Masters Theses

Date of Award

5-1991

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Nursing

Major Professor

Maureen E. Groer

Committee Members

Sandra Thomas, Mitzi Davis

Abstract

This correlational study examined the relationship between household factors and the growth of young children in two less- developed communities: 1) a Mexican urban community, and 2) a Filipino slum community. The theoretical framework of this investigation was a synthesis of the work of Florence Nightingale, Leonardo Mata, and Sister Calistra Roy. Growth of young children was viewed as indicative of adaptation to poverty.

Height, weight, age, and sex of 267 children ages 6 years and younger were obtained in house-to-house visits. Data were collected for each household by interview with the primary caretaker and by direct observation of the dwelling. Variables included two inventories and a variety of demographic factors related to poverty, housing, sanitation, family composition, mode of transportation, education, health care, and nutrition. A health and hygiene inventory examined 18 items related to general health issues. An early childhood feeding inventory examined 17 items related to the feeding of young children.

Data analysis was based on a comparison of the growth of children in the samples to reference data for children from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), as recommended by the World Health Organization. Variability in the NCHS population reflects differing genetic potential and ethnicity inherent in any population of healthy, well nourished children. Excess variability in growth indicators among children in this investigation was attributed to environmental influences. Relative standard deviation (SD) values for height-for-age (H/A) and weight-for-height (W/H) of children in the investigation were calculated based on the NCHS reference data. H/A was used as an indicator of long-standing nutritional status and growth, whereas W/H was used as an indicator of recent nutritional status and growth. A third dependent variable, the average of H/A and W/H SD values, was used to reflect the combined result of both recent and long-standing nutritional status and growth.

Inventory scores were highly correlated with growth. Demographic variables related to poverty and poor sanitation were negatively related to growth. Stunting and wasting were widespread among slum children. Families with increasing numbers of children had less income and less living space to support child-rearing needs than families with fewer children. However, 30 children from among the poorest households grew at rates which were above the median for NCHS children. Inventory scores were higher for these children than for children from wealthier households whose growth was below the NCHS median. This finding indicates that improved growth of young children is related to the role function of caretakers. Effective child- rearing practices appear to have a mediating effect on poverty and growth failure among young children in this study.

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