Document details

Diverse physical growth trajectories in institutionalized portuguese children b...

Author(s): Martins, Carla cv logo 1 ; Belsky, Jay cv logo 2 ; Marques, Sofia cv logo 3 ; Baptista, Joana cv logo 4 ; Silva, Joana cv logo 5 ; Mesquita, Ana Raquel Marcelino cv logo 6 ; Castro, Filipa cv logo 7 ; Sousa, Nuno cv logo 8 ; Soares, Isabel cv logo 9

Date: 2013

Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/1822/24076

Origin: RepositóriUM - Universidade do Minho

Subject(s): Children; Longitudinal research; Parenting


Description
The authors would like to thank the students involved in the data collection and coding, and especially the children, caregivers, and other institutional staff who participated in the study. Funding from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia. Objective: To identify and analyze diverse longitudinal trajectories of physical growth of institutionalized children and their relation to child, family, and institutional factors. Methods: 49 institutionalized children were studied for 9 months after admission. Weight, height, and head circumference were measured on 4 occasions, beginning at admission. Data were analyzed using latent class analysis, yielding diverse patterns of growth for each feature, and relations with child characteristics, early family risk factors, and institutional relational care were investigated. Results: For each growth feature, 4 classes emerged: ‘‘Persistently Low,’’ ‘‘Improving,’’ ‘‘Deteriorating,’’ and ‘‘Persistently High.’’ Younger age at admission was a risk factor for impaired physical growth across all domains. Physical characteristics at birth were associated with trajectories across all domains. Lower prenatal risk and better institutional relational care were associated with Improving weight over time. Conclusions: Discussion highlights the role of children’s physical features at birth, prenatal risk, and caregiver’s cooperation with the child in explaining differential trajectories.
Document Type Article
Language English
delicious logo  facebook logo  linkedin logo  twitter logo 
degois logo
mendeley logo

Related documents



    Financiadores do RCAAP

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia Universidade do Minho   Governo Português Ministério da Educação e Ciência Programa Operacional da Sociedade do Conhecimento EU