GROWTH STANDARDS FOR INFANTS AND CHILDREN

Growth norms, maturity status, and statistical devices for describing these data are discussed. New growth standards for white North American children are presented.     

Effects of the “Preparing for the Drug Free Years” Curriculum on Growth in Alcohol Use and Risk for Alcohol Use in Early Adolescence

Preparing for the Drug-Free Years (PDFY) is a curriculum designed to help parents learn skills to consistently communicate clear norms against adolescent substance use, effectively and proactively manage their families, reduce family conflict, and help their children learn skills to resist antisocial peer influences. This study examined the effects of PDFY on the trajectories of these factors, as well as on the trajectory of alcohol use from early to mid adolescence. The sample consisted of 424 rural families of sixth graders from schools randomly assigned to an intervention or a control condition. Data were collected from both parents and students at pretest, posttest, and 1-, 2- and 3 -year follow-ups. Latent growth models were examined. PDFY significantly reduced the growth of alcohol use and improved parent norms regarding adolescent alcohol use over time. Implications for prevention and evaluation are discussed.     

Growth outcome of the very low-birth-weight infant at one year

Growth patterns of weight, length, and OFC complete through 12 months corrected age were determined for 122 VLBW infants who weighed 1,500 gm. or less and were 35 weeks or less gestational age at birth. Significant differences in growth were apparent when infants were grouped according to sex and appropriateness of intrauterine growth. When the mean values of each group were compared, the female AGA infants demonstrated growth at higher percentiles (NCHS term infant norms) for all three growth parameters (weight, length, and OFC). AGA male, SGA male, and SGA female infants all grew similarly, at lower percentiles for weight and length, when compared with the same norms. Growth in OFC was closest to term infant norms in all subgroups of infants. (formula; see text) Appropriateness of weight for length was determined for each of the infants at one year corrected age. The majority of the babies, regardless of subgroup, achieved weights and lengths greater than the 5th percentile and with normal weights for lengths. At 12 months corrected age, 30% remained below the 5th percentile in weight, 21% below the 5th percentile in length, and 14% below the 5th percentile in OFC. Eighteen infants (15%) demonstrated a disproportionately low weight for length (less than the 5th percentile).     

武汉市某社区0～12月龄儿童生长速率分析

目的:了解和分析社区婴儿生长速率现况,为早期识别和纠正生长偏离提供参考依据。方法:选取武汉市某社区儿童保健系统管理中有3、6、9、12月龄体检完整的309名儿童资料,对其生长速率进行分析。结果:体重和身长增长以3个月内最快,3月龄体重增长3.5 kg,为出生时的2倍,身长增长11.13 cm;12月龄体重增长7.36 kg,超过出生时的3倍,身长增长26.59 cm,超过出生时1.5倍。社区0、3、6月龄婴儿身长与中国9市标准差异不明显,9、12月龄身长和0、3、6、9、12月龄体重高于中国9市标准;不同月龄身长和体重值及生长速率均大于WHO标准。结论:武汉市社区婴儿身长和体重在国内处于较高水平,生长水平及生长速率均已超过2006年世界卫生组织颁布的生长标准。     

The SF‐36v2 and SF‐12v2 health surveys in New Zealand: norms,scoring coefficients and cross‐country comparisons

Objective : To provide New Zealand population norms for version 2 of the SF‐36 and SF‐12 health surveys and report scoring coefficients that enable the construction of Physical and Mental Component Summary scores from New Zealand SF‐36v2 and SF‐12v2 data. Approach : Norms for the SF‐36v2 and scoring coefficients for the Physical and Mental Component Summary scores are estimated using 2006/07 New Zealand Health Survey data, which included 12,488 adults (aged 15 years and over). Norms for the SF‐12v2 are derived from 2008 New Zealand General Social Survey data, including 8,721 adults. Comparisons are made between New Zealand norms for versions 1 and 2 of the SF‐36 instrument. In addition, New Zealand SF‐36v2 and SF‐12v2 norms and the scoring coefficients are compared with those for the United States and South Australia. Conclusion : Differences between: 1) New Zealand population norms for the SF‐36 versions 1 and 2; and 2) SF‐36v2 and SF‐12v2 population norms for New Zealand and those for the United States and South Australia highlight the importance of using version‐specific and country‐specific population norms. Implications: The analysis reported here allows for the appropriate use of the SF‐36v2 and SF‐12v2 instruments in New Zealand.     

Is healthy behavior contagious: associations of social norms with physical activity and healthy eating

Background  

Social norms are theoretically hypothesized to influence health-related behaviors such as physical activity and eating behaviors. However, empirical evidence relating social norms to these behaviors, independently of other more commonly-investigated social constructs such as social support, is scarce and findings equivocal, perhaps due to limitations in the ways in which social norms have been conceptualized and assessed. This study investigated associations between clearly-defined social norms and a range of physical activity and eating behaviors amongst women, adjusting for the effects of social support.     

