Signing Exact English Transliteration: Effects of Speaking Rate and Lag Time on Production Accuracy.

This paper is the third in a series concerned with the level of access provided to deaf and hard of hearing children who rely on interpreters to access classroom communication. The first two papers focused on the accuracy and intelligibility of educational interpreters who use Cued Speech (CS); this study examines the accuracy of those who use Signing Exact English (SEE). Accuracy, or the proportion of the message correctly produced by the interpreter, was evaluated in 12 SEE transliterators with varying degrees of experience at three different speaking rates (slow, normal, and fast). Results were similar to those previously reported for CS transliterators: (a) speaking rate had a large negative effect on accuracy, primarily due to increased frequency of omissions, (b) the effect of lag time on accuracy was also negative, but relatively small, accounting for just 8% of the variance, and (c) highly experienced transliterators were somewhat more accurate than transliterators with minimal experience, although experience alone did not guarantee accuracy. Lastly, like their CS counterparts, the overall accuracy of the 12 SEE transliterators, 42% on average, was low enough to raise serious concerns about the quality of transliteration services that (at least some) children receive in educational settings.

Reconsidering childhood undernutrition: can birth spacing make a difference? An analysis of the 2002-2003 El Salvador National Family Health Survey.

It is well understood that undernutrition underpins much of child morbidity and mortality in less developed countries, but the causes of undernutrition are complex and interrelated, requiring a multipronged approach for intervention. This paper uses a subsample of 3853 children under age 5 from the most recent family health survey in El Salvador to examine the relationship between birth spacing and childhood undernutrition (stunting and underweight). While recent research and guidance suggest that birth spacing of three to five years contributes to lower levels of infant and childhood mortality, little attention has been given to the possibility that short birth intervals have longer-term effects on childhood nutrition status. The analysis controls for clustering effects arising from siblings being included in the subsample, as well as variables that are associated with household resources, household structure, reproductive history and outcomes, and household social environment. The results of the multiple regression analyses find that in comparison to intervals of 36-59 months, birth intervals of less than 24 months and intervals of 24-35 months significantly increase the odds of stunting (<24 months Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.52; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.21-1.92; 25-36 months OR = 1.30; 95% CI: 1.05-1.64). Other factors related to stunting and underweight include standard of living index quintile, child's age, mother's education, low birthweight, use of prenatal care, and region of the country where the child lives. Policy and program implications include more effective use of health services and outreach programs to counsel mothers on family planning, breastfeeding, and well child care.