Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 2021
BACKGROUND Public stigma, or negative community-held beliefs, about children with disabilities (C... more BACKGROUND Public stigma, or negative community-held beliefs, about children with disabilities (CWDs) often leads to negative outcomes for CWD and their families. This study considers the effectiveness of four community-level interventions to reduce public stigma in two Lusaka, Zambia communities. METHODS This feasibility study describes four community-based interventions to provide education to consider whether perceptions of attitudes and stigma towards CWD changed after implementing four educational interventions. RESULTS Results revealed that these interventions were achievable. Preliminary multiple regression analyses indicated a significant impact of attending an event on the attitude scale, while no effect on the stigma scale. Presence at multiple anti-stigma events exhibited no effect for the stigma scale, while the attitude scale showed significance. DISCUSSION This study builds on the limited research available in low-income countries to reduce public stigma towards CWD, with the hope of enhance quality of life for CWD and their families.
Mary Hearst, Associate Professor, received a $54,595 grant from the Better Way Foundation. St. Ca... more Mary Hearst, Associate Professor, received a $54,595 grant from the Better Way Foundation. St. Catherine University, the Montessori Center of Minnesota (MCM) and affiliate sites have established a community-university partnership aimed at bringing additional health, education, and social resources to children and families who are a part of the Montessori Partners Serving All Children program. The current project (completing the first of three years) uses an intervention-only program evaluation model. The proposed addition of recruiting, measuring, and following a control, or non-intervention, comparison sample of 40 children and their families during years two and three will allow assessment of the effectiveness of the St. Kate’s/MCM intervention on improving child outcomes
Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy complicate up to 10% of pregnancies worldwide, constituting o... more Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy complicate up to 10% of pregnancies worldwide, constituting one of the most significant causes of maternal morbidity and mortality. Hypertensive disorders, specifically gestational hypertension, chronic hypertension, and preeclampsia, throughout pregnancy are contributors to the top causes of maternal mortality in the United States. Diagnosis of hypertensive disorders throughout pregnancy is challenging, with many disorders often remaining unrecognized or poorly managed during and after pregnancy. Moreover, the research has identified a strong link between the prevalence of maternal hypertensive disorders and racial and ethnic disparities. Factors that influence the prevalence of maternal hypertensive disorders among racially and ethnically diverse women include maternal age, level of education, United States-born status, nonmetropolitan residence, prepregnancy obesity, excess weight gain during pregnancy, and gestational diabetes. Examination of the factors that increase the risk for maternal hypertensive disorders along with the current interventions utilized to manage hypertensive disorders will assist in the identification of gaps in prevention and treatment strategies and implications for future practice. Specific focus will be placed on disparities among racially and ethnically diverse women that increase the risk for maternal hypertensive disorders. This review will serve to promote the development of interventions and strategies that better address and prevent hypertensive disorders throughout a pregnant woman's continuum of care.
Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 2020
Background: Families of children with disabilities often face unique challenges. Developed in a U... more Background: Families of children with disabilities often face unique challenges. Developed in a U.S. context, the Beach Center Family Quality of Life measure assesses the effectiveness of supports and services that families receive. This study examines whether items from three sub-scales of the Beach Center instrument perform similarly for two samples, one from Lusaka, Zambia, and the second from a Midwestern U.S. state. Methods: This cross-sectional research used secondary data and completed hierarchical ordinal regression analyses on item-level performance within the sub-scales. Results: Only one item flagged for potential item bias with remaining items performing similarly when controlling for overall sub-scale scores. Conclusions: This study extends existing research on the cultural and linguistic appropriateness of the Beach Center measure, providing additional validity evidence about the internal structure of the scales. Findings indicate that these items are acceptable outcome measures for policy and programme evaluations in Zambia. K E Y W O R D S children with disabilities, cross-cultural validity, differential item functioning, family quality of life, low-and middle-income country, Zambia How to cite this article: Rabaey P, Hearst MO, Hepperlen RA. Evaluating the cross-cultural validity of three family quality of life sub-scales.
