ORCID Profile
0000-0003-1275-4072
Current Organisation
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
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Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 11-04-2022
DOI: 10.1017/S000711452200112X
Abstract: A nationally generalisable cohort ( n 5770) was used to determine the prevalence of non-timely (early/late) introduction of complementary food and core food groups and associations with maternal sociodemographic and health behaviours in New Zealand (NZ). Variables describing maternal characteristics and infant food introduction were sourced, respectively, from interviews completed antenatally and during late infancy. The NZ Infant Feeding Guidelines were used to define early (≤ 4 months) and late (≥ 7 months) introduction. Associations were examined using multivariable multinomial regression, presented as adjusted relative risk ratios and 95 % confidence intervals (RRR 95% CI). Complementary food introduction was early for 40·2 % and late for 3·2 %. The prevalence of early food group introduction were fruit/vegetables (23·8 %), breads/cereals (36·3 %), iron-rich foods (34·1 %) and of late were meat/meat alternatives (45·9 %), dairy products (46·2 %) and fruits/vegetables (9·9 %). Compared with infants with timely food introduction, risk of early food introduction was increased for infants: breastfed 6months (2·52 2·19–2·90), whose mothers were 30 years old (1·69 1·46–1·94), had a diploma/trade certificate v. tertiary education (1·39 1·1–1·70), of Māori v. European ethnicity (1·40 1·12–1·75) or smoked during pregnancy (1·88 1·44–2·46). Risk of late food introduction decreased for infants breastfed 6 months (0·47 0.27–0·80) and increased for infants whose mothers had secondary v. tertiary education (2·04 1·16–3·60) were of Asian v. European ethnicity (2·22 1·35, 3·63) or did not attend childbirth preparation classes (2·23 1·24–4·01). Non-timely food introduction, specifically early food introduction, is prevalent in NZ. Interventions to improve food introduction timeliness should be ethnic-specific and support longer breast-feeding.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 02-07-2021
DOI: 10.1017/S0007114521001720
Abstract: Using data from a nationally generalisable birth cohort, we aimed to: (i) describe the cohort’s adherence to national evidence-based dietary guidelines using an Infant Feeding Index (IFI) and (ii) assess the IFI’s convergent construct validity, by exploring associations with antenatal maternal socio-demographic and health behaviours and with child overweight/obesity and central adiposity at age 54 months. Data were from the Growing Up in New Zealand cohort ( n 6343). The IFI scores ranged from zero to twelve points, with twelve representing full adherence to the guidelines. Overweight/obesity was defined by BMI-for-age (based on the WHO Growth Standards). Central adiposity was defined as waist-to-height ratio 90th percentile. Associations were tested using multiple linear regression and Poisson regression with robust variance (risk ratios, 95 % CI). Mean IFI score was 8·2 ( sd 2·1). Maternal characteristics explained 29·1 % of variation in the IFI score. Maternal age, education and smoking had the strongest independent relationships with IFI scores. Compared with children in the highest IFI tertile, girls in the lowest and middle tertiles were more likely to be overweight/obese (1·46, 1·03, 2·06 and 1·56, 1·09, 2·23, respectively) and boys in the lowest tertile were more likely to have central adiposity (1·53, 1·02, 2·30) at age 54 months. Most infants fell short of meeting national Infant Feeding Guidelines. The associations between IFI score and maternal characteristics, and children’s overweight/obesity/central adiposity, were in the expected directions and confirm the IFI’s convergent construct validity.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2023
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 11-06-2018
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 19-07-2022
DOI: 10.1111/MCN.13402
Abstract: New Zealand (NZ) lacks nationally representative or generalisable information on the dietary intakes of pre‐schoolers. We used Growing Up in New Zealand cohort data to i) develop child feeding indexes (CFIs) based on National Food and Nutrition Guidelines for 2‐ and 4.5‐year‐olds ii) describe the cohort adherence to the guidelines at 2 ( n = 6046) and 4.5 years ( n = 5889) and iii) assess the CFIs’ convergent construct validity, by exploring associations with maternal sociodemographic and health behaviours and with child body mass index for age (BMI/age) and the waist‐to‐height ratio at 4.5 years. The CFIs scores ranged from 0 to 11, with 11 representing full adherence to the guidelines. Associations were tested using multiple linear regressions and Poisson regressions with robust variance (risk ratios [RR], 95% confidence intervals, 95% CI). The CFIs mean scores (SD) at 2 and 4.5 years were, respectively, 6.13 (1.21) and 6.22 (1.26) points. Maternal characteristics explained, respectively, 27.2% and 31.9% of the variation in the CFIs scores at 2 and 4.5 years. In the adjusted model at the 4.5‐year interview, in relation to girls ranked in the 5th quintile, those in the 2nd (RR, 95% CI: 1.48 1.03 1.24) and 4th (1.53 1.05 2.23) quintiles of the CFI were more likely to have BMI/age +2z (World Health Organization growth standards) at 4.5 years. At 2 and 4.5 years, most children fell short of meeting national guidelines. The associations between the CFIs scores at both time points with maternal characteristics and with children's body size at 4.5 years were in the expected directions, confirming the CFIs’ convergent construct validity among NZ pre‐schoolers.