Food security, maternal feeding practices and child weight-for-length.

Background: Over consumption of energy-dense nutrient-poor foods may contribute to childhood obesity. We hypothesized that greater than recommended servings of sugar sweetened beverages and foods, indicators of food security, and a high maternal recumbent weight-for-length are positively associated with high percentages of child overweight/obesity.

Methods: This secondary data analysis consisted of a sample of 240 mother-child dyads.

Reduced breastfeeding rates among obese mothers: a review of contributing factors, clinical considerations and future directions.

Maternal obesity is associated with significantly lower rates of breastfeeding initiation, duration and exclusivity. Increasing rates of obesity among reproductive-age women has prompted the need to carefully examine factors contributing to lower breastfeeding rates in this population. Recent research has demonstrated a significant impact of breastfeeding to reduce the risk of obesity in both mothers and their children.

We stop for no storm: coping with an environmental disaster and public health research.

Coping with natural disasters is part of the public nurses' role, and the public health nursing (PHN) researcher is doubly challenged with continuing to conduct community-based research in the midst of the disaster. The PHN may provide service along with attempting to continue the research. The challenges faced by public/community health nurse researchers as a result of hurricane Ike are discussed to provide lessons for other public/community health researchers who may be affected by natural disasters in the future.

Familismo: influence on Hispanic health behaviors.

This study explored the impact of hepatitis C infection among a convenience sample of adult Hispanic men and women. Data were collected through a demographic form and audiotaped responses to a vignette. Krueger's transcription-based focus group method of analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data.

Pilot testing HIV and intimate partner violence prevention modules among Spanish-speaking Latinas.

The purpose of this study was to test two modules of a theoretically based, gender- and culturally specific HIV intimate partner violence risk reduction intervention for Spanish-speaking Latinas. The themes of the modules were "Estás en una relación sana y segura?" (Are you in a healthy and safe relationship?) and "Mantenerse sana y segura" (Keeping yourself healthy and safe). An evaluative one-group, repeated measure design with measures collected at preintervention (N = 31), immediate postintervention (n = 26), and 1-month postintervention follow-up (n = 20) design was used to evaluate the intervention.

Increasing nurses' knowledge and skills for enhanced response to intimate partner violence.

Background: A theoretically based intimate partner violence in-service program was developed, implemented, and evaluated among public health nurses.

Methods: A two-phase, mixed-methods design was used. Phase 1 used qualitative methods for content development of the in-service program.

Teaching nursing students to assess and intervene for domestic violence.

Domestic violence is recognized as a priority women's health issue. Despite its prevalence, the majority of accredited nursing schools in the United States has yet to adequately integrate violence assessment and intervention content and planned clinical experiences into their curriculum. Therefore, the author has developed a theoretically based one-day domestic violence immersion activity to enhance the teaching of domestic violence assessment and intervention skills to baccalaureate nursing students.

The social construction and conceptualization of sexual health among Mexican American women.

Research on the social construction and contextualization of sexual health among Latina women is sparse. This ethnographic study was aimed to bridge this gap by exploring sexual health experiences and behaviors of a Latina subgroup, Mexican American women. A series of individual semistructured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 Mexican American women from a sexual and reproductive health clinic in a large Southwestern city with a predominantly Mexican American population.

Influence of abuse on condom negotiation among Mexican-American women involved in abusive relationships.

This study explored cultural and gender perspectives of abuse on condom negotiation behaviors for AIDS prevention among Mexican-American women in abusive intimate relationships. A convenience sample of 20 abused women participated in the study. Data were collected through a demographic questionnaire and audiotaped responses to a semistructured interview guide.