University–community partnerships (UCPs) are increasingly utilized to address issues in education... more University–community partnerships (UCPs) are increasingly utilized to address issues in education. In this article, we present reflections on best practices for child- and family-focused UCPs. These reflections emerged before, during, and after a convening that brought together representatives from five UCPs in the United States that emphasized early childhood development and received funding from the same philanthropic source. The convening elicited perspectives on best practices for UCPs and identified community- and university-related contextual factors that affected implementation of these best practices. The findings from this study will contribute to the enhancement of future UCPs in education.
The Majority of women do not meet recommended physical activity (PA) guidelines. Assessment on ch... more The Majority of women do not meet recommended physical activity (PA) guidelines. Assessment on changes in PA patterns among young, healthy US women was therefore performed. PA changes were assessed from self-reported PA at baseline (year 1) and follow-up (year 2). Participants [N=127] aged 18-30years had completed a randomized controlled aerobics trial. A two-sample test of proportions tested the sample changes in PA; a paired t test assessed the withinperson changes. A multivariate logistic regression model assessed the demographic predictors of meeting PA levels in year 2 (6months post-intervention). Women who met the recommended PA used a combination of leisure and lifestyle PA at both timepoints. In year 2, attaining the recommended PA levels through leisure-time PA increased, while work-related and active transit PA decreased. Leisure-time physical activity at moderate and vigorous levels of intensity is recommended to ensure that young women meet the recommended PA levels and obtain health benefits.
Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 2011
Information regarding associations between types of away-from-home family meal sources and obesit... more Information regarding associations between types of away-from-home family meal sources and obesity and other chronic diseases could help guide dietitians. The present study describes the purchase frequency of away-from-home food sources for family dinner (fast food, other restaurant purchases, home delivery, and take-out foods) and associations with weight status and percent body fat among adolescents (n=723) and parents (n=723) and related biomarkers of chronic disease among adolescents (n=367). A cross-sectional study design was used with baseline parent
Background-Obesity may cluster in families due to shared physical and social environments. Purpos... more Background-Obesity may cluster in families due to shared physical and social environments. Purpose-This study aims to identify family typologies of obesity risk based on family environments. Methods-Using 2007-2008 data from 706 parent/youth dyads in Minnesota, we applied latent profile analysis and general linear models to evaluate associations between family typologies and body mass index (BMI) of youth and parents.
Background: Limited access to culturally preferred foods serves as a barrier to healthy diet cons... more Background: Limited access to culturally preferred foods serves as a barrier to healthy diet consumption among vulnerable populations, including low-income neighborhoods and communities of color. Large supermarkets are often unavailable, leaving greater access to convenience and non-traditional stores in these areas. In 2015, the Minneapolis Staple Foods Ordinance was enforced and required food stores to meet a minimum stocking for a variety of healthy foods/beverages. The purpose of this study is to assess the ordinance impact on the availability of culturally preferred foods in corner and non-traditional food stores located in immigrant populations of color and African American neighborhoods. Methods: The present analysis was conducted using data from the STORE (Staple foods Ordinance Evaluation) study. Culturally preferred foods were identi ed from a list of food items in the parent study and used to assess changes in availability in stores between neighboring cities, Minneapolis (ordinance) and Saint Paul (control), Minnesota, U.S.A.. A subset of 60 stores from Minneapolis (n = 31) and Saint Paul (n = 29) were used for the nal analysis. The analysis included stores located in one of the four identi ed communities of color, where 20% of the census tract population classi ed as either Black/African American, Latinx, Asian, or East African. Changes in cultural food availability were analyzed at pre-ordinance and 12 months post-enforcement time points using SAS, including descriptive statistics and generalized linear mixed models. Results: In Minneapolis, 80.7% of stores had at least one culturally relevant food available pre-ordinance, compared to 90.3% post-ordinance, a difference that was not statistically different. Stores did not have a great variety of culturally relevant foods pre-or post-ordinance, and overall ndings show no signi cant changes over time and/ or between Minneapolis and St. Paul. There was a 23% increase in availability of cultural food items from pre to post ordinance for corporate-owned stores, though this change was not statistically signi cant, and no change for independently owned stores. Conclusions: The presence of cultural foods did not signi cantly increase with local ordinance implementation. Further interventions may be needed to address cultural food availability and variety in small, independent stores near lower-income areas and communities of color.
