Birth Rank Research Articles

Investigating the Prevalence of Malnutrition and Its Relationship with the Educational Status of Elementary School Students in Zahedan, Iran

Background: Malnutrition and improper nutrition may lead to physical and mental growth disorder and cognitive function. This study aims to determine the prevalence of malnutrition and its relationship with educational status among primary school children in Zahedan, Iran. Methods: During a cross-sectional study with a multi-stage random sampling method of 780 boy and girl students, first, second, and third grades of elementary school were included to study. Demographic and anthropometric of students were collected based on the sample size. Malnutrition was assessed according to World Health Organization indicators for the relevant age group. This assessment was based on body mass index (BMI) for age, height for age, and weight for age. Results: The prevalence of malnutrition was severe wasting, wasting, overweight, and obesity which were 0.8, 4.6, 6.4, and 5%, and severe underweight and underweight which were 0.9 and 4.7%, respectively. Severe stunting and stunting were observed in 0.3 and 2.8%, respectively. A statistically significant relationship was found between BMI for age, height for age and weight for age and educational status (P<0.05). Moreover, the educational status of students showed a statistically significant relationship with first and second-grade gender, birth rank, and Parent’s job and education (P<0.0001). Conclusion: Different forms of malnutrition among the students can negatively affect their performance, especially their educational status. Therefore, proper nutrition and increasing nutritional knowledge of primary school children and parents may help to prevent the problem.

Investigating the Social Skills of Children Aged 7-12 Years Based on Demographic Factors

Background and Objectives: The ability to successfully interact with peers and adults is one of the most important aspects of a child's development. Failure to acquire social skills has a negative effect on the development of the child's personality and his adaptation to the environment. The present study was conducted to investigate the social skills of 7-12-year-old children based on demographic factors in those who visited Taleghani Clinic in Gorgan City in 1401. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with a descriptive-analytical approach on 301 children aged 7-12-year-old students in Gorgan city in 1401. The required data were collected through the Social Skills Rating Scale (SSRS). The data were analyzed in SPSS23 software using Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, and Spearman correlation tests at a significance level of 0.05. Results: The results of this study showed that gender, birth rank, parents’ educational level, parents’ occupation, living with parents, and the number of children had a significant effect on social skills and problem behaviors; however, ethnicity had no significant effect. Conclusion: Various demographic factors affect children's social skills, and by being aware of them, the necessary interventions can be conducted just in time.

Impact of birth order on risk-taking: Evidence from China.

Evidence about impact of birth order on risk-taking is mostly from the Western cultural contexts, and the findings are contradictory. Scant attention has been devoted to the impact of birth order on risk-taking in East Asian societies influenced by Confucian culture. In this study, we investigated how birth order impacts adult risk-taking using a representative Chinese sample (N = 12,756). The results revealed that the effect of birth order on Chinese risk-taking did not exhibit a linear trend, either when the birth order was coded using the original birth rank or when coded as firstborns, middleborns and lastborns. However, this study found that laterborns, as a whole, were more likely to take risks than firstborns. In addition, there was a quadratic trend inherent in the birth order effect on risk-taking, showing that middleborns were more likely to take risks than firstborns or lastborns. Furthermore, we found that the birth order effects on risk-taking were not affected by individuals' age, birth spacing and family size. Additional analyses also demonstrated the robustness of these results. Our findings established a small but meaningful association between birth order and risk-taking in a Confucian-influenced society.

Exploring the relationship between mothers' competence and comfort in sexual and reproductive health discourse with adolescent girls and its related factors.

