Postpartum maternal moods and infant size predict performance on a national high school entrance examination
Postpartum maternal moods and infant size predict performance on a national high school entrance examination
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DOI：
10.1111/j.1469-7610.2004.t01-1-00299.x
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发表时间：
2004-09-01
影响因子：
7.6
通讯作者：
Forde, V
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Galler, JR;Ramsey, FC;Forde, V
背景：在早期的一系列研究中，我们记录了喂养方式和产后母亲情绪对 226 名巴巴多斯儿童生命最初几个月生长发育的影响。在这份报告中，我们扩展了我们早期的研究，检验了婴儿体型、喂养方式和产后母亲情绪以及 11 至 12 岁全国高中考试（CEE）成绩之间的预测关系。方法：使用 Zung 抑郁和焦虑量表以及士气量表，在产后 7 周 (n = 158)、3 个月 (n = 168) 和 6 个月 (n 209) 时评估喂养习惯、人体测量学和母亲情绪。婴儿期还评估了包括社会人口统计和家庭环境因素在内的背景变量。原始研究中 169 名儿童的 CEE 成绩是从巴巴多斯教育部获得的。结果：在 86 名男孩和 83 名女孩的样本中，我们发现 3 个月和 6 个月大的婴儿身长和体重减少预示着 CEE 较低，尤其是数学成绩。早期年龄较小的孩子在考试中的分数明显低于较大的孩子。产后母亲的情绪，包括绝望和焦虑的报告，也被发现是较低 CEE 分数（尤其是英语分数）的重要预测因素。然而，母乳喂养和其他喂养方式与 CEE 分数没有直接关系。显着预测较低的 CEE 分数的背景变量包括第一次怀孕时母亲年龄较小、家里有更多孩子、母亲受教育程度较低以及家庭便利设施较少。即使控制了这些背景变量，婴儿人体测量学、母亲情绪和 CEE 分数之间的显着相关性仍然显着。结论：这些发现对于在生命早期制定干预措施以提高学业考试成绩和为这种情况下的儿童提供未来的机会具有重要意义。
Background: In an earlier series of studies, we documented the effects of feeding practices and postnatal maternal mood on the growth and development of 226 Barbadian children during the first few months of life. In this report, we extend our earlier studies by examining predictive relationships between infant size, feeding practices and postpartum maternal moods and scores on a national high school examination, the Common Entrance Examination (CEE), at 11 to 12 years of age. Methods: Feeding practices, anthropometry, and maternal moods, using Zung depression and anxiety scales and a morale scale, were assessed at 7 weeks (n = 158), 3 months (n = 168), and 6 months (n 209) postpartum. Background variables including sociodemographic and home environmental factors were also assessed during infancy. CEE scores on 169 of the children in the original study were obtained from the Ministry of Education of Barbados. Results: In our sample of 86 boys and 83 girls, we found that reduced infant lengths and weights at 3 and 6 months of age were predictive of lower CEE, especially math scores. Children who were smaller at these early ages had significantly lower scores on the examination than did larger children. Postpartum maternal moods, including reports of despair and anxiety, were also found to be significant predictors of lower CEE scores, especially English scores. However, breast-feeding and other feeding practices were not directly associated with the CEE scores. Background variables, which significantly predicted lower CEE scores, included young maternal age at the time of her first pregnancy, more children in the home, less maternal education, and fewer home conveniences. Significant associations between infant anthropometry, maternal moods and CEE scores were all significant even when these background variables were controlled for. Conclusions: These findings have important implications for developing interventions early in life to improve academic test scores and future opportunities available to children in this setting.