Introduction Worldwide, children with disabilities are a vulnerable population and at high risk f... more Introduction Worldwide, children with disabilities are a vulnerable population and at high risk for COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. There is little information on the impact that COVID-19 had on children with disabilities and their families, particularly in low-income settings. This assessment describes the extent to which the pandemic impacted seven indicators of well-being in three low-income communities in Lusaka, Zambia. Methods Interviews were conducted with a random selection of families participating in an existing program (n = 39), community health workers (n = 6), healthcare workers (n = 7) and government officials (n = 2). Descriptive data was summarized and qualitative responses reviewed for themes. Results Most families reported a major loss of income resulting in food insecurity (79%), housing instability (67%), stress (36%), and increased risk of child separation and neglect (18%). Most families did not report receiving governmental financial assistance and reported ...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021
Chronic health inequities for communities of color is partially attributed to a lack of healthy p... more Chronic health inequities for communities of color is partially attributed to a lack of healthy preferred food access. This manuscript explores whether corner stores and non-traditional food stores stock fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods that the area cultural communities may prefer as part of complying with a local ordinance. This exploratory analysis identified corner and non-traditional food stores located in immigrant populations of color and African American neighborhoods as part of a larger study. Culturally preferred foods were identified from a list of food items in the parent (STORE) study and used to assess changes in availability. Stores did not have a great variety of culturally relevant foods pre- or post-ordinance, and overall findings show no significant changes over time and/or between ordinance and control community. Further interventions are needed to address cultural food availability in stores near communities of color.
Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 2021
BACKGROUND Public stigma, or negative community-held beliefs, about children with disabilities (C... more BACKGROUND Public stigma, or negative community-held beliefs, about children with disabilities (CWDs) often leads to negative outcomes for CWD and their families. This study considers the effectiveness of four community-level interventions to reduce public stigma in two Lusaka, Zambia communities. METHODS This feasibility study describes four community-based interventions to provide education to consider whether perceptions of attitudes and stigma towards CWD changed after implementing four educational interventions. RESULTS Results revealed that these interventions were achievable. Preliminary multiple regression analyses indicated a significant impact of attending an event on the attitude scale, while no effect on the stigma scale. Presence at multiple anti-stigma events exhibited no effect for the stigma scale, while the attitude scale showed significance. DISCUSSION This study builds on the limited research available in low-income countries to reduce public stigma towards CWD, with the hope of enhance quality of life for CWD and their families.
Mary Hearst, Associate Professor, received a $54,595 grant from the Better Way Foundation. St. Ca... more Mary Hearst, Associate Professor, received a $54,595 grant from the Better Way Foundation. St. Catherine University, the Montessori Center of Minnesota (MCM) and affiliate sites have established a community-university partnership aimed at bringing additional health, education, and social resources to children and families who are a part of the Montessori Partners Serving All Children program. The current project (completing the first of three years) uses an intervention-only program evaluation model. The proposed addition of recruiting, measuring, and following a control, or non-intervention, comparison sample of 40 children and their families during years two and three will allow assessment of the effectiveness of the St. Kate’s/MCM intervention on improving child outcomes
Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy complicate up to 10% of pregnancies worldwide, constituting o... more Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy complicate up to 10% of pregnancies worldwide, constituting one of the most significant causes of maternal morbidity and mortality. Hypertensive disorders, specifically gestational hypertension, chronic hypertension, and preeclampsia, throughout pregnancy are contributors to the top causes of maternal mortality in the United States. Diagnosis of hypertensive disorders throughout pregnancy is challenging, with many disorders often remaining unrecognized or poorly managed during and after pregnancy. Moreover, the research has identified a strong link between the prevalence of maternal hypertensive disorders and racial and ethnic disparities. Factors that influence the prevalence of maternal hypertensive disorders among racially and ethnically diverse women include maternal age, level of education, United States-born status, nonmetropolitan residence, prepregnancy obesity, excess weight gain during pregnancy, and gestational diabetes. Examination of the factors that increase the risk for maternal hypertensive disorders along with the current interventions utilized to manage hypertensive disorders will assist in the identification of gaps in prevention and treatment strategies and implications for future practice. Specific focus will be placed on disparities among racially and ethnically diverse women that increase the risk for maternal hypertensive disorders. This review will serve to promote the development of interventions and strategies that better address and prevent hypertensive disorders throughout a pregnant woman's continuum of care.
Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 2020
Background: Families of children with disabilities often face unique challenges. Developed in a U... more Background: Families of children with disabilities often face unique challenges. Developed in a U.S. context, the Beach Center Family Quality of Life measure assesses the effectiveness of supports and services that families receive. This study examines whether items from three sub-scales of the Beach Center instrument perform similarly for two samples, one from Lusaka, Zambia, and the second from a Midwestern U.S. state. Methods: This cross-sectional research used secondary data and completed hierarchical ordinal regression analyses on item-level performance within the sub-scales. Results: Only one item flagged for potential item bias with remaining items performing similarly when controlling for overall sub-scale scores. Conclusions: This study extends existing research on the cultural and linguistic appropriateness of the Beach Center measure, providing additional validity evidence about the internal structure of the scales. Findings indicate that these items are acceptable outcome measures for policy and programme evaluations in Zambia. K E Y W O R D S children with disabilities, cross-cultural validity, differential item functioning, family quality of life, low-and middle-income country, Zambia How to cite this article: Rabaey P, Hearst MO, Hepperlen RA. Evaluating the cross-cultural validity of three family quality of life sub-scales.
University–community partnerships (UCPs) are increasingly utilized to address issues in education... more University–community partnerships (UCPs) are increasingly utilized to address issues in education. In this article, we present reflections on best practices for child- and family-focused UCPs. These reflections emerged before, during, and after a convening that brought together representatives from five UCPs in the United States that emphasized early childhood development and received funding from the same philanthropic source. The convening elicited perspectives on best practices for UCPs and identified community- and university-related contextual factors that affected implementation of these best practices. The findings from this study will contribute to the enhancement of future UCPs in education.
The Majority of women do not meet recommended physical activity (PA) guidelines. Assessment on ch... more The Majority of women do not meet recommended physical activity (PA) guidelines. Assessment on changes in PA patterns among young, healthy US women was therefore performed. PA changes were assessed from self-reported PA at baseline (year 1) and follow-up (year 2). Participants [N=127] aged 18-30years had completed a randomized controlled aerobics trial. A two-sample test of proportions tested the sample changes in PA; a paired t test assessed the withinperson changes. A multivariate logistic regression model assessed the demographic predictors of meeting PA levels in year 2 (6months post-intervention). Women who met the recommended PA used a combination of leisure and lifestyle PA at both timepoints. In year 2, attaining the recommended PA levels through leisure-time PA increased, while work-related and active transit PA decreased. Leisure-time physical activity at moderate and vigorous levels of intensity is recommended to ensure that young women meet the recommended PA levels and obtain health benefits.
Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 2011
Information regarding associations between types of away-from-home family meal sources and obesit... more Information regarding associations between types of away-from-home family meal sources and obesity and other chronic diseases could help guide dietitians. The present study describes the purchase frequency of away-from-home food sources for family dinner (fast food, other restaurant purchases, home delivery, and take-out foods) and associations with weight status and percent body fat among adolescents (n=723) and parents (n=723) and related biomarkers of chronic disease among adolescents (n=367). A cross-sectional study design was used with baseline parent
Background-Obesity may cluster in families due to shared physical and social environments. Purpos... more Background-Obesity may cluster in families due to shared physical and social environments. Purpose-This study aims to identify family typologies of obesity risk based on family environments. Methods-Using 2007-2008 data from 706 parent/youth dyads in Minnesota, we applied latent profile analysis and general linear models to evaluate associations between family typologies and body mass index (BMI) of youth and parents.
