scholarly journals Modeling Prenatal Adversity/Advantage: Effects on Birth Weight

Author(s):  
Joan L Luby ◽  
Deanna M Barch ◽  
Barbara Warner ◽  
Cynthia Rogers ◽  
Chris Smyser ◽  
...  

Importance: How maternal experiences of adversity/advantage during pregnancy impact the developing fetus remains unclear. Objective: Using prospective data about experiences of adversity/advantage and other factors known to impact fetal developmental, we explored how these risk and protective factors relate to each other and impact infant birth weight by gestational age. Design: A prospective study that collected data on of forms of social advantage/disadvantage, and psychological factors from pregnant women during each trimester of pregnancy that accounted for maternal medical and nutritional status. We aimed to determine the differential impact of social advantage/disadvantage and adversity and psychological factors on infant birthweight accounting for gestational age. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to investigate the relationship of these forms of adversity as latent constructs on infant outcome. The follow-up of children is ongoing as a part of the Early Life Adversity Biological Embedding and Risk for Developmental Precursors of Mental Disorders (eLABE). Data collection was conducted from 2017-2020. Setting: An academic medical center. Participants: Pregnant women who were participants in a study of preterm birth within the Prematurity Research Center at Washington University in St. Louis with negative drug screens (other than cannabis) and without known pregnancy complications or known fetal congenital problems, were invited for participation. N=395 mothers were included in the analysis and N=268 eligible subjects declined participation. N=399 singleton offspring were included. Main Outcome(s) and Measure(s): Birthweight accounting for gestational age. Results: The study included N=395 pregnant women and their N=399 singleton offspring. The Social Advantage latent factor significantly predicted the residual birthweight after accounting for gestational age (p=.006) representing a 2.57% increase in residual gestational age-adjusted birthweight for each one standard deviation increase in the Social Advantage. The only other significant predictor was pre-pregnancy BMI (p=.019) which was associated with increased birthweight by gestational age while the Psychosocial Stress factor was no longer significant when other factors were accounted for. Conclusions and Relevance: Findings elucidate the significant effects of social adversity on the developing fetus and underscore the need to protect pregnant women in this risk group.

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 4054
Author(s):  
Jerusa da Mota Santana ◽  
Valterlinda Alves de Oliveira Queiroz ◽  
Marcos Pereira ◽  
Enny S. Paixão ◽  
Sheila Monteiro Brito ◽  
...  

The mother’s diet during pregnancy is associated with maternal and child health. However, there are few studies with moderation analysis on maternal dietary patterns and infant birth weight. We aim to analyse the association between dietary patterns during pregnancy and birth weight. A prospective cohort study was performed with pregnant women registered with the prenatal service (Bahia, Brazil). A food frequency questionnaire was used to evaluate dietary intake. Birth weight was measured by a prenatal service team. Statistical analyses were performed using factor analysis with a principal component extraction technique and structural equation modelling. The mean age of the pregnant women was 27 years old (SD: 5.5) and the mean birth weight was 3341.18 g. It was observed that alcohol consumption (p = 0.05) and weight-gain during pregnancy (p = 0.05) were associated with birth weight. Four patterns of dietary consumption were identified for each trimester of the pregnancy evaluated. Adherence to the “Meat, Eggs, Fried Snacks and Processed foods” dietary pattern (pattern 1) and the “Sugars and Sweets” dietary pattern (pattern 4) in the third trimester directly reduced birth weight, by 98.42 g (Confidence interval (CI) 95%: 24.26, 172.59) and 92.03 g (CI 95%: 39.88, 165.30), respectively. It was also observed that insufficient dietary consumption in the third trimester increases maternal complications during pregnancy, indirectly reducing birth weight by 145 g (CI 95%: −21.39, −211.45). Inadequate dietary intake in the third trimester appears to have negative results on birth weight, directly and indirectly, but more studies are needed to clarify these causal paths, especially investigations of the influence of the maternal dietary pattern on the infant gut microbiota and the impacts on perinatal outcomes.


2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 688-697
Author(s):  
Maryam Javadi ◽  
Sima Rafiei ◽  
Fariba Zahedifar ◽  
Ameneh Barikani

Purpose Nowadays, the importance of infant birth weight (IBW) as a key factor in determining the future of physical and mental development of children is a growing concern. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between maternal characteristics and IBW among pregnant women who were referred to health centers in Qazvin city in the year 2016. Design/methodology/approach A descriptive-analytical study was conducted among pregnant women in 28–36 weeks of gestation who referred to healthcare centers and facilities affiliated by the Qazvin University of Medical Sciences in April–June 2016. The associations between maternal physical activity, mothers’ socioeconomic status and birth weight were examined by SPSS Software Package version 16 through linear and logistic regression tests. Findings Linear regression modeling suggested that maternal weight (p=0.001), income (p=0.04), gestational age of delivery (p=0.00) and pre-pregnancy BMI (p=0.02) were positively associated with birth weight, while occupational and heavy physical activity (p=0.003 and 0.008, respectively) were negatively associated with IBW. In this study, low birth weight infants are compared to those with normal weight belonged to mothers who have spent more time in doing heavy physical activities (OR=1.11, 95% CI 1.01–1.23). Also infants with low birth weight compared to others in the normal weight category were born from mothers with lower pre-pregnancy BMI (OR=0.65, 95% CI 0.62–0.78), gestational age of delivery (OR=0.82, 95% CI 0.79–0.86), maternal weight (OR=0.86, 95% CI 0.84–0.88) and income (OR=0.79, 95% CI 0.69–0.83). Practical implications The study findings revealed that certain maternal characteristics could play a significant role in IBW. Despite the importance, in most of developing countries (particularly Iran), future mothers are not advised about an appropriate weight gain during pregnancy or the optimal level of physical activity in such a period of time. Therefore, counseling pregnant women and giving them proper information on appropriate perinatal care would be helpful in order to have pregnancies with optimal outcomes. Originality/value The authors applied several statistical methods to analyze IBW among mothers with different maternal characteristics and predict birth weight based on contributing factors.


