designed to promote health.

Researchers are invited to contribute novel work to be considered for publication in this Special Issue. Submissions should include original articles, critical reviews (systematic reviews or meta-analyses), brief reports, or short communications. There are no restrictions on study design and methodology (i.e., secondary analyses, cross-sectional or longitudinal design, intervention studies, qualitative studies, etc.). Articles that focus on either the prevention or management of prevalent maternal and child health and nutrition problems affecting Latin American population groups across the globe are welcomed. Additionally, articles that focus on underrepresented or disadvantaged Latin American communities and Latin American immigrants are encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Ana Cristina Lindsay
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Latin America
Latino
Child
Mother
Immigrant
Nutrition
Diet
Social and cultural factors
Environment
Interventions
Health promotion
Parenting
Health disparities

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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Open AccessArticle

Associations between Anxiety, Depression, Chronic Pain and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life, Happiness, and Polymorphisms in Adolescents’ Genes

Ana Luiza Peres Baldiotti

Gabrielle Amaral-Freitas

Mariane Carolina Faria Barbosa

Paula Rocha Moreira

Renato Assis Machado

Ricardo Della Coletta

Michelle Nascimento Meger

Saul Martins Paiva

Rafaela Scariot

and

Fernanda de Morais Ferreira

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 3321; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043321 - 14 Feb 2023

Viewed by 429

Abstract

Adolescence is marked by changes and vulnerability to the emergence of psychological problems. This study aimed to investigate associations between anxiety/depression/chronic pain and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL)/happiness/polymorphisms in the COMT, HTR2A and FKBP5 genes in Brazilian adolescents. A cross-sectional study was conducted with ninety adolescents 13 to 18 years. Anxiety, depression and chronic pain were evaluated using the RDC/TMD. The Oral Health Impact Profile was used to assess oral OHRQoL. The Subjective Happiness Scale was used to assess happiness. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in COMT (rs165656, rs174675), HTR2A (rs6313, rs4941573) and FKBP5 (rs1360780, rs3800373) were genotyped using the Taqman^® method. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed (p < 0.05). Chronic pain and depression were associated with feelings of happiness (p < 0.05). A significant inverse association was found between anxiety and OHRQoL (p = 0.004). The presence of minor allele C of COMT rs174675 was significantly associated with depression (p = 0.040). Brazilian adolescents with depression and chronic pain considers themselves to be less happy than others and those with anxiety are more likely to have a negative impact on OHRQoL. Moreover, the rs174675 variant allele in the COMT gene was associated with depressive symptoms in Brazilian adolescents. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition in Latin American Populations)

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Open AccessArticle

Premature Primary Tooth Loss and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Preschool Children

Monalisa Cesarino Gomes

Matheus França Perazzo

Érick Tássio Barbosa Neves

Maria Betânia Lins Dantas Siqueira

Saul Martins Paiva

and

Ana Flávia Granville-Garcia

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12163; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912163 - 26 Sep 2022

Viewed by 878

Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate the association between premature primary tooth loss and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in preschool children. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 769 5-year-old preschool children. The children and their parents or guardians answered the Brazilian version of the Scale of Oral Health Outcomes for 5-Year-Old Children for the assessment of OHRQoL. Meanwhile, clinical examinations were performed for the assessment of premature primary tooth loss. Unadjusted and adjusted multilevel Poisson regression models were utilized to investigate the associations between the variables. In the parental version of the scale, premature posterior primary tooth loss (rate ratio [RR] = 2.65; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.51–4.68), weak sense of coherence (RR = 2.25; 95% CI = 1.62–3.11), and visit to a dentist (RR = 1.61; 95% CI = 1.04–2.52) were associated with OHRQoL. Based on the children’s perceptions, only the preschool type was associated with OHRQoL (RR = 1.92; 95% CI = 1.21–3.05). Premature posterior primary tooth loss had a greater impact on OHRQoL based on the parents’ perception, whereas only the preschool type was associated with OHRQoL based on the children’s perception. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition in Latin American Populations)

Open AccessArticle

Sugary Liquids in the Baby Bottle: Risk for Child Undernutrition and Severe Tooth Decay in Rural El Salvador

and

Karen Sokal-Gutierrez

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(1), 260; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18010260 - 31 Dec 2020

