Papers by Beverley Chalmers
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 2014
This paper identifies patterns of health inequalities (consistency and magnitude) of socioeconomi... more This paper identifies patterns of health inequalities (consistency and magnitude) of socioeconomic disparities for multiple maternal and child health (MCH) outcomes that represent different health care needs of mothers and infants.
Journal of Social Psychology, 1983
The present study compares the emotional adjustment and self-concept of sixth-grade children whos... more The present study compares the emotional adjustment and self-concept of sixth-grade children whose parents are divorced (n = 20) or separated (n = 20) with that of children from happy or unhappy homes (n = 20).Ss completed the Family-Story-Test, as well as the pre-adolescent form of the Coopersmith Self-Esteem inventory. Results suggest that children from an unhappy but intact home
The Journal of Social Psychology, 1983
This study explores the types of life events contained in the Chalmers life event scale. In addit... more This study explores the types of life events contained in the Chalmers life event scale. In addition the effects of controllability, desirability, predictability, timing of life events, and duration of event effects on adjustment ratings of events by 366 Ss are examined. Fifteen types of life events referring to both behavioral changes and affective states were revealed by factor analysis of the life event scale. Analyses of adjustment ratings indicate that desirability and experience of events play a role in the perception of life event seriousness, while controllability and predictability of life events do not appear to affect seriousness ratings.
BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 2004
... 10 World Health Organization. Constitution of the World Health Assembly. Geneva: WHO, 1948. 1... more ... 10 World Health Organization. Constitution of the World Health Assembly. Geneva: WHO, 1948. 11 Chalmers B, Levin A. Humane Perinatal Care. Tallinn: Tea Publishers, 2001. 12 Chalmers B. African Birth: Childbirth in Cultural Transition. Sandton: Berev Publications, 1990. ...
CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne, Jan 22, 1998
The assessment of the psychosocial health of pregnant women and their families, although recommen... more The assessment of the psychosocial health of pregnant women and their families, although recommended, is not carried out by most practitioners. One reason is the lack of a practical and evidence-based tool. In response, a multidisciplinary group created the Antenatal Psychosocial Health Assessment (ALPHA) form. This article describes the development of this tool and experience with it in an initial field trial. A systematic literature review revealed 15 antenatal psychosocial risk factors associated with poor postpartum family outcomes of woman abuse, child abuse, postpartum depression, marital/couple dysfunction and increased physical illness. The ALPHA form, incorporating these risk factors, was developed and refined through several focus groups. It was then used by 5 obstetricians, 10 family physicians, 7 midwives and 4 antenatal clinic nurses in various urban, rural and culturally diverse locations across Ontario. After 3 months, these health care providers met in focus groups t...
Midwifery, 1997
Women's experiences of pregnancy and childbirth in the countries of central and eastern Europe ar... more Women's experiences of pregnancy and childbirth in the countries of central and eastern Europe are explored in this paper.
Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 1993
The physical and emotional needs of mothers with children in neonatal units has remained relative... more The physical and emotional needs of mothers with children in neonatal units has remained relatively unstudied in the 'Third World'. This study looks at the demographic characteristics and perceived needs of 201 Black mothers of premature infants. The newborns were in either a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU, n=100) or a low care ward (n = 100) following previous NICU
Birth, 2002
... Footnotes: *Note: This editorial draws on concepts included in: Chalmers B, Levin A. Humane P... more ... Footnotes: *Note: This editorial draws on concepts included in: Chalmers B, Levin A. Humane Perinatal Care. Tallinn, Estonia: TEA Publishers, 2001. To order, write to TEA Publishers (Attention Mrs. Toomingas), 28 Liivalaia Str, 10118 Tallinn, Estonia. ...
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2009
Background: Despite the current World Health Organization recommendation that infants be exclusiv... more Background: Despite the current World Health Organization recommendation that infants be exclusively breastfed for 6 mo, this practice remains unusual in both developed and developing countries. Objective: The objective was to compare health and development outcomes at age 6.5 y in children who were exclusively breastfed for 3 mo (EBF3) or for 6 mo (EBF6); in the EBF3 group, the children continued partial breastfeeding for 6 mo. Design: This was a prospective cohort study nested within a large, cluster-randomized trial of a breastfeeding promotion intervention in the Republic of Belarus. Outcomes compared at 6.5 y included anthropometric measurements, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, intelligence quotient, teachers' ratings of academic performance, parent-and teacher-rated behavior, atopic symptoms, allergen skin-prick tests, and dental caries. All statistical analyses were adjusted for cluster-and individual-level covariates and for clustering of outcomes within the clinics at which the children were examined. Results: The 2427 EBF3 and 524 EBF6 children who were followed up represented 84.7% and 89.4%, respectively, of those followed for the first year of life. The only significant differences observed between the 2 groups were in mean body mass index, triceps skinfold thickness, and hip circumference, all of which were higher in the EBF6 group. Conclusions: We observed no demonstrable beneficial or adverse long-term effects on child health of exclusive breastfeeding for 6 mo. Higher adiposity measures in the EBF6 group probably reflect reverse causality rather than a causal effect of prolonged exclusive breastfeeding. Established benefits appear to be limited to the period of exclusive breastfeeding.