Background: Limited access to culturally preferred foods serves as a barrier to healthy diet cons... more Background: Limited access to culturally preferred foods serves as a barrier to healthy diet consumption among vulnerable populations, including low-income neighborhoods and communities of color. Large supermarkets are often unavailable, leaving greater access to convenience and non-traditional stores in these areas. In 2015, the Minneapolis Staple Foods Ordinance was enforced and required food stores to meet a minimum stocking for a variety of healthy foods/beverages. The purpose of this study is to assess the ordinance impact on the availability of culturally preferred foods in corner and non-traditional food stores located in immigrant populations of color and African American neighborhoods. Methods: The present analysis was conducted using data from the STORE (Staple foods Ordinance Evaluation) study. Culturally preferred foods were identi ed from a list of food items in the parent study and used to assess changes in availability in stores between neighboring cities, Minneapolis (ordinance) and Saint Paul (control), Minnesota, U.S.A.. A subset of 60 stores from Minneapolis (n = 31) and Saint Paul (n = 29) were used for the nal analysis. The analysis included stores located in one of the four identi ed communities of color, where 20% of the census tract population classi ed as either Black/African American, Latinx, Asian, or East African. Changes in cultural food availability were analyzed at pre-ordinance and 12 months post-enforcement time points using SAS, including descriptive statistics and generalized linear mixed models. Results: In Minneapolis, 80.7% of stores had at least one culturally relevant food available pre-ordinance, compared to 90.3% post-ordinance, a difference that was not statistically different. Stores did not have a great variety of culturally relevant foods pre-or post-ordinance, and overall ndings show no signi cant changes over time and/ or between Minneapolis and St. Paul. There was a 23% increase in availability of cultural food items from pre to post ordinance for corporate-owned stores, though this change was not statistically signi cant, and no change for independently owned stores. Conclusions: The presence of cultural foods did not signi cantly increase with local ordinance implementation. Further interventions may be needed to address cultural food availability and variety in small, independent stores near lower-income areas and communities of color.
Introduction Worldwide, children with disabilities are a vulnerable population and at high risk f... more Introduction Worldwide, children with disabilities are a vulnerable population and at high risk for COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. There is little information on the impact that COVID-19 had on children with disabilities and their families, particularly in low-income settings. This assessment describes the extent to which the pandemic impacted seven indicators of well-being in three low-income communities in Lusaka, Zambia. Methods Interviews were conducted with a random selection of families participating in an existing program (n = 39), community health workers (n = 6), healthcare workers (n = 7) and government officials (n = 2). Descriptive data was summarized and qualitative responses reviewed for themes. Results Most families reported a major loss of income resulting in food insecurity (79%), housing instability (67%), stress (36%), and increased risk of child separation and neglect (18%). Most families did not report receiving governmental financial assistance and reported ...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021
Chronic health inequities for communities of color is partially attributed to a lack of healthy p... more Chronic health inequities for communities of color is partially attributed to a lack of healthy preferred food access. This manuscript explores whether corner stores and non-traditional food stores stock fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods that the area cultural communities may prefer as part of complying with a local ordinance. This exploratory analysis identified corner and non-traditional food stores located in immigrant populations of color and African American neighborhoods as part of a larger study. Culturally preferred foods were identified from a list of food items in the parent (STORE) study and used to assess changes in availability. Stores did not have a great variety of culturally relevant foods pre- or post-ordinance, and overall findings show no significant changes over time and/or between ordinance and control community. Further interventions are needed to address cultural food availability in stores near communities of color.
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Papers by Mary Hearst