2021 ◽  
pp. 014303432098520
Author(s):  
Ma. Jenina N. Nalipay ◽  
Yuyang Cai ◽  
Ronnel B. King

The purpose of the present study was to examine whether parents’ utility value perceptions predicted their children’s utility value perceptions, demonstrating social contagion effects. We also examined whether utility value would predict achievement. This is a cross-sectional study that utilized data from a subsample of adolescent students from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA 2015), which focused on science learning and achievement from 18 regions. We performed multi-level structural equation modeling to analyze the data. Results revealed that parents’ utility value perceptions predicted students’ utility value perceptions, which, in turn, predicted science achievement. The findings of this study provide evidence of the social contagion of utility value perceptions from parents to their children and the critical role of utility value in predicting achievement across various regions/countries. Our study highlights the crucial role parents play in adolescents’ motivational and learning outcomes and suggest parental involvement in programs toward enhancing adolescents’ motivation and achievement.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6842
Author(s):  
Érika Martins Silva Ramos ◽  
Cecilia Jakobsson Bergstad

The present study investigates the determinants of intention to use carsharing services by an integrated model of psychological predictors of travel behavior. The model proposed is tested by multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) in structural equation modeling (SEM) with further discussion about analysis of invariance and its relevance for comparisons between groups. The sample was classified into four groups: Italian users, Italian non-users, Swedish users, and Swedish non-users of carsharing. The users were respondents who have used or are currently using carsharing, while non-users reported never using the carsharing services. The analysis of data from 6072 respondents revealed that control was the main predictor of intention to use carsharing; driving habits had stronger negative effects for users of carsharing than for non-users; subjective norms positively predicted the intention to use carsharing among all groups; trust was a predictor of intention only for the Italian groups; and climate morality had a small negative effect on the Swedish groups only. The outcomes of this investigation will increase the knowledge about the use of carsharing and help to identify the behavioral and psychological factors that primarily influence people’s intention to use it.


Author(s):  
Nada Hammad ◽  
Syed Zamberi Ahmad ◽  
Avraam Papastathopoulos

Purpose This paper aims to investigate residents’ perceptions of tourism’s impact on their support for tourism development in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Design/methodology/approach Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires from Abu Dhabi residents (n = 407), who represented 30 nationalities residing in the emirate. Based on social exchange theory, structural equation modeling was used to test hypotheses. Findings Results suggest that Abu Dhabi residents perceive the impacts of tourism positively and are more sensitive to the environmental and economic influences of tourism than the social and cultural influences. Research limitations/implications This study was limited to Abu Dhabi residents; findings cannot be generalized to other emirates in the UAE, or other countries. Originality/value This study adds value to extant tourism literature by investigating residents’ perceptions of the influence of tourism in one of the richest cities worldwide, which aspires to be one of the fastest growing tourism destinations in the Middle East.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. e0170469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marizélia Rodrigues Costa Ribeiro ◽  
Antônio Augusto Moura da Silva ◽  
Maria Teresa Seabra Soares de Britto e Alves ◽  
Rosângela Fernandes Lucena Batista ◽  
Cecília Cláudia Costa Ribeiro ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Husam Alfahl

The use of mobile devices and smartphones is increasingly becoming a critical part of many people’s lifestyle. Such usage can vary from playing games to accomplishing work-related tasks. Being able to use organizations’ persuasive technologies via mobile business services or to achieve work-related tasks ubiquitously at any time means that such devices provide a valuable service, especially for employees who are working online. This paper explores the impact of mBusiness on the social life of employees. In the research, structural equation modeling was applied to validate the research model. Employees in Saudi organizations were surveyed to test the research hypotheses. The research results confirmed that there are some negative effects of using mBusiness technologies on the social life of employees. Based on the analysis, the findings revealed that addiction to mBusiness technologies significantly increases the perceived work overload, which also significantly increases work-family conflict. The paper concludes with some implications of this research.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mazzini Muda ◽  
Muhammad Iskandar Hamzah

PurposeIn spite of the increasing organic and interactive marketing activities over social media, a general understanding of the source credibility of voluntary user-generated content (UGC) is still limited. In line with the social identity theory, this paper examines the effects of consumers' perceived source credibility of UGC in YouTube videos on their attitudes and behavioral intentions. Additionally, source homophily theory is included to predict the antecedent of source credibility.Design/methodology/approachThree hundred and seventy two Generation Y respondents were interviewed using snowball sampling. Data were analyzed with component-based structural equation modeling technique of partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).FindingsFindings confirmed that perceived source credibility indirectly affects purchase intention (PI) and electronic word-of-mouth via attitude toward UGC. Besides, perceived source credibility mediates the effect of perceived source homophily on attitude toward UGC.Practical implicationsSince today's consumers have begun to trust and rely more on UGC than company-generated content on social media when making purchase decisions, companies may reconsider democratizing certain aspects of their branding strategies. Firms may fine-tune their marketing communication budgets – not only just by sponsoring public figures and celebrities but also by nurturing coproductive engagements with independent content creators who are ordinary consumers. Endowed with their imposing credibility, these micro-influencers and prosumers have high potentials to be uplifted to brand ambassadors.Originality/valueWhile consumers' purchase outcome can be measured easily using metrics and analytics, the roles of source homophily in stages leading up to the purchase is still elusive. Drawing on the rich theoretical basis of source homophily may help researchers to understand not only how credibility and attitude are related to PI but also how this nexus generates positive word of mouth among UGC followers within the social media circles.


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