Defending Motherhood: Morality,Responsibility, and Double Binds in Feeding Children

The ideology of intensive mothering sets a high bar and is framed against the specter of the “bad” mother. Poor mothers and mothers of color are especially at risk of being labeled bad mothers. Drawing on 138 in‐depth interviews and ethnographic observations, this study analyzes the discursive and interpersonal strategies poor mothers use to make sense of and defend their feeding and children's body sizes. Food beliefs and practices reflect and reinforce social inequalities and thus represent an exemplary case in which to examine intensive mothering, its ties to growing inequality, and how individuals are called to account for it. Findings demonstrate intersecting inequalities, meanings, and contradictions in mothers' accounts of meeting intensive mothering expectations around feeding, health, and weight. In light of moral framings around feeding and weight, mothers' experiences of surveillance, and the double binds they encounter in feeding children, mothers practice what the authors term defensive mothering.     

Development and psychometric testing of the childhood obesity perceptions (COP) survey among African American caregivers: A tool for obesity prevention program planning

Currently, public health practitioners are analyzing the role that caregivers play in childhood obesity efforts. Assessing African American caregiver’s perceptions of childhood obesity in rural communities is an important prevention effort. This article’s objective is to describe the development and psychometric testing of a survey tool to assess childhood obesity perceptions among African American caregivers in a rural setting, which can be used for obesity prevention program development or evaluation. The Childhood Obesity Perceptions (COP) survey was developed to reflect the multidimensional nature of childhood obesity including risk factors, health complications, weight status, built environment, and obesity prevention strategies. A 97-item survey was pretested and piloted with the priority population. After pretesting and piloting, the survey was reduced to 59-items and administered to 135 African American caregivers. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to test how well the survey items represented the number of Social Cognitive Theory constructs. Twenty items were removed from the original 59-item survey and acceptable internal consistency of the six factors (α = 0.70–0.85) was documented for all scales in the final COP instrument. CFA resulted in a less than adequate fit; however, a multivariate Lagrange multiplier test identified modifications to improve the model fit. The COP survey represents a promising approach as a potentially comprehensive assessment for implementation or evaluation of childhood obesity programs.     

Socioeconomic determinants of obesity and hypertension at the county level in China

In a nationally representative database, the risk of obesity and hypertension in China is significantly associated with age and the socioeconomic environment. Women in China are more likely obese and less likely to have hypertension than men. Education mitigates the risks of obesity and hypertension.     

Chapter 11. Caregivers of Children with Cancer

SUMMARY

When a child is diagnosed with cancer, families experience a devastating life event with immediate and long-term impact on quality of life, actvities of daily living, family dynamics, self identity, parental role, and sense of meaning in the world. However, despite the trauma, more recent studies are highlighting the resilience and functioning of families facing cancer in childhood. This chapter explores these family dynamics.     

职前幼儿教师生理健康影响因素及其对策

本研究主要采取测量研究和调查研究相结合的方式进行。在幼师高校随机抽取某系二年级女学生200名为研究样本，用体脂秤集中测量其体重、水分、脂量、BMI、基础代谢率、体年龄、肌肉率、骨量、体脂率等生理指标，同时发放运动量记录表、餐饮状况记录表采集数据。研究发现，体重是影响个体健康的重要因素，与BMI显著正相关，但与体脂率相关性较低，而且BMI与体脂率对样本肥胖群体的描述不一致。以“体重”升降为“肥胖”判断标准的观念会误导女生的运动及饮食习惯，体脂率对职前幼儿教师的健康状况解释更为有效。树立科学的“肥胖观”、“饮食观”和“运动观”，有利于职前幼儿教师健康素养的提升和体质的改善。     

Parental Work Schedules and Child Overweight or Obesity: Does Family Structure Matter?

The authors used longitudinal data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 5,482) to investigate whether maternal and paternal work schedules affect child overweight or obesity. They took the novel step of examining whether this effect is consistent for children living in different family structures. Findings from child fixed effects models suggest that the probability of child overweight or obesity was higher for children living with mothers who worked standard shifts at a primary job and nonstandard shifts at a secondary job compared to children living with mothers who worked a standard shift at a primary job only. Fathers' work schedules were not associated with child overweight or obesity. Unexpectedly, maternal standard shift work at a primary job and nonstandard shift work at a secondary job was associated with overweight or obesity only among children living with married biological parents.     

Relationship Between Sarcopenia and Fracture Risks in Obese Postmenopausal Women

ABSTRACT

It is known that obesity is inversely correlated with fracture risk. It remains unclear if a low muscle mass (sarcopenia) modulates the relationship between obesity and bone mass density. Twenty-seven obese women were matched for total fat mass (± 0.5 kg) and age (± 4 yrs) and divided in 3 equal groups: class II sarcopenic, class I sarcopenic, and nonsarcopenic. Body composition (DXA) and dietary intake were measured. Our results suggest that obesity may offer some protection against osteoporosis, even in sarcopenic postmenopausal women. However, further studies are needed to examine the actual implication of these results on a clinical standpoint.     

大学生超重、肥胖现状及影响因素分析

超重、肥胖是影响大学生身心全面发展的重要因素。本文以中北大学学生为研究对象,旨在探讨大学生超重及肥胖的现状及其影响因素。研究结果表明:大学生超重、肥胖率分别为11.21%和8.46%。男大学生的肥胖率(9.30%)显著高于女大学生(6.39%)。遗传因素、运动不足、饮食结构不良、不良生活方式、精神因素是造成大学生肥胖的主要影响因素。     

Reactions to Morphological Deviance: A Comparison of Japanese and American Children and Adolescents

Fifth and eleventh graders in the United States (n = 175) and Japan (n = 257) were asked to describe and explain their reactions to obesity and facial disfigurement, both as a deviant member (one having these forms of morphological deviance) and as an interactant member (a normal child interacting with the deviant peer) of a group of 5 children. In the obesity scenario, the group was going shopping for clothes. In the facial disfigurement scenario, the group was having their photographs taken for the school yearbook. In both cultures for both scenarios, negative emotions predominated when students took the deviant role. As interactants, more Japanese than American respondents expressed positive and inclusive attitudes toward the deviant child. Developmental differences varied by culture. Most notable was the tendency of Japanese eleventh graders to become similar to their American counterparts in their decreasing willingness to participate with, include, and be influenced by their peers. Results are discussed in terms of Goffman's (1963) model of 'stigma' and the individualism-collectivism paradigm.