The mothers-adolescent discussion regarding sexual and reproductive health (SHR) issues plays an important role in preventing negative outcome associated with sexual risk behaviors. The present study aimed to explore the relationship between mothers' competence and comfort in SHR discourse with adolescent girls and its related factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 160 mothers from July to September 2020. Data were collected through questionnaires covering demographic characteristics, Mother's Comfort in Sexual Discourse (MCSD), Mother's Interest in Sexual Discourse (MISD), and Parenting Sense of Competence (PSOC). The collected data were analyzed using simple and multiple linear regression models. The mean scores for MCSD, MISD, and PSOC were 45.49±16.15 (13-78), 7.9±4.2 (0-13), and 64.07±9.44 (45-94), respectively. The primary topics of mother-adolescent discourse on SRH were menstruation (5.61±0.98) and the delivery process (4.55±1.57). The mean age for "sex talks" and age-appropriate "sex talks" with daughters was 11.76±1.85 (range: 6-15) and 17.05±1.86 (range: 14-23) years, respectively. Significant associations were found between MCSD and MISD (β=0.482, p<0.0001), PSOC (β=0.223, p<0.005), self-efficacy (β=0.202, p<0.011), mother's job (β=0.185, p<0.019), mother's education (β=0.173, p<0.029), and father's age (β=0.161, p<0.042). After adjusting for other variables, major influencing factors on MCSD included MISD (β=0.487, p<0.0001), self-efficacy (β=0.143, p<0.039), satisfaction (β=0.169, p<0.015), daughter number (β=-0.235, p<0.014), son number (β=-0.219, p<0.024), birth rank (β=0.263, p<0.008), and residency (β=0.172, p<0.014). MISD, PSOC, and certain demographic characteristics emerge as significant factors influencing MCSD in mother-daughter sexual discourse. As such, it is imperative to consider these determinants when devising strategies to maintain and enhance the sexual health of teenage girls.

Testing Fraternal Birth Order Effects and Antagonistic Effects for Homosexual Men: Power Comparison of Various Methods.

Research on the biological determinants of male homosexual preference has long realized that the older brother effect (FBOE, i.e., a higher fraternal birth rank of homosexuals) and the antagonist effect (AE, i.e., more fertile women have a higher chance of having a homosexual son) can both generate family data where homosexual men have more siblings and more older siblings than heterosexual men. Various statistical approaches were proposed in the recent literature to evaluate whether the action of FBOE or AE could be discriminated from empirical data, by controlling for the other effect. Here, we used simulated data to formally compare all the approaches that we could find in the relevant literature for their ability to reject the null hypothesis in the presence of a specified alternative hypothesis (tests based on regression, Bayesian modeling, or contingency tables). When testing for the FBOE, the relative performance of the different tests was different depending on the specific function generating the older brother effect. Even if no tests were found to always perform better than the others, some tests performed systematically poorly, and some tests displayed a systematic high rate of type-I error. For testing the AE, the relative performance of the tests was generally not changed across all parameter values assayed, providing a clear ranking of the various proposed approaches. Pros and cons for each candidate test are discussed, taking into consideration power and the rate of type-I error but also practicability, the possibility to control for confounding variables, and to consider alternative hypotheses.

Telomere length varies with sex, hatching rank and year of birth in the Little Owl, Athene noctua

Telomere length varies with sex, hatching rank and year of birth in the Little Owl, Athene noctua

99 Heritability and Repeatability of Structural Foot and Leg Traits in Sheep

Abstract Similar to other livestock species, sheep are subject to a range of structural faults that contribute to lameness and involuntary culling. Record-keeping in the sheep industry is generally sparse, particularly for structural traits; thus, the extent of the problem is ill-defined. Furthermore, the few studies centered on foot and leg structure have typically involved small numbers of animals measured only once. Consequently, estimates of heritability for pasterns, and for claw and hoof conformation scores in sheep are sparse in the literature, with little consideration of potential score changes across an animal’s lifetime. Using a large dataset of repeatedly-measured scores, our objective was to reliably estimate the heritability and repeatability of several foot and leg traits indicative of structural soundness. Pedigree and performance data on 28,300 commercial crossbreed ewes were supplied by Focus Genetics, Ltd., New Zealand. The subjective foot and leg scores were recorded multiple times from first lambing to culling, with as many as 5 sets of records collected on individual ewes. The conformation traits evaluated were overall foot and leg conformation, rear pastern angles, front pastern angles, rear claw and hoof shapes, and front claw and hoof shapes. We fitted a repeatability model with fixed effects of recording age, age of dam, birth rank, rearing rank, heterosis (as a covariate), and contemporary group defined as the combination of birth year, birth flock, and recording mob. Random effects were direct additive, permanent environment, and residual. Heritability estimates ranged between 0.05 ± 0.01 for front claw and hoof shape score to 0.18 ± 0.01 for front pastern angle score. The corresponding repeatability estimates ranged from 0.13 ± 0.01 to 0.30 ± 0.01. The heritabilities estimated in our study were very similar to those obtained by Sheep Improvement Ltd., New Zealand; their estimates varied from 0.06 to 0.20 for the same traits. Based on the low heritability and moderate repeatability for these traits, culling animals based on their first recorded structural foot and leg scores may be risky. However, through their incorporation into a designed breeding program, genetic selection offers a viable approach to improve structural soundness in sheep.