Journal of obstetrics and gynaecology Canada : JOGC = Journal d'obstétrique et gynécologie du Canada : JOGC, 2011
To compare policies and practices of routine interventions in labour and birth in Canadian hospit... more To compare policies and practices of routine interventions in labour and birth in Canadian hospitals in 1993 and 2007 and to describe trends regarding adherence to evidence-based guidelines. We used data from surveys of Canadian hospitals in 1993 and 2007 on routine maternity care practices and policies, including interventions in labour and birth. The response rate of hospitals in 1993 was 91% (523/572), and in 2007 it was 92% (323/353). In 1993, 65% of hospitals (335/516) had a policy that all women should have initial electronic fetal heart rate monitoring, and in 2007, 74% (235/319) had such a policy. In 1993, 55% of hospitals (284/516) used epidural anaesthesia as one of the methods for pain control, and in 2007, 87% of hospitals (278/318) did so. In 1993, 37% of hospitals (193/521) had a "no enema/suppository" policy on admission, and in 2007, 88% (282/322) did. In 1993, 87% of hospitals (450/516) had a policy encouraging the presence of both the woman's partner ...
Birth, 2011
Background: The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) promotes the World Health Organization I... more Background: The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) promotes the World Health Organization International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes (WHO Code) and the WHO ⁄ UNICEF's Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding (Ten Steps). The purpose of this study is to describe and compare maternity hospitals' adherence to the BFHI in 1993 and 2007 for Canada and for each province and territory. Methods: A survey of all Canadian maternity hospitals was conducted in 1993 and 2007 on routine maternity care practices and policies including infant feeding. Results: The overall response rate was 91 percent (n = 523 ⁄ 572 hospitals) in 1993 and 92 percent (n = 323 ⁄ 353 hospitals) in 2007. Eighty-two percent (415 ⁄ 507) of hospitals in 1993 and 68 percent (198 ⁄ 292) in 2007 had exclusive contracts with formula companies. Fifty-eight percent (302 ⁄ 517) of hospitals in 1993 and 90 percent (289 ⁄ 322) in 2007 never gave breastfeeding mothers sample packs containing formula. Fifty-eight percent (296 ⁄ 507) in 1993 and 85 percent (273 ⁄ 321) in 2007 had written breastfeeding policies (Step 1); 97 percent (503 ⁄ 518) in 1993 and 99 percent (320 ⁄ 322) in 2007 allowed mothers to breastfeed, on cue, whenever the babies indicated an interest 24 hours a day (Step 8); 24 percent (126 ⁄ 519) in 1993 and 64 percent (206 ⁄ 321) in 2007 reported that they did not provide soothers (Step 9); 58 percent (297 ⁄ 513) in 1993 and 68 percent (215 ⁄ 316) in 2007 always offered information on breastfeeding support groups and ⁄ or advice at time of discharge (Step 10). Conclusions: In the 14 years separating the two surveys, Canadian maternity hospitals substantially improved their implementation of the WHO Code and their adherence to the WHO ⁄ UNICEF Ten Steps. (BIRTH 38:3 September 2011)
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2001
Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 2008
... Eugene Declercq a * & Beverley Chalmers b pages 295-308. ... While there have been survey... more ... Eugene Declercq a * & Beverley Chalmers b pages 295-308. ... While there have been surveys in the US that queried obstetricians about what they thought mothers opinions were (Bettes et al., 20072. Bettes, B., Coleman, VH, Zinberg, S., Spong, CY, Portnoy, B.DeVoto, E. 2007. ...
