Chapters authored
Child Undernourishment and Development: The Influence of Caregiver Practices
Children living in poverty are at risk of malnutrition and developmental delays. In addition to environmental constraints, caregiver practices can exacerbate or mitigate effects of economic scarcity on these issues. This study explores the influence of rearing practices and socioemotional caregiver factors on the nutritional status and psychological development in a sample of Mexican children; also, the participation of some sociodemographic variables is analyzed. Sixteen children (9–19 months old) at risk of malnutrition or malnourished and their main caregivers participated. In addition to the nutritional status, infant development was assessed using the Bayley Child Development Scales. The caregiver answered questionnaires on demographics, parenting practice (RPS Questionnaire), and parenting stress (Parenting Stress Index). According to expectations, positive relations between responsive-rearing practices and children-favorable condition were found, and negative associations between parental stress and child indicators of optimal nourishment and development were also found. Some demographic factors were associated with the caregiver and the child variables. Results found have limitations imposed by the sample size to conclude on the direction of the effects in the relationships obtained. Despite this, the results show the relevance of the caregiver’s characteristics and practices.
Part of the book: Caregiving and Home Care