The relationship between sleeping place, duration of breastfeeding and weaning time in children aged 2-3 years

Background and aims: Due to the importance of breastfeeding and the necessity of identifying the factors affecting the creation and promotion of this behavior, this study aims to determine the relationship between sleeping place, duration of weaning time, and breastfeeding in Children aged 2-3 years. Methods: This study was descriptive and analytical-correlational research in 2021. The participants were 214 children aged 2-3 years old from the health centers of Ramsar city, Iran. The sampling method of the present study was convenient. The tool of the study was a researcher-made questionnaire on infant sleeping places and breastfeeding. The data were entered into SPSS 16 and analyzed using the univariate chi-square test, Pearson correlation coefficient, and analysis of variance(P=0.05). Results: Exclusive feeding 69.2% (148 people) of children who were exclusively breastfed and in the usual place of sleep, 36.4% (78 people) of children slept in a shared bed with adults, and 57.5% (123 people) shared a room. However, in a separate bed, 1.6% (13 people) slept in a separate room. The average age of weaning in children sleeping in a shared room in the mother’s bed and next to the mother is 1.27 times and 1.30 times that of children sleeping in a separate room, respectively. The relationship between Infant’s sleeping place and the duration of exclusive breastfeeding (P=0.005), age of weaning onset (P=0.007), length of weaning (P=0.018), and definite age of weaning (P=0.014) was significant. 56.5% of infants (n=121) were female, and 56.1% (n=120) had the first birth rank. Breast milk exclusively fed 69.2% (n=148) of infants. Conclusion: The results showed that the place of sleep has a significant relationship with the exclusive feeding of milk and the age at which the child is weaned. The results of this study can be useful in planning interventions to promote exclusive breastfeeding and increase the duration of feeding infants with breast milk.

A Scoping Review of Early Childhood Caries Experience Assessment Tools Used for Studies in Nigeria

This scoping review provides an overview of the tools used to assess for early childhood caries (ECC) in Nigeria. A search of the literature in African Journals Online, Google Scholar, Medline, and Cochrane database was conducted in June 2023 using the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A combination of keywords related to caries risk assessment, preschool children, and evaluation tools was used for the search. Studies reported in English and assessing ECC were extracted. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the information on study characteristics, types of caries assessment tools, and study outcome. Caries assessment tools were divided into behavioural, social, and biological. After screening 964 potential studies, 16 were included in the review. ECC assessment tools were categorised into behavioural (snacking, frequency of consumption of refined carbohydrate in-between-meals, dental service utilisation, frequency of tooth brushing, use of fluoridated toothpaste, breast and bottle feeding patterns and duration), biological (birth rank, age, sex, anthropometric measures, molecular characterisation of isolated organisms, presence of plaque), and social (socioeconomic status of the child’s household, mother’s level of education, maternal income, occupation of the father, maternal decision-making ability). Twelve studies used behavioural assessment tools, 11 used biological, and 11 used social tools. Furthermore, 11 (70.1%) used a combination of tools, four (25.0%) used only biological tools, and one (6.2%) used only behavioural tools to assess ECC experience. No study screened for the risk of caries. In conclusion, we identified the need for comprehensive studies to identify the risk indicators of ECC in Nigeria. This will support the development of a caries risk assessment tool appropriate for the country context.

Comorbidity of asthma in patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) aged 4-12 years in Iran: a cross-sectional study.

