The association between maltreatment and obesity among preschool children

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether child maltreatment is associated with obesity in preschool children. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a birth cohort study of 4898 children born between 1998 and 2000 in 20 large US cities. At 3 years of age, 2412 of these children had their height and weight measured, and mothers answered items on the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scales about three types of child maltreatment--neglect, corporal punishment, and psychological aggression. The frequency of each type of maltreatment behavior in the prior year was analyzed using categories--ever/never for neglect and quintiles for the other two types of maltreatment. Child obesity was defined as measured body mass index (kg/m(2)) > or =95th percentile. RESULTS: Eighteen percent of the children were obese, and the prevalence of any episode of neglect, corporal punishment, and psychological aggression was 11%, 84%, and 93%, respectively. The odds of obesity were increased in children who had experienced neglect (odds ratio 1.56, 95% confidence interval, 1.14-2.14), after controlling for the income and number of children in the household, the mothers' race/ethnicity, education, marital status, body mass index, prenatal smoking, and age, and the children's sex and birth weight. Neither the frequency of corporal punishment nor psychological aggression was associated with an increased risk of obesity. CONCLUSIONS: In a sample of preschool children from 20 large US cities, maternal self-report of neglectful behavior was associated with an increased risk of childhood obesity, after controlling for birth weight, maternal obesity, and multiple socioeconomic factors.     

Voices Along the Journey: Midwives' Perceptions of Implementing the CenteringPregnancy Model of Prenatal Care

The purpose of this study was to describe the reported perceptions of six midwife participants at different stages of their engagement in a multiphase process of adopting a new model of prenatal care. Midwives were interviewed at five different stages during the process of implementing CenteringPregnancy, a model of group prenatal care. The research methodology used in this study was phenomenology. The conceptual framework for exploring the participants' perceptions was based on the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's patient-centered model and on the International Institute for Restorative Practices' empowerment model. The five themes that emerged from the midwives' experiences mirrored the stages of change health education model. Suggestions for the implementation and sustainability of the CenteringPregnancy model of care are provided based on the five themes that emerged from this study's findings.     

A CRITIQUE OF THE IDEA OF A WORLD UNIVERSITY

Since the end of the First World War, proposals have been made by individuals and international agencies for the establishment of a ‐world university, a university which would link together the nations of the world, and facilitate contributions to knowledge from all cultures. Despite the number of proposals that have been made, a world university has yet to be established. This paper provides an examination of two of the assumptions common to the proposals and subjects them to a critique with respect to current theories of world order and knowledge. These assumptions are that 1. international inter‐cultural understanding and the development of a shared world culture promote peace, and 2. that the institutional model of the university is applicable on a world scale.     

Effects of Problem-Based Learning on Recognition Learning and Transfer Accounting for GPA and Goal Orientation

Conflicting research results have stirred controversy over the effectiveness of problem-based learning (PBL) compared to direct instruction at fostering content learning, particularly for novices. We addressed this by investigating effectiveness with respect to recognition learning and transfer and conducting an aptitude-treatment interaction analysis. We also examined how students' goal orientations may moderate learning in PBL and lecture/discussion environments. Participants included 197 preservice teachers in an undergraduate educational psychology course. Controlling for GPA, students in the PBL condition performed significantly better than students in the lecture/discussion condition on a transfer measure (p <.001, partial η² =.271) and equally on a recognition learning measure (p =.530). We also found an aptitude-treatment interaction for recognition learning (p =.012, partial η² =.034) but not transfer (p =.088). Results of goal orientation on learning outcomes were inconclusive.     

Positioning as not‐understanding: The value of showing uncertainty for engaging in science

Not understanding is central to scientific work: what scientists do is learn about the natural world, which involves seeking out what they do not know. In classrooms, however, the position of not‐understanding is generally a liability; confusion is an unfortunate condition to resolve as quickly as possible, or to conceal. In this article, we argue that students' public displays of uncertainty or confusion can be pivotal contributions to the classroom dynamics in initiating and sustaining a class's science inquiry. We present this as a central finding from a cross‐case analysis of eight episodes of students' scientific engagement, drawing on literature on framing to show how participants positioned themselves as not‐understanding and how that was consequential for the class's scientific engagement. We show how participants enacted this positioning by asking questions or expressing uncertainty around a phenomenon or model. We then analyze how participants' displays of not‐understanding shaped the conceptual, epistemic, and social aspects of classroom activity. We present two cases in detail: one in which a student's positioning helped initiate the class's scientific engagement and another in which it helped sustain it. We argue that this work motivates considering how to help students learn to embrace and value the role of expressing one's confusion in science.     

Beyond Beliefs: Parent and Child Behaviors and Children''s Perceived Academic Competence

Examined the relations of parent and child behaviors with children's perceptions of their academic competence. 74 high-achieving third-grade children, with varying levels of perceived academic competence, were observed working with mothers and fathers both on solvable tasks (Period 1) and during a period that included some unsolvable tasks (Period 2). Results indicated that children's perceived academic competence was positively related to father warmth, both at Period 1 and at Period 2. Children's perceived academic competence was also positively related to their own behavior when working with fathers at Period 2. Specifically, children with higher perceived academic competence showed more emotional restraint and were more self-reliant when working on tasks at Period 2 than were children with lower perceived academic competence. The results indicate that there are systematic, observable correlates of children's self-reports of their perceived academic competence.     

Computer: The use of computer‐mediated communication in training students in group problem‐solving and decision‐making techniques

Abstract

A cost‐effectiveness analysis of training Army National Guard soldiers by audio teletraining technology was conducted. The trainees were n = 225 soldiers nationwide. About half of the trainees received training in a three‐week Unit Clerk Course through traditional residence training, and the remainder received the same instruction through audio teletraining. Objective performance data were collected from written tests on sixteen of the forty‐seven tasks taught. The percentage of trainees in the audio teletraining group that reached criterion (93%) on the first test was significantly higher (by statistical test) than the residence group (85%). In comparing costs, the audio teletraining group had lower training costs per trainee. Projected on an annual basis, the Army National Guard can save $292,404 per year through the use of audio teletraining for the Unit Clerk Course.