American Journal of Epidemiology Vol. 135, No. 8: 904-914
Copyright © 1992 by The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health
research-article |
The Mediating Effect of Maternal Nutrition Knowledge on the Association between Maternal Schooling and Child Nutritional Status in Lesotho
1Instituto de Nutricion de Centra America y Panama (INCAP), Carretera Roosevelt Zona 11, Aptdo Postal 1188, Guatemala, Guatemala
2Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University Ithaca, NY
3Cornell Food and Nutrition Policy Program (CFNPP), Cornell University Ithaca, NY
4College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University Ithaca, NY
Reprint requests to Dr Mane T. Ruel, Instituto de Nutncion de Centra America y Panama (INCAP), Carretera Roosevett, Zona 11, Aptdo Postal 1188, Guatemala, Guatemala
The present study tested whether maternal nutrition knowledge was a mediating factor in the association between maternal schooling and child nutritional status, and whether the mechanism involved differed according to socioeconomic status. The data were collected in Lesotho on 921 mother-child pairs and included scores from a nutrition knowledge test, socioeconomic and demographic information, and the child's anthropometric data. A wealth factor derived from a factor analysis was used to stratify the sample into two socioeconomic groups. Two-stage least-squares estimation was used to test the mediating role of nutrition knowledge between maternal schooling and child weight-for-age. Results showed that both the importance of maternal schooling and the mechanism by which it affects the child's weight-for-age are contingent upon the family's socioeconomic status. While maternal schooling was positively associated with weight-for-age for both wealthier and poorer households, the size of the effect was much larger for the latter group. The effect of maternal schooling on weight-for-age was mediated by the mother's nutrition knowledge only among wealthier households. These results imply that, in Lesotho, nutrition education for mothers could contribute to improving children's growth, but only in households that have access to a minimum level of resources. For poorer households, nutrition education would not be sufficient. Am J Epidemiol 1992;135:904–14.
educational status; health education; nutritional status; socioeconomic factors
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  B. Ntab, K. B. Simondon, J. Milet, B. Cisse, C. Sokhna, D. Boulanger, and F. Simondon A Young Child Feeding Index Is Not Associated with Either Height-for-Age or Height Velocity in Rural Senegalese Children J. Nutr., March 1, 2005; 135(3): 457 - 464. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. H. Pelto and J. R. Backstrand Interrelationships between Power-Related and Belief-Related Factors Determine Nutrition in Populations J. Nutr., January 1, 2003; 133(1): 297S - 300. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. T. Ruel and P. Menon Child Feeding Practices Are Associated with Child Nutritional Status in Latin America: Innovative Uses of the Demographic and Health Surveys J. Nutr., June 1, 2002; 132(6): 1180 - 1187. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 Y. Martin-Prevel, P. Traissac, F. Delpeuch, and B. Maire Decreased attendance at routine health activities mediates deterioration in nutritional status of young African children under worsening socioeconomic conditions Int. J. Epidemiol., June 1, 2001; 30(3): 493 - 500. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Armar-Klemesu, M. T. Ruel, D. G. Maxwell, C. E. Levin, and S. S. Morris Poor Maternal Schooling Is the Main Constraint to Good Child Care Practices in Accra J. Nutr., June 1, 2000; 130(6): 1597 - 1607. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
F. Bégin, E. A. Frongillo Jr., and H. Delisle Caregiver Behaviors and Resources Influence Child Height-for-Age in Rural Chad J. Nutr., March 1, 1999; 129(3): 680 - 686. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|