The present study was a cross-sectional analytical study conducted to investigate the incidence of asthma in ADHD patients aged 4-12 years who were referred to Urmia University of Medical Sciences clinics and hospitals. In this study, ADHD patients were diagnosed through a psychiatric interview and based on a paediatric asthma questionnaire (approved by asthma and allergy organizations and scientific institutions), and individuals with suspected asthma were selected. All 101 ADHD patients referred to these clinics during the specified period were examined. Five patients were excluded from the study because of lack of cooperation or incomplete information. Then, the selected subjects were divided into two age groups of less than 5 years and between 5 and 12 years. The final diagnosis of asthma was made by clinical findings and demographic questionnaire in subjects younger than 5 years, while it was made by spirometry in subjects between 5 and 12 years. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS software. The mean age of the 96 samples included in the study was 7.67 years with a standard deviation of 7.214. Sixteen of them (16.7%) were under 5 years of age and eighty of them (83.3%) were between 5 and 12 years of age. Asthma was diagnosed in 7 children under 5 years of age (7.3%) and in 14 children (14.6%) between 5 and 12 years of age. A total of 21 (21.9%) were diagnosed as having asthma after screening. On the basis of these results, the frequency of asthma according to classified age was significant (P=0.020). The frequency of asthma based on sex and birth rank was also examined, and none of these factors showed a significant association with asthma. Medications taken by the ADHD patients were also examined in this study. The most commonly used medications in both groups of patients with asthma and no asthmatic patients were a combination of risperidone and atomoxetine or risperidone alone. The prevalence of asthma in the target population was also assessed in terms of parental smoking. According to the results of this study, the incidence of asthma in ADHD patients aged 4-12 years is high, and this case is more frequent in subjects younger than 5 years than in subjects aged 5-12 years. It should be noted that according to the results of the present study, there was no significant association between birth rank, parental smoking, ADHD medication, and the frequency of asthma.

Predictors of sexual and reproductive health self-care based on demographic factors in adolescent girls.

Global access to sexual and reproductive health is an essential human right, especially to adolescent girls. For improvement sexual and reproductive self-care needs to determine the related factors on utilization and acceptance by adolescents. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the SRH self-care and its predictors among adolescent girls in Neyshabur city at Northeast of Iran. The present study was a cross-sectional correlational study performed on 265 girl students from 15 girls' high schools in Neyshabour, in Razavi Khorasan province, Northeastern Iran. The sampling method was multistage probability sampling. Data were collected using demographic information and female adolescents' sexual reproductive self-care scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive, frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regression model. The significant level was p<0.05 using SPSS16. The results of the present study showed that the mean score of the sexual reproductive health self-care was 61.23 of 100±10.5, it had a significantly relationship with fathers education high school [B=-7.241 CI: (-11.088 to-3.393)], diploma [B=-7.221 CI:-10.707 to-3.735] than academic. The rank of children birth in the family first [B=6.012 CI: (0.931-11.092)] second [B=4.436 CI: (1.437-8.309)] than third and above. Economic status of household Excellent [B=3.159 CI: (2.193-8.511)], Favorable [B=5.866 CI: (1.355-10.378)], relatively favorable [B=2.705 CI: (1.802-7.213)] than poor level economic. sexual and reproductive health is associated to father's education, the rank of children birth in the family, and economic status. So these variables will help to strategies and progress educational programs.

Sibling competition, dispersal and fitness outcomes in humans

Determining how sibling interactions alter the fitness outcomes of dispersal is pivotal for the understanding of family living, but such studies are currently scarce. Using a large demographic dataset on pre-industrial humans from Finland, we studied dispersal consequences on different indicators of lifetime reproductive success according to sex-specific birth rank (a strong determinant of dispersal in our population). Contrary to the predictions of the leading hypotheses, we found no support for differential fitness benefits of dispersal for either males or females undergoing low vs. high sibling competition. Our results are inconsistent with both hypotheses that family members could have different fitness maximizing strategies depending on birth rank, and that dispersal could be mainly driven by indirect fitness benefits for philopatric family members. Our study stresses the need for studying the relative outcomes of dispersal at the family level in order to understand the evolution of family living and dispersal behaviour.