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 30-04-2018
DOI: 10.1017/S1368980018000836
Abstract: To evaluate the sociodemographic and lifestyle factors associated with insufficient and excessive use of folic acid supplements (FAS) among pregnant women. A pregnancy cohort to which multinomial logistic regression models were applied to identify factors associated with duration and dose of FAS use. The Growing Up in New Zealand child study, which enrolled pregnant women whose children were born in 2009–2010. Pregnant women ( n 6822) enrolled into a nationally generalizable cohort. Ninety-two per cent of pregnant women were not taking FAS according to the national recommendation (4 weeks before until 12 weeks after conception), with 69 % taking insufficient FAS and 57 % extending FAS use past 13 weeks’ gestation. The factors associated with extended use differed from those associated with insufficient use. Consistent with published literature, the relative risks of insufficient use were increased for younger women, those with less education, of non-European ethnicities, unemployed, who smoked cigarettes, whose pregnancy was unplanned or who had older children, or were living in more deprived households. In contrast, the relative risks of extended use were increased for women of higher socio-economic status or for whom this was their first pregnancy and decreased for women of Pacific v. European ethnicity. In New Zealand, current use of FAS during pregnancy potentially exposes pregnant women and their unborn children to too little or too much folic acid. Further policy development is necessary to reduce current socio-economic inequities in the use of FAS.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 05-12-2018
DOI: 10.1017/S1368980018003026
Abstract: To simulate effects of different scenarios of folic acid fortification of food on dietary folate equivalents (DFE) intake in an ethnically erse s le of pregnant women. A forty-four-item FFQ was used to evaluate dietary intake of the population. DFE intakes were estimated for different scenarios of food fortification with folic acid: (i) voluntary fortification (ii) increased voluntary fortification (iii) simulated bread mandatory fortification and (iv) simulated grains-and-rice mandatory fortification. Ethnically and socio-economically erse cohort of pregnant women in New Zealand. Pregnant women ( n 5664) whose children were born in 2009–2010. Participants identified their ethnicity as European (56·0 %), Asian (14·2 %), Māori (13·2 %), Pacific (12·8 %) or Others (3·8 %). Bread, breakfast cereals and yeast spread were main food sources of DFE in the two voluntary fortification scenarios. However, for Asian women, green leafy vegetables, bread and breakfast cereals were main contributors of DFE in these scenarios. In descending order, proportions of different ethnic groups in the lowest tertile of DFE intake for the four fortification scenarios were: Asian (39–60 %), Others (41–44 %), European (31–37 %), Pacific (23–26 %) and Māori (23–27 %). In comparisons within each ethnic group across scenarios of food fortification with folic acid, differences were observed only with DFE intake higher in the simulated grains-and-rice mandatory fortification v . other scenarios. If grain and rice fortification with folic acid was mandatory in New Zealand, DFE intakes would be more evenly distributed among pregnant women of different ethnicities, potentially reducing ethnic group differences in risk of lower folate intakes.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 11-2021
DOI: 10.3390/NU13113917