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2353

Abstract

As communities worldwide shift from consuming traditional diets to more processed snacks and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), increases in child obesity and tooth decay and persistence of undernutrition are particularly apparent in Latin American countries. Further evidence of shared risk factors between child undernutrition and poor oral health outcomes is needed to structure more effective health interventions for children’s nutrition. This study aims to identify dietary, oral health, and sociodemographic risk factors for child undernutrition and severe early childhood caries (sECC) among a convenience sample of 797 caregiver–child pairs from rural Salvadoran communities. Caregiver interviews on child dietary and oral health practices were conducted, and their children’s height, weight, and dental exam data were collected. Multivariable regression analyses were performed using RStudio (version 1.0.143). Caregiver use of SSBs in the baby bottle was identified as a common significant risk factor for child undernutrition (p = 0.011) and sECC (p = 0.047). Early childhood caries (p = 0.023) was also a risk factor for developing undernutrition. Future maternal–child health and nutrition programs should coordinate with oral health interventions to discourage feeding children SSBs in the baby bottle and to advocate for policies limiting SSB marketing to young children and their families. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition in Latin American Populations)

Open AccessArticle

Cross-Cultural Adaptation of the Brazilian Portuguese Version of the Caregiver’s Feeding Styles Questionnaire

Marina de Figueiredo Ferreira

Raquel de Souza Mezzavilla

Gabriela Vasconcellos de Barros Vianna

Leticia Quaresma Paolino

Haydée Serrão Lanzillotti

Ana Cristina Lindsay

and

Maria Helena Hasselmann

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(16), 5814; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17165814 - 11 Aug 2020

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1517

Abstract

The present study describes the cross-cultural adaptation of the Brazilian version (Rio de Janeiro) of the Caregiver’s Feeding Styles Questionnaire (CFSQ) among caregivers of children aged 3 to 6 years enrolled in a family health service in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The cross-cultural adaptation process included the following phases: (1) literature review; (2) translation and back-translation of the instrument; (3) assessment of semantic equivalence through cognitive interviews with caregivers; (4) discussion with experts; (5) pretesting of the revised version; and (6) assessment of psychometric characteristics, including reliability and validity of the scale. Results showed the appropriateness of the caregiver’s feeding styles concept within the Brazilian culture and that the instrument was understandable to caregivers enrolled in a family health service. The CFSQ measurements showed perfect intra-observer reliability for “demandingness” and almost perfect for “responsiveness”. Inter-observer reliability was almost perfect for both dimensions, “demandingness” and “responsiveness”. Factor analysis of the Brazilian CFSQ version proposed an instrument with one dimension and 13 items. The satisfactory results of the cross-cultural adaptation of the CFSQ suggest its applicability in the population of interest with the possible reduction of some scale items. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition in Latin American Populations)

Open AccessArticle

Central American Immigrant Parents’ Awareness, Acceptability, and Willingness to Vaccinate Their Adolescent Children Against Human Papillomavirus: A Pilot Cross-Sectional Study

and

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(8), 2869; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17082869 - 21 Apr 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1937