An evaluation of knowledge and performance of pregnant women in Isfahan regarding common oral lesions during pregnancy

Background. Most common oral lesions during pregnancy are subjected to oral hygiene and gaining knowledge about them can improve oral health during this period. Thus, this study aimed to assess the knowledge of pregnant women in Isfahan about common oral lesions. Methods. This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study included 210 pregnant women aged 18-45 years who were non-dentists referring to private offices in three areas in Isfahan. A researcher-made questionnaire was used for data collection which determined the average knowledge and performance scores of the subjects as well as the relationship between knowledge and age, education, pregnancy, occupation, and their living area. Also, a one-way analysis of variance as well as Pearson correlation coefficient and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient were used for data analysis. Results. The knowledge and performance levels of most women were average. The knowledge level of pregnant women were directly related to their performance. That is, the more knowledge level, the higher performance score. The knowledge score was not related to age, employment in the non-healthcare section and being a housewife, place of residence and birth, but was directly related to employment in the healthcare section and education. The performance score was related to age, employment in the healthcare section, place of residence and education, but was notrelated to birth rank. Conclusion. The knowledge of pregnant women in Isfahan was moderate and needed to be increased. This knowledge was not much different in various groups of society, thus it should be increased in different ways. Practical Implications. Increasing the knowledge of pregnant women about the types of lesions and their prevention methods can reduce their prevalence which also will lead to a decrease in worries during this period.

Newborn medication adherence and childhood under-immunization in military beneficiaries.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends birth doses of vitamin K, erythromycin ointment, and the hepatitis B vaccine, but the relationship between birth medication administration and childhood immunization compliance is understudied. The objective of this study is to evaluate rates of newborn medication administration, and risk factors for refusal in military beneficiaries and determine the relationship between medication refusal and under-immunization at 15months. A retrospective chart review was completed for all term and late preterm infants born at Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, TX, from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2019. The electronic medical record was queried for birth medication administration, maternal age, active-duty status, rank, and birth order. Childhood immunization records were extracted for all patients who continued care at our facility. A patient was considered completely immunized if they had received at least 22 vaccines by 15months: three doses of the hepatitis B vaccine [PediarixTM], two doses of the rotavirus vaccine [RotarixTM], four doses of the DTAP vaccine [PediarixTM and Acel-ImmuneTM], three doses of Haemophilus influenza B vaccine [PedvaxhibTM], four doses of pneumococcal [Prevnar 13TM], three doses of IPV [PediarixTM], one dose of measles, mumps, and rubella [MMRTM], one dose of varicella [VarivaxTM] and one dose of hepatitis A vaccine [HarvixTM]. Seven thousand one hundred and forty infants were included; 99.3% received vitamin K, 98.8% received erythromycin ointment, and 93.8% received the hepatitis B vaccine. Refusal of the erythromycin ointment and hepatitis B vaccine was associated with older maternal age and higher birth order. Childhood immunization records were available for 607 infants; 7.2% (n=44) were under-immunized by 15months, with no infants being non-immunized. Refusal of the hepatitis B vaccine (RR: 2.9 (CI 1.16-7.31)) only at birth was associated with a higher risk of being under-immunized. Refusal of the hepatitis B vaccine in the nursery is associated with a risk of being under-immunized in childhood. Obstetric and pediatric providers should be aware of this association for appropriate family counseling.

Prediction of reproductive performance of ewes based on the early production data, ewe birth rank, dam age, and dam birth rank.

This research aimed to analyze whether ewes' total reproductive performance up to the fourth year of life (RP4) can be predicted based on the data available at an early stage of a ewe's productive life. The RP4 of 133 Romanov ewes was measured in terms of the total number of lambs born per ewe (TNLE) and total birth weight of lambs per ewe (TBLE). Multiple regression was used to analyze whether early reproductive performance indicators (first litter size - FLS, age at first lambing - AFL, first lambing interval - FLI), ewe birth rank, dam age, and dam birth rank can be used as the predictors of RP4. Predicted and 95 % prediction intervals were used as indicators of the precision of prediction. Average TNLE and TBLE at the end of fourth year of ewe life were 11.84 lambs and 37.96 kg, respectively. FLS and FLI significantly ( ) influenced TNLE and TBLE, while AFL was not a significant ( ) variable. Ewes with shorter FLI had significantly ( ) higher TNLE (10.94lambs) and TBLE (36.17 kg) than ewes with long FLI (TNLE 9.12lambs and TBLE 28.05 kg). predicted for TNLE and TBLE was 7.54 % and 11.49 %, respectively. The ewe's birth rank and the dam's birth rank significantly ( ) influenced TNLE and TBLE. Ewes born as singletons and ewes from singleton-born dams had significantly ( ) lower TNLE and TBLE than ewes born as triplets and ewes from triplet-born dams. predicted for TNLE was 16.76 %, and 25.69 % for TBLE. FLS and FLI are better predictors of RP4 than AFL. The birth rank of ewe and dam also proved significant predictors of RP4. For both sets of predictors (early reproductive indicators and birth rank data), low values of predicted indicate that precise prediction of RP4 cannot be made.

