Improving Access to Preventive Services for Marginalized Families During Early Childhood: An Integrative Review of Inter-organizational Integration Interventions

Overweight, obesity and early childhood caries (ECC) are preventable conditions affecting infants and young children, with increased prevalence in those formula-fed. Previous research has focused on distinct outcomes for oral health and healthy weight gain. However, the aetiology may be linked through overlapping obesogenic and cariogenic feeding behaviours, such as increased sugar exposure through bottle propping and overfeeding. Best-practice bottle feeding and transition to cup use may concurrently reduce overweight, obesity and ECC. This integrative review aimed to identify interventions supporting best-practice formula feeding or bottle cessation and examine the intervention effects on feeding, oral health and weight outcomes. The reviewers searched nine databases and found 27 studies that met the predetermined inclusion criteria. Eighteen studies focused on populations vulnerable to ECC or unhealthy weight gain. All studies focused on carer education; however, only 10 studies utilised behaviour change techniques or theories addressing antecedents to obesogenic or cariogenic behaviours. The outcomes varied: 16 studies reported mixed outcomes, and eight reported worsened post-intervention outcomes. While some studies reported improvements, these were not maintained long-term. Many study designs were at risk of bias. Effective intervention strategies for preventing ECC and child obesity require the holistic use of interdisciplinary approaches, consumer co-design and the use of behavioural change theory.

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An Ounce of Prevention

The Journal of Economic Perspectives ◽

10.1257/jep.35.2.101 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 35 (2) ◽

pp. 101-118

Author(s):

Joseph P. Newhouse

Keyword(s):

Early Childhood ◽

Health Insurance ◽

Life Style ◽

Preventive Measures ◽

Medical Condition ◽

Insurance Coverage ◽

Preventive Services ◽

Health Insurance Coverage ◽

Early Childhood Interventions ◽

Improve Health

I look at prevention through an economic lens and make three main points. First, those advocating preventive measures are often asked how much money a given measure saves. This question is misguided. Rather, preventive measures can be thought of as insurance, with a certain cost in the present that may or may not pay off in the future. In fact, although most medical preventive measures improve expected health, they do not save money. Various lifestyle and early childhood interventions, however, may both save money and improve health. Second, preventive measures, including medical and life style measures, are heterogeneous in their value, both across measures and within measure, across individuals. As a result, generalizations in everyday discourse about the value of prevention can be overly broad. Third, health insurance coverage for medical preventive measures should generally be more extensive than coverage for the treatment of a medical condition, though full coverage of preventive services is not necessarily optimal.

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Children of Depressed Mothers: From Early Childhood to Maturity. By M. Radke-Yarrow. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1998. pp. 216. £27.95 (hb).

Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry ◽

10.1017/s0021963001216953 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 42 (4) ◽

pp. 557-558

Author(s):

Tirril O. Harris

Keyword(s):

Early Childhood ◽

Cambridge University ◽

Depressed Mothers

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Early-Childhood Education for the Developmentally Delayed: Diagnosis, Intervention, and Evaluation

Language Speech and Hearing Services in Schools ◽

10.1044/0161-1461.1002.81 ◽

1979 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 81-92

Author(s):

Susan Freedman Gilbert

Keyword(s):

Early Childhood ◽

Early Childhood Education ◽

School Children ◽

Developmental Delays ◽

Delayed Diagnosis ◽

Language Impairments ◽

Developmentally Delayed ◽

Speech And Language ◽

Childhood Education

This paper describes the referral, diagnostic, interventive, and evaluative procedures used in a self-contained, behaviorally oriented, noncategorical program for pre-school children with speech and language impairments and other developmental delays.

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Developing an Early Intervention Preservice Specialization in Speech-Language Pathology

American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology ◽

10.1044/1058-0360.0402.31 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 31-36 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Joanne E. Roberts ◽

Elizabeth Crais ◽

Thomas Layton ◽

Linda Watson ◽

Debbie Reinhartsen

Keyword(s):

Early Childhood ◽

Early Intervention ◽

Intervention Program ◽

Graduate Program ◽

Master's Level ◽

Clinical Experiences ◽

Speech Language Pathology ◽

Early Intervention Program ◽

Language Pathology ◽

Family Centered

This article describes an early intervention program designed for speech-language pathologists enrolled in a master's-level program. The program provided students with courses and clinical experiences that prepared them to work with birth to 5-year-old children and their families in a family-centered, interdisciplinary, and ecologically valid manner. The effectiveness of the program was documented by pre- and post-training measures and supported the feasibility of instituting an early childhood specialization within a traditional graduate program in speech-language pathology.

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