Abstract

This study sought to assess a set of factors that were proposed to influence child health status at 3 years of age. The sample $(N=4940)$ was drawn from the 1988 National Maternal Infant Health Survey and the 1991 Longitudinal Followup, conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics. Only mothers who gave birth to live, singleton infants in 1988 and whose children were still alive and living with them in 1991 were used in the analysis $(N=4940).$ Relationships were specified between the following latent variables: maternal social advantage to birth outcomes and from birth outcomes to child health status, measured by multiple dimensions of health. It was hypothesized that positive prenatal health practices would mediate the influence of maternal social advantage on birth outcomes and that positive infant health practices would in turn mediate the effect of birth outcomes on preschool-age child health status. Results indicated a good fit of the overall model with the data, using a LISREL structural equation modeling analysis. It was concluded that maternal social advantage and health practices are important precursors of subsequent health and significantly influence the health of young children; that measurement of multiple dimensions of health status in young children are required to capture the full influence of antecedent factors; and that positive health practices successfully mediate the effect of social and health factors on future health status of children.

Description

This dissertation has also been disseminated through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. Dissertation/thesis number: 9810371; ProQuest document ID: 304504290. The author still retains copyright.

Author Details

Dr. Candice C. Bowman, PhD, RN

Sigma Membership

Zeta Mu at-Large

Type

Dissertation

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Descriptive/Correlational

Research Approach

Advanced Analytics

Keywords:

Community Nursing, Maternal Health Practices, Outcomes for Children

Advisors

Moore, Jean

Degree

PhD

Degree Grantor

George Mason University

Degree Year

1998

Rights Holder

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All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

None: Degree-based Submission

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

Date of Issue

2020-07-10

Full Text of Presentation

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