Effect of birth rank, and placentome subtype on expression of genes involved in placental nutrient transport in sheep

Placental function is a key determinant of fetal growth and development that can be influenced by maternal and fetal environmental factors. The molecular mechanisms by which the placenta senses and responds to environmental cues are poorly understood. This exploratory study aimed to characterize the effect of birth rank (single vs. twin) and placentome morphologic subtype on expression of genes involved in nutrient transport, angiogenesis, immunity and stress response. Cotyledonary tissue was collected from type A, B and C placentomes from five single and six twin fetuses at 140 days of gestation. GLUT1 and GLUT3 were the most highly expressed genes consistent with the high demand for glucose to support fetal growth. Expression of BCKDHβ and IGF-2 was 1.3- and 1.5-fold higher, respectively, and PCYT1A was 3-fold lower in singles compared to twins (P < 0.05) while no other differences in gene expression were observed between birth ranks. Expression of EAAT2 and LAT2 was higher while PCYT1A was lower in A compared to B type cotyledons. Expression of GUCY1B1/3 and IGF-1 was higher while CD98 and LAT2 were lower in type B compared to C cotyledons (P < 0.05). Compared to type C cotyledons, expression of EAAT2, IGF-1, IGF-2, LAT1 was higher, while TEK was lower in type A cotyledons. The effects of birth rank on placental gene expression in this study indicated that placental nutrient transport and/or function differs between single and twin pregnancies in sheep. Differences in gene expression between the placentome subtypes suggests that changes in placentome morphology are associated with shifts in amino acid transport and metabolism, oxidative stress and angiogenesis and/or blood flow. This study highlights that placental gene expression differs in response to birth rank and placentome morphologic subtype which suggests that both maternal and fetal factors may influence placental function in sheep. These associations provide insights into gene pathways for more targeted future investigations as well as potential adaptations to improve placental efficiency to support fetal growth in twin pregnancies.

Increased birth rank of homosexual males: disentangling the older brother effect and sexual antagonism hypothesis

Male homosexual orientation remains a Darwinian paradox, as there is no consensus on its evolutionary (ultimate) determinants. One intriguing feature of homosexual men is their higher male birth rank compared to heterosexual men. This can be explained by two non-exclusive mechanisms: an antagonistic effect (AE), implying that more fertile women have a higher chance of having a homosexual son and to produce children with a higher mean birth rank, or a fraternal birth effect (FBOE), where each additional older brother increases the chances for a male embryo to develop a homosexual orientation due to an immunoreactivity process. However, there is no consensus on whether both FBOE and AE are present in human populations, or if only one of these mechanisms is at play with its effect mimicking the signature of the other mechanism. An additional sororal birth order effect (SBOE) has also recently been proposed. To clarify this situation, we developed theoretical and statistical tools to study FBOE and AE independently or in combination, taking into account all known sampling biases. These tools were applied on new individual data, and on various available published data (two individual datasets, and all relevant aggregated data). Support for FBOE was apparent in aggregated data, with the FBOE increasing linearly with fertility. The FBOE was also supported in two individual datasets. An SBOE is generated when sampling in presence of FBOE, suggesting that controlling for FBOE is required to avoid artefactual SBOE. AE was not supported in individual datasets, including the analysis of the extended maternal family. The evolutionary implications of these findings are discussed.

