Karen H. Morin

Attitudes and perceptions of body image in postpartum African American women. Does weight make a difference

Purpose To describe the attitudes and perceptions of body image of African American postpartum women, and the differences in these measures when body mass index (BMI) was considered. Design Descriptive comparative. Methodology Secondary analysis of a larger study. The sample was 45 African American women. Body image was assessed using the Attitude to Body Image Scale (ABIS) and the topographic device. Participants were grouped according to BMI categories. Body image differences by BMI category were determined using ANOVA. Results The mean ABIS score for the total sample was 2.8 (range = 1.0–5.8). Although not statistically significantly different, the mean ABIS score for the overweight/obese group was 3.4 (SD = 0.42), for the normal weight group the mean score was 2.8 (SD = 0.22) and for the underweight group it was 2.6 (SD = 0.24). The mean amount of perceived space occupied was 30.0 while the mean amount of actual space occupied was 21.0 in (N = 45). When the perceptual component was assessed, all women, irrespective of size, considered themselves larger than they actually were. However, perceptions did not differ by body mass category. Implications Nurses can use this information to plan culturally sensitive postpartum care relative to body image and weight. Healthcare providers may wish to develop interventions that foster healthy lifestyle behaviors, such as healthy eating habits, based on health promotion rather than on weight loss. With this caveat in mind, performing a 24-hr recall of foods eaten would be an appropriate assessment strategy.

Where is the evidence for teaching methods used in nursing education

Twenty-first century maternal-child faculty members are now being encouraged to base their teaching practice on sound evidence. Finding that evidence, however, can be challenging. This article discusses not only the current state of research on teaching in nursing, but also how and where educators can access information about teaching that is based on research. It also describes strategies educators can use to develop an evidence-based approach to teaching. Topics included in this discussion include recommended literature resources in nursing and education, bibliographic database search techniques, guides for appraisal of quantitative and qualitative research, and relevant nursing education and general education professional organizations. In addition, an evidence hierarchy from the field of education is introduced to rank educational studies in nursing. If nurse educators are to apply the evidence-based process used in clinical practice to the practice of nursing education, more research is needed in this field.

Current thoughts on healthy term infant nutrition: the first twelve months.

Because nutrition plays a critical role in infant growth and development, healthcare providers need current and accurate information in order to address parental concerns about infant nutrition. Although the benefits of breastfeeding are well recognized, mothers may decide not to breastfeed, and parents may have concerns about when to introduce foods other than human milk or formula. Findings from several studies indicate that parents continue to have questions related to infant feeding throughout infancy. Because nurses interact with parents during pregnancy, labor, birth, the postpartum, and routine infant care visits, nurses are a natural choice for parents to gain information about their babies. This article presents an update on select issues related to term infant nutrition, and specifically examines formula feeding, nutrient supplementation, introduction of solids, the use of juices, the vegetarian mother and infant, and infant colic.

Evolving global education standards for nurses and midwives.

More than a a decade ago nurse experts identified information critical for their practice in the 21st century, initiated by the increasing globalization of healthcare and nursing education. Much has happened since then. We know more about the healthcare needs of developing and developed countries, although solutions remain problematic. Although nurses continue to migrate, exaggerating developing country health issues, they are plagued by the variability in how they are educated. For example, some countries prepare nurses in high school, while in other countries nurses are educated in institutions of higher education. Recognizing this variability, nurse leaders have undertaken several efforts to address this variability. The purpose of this article is to highlight several issues associated with global education in general, describe current efforts in nursing and midwifery to strengthen nursing education, and discuss why these efforts are relevant to maternal-child nurses. This information is particularly relevant when one considers the contributions appropriately educated nurses and midwives can make as achieving select United Nations Millennium Development Goals.

Infant nutrition: the challenge of colic in infants.

May/June 2009 Colic, also known as unexplained infant crying, is “one of the most commonly encountered and least understood problems during infancy” (Keefe et al., 2006, p. 123). Occurring in both sexes, its incidence ranges from 15% to 25% (Keefe et al.) to as much as 40% (Clinical Update 119, 2008). Consequently, the possibility of encountering an infant with this condition is considerable. Nurses, therefore, need a solid understanding of the condition and its treatment.

Infant nutrition and global poverty.

How many of us have seen the plight of infants and children in Darfur Africa and South America on the nightly news? One has only to see these pictures once to appreciate the effect that poverty has on the nutritional status of infants and children. The presentation of thin wasted infants being held by thin mothers who often are alone and without financial emotional or social support elicits a visceral response in anyone who cares for women and children. Questions about the extent of the problem with its associated outcomes are the focus of this column. (excerpt)

Understanding eating behavior.

Nutritional behavior has received increasing interest among healthcare providers and policy makers as the incidence of overweight and obesity has increased. Although considerable attention has been directed toward determining most appropriate foods to consume, information on other aspects, such as the context in which foods are consumed, has not been well covered until recently. However, consideration of eating patterns, eating norms, and social context is equally important in understanding nutritional behavior and insuring adequate knowledge upon which to base nutritional advice.

Nutritional considerations during bereavement.

Dealing with loss happens at different points in life. Children may experience the loss of a pet or family member, adults may experience the loss of a child, friends, or parents, and older adults may experience the loss of a child or partner. When a loved one dies, bereavement is “associated with an intense period of suffering” (Stahl & Schulz, 2013, p. 1 of 20). Such suffering can give rise to numerous responses that infl uence a person’s health behaviors (Stahl & Schulz, 2013), including altering one’s nutritional behavior.

Starting college: a critical time for weight gain.

The transition to college life can result in changes in weight status and is considered a “time of signifi cant and rapid weight gain” (Gow, Trace, & Mazzeo, 2010, p. 33). Weight gain can range from 3.5 to 7.8 pounds, often moving an individual from a normal weight to overweight category, or from an overweight to obese category. Given the increasing prevalence of obesity among all age groups, and nurses’ commitment to health promotion, this column focuses on students’ eating behaviors and interventions employed in this population. Eating Behaviors. Recently, investigators reported on sex differences of university students related to eating habits and nutrient intake (Li et al., in press). These investigators

Nutrition and cognition.

Leung, Wiens, and Kaplan (2011), in their systematic review of 18 randomized controlled trials examining whether prenatal micronutrient supplementation infl uenced child mental health development, determined that existing evidence was inconclusive. Although Best and colleagues (2011) suggested that multimicronutrient food fortifi cation resulted in “positive effects on biochemical indicators of