Increased spending on health care: how much can the United States afford?

Perceptions of whether health care cost growth is affordable contribute greatly to pressures for health system reform. In this paper we develop a framework for thinking about affordability, concluding that a one-percentage-point gap between real per capita growth in health care costs and growth in GDP would be affordable through 2075. A two-percentage-point gap would only be affordable through 2039. In either case, the share of income growth devoted to health care would exceed historical norms. The value of care, which determines willingness to pay, and distributional issues are more important than our ability as a society to pay for care.     

The Effects of Sensation Seeking,Misperceptions of Peer Consumption,and Believability of Social Norms Messages on Alcohol Consumption

The social norms marketing approach is one method used to reduce extreme alcohol consumption. The current study implemented a web-based survey (N = 891) to assess whether sensation-seeking, perceived moderate drinking norms, and social norm message believability impacted alcohol consumption on a college campus. Sensation seeking was not directly related to normative perceptions of others' moderate alcohol consumption. Sensation seeking, perceived norms, and message believability all had direct effects on alcohol consumption, and the interaction of sensation seeking and message believability impacted alcohol consumption, while the interaction of sensation seeking and perceived norms on alcohol consumption was marginally significant. Implications of these findings for the social norms marketing approach are discussed.     

Gender norms in South Africa: implications for HIV and pregnancy prevention among African and Indian women students at a South African tertiary institution

In post‐Apartheid South Africa, women are constitutionally guaranteed protections and freedoms that were previously unknown to them. These freedoms may have positive implications for women's ability to negotiate sexual protection with partners and hence prevent unintended pregnancy and decrease their risk of HIV. Among tertiary institution students, who are a relatively ‘privileged’ group, there is little information on gender norms that might shape responses to HIV‐prevention programmes. To elicit gender norms regarding women's and men's roles, condom and contraceptive use, sexual communication and sexual pleasure, we conducted 10 semi‐structured focus group discussions with African and Indian female tertiary institution students in order to understand how norms might be used to buttress HIV‐ and pregnancy‐prevention. Participants reported dramatic changes in the structure of gender norms and relations with the formal recognition of women's rights in the post‐Apartheid context. These generational shifts in norms are supported by other research in South Africa. At the same time, women recognized the co‐existence of traditional constructions of gender that operate to constrain women's freedom. The perceived changes that have taken place provide an entry point for intervention, particularly for reinforcing emerging gender norms that promote women's protection against unintended pregnancy and HIV/STIs.     

Perceived norms for thinness and muscularity among college students: what do men and women really want?

Background

Perceived norms are related to health-related attitudes and behaviors, including body image. The current study examined body dissatisfaction and perceived norms for thinness and muscularity among male and female college students.

Method

Participants included 842 undergraduate students (64.5% female) who completed an online survey assessing body image and other health-related attitudes and behaviors. A series of independent sample and paired sample t tests were conducted to document sex differences in body dissatisfaction and misperceptions of thinness and muscularity norms.

Results

Based on pictorial ratings, both males and females reported discrepancies between their ideal and actual figures. Females perceived other females as significantly thinner and less muscular than the actual norms. Males perceived other males as significantly heavier than their own figures, but the difference between men's self-reported muscularity and perceived norm was not significant. Both males and females misperceived opposite-sex attractiveness norms for thinness and muscularity.

Discussion

Results suggest the importance of evaluating same-sex and opposite-sex perceived norms of thinness and muscularity in the etiology of body dissatisfaction, and this research informs social norms interventions targeting misperceptions of body image norms among both males and females.     

中美婴儿运动表现测试常模差异分析

目的比较中美婴儿运动表现测试(TIMP)常模,明确本地化研究和修正的重要性,为指导TIMP在国内的推广提供依据。方法经TIMP手册正反译,评估人员培训、信度考核后,分别在华东、华北、华南、华中、西南、西北、东北区域11家医疗机构采样,建立中国TIMP常模,并就样本情况、得分情况及亚组分类与美国常模进行对比。结果中国TIMP常模共13个周龄组,样本总数为1 035例,其中男性占56%,女性占44%,汉族占比95%,少数民族5%,早产儿和足月儿分别占比31%、69%;美国常模共12个周龄组,样本总数为990例,其中男性占52%,女性48%,白种人占58%,黑种人25%,高危、中危、低危婴儿分别占比35%、30%、35%。中国TIMP常模各周龄组得分均值低于同周龄组的美国常模(P<0.01);中国常模第10、50、90百分位数曲线低于美国常模。中国常模足月儿与早产儿亚组对比,大多数周龄组得分无显著差异;美国常模中高危儿亚组得分显著低于低危组(P<0.001)。结论基于两国人口特征和儿童保健发展现状的不同,中美TIMP常模取样人群存在差异。中国常模各周龄组的得分均值低于美国常模同周...