Association between Family Level Influences and Caries Prevention Views and Practices of School Children in a Sub-Urban Nigerian Community

Little is known about how family-level factors influence children’s caries prevention views and practices in Nigeria. The purpose of this study was to assess the associations between family level characteristics and caries prevention views and practices of 6–11-year-old primary school children. Data was collected through a cross-sectional survey of 1326 children in Ile-Ife, a Nigerian suburb. The child’s family structure, size, and birth rank were independent variables while the child’s caries prevention views and self-care practices were dependent variables. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify risk indicator(s) for caries prevention views and practices. The study participants’ mean (SD) age was 8.7 (1.9) years, 407 (30.7%) children had positive caries prevention views, and 106 (8.0%) children did not use the recommended self-care caries preventive methods. Children from larger families had significantly lower odds of having positive prevention views (AOR: 0.572; p = 0.002). Children who were not living with both parents had higher odds of using recommended self-care caries preventive methods (AOR: 3.165; p = 0.048). The findings suggest that family size and family living structure may be social determinants of caries risks in children 6–11 years old in the study population. These findings need to be studied further.

Household Food Security and Demographic Factors in Children and Their Parents

Background: Food insecurity and hunger contribute to physical, psychological, and social effects. The relationship between food insecurity and negative consequences on health has been confirmed in multiple studies. The present study aims to identify food security and its association with some demographic factors in children and their parents. Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, 1688 children aged 3-6 years were selected using cluster random sampling in 15 health centers in Qazvin, Iran. Results: The results showed that 855 participants (50.7%) had food security, while 552 (32.7%) had food insecurity without hunger, 242 (14.4%) had food insecurity with slight hunger, and 37 (2.2%) had food insecurity with severe hunger. A significant correlation was observed between parental education level and food security (P &lt; 0.001). Also, there was a significant correlation between the children’s body mass index (BMI) and food security (P &lt; 0.005). No significant difference was observed between BMI, mother weight before delivery, and children’s sleeping and wake-up time in both groups. However, the birth rank (P &lt; 0.01) and number of family (P &lt; 0.02) in the secured group was significantly higher. The age of complementary feeding in the secured group was significantly higher (P &lt; 0.06). Conclusion: Given that there is an association between birth weight, breastfeeding, parents’ education, and occupation with food security, it seems that pregnancy status and breastfeeding should be much more studied.

Life-LCA: case study of the life cycle impacts of an infant

PurposeThe recently published first Life-LCA case study of a human being (0–49 years) did not use primary data for the “childhood and youth stage” (0–17 years). Consumption was assumed to contribute 50% of the calculated 48th baseline year. This led to uncertainties as consumer behavior changes from birth to adulthood. Furthermore, transport emissions and environmental impacts before birth were neglected. Therefore, this paper analyzes the prenatal and infancy phase (0–3 years) to develop the Life-LCA method and database further and evaluate generic assumptions.MethodsThe Life-LCA method sets the reporting unit to newly defined prenatal and infancy phases. The reporting flow describes the range of all consumed products attributable to an infant. Primary data was collected with a sample of three study objects—a pregnant mother, a newborn baby, and a 3-year-old infant—living in Germany. The following environmental impact assessment categories are considered: climate change (GWP), acidification (AP), eutrophication (EP), and photochemical ozone creation (POCP).Results and discussionPrenatal and infancy phase burdens account for a GWP of 4,011 kg CO2-eq., an AP of 22.3 kg SO2-eq., an EP of 10.7 kg PO4-eq., and a POCP of 1.7 kg C2H4-eq. The share of the prenatal phase is around 15–20% for all impact categories. Transport is a hotspot for GWP (30–60%) and POCP (45–70%) in both phases. AP (50%) and EP (45–50%) are dominated by food products, mainly meat (45%) and dairy products (35%). For the prenatal phase, energy and water consumption at birth rank third in GWP (8%). Diapers account for 6% (GWP) of the environmental burden in the infancy phase. Assumptions made in the first Life-LCA study connect closely with the values calculated for the first three years of infancy. A remaining challenge is allocating the impacts between infants and parents and developing a methodology for assessing data quality.ConclusionFocusing on two new life phases has led to the subdivision of the “childhood and youth stage” and an extension of the system boundaries. The results' uncertainty was reduced by developing a new set of specific datasets focusing on several study objects. The case study results show the importance of primary data collection for evaluating generic assumptions. Additional studies on childhood and adolescence from 3 to 17 years are suggested for a robust assessment of the complete “childhood and youth stage.”