Maternal Feeding Goals Described by Low-Income Mothers.

OBJECTIVE: To identify maternal feeding goals and examine associations of number and type of goals with mother and child characteristics. DESIGN: Qualitative interviews about child feeding and quantitative assessment of goal prevalence and associations with mother and child characteristics. SETTING: Southeastern Michigan. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 287 low-income mothers (31% Hispanic or non-white) and their children ages 4 to 8 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Maternal feeding goals. ANALYSIS: Themes were generated using the constant comparative method, individual interviews were coded, and the prevalence of feeding goals was determined. Regression analyses examined associations of mother and child characteristics with the number and type of feeding goals. RESULTS: Thirteen maternal feeding goals were identified. The most prevalent were to restrict less nutrient-dense food (60%), promote autonomy around eating (54%), prevent obesity (53%), and promote fruits or vegetables (52%). A child who was female and heavier with an older, non-Hispanic white, more educated mother with less chaos in the home predicted more maternal feeding goals (all P < .05). Specific maternal and child characteristics were associated with individual feeding goals. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Depending on their current goals for child feeding, some mothers may benefit from interventions focused on goal development, whereas other mothers may benefit from interventions designed to facilitate goal implementation.

Combined photocatalysis and membrane bioreactor for the treatment of feedwater containing thin film transistor-liquid crystal display discharge.

The nitrogen content of waste water generated by the thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) industry is not satisfactorily removed through the conventional aerobic-activated sludge process. In this study, the performance of three reactors ­ suspended type TiO2 membrane photoreactor (MPR), anoxic/oxic membrane bioreactor (AOMBR), and their combination (MPR-AOMBR) ­ was evaluated using feedwater containing TFT-LCD discharge. The parameters that maximized monoethanolamine (MEA) removal in the MPR were continuous ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and pH 11. Among the tested loadings, 0.1 g/l of TiO2 promoted MEA removal but degradation rate may further increase with photocatalyst concentration. The nitrified sludge recycle ratio R of the AOMBR was adjusted to 1.5 to minimize the amount of nitrate in the effluent. The AOMBR greatly decreased chemical oxygen demand and MEA, but removed only 32.7% of tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH). The MPR was configured as the pre-treatment unit for AOMBR, and the combined MPR-AOMBR has improved TMAH removal by 80.1%. The MPR bolstered performance by decomposing slowly biodegradable compounds, and had no negative effects on denitrification and carbon removal.

Associations between maternal depressive symptoms and child feeding practices in a cross-sectional study of low-income mothers and their young children.

BACKGROUND: Maternal depression may influence feeding practices important in determining child eating behaviors and weight. However, the association between maternal depressive symptoms and feeding practices has been inconsistent, and most prior studies used self-report questionnaires alone to characterize feeding. The purpose of this study was to identify feeding practices associated with maternal depressive symptoms using multiple methodologies, and to test the hypothesis that maternal depressive symptoms are associated with less responsive feeding practices. METHODS: In this cross-sectional, observational study, participants (n = 295) included low-income mothers and their 4- to 8-year-old children. Maternal feeding practices were assessed via interviewer-administered questionnaires, semi-structured narrative interviews, and videotaped observations in home and laboratory settings. Maternal depressive symptoms were measured using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale (CES-D). Regression analyses examined associations between elevated depressive symptoms (CES-D score ≥16) and measures of maternal feeding practices, adjusting for: child sex, food fussiness, number of older siblings; and maternal age, body mass index (BMI), education, race/ethnicity, single parent status, perceived child weight, and concern about child weight. RESULTS: Thirty-one percent of mothers reported depressive symptoms above the screening cutoff. Mothers with elevated depressive symptoms reported more pressuring of children to eat (ß = 0.29; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.03, 0.54) and more overall demandingness (ß = 0.16; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.29), and expressed lower authority in child feeding during semi-structured narrative interview (Odds Ratio (OR) for low authority: 2.82; 95% CI: 1.55, 5.12). In homes of mothers with elevated depressive symptoms, the television was more likely audible during meals (OR: 1.91; 95% CI: 1.05, 3.48) and mothers were less likely to eat with children (OR: 0.48; 95% CI: 0.27, 0.85). There were no associations between maternal depressive symptoms and encouragement or discouragement of food in laboratory eating interactions. CONCLUSIONS: Mothers with elevated depressive symptoms demonstrated less responsive feeding practices than mothers with lower levels of depressive symptoms. These results suggest that screening for maternal depressive symptoms may be useful when counseling on healthy child feeding practices. Given inconsistencies across methodologies, future research should include multiple methods of characterizing feeding practices and direct comparisons of different methodologies.

Surgency and negative affectivity, but not effortful control, are uniquely associated with obesogenic eating behaviors among low-income preschoolers.

Despite increased attention to the role of temperament in children's obesogenic eating behaviors, there is a paucity of research examining whether different dimensions of temperament may be differentially associated with specific eating behaviors among preschool-age children. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether three temperament dimensions (surgency, negative affectivity, and effortful control) were uniquely associated with six obesogenic eating behaviors (caregiver-reported food responsiveness, enjoyment of food, emotional overeating, satiety responsiveness, and tantrums over food; and observed eating in the absence of hunger) among low-income preschool-age children, covarying home environment quality. Results showed that temperament dimensions were differentially associated with different eating behaviors. Specifically, preschoolers with higher surgency were more likely to overeat in response to external cues, have frequent desire to eat, derive pleasure from food, and eat in the absence of hunger. In contrast, preschoolers with higher negative affectivity were more likely to have tantrums over being denied food and less likely to eat in the absence of hunger. Effortful control was not uniquely associated with obesogenic eating behavior. Findings remained significant even when home chaos was accounted for, suggesting that child surgency and negative affectivity are important to consider, independent of home environment. Results are discussed with regard to theoretical implications for the study of childhood obesity and for applied prevention implications.

Sleep timing moderates the concurrent sleep duration-body mass index association in low-income preschool-age children.

OBJECTIVE: To test the independent main and moderating effects of sleep timing on body mass index (BMI) in low-income preschool-age children (M = 4.11 years, SD = 0.54). METHODS: Parents reported demographics and children's sleep concurrently, and a subset of children was followed longitudinally. Child height and weight were measured and BMI z score (BMIz) calculated. Regression analysis evaluated main effects of sleep timing (bedtime, weekday-to-weekend schedule shifting, napping) on concurrent BMIz and future rate of change, and their moderating effects on the sleep duration-BMIz association. RESULTS: Of 366 children (longitudinal subsample = 273), 50% were boys, 57% white, and 37% overweight or obese. Nocturnal sleep duration predicted concurrent BMIz, but not rate of change in BMIz over time. Bedtime was a moderator; the sleep duration-BMIz association was present only among children with bedtimes after 9 pm (ß = -0.44; 95% confidence interval -0.69, -0.18). Schedule shifting was a moderator; the association between greater nocturnal sleep duration and lesser rate of future BMIz increase was present only among children with the most consistent sleep schedules (<45-minute delay in weekend bedtime: ß = -0.12; 95% confidence interval -0.23, -0.01). Daytime napping did not moderate the nocturnal sleep duration-BMIz association. Covariates (sleep-disordered breathing, soda consumption, home chaos) did not explain these associations. CONCLUSIONS: Among low-income preschoolers, sleep timing moderated the nocturnal sleep duration-BMIz association. Understanding how sleep timing and sleep duration relate to childhood obesity is important for prevention efforts.