Clinical and Experimental Allergy, 2004
Background Frequent infection in infancy and early childhood has been hypothesized to explain the... more Background Frequent infection in infancy and early childhood has been hypothesized to explain the low prevalence of asthma and other atopic disease among children in developing countries (the socalled 'hygiene hypothesis'), but the low prevalence in Eastern Europe remains unexplained. Objective To test the hygiene hypothesis in the Republic of Belarus by examining the relationship between gastrointestinal (GI) and respiratory infection and two potentially atopic outcomes in the first 12 months of life: atopic eczema and recurrent wheeze. Methods We carried out two case-control studies nested within a large (n 5 17 046) randomized trial in Belarus, with cases defined as (1) first occurrence of atopic eczema (n 5 819) and (2) second episode of wheezing (n 5 112). Incidence density sampling was used to select four matched controls born within 1 month at the same hospital as the case. Exposure was defined as one or more episodes of GI or respiratory infection (examined separately) with onset >7 days before onset of the case's atopic outcome. Analyses controlled for family atopic history, duration of exclusive breastfeeding, sex, birth weight, maternal education, and (for recurrent wheeze) maternal smoking. Results For atopic eczema, prior GI infection occurred in 7.4% of cases vs. 6.0% of controls [adjusted OR 5 1.27 (0.94-1.72)] and prior respiratory infection in 35.2% vs. 32.6% [adjusted OR 5 1.14 (95% CI 5 0.94-1.37)]. For recurrent wheeze, prior GI infection occurred in 9.8% of cases vs. 7.4% of controls [adjusted OR 5 1.30 (0.60-2.82)]. Conclusion Our results do not support the hypothesis that infection protects against atopic eczema or recurrent wheezing in the first 12 months of life.
Birth-issues in Perinatal Care, 2005
The Maternity Experiences Survey is a project of the Canadian Perinatal Surveillance System. Its ... more The Maternity Experiences Survey is a project of the Canadian Perinatal Surveillance System. Its primary objective is to provide insight into Canadian women's maternity experiences. A pilot study was conducted in 2002/2003 to determine to what extent women's reports could be used to assess Canadian perinatal health policies and practices, and to test the procedures proposed for a national maternity experiences survey. A nonrepresentative sample of 291 mothers was drawn from Canadian birth registration records. Mothers whose children had died or were no longer in their care were excluded. Participants were interviewed 9 to 11 months postpartum about prenatal, labor, and birth and postpartum experiences. The response rate was 86 percent. Respondents were generally comfortable answering all questions and identified areas of potential strength and weakness in the Canadian maternity care system. They had difficulty recalling information on some prenatal tests, and labor and birth procedures. The use of birth registrations to draw the pilot sample worked well. However, some regions may not be able to provide timely access to birth registrations for the purposes of a national survey. The high response rate and women's ability to provide information on a wide range of topics demonstrates that a national maternity survey would be an effective method of providing important maternal health information. The data collected would allow Health Canada to carry out more effective national perinatal health surveillance with a view to influencing perinatal health policy and practice.
Journal of obstetrics and gynaecology Canada : JOGC = Journal d'obstétrique et gynécologie du Canada : JOGC, 2008
The Canadian Perinatal Surveillance System (CPSS) of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) ro... more The Canadian Perinatal Surveillance System (CPSS) of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) routinely monitors national perinatal health indicators using available administrative databases and population health surveys. Women's perceptions and assessments of their perinatal experiences are not captured by these data sources. The Maternity Experiences Survey (MES) addresses some of these knowledge gaps, and was designed to examine experiences, practices, perceptions and knowledge during pregnancy, birth and the early postpartum months among women giving birth in Canada. A randomly selected sample of 8542 women, stratified primarily by province and territory, was drawn from the May 2006 Canadian Census. Birth mothers living with their infants at the time of interview were invited to participate in a computer assisted telephone interview conducted by Statistics Canada on behalf of the PHAC. Interviews took approximately 45 minutes and were completed when infants were between fiv...
Journal of obstetrics and gynaecology Canada : JOGC = Journal d'obstétrique et gynécologie du Canada : JOGC, 2008
The Maternity Experiences Survey (MES) is an initiative of the Canadian Perinatal Surveillance Sy... more The Maternity Experiences Survey (MES) is an initiative of the Canadian Perinatal Surveillance System. Its primary objective is to provide representative, pan-Canadian data on women's experiences during pregnancy, birth, and the early postpartum period. The development of the survey involved input from a multidisciplinary study group, an extensive consultation process and two pilot studies. TheMES population consisted of birth mothers 15 years of age and over who had a singleton live birth in Canada during a three-month period preceding the 2006 Canadian Census of Population and who lived with their infants at the time of data collection. Experiences of teenage, immigrant, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis mothers were of particular interest. The sample was drawn from the 2006 Canadian Census. A 45-minute interview was conducted at five to 14 months postpartum, primarily by telephone by female professional Statistics Canada interviewers. A response rate of 78% was achieved, corres...
Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 2002
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Papers by Beverley Chalmers