Abstract

Despite increasing interest in understanding the factors influencing awareness and acceptability of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine among Latino parents, to date limited information is available specific to Central American parents living in the United States (US). Therefore, this pilot cross-sectional study was designed to explore and assess Central American immigrant parents’ awareness, acceptability, and willingness to vaccinate their children against HPV, and interest in participating in future HPV-associated cancer prevention study. Fifty-six Central American parents, majority immigrant (96.4%; n = 54) from four countries, El Salvador—50% (n = 27); Guatemala—25.9% (n = 14); Honduras—22.2% (n = 12); and Panama—1.9% (n = 1) participated in this study. Participants completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire survey in their preferred language (i.e., Spanish or English). A little over half of the participants were mothers (57.1%; n = 32) and parents’ mean age was 43.2 years (SD = 6.4). The majority was married or cohabitating (76.8%, n = 43), and 39.3% (n = 22) reported having two children. Seventy-five percent (n = 42) of parents reported they had heard of the HPV vaccine. Fewer fathers were aware of the HPV vaccine (58.3%; n = 14 vs.87.5%, n = 28; p = 0.01) than mothers. Among parents who had heard of the HPV vaccine (n = 42), 85.7% (n = 36) reported their children had received at least one dose of the HPV vaccine. Fewer fathers reported their child had been vaccinated against HPV (64.3%, n = 9 vs. 96.4%, n = 27; p = 0.06) than mothers. Moreover, 90% of parents (n = 18) whose children were unvaccinated reported willingness to vaccinate their adolescent children against HPV if recommended by their child’s physician. Findings indicate parents’ low to moderate awareness of the HPV vaccine, and high willingness to vaccinate their adolescent children if recommended by their child’s physician. Findings also demonstrate fathers’ lower awareness and acceptability of the HPV vaccine than mothers. Despite limitations and the need for more research, findings of this pilot study serve as a valuable first step toward building a knowledge foundation that is needed for developing future studies and interventions targeting Central American immigrant parents living in the US. Future studies can build on the findings of this exploratory study with other research designs and address its limitations by having a larger sample size and accounting for additional factors associated with Central American immigrant parents’ HPV awareness, knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and vaccine acceptability from other communities across the US. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition in Latin American Populations)

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Open AccessArticle

Environmental, Socioeconomic, Maternal, and Breastfeeding Factors Associated with Childhood Overweight and Obesity in Ceará, Brazil: A Population-Based Study

Sabrina G. M. O. Rocha

Antônio J. L. A. Cunha

Anamaria C. e Silva

and

Luciano L. Correia

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(5), 1557; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17051557 - 28 Feb 2020

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2724

Abstract

Childhood obesity is now an epidemic in many countries worldwide and is known to be a multifactorial condition. We aimed to examine the relationship of environmental, socioeconomic, and nutritional factors with childhood overweight and obesity. We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study of children from 2 to 6 years of age in Ceará, Brazil. Children’s nutritional status was assessed by body mass index (BMI) Z scores categorized as overweight and obesity. Ordinal logistic regression models were used to assess the relationship between the factors with overweight and obesity. A total of 2059 children participated, of which 50.4% were male. The mean age was 46 ± 17 months, with a prevalence of overweight and obesity of 12.0% (95% CI 10.7–13.6) and 8.0% (6.7–9.5), respectively. In multivariate analysis, the probability of childhood obesity increased as family income increased (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 0.6 (95% CI 0.37–0.95), p-value = 0.03). Moreover, families with fewer children had more than 30% fewer overweight children (aHR 0.68; 95% CI 0.48–0.96). Environmental, socioeconomic, and child nutritional factors were associated with overweight and obesity. The results provided could be used to design integrated interventions spanning from conception, or earlier, through the first years of life and may improve child nutritional outcomes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition in Latin American Populations)

Other

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Open AccessBrief Report

Parental Perceptions and Exposure to Advertising of Toddler Milk: A Pilot Study with Latino Parents

Emily W. Duffy

Lindsey S. Taillie

Ana Paula C. Richter

Isabella C. A. Higgins

Jennifer L. Harris

and

Marissa G. Hall

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(2), 528; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020528 - 10 Jan 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2320

Abstract

Marketing of toddler milk (i.e., typically sugar-sweetened nutrient-fortified milk-based drinks marketed for children 12–36 months) is an emerging public health problem in the US. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends against the consumption of toddler milk because it often contains added sugar and can displace nutrient-dense foods. Studies have not examined toddler milk perceptions among Latinos, an important gap given Latino children in the US are at high risk of having poor diet quality, and toddler milk is extensively advertised on Spanish-language TV. This study used an online survey of a convenience sample of 58 Latino parents to examine parents’ experiences with toddler milk, understand their perceptions of the healthfulness and the nutrition-related claims on toddler milk, and describe their exposure to toddler milk advertising. Nearly half (44%) of parents in the sample reported purchasing toddler milk. When asked to provide open-ended interpretations of claims on toddler milk, almost all parents gave positive answers, suggesting potential “health halo” effects of the claims. More than half (56%) of parents reported seeing toddler milk advertisements, most commonly on Spanish-language TV. The misperceptions about toddler milk identified should be explored in further research using larger, more representative samples. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition in Latin American Populations)

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