Abstract: Research shows the shaping of food choices often occurs at home, with the family widely recognised as significant in food decisions. However, in this digital age, our eating habits and decision-making processes are also determined by smartphone apps, celebrity chefs, and social media. The ‘COVID Kai Survey’ online questionnaire assessed cooking and shopping behaviours among New Zealanders during the 2020 COVID-19 ‘lockdown’ using a cross-sectional study design. This paper examines how sources of food choice inspirations (cooking-related advice and the reasons for recipe selection) are related to dietary patterns before and during the lockdown. Of the 2977 participants, those influenced by nutrition and health experts (50.9% before 53.9% during the lockdown) scored higher for the healthy dietary pattern. Participants influenced by family and friends (35% before 29% during the lockdown) had significantly higher scores for the healthy and the meat dietary patterns, whereas participants influenced by celebrity cooks (3.8% before 5.2% during the lockdown) had significantly higher scores in the meat dietary pattern. There was no evidence that associations differed before and during the lockdown. The lockdown was related to modified food choice inspiration sources, notably an increase in ‘comforting’ recipes as a reason for recipe selection (75.8%), associated with higher scoring in the unhealthy dietary pattern during the lockdown. The lockdown in New Zealand saw an average decrease in nutritional quality of diets in the ‘COVID Kai Survey’, which could be partly explained by changes in food choice inspiration sources.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.NUT.2021.111560
Abstract: This study aimed to examine the relationship between dietary practices and sleep in young children. In this study, 2-y-old children (n = 6327) and their mothers were enrolled at birth and during pregnancy, respectively. The study obtained maternal demographic, health, and lifestyle data during late pregnancy. Parents reported the 2-y-old child's dietary practices on a food frequency questionnaire, as well as sleep duration and night-waking frequency. Measures of dietary intake quantified servings per day for each food group (grouped as low/moderate/high intake). Sleep measures were as inadequate sleep when <11 h sleep in a 24-h period and increased night waking when waking ≥2 times per night. Multivariable logistic regression analyses examined associations between toddler diet and sleep, which were described using adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals. In this study, 2-y-old children (n = 6288) slept for a mean of 12.3 hours (standard deviation: ±1.5 hours) over a 24-h period, with 734 children (12%) getting <11 h of sleep in 24 h. Increased night waking occurred in 1063 children (17%). Compared with low intake, high soft drink/snack/fast food intake was associated with inadequate sleep (OR: 1.37) and increased night waking (OR: 1.34). High milk/cheese/yoghurt intake (OR: 1.55) was associated with increased odds of night waking, but moderate (OR: 0.81) or high (OR: 0.78) vegetable intake was associated with decreased odds of night waking. Exposure to screens (OR: 1.28) and heavy maternal cigarette smoking (OR: 2.20) were also associated with inadequate sleep and increased night waking, respectively. At age 2 y, higher consumption of soft drinks/snacks/fast foods is associated with shorter, more disrupted sleep. Conversely, higher vegetable consumption is associated with less disrupted sleep. Dietary modifications may improve toddlers' sleep.
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 02-2022
DOI: 10.1136/BMJOPEN-2020-046790
Abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the association of antenatal maternal dietary patterns (DPs) and other health aspects with infant temperament in a large multiethnic cohort, taking maternal personality and prenatal stress into account. Using data from 3968 children born in 2009/2010 and their mothers from the Growing Up in New Zealand cohort, infant temperament was assessed at 9 months using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised Very Short Form. Maternal antenatal diet and other health aspects were assessed antenatally. Maternal DPs (n=4) were derived using principal components analysis based on food intake reported on a 44-item food frequency questionnaire. Path analyses investigated factors associated with infant temperament, namely maternal personality, prenatal maternal stress, DPs and other health aspects, including potential inter-relations and mediating effects. Women who scored higher in the fusion DP (standardised beta (β)=0.05 95% CI 0.02 to 0.09) and healthy DP (β=0.05 95% CI 0.02 to 0.09), who exercised more (β=0.04 95% CI 0.01 to 0.07), and who drank less alcohol (β=−0.05 95% CI −0.08 to –0.02) were more likely to have infants with an overall less difficult temperament. Sex-specific differences were found in the associations between maternal DP and infant temperament. Maternal personality and prenatal stress were significantly associated with all dimensions of infant temperament. The strongest predictors for a more difficult temperament were prenatal stress (β=0.12 95% CI 0.08 to 0.15) and the personality dimensions neuroticism (β=0.10 95% CI 0.07 to 0.14) and extraversion (β=−0.09 95% CI −0.12 to –0.06). Associations of antenatal maternal diet and health aspects with infant temperament were statistically significant but small. While they should not be overinterpreted as being deterministic, the findings of this study support the link between maternal modifiable health-related behaviours and infant temperament outcomes.
No related grants have been discovered for Teresa Gontijo de Castro.