Paula L Griffiths
Biographic Data
| ID | 124251 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Paula L Griffiths |
| GIVEN NAMES | Paula L |
| FAMILY NAME | Griffiths |
| SIGNATURE | GRIFFITHS P L |
| AFFILIATIONS | Loughborough University |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 35 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 51 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 35 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2000 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Facilitators and barriers to anemia prevention in the urban government childcare program for infants and young children in Peru
BACKGROUND: Anemia is a major public health problem in children under 2 years old in Peru and other low- and middle-income countries. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to explore facilitators and barriers to anemia prevention through feeding strategies in the Cuna Mas day-care centers in urban Peru among infants and young children (IYC) aged 6-23 months. METHODS: = 14) in Peru. We conducted direct observations and semi-structured interviews about consumption …
The effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the baby-friendly community initiative and maternal infant and young child nutrition in Kenya
On balance, the pandemic negatively impacted the BFCI, MCH services and MIYCN practices in Kenya. In such a context, there is a need for innovative approaches to ensure continued provision of and access to facilities and community health services in the future if the country finds itself in a similar position with the challenges of a pandemic. The pandemic revealed that remote working support policies could have the potential to improve breastfee…
Diet and food insecurity among mothers, infants, and young children in Peru before and during Covid‐19
The COVID-19 pandemic may impact diet and nutrition through increased household food insecurity, lack of access to health services, and poorer quality diets. The primary aim of this study is to assess the impact of the pandemic on dietary outcomes of mothers and their infants and young children (IYC) in low-income urban areas of Peru. We conducted a panel study, with one survey prepandemic (n = 244) and one survey 9 months after the onset of COVI…
Impact of extreme weather conditions on healthcare provision in urban Ghana
How ready are communities to implement actions to improve diets of adolescent girls and women in urban Ghana
Despite recognising that unhealthy diets are a public health issue in these urban Ghanaian communities, it is not seen as a priority. The low community readiness ratings highlight the need to increase awareness of the issue prior to intervening to improve diets
Social value of a nutritional counselling and support program for breastfeeding in urban poor settings, Nairobi
The MIYCN intervention showed an important social impact in which mothers and children benefited the most. The intervention resulted in better perceived health of mothers and children and increased confidence of mothers to provide care for their children, while it resulted in negative impacts for day care center owners and health care providers
Effectiveness of home-based nutritional counselling and support on exclusive breastfeeding in urban poor settings in Nairobi
BACKGROUND: Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) improves infant health and survival. We tested the effectiveness of a home-based intervention using Community Health Workers (CHWs) on EBF for six months in urban poor settings in Kenya. METHODS: We conducted a cluster-randomized controlled trial in Korogocho and Viwandani slums in Nairobi. We recruited pregnant women and followed them until the infant's first birthday. Fourteen community clusters were ra…
How does poverty affect children’s nutritional status in Nairobi slums? A qualitative study of the root causes of undernutrition
Objective Children in slums are at high risk of undernutrition, which has long-term negative consequences on their physical growth and cognitive development. Severe undernutrition can lead to the child’s death. The present paper aimed to understand the causes of undernutrition in children as perceived by various groups of community members in Nairobi slums, Kenya. Design Analysis of ten focus group discussions and ten individual interviews with k…
Community readiness for adolescents’ overweight and obesity prevention is low in urban South Africa
Religious leaders recognised that they act as role models within the community and thus have a role to play in improving adolescent health. They have some knowledge about the overweight/obesity issue and some of the resources could be made available to support overweight/obesity prevention-related initiatives. However, the low community knowledge of efforts and the negative prevailing attitude of the community towards overweight and obesity highl…
Do socio-economic inequalities in infant growth in rural India operate through maternal size and birth weight
Findings support targeting evidence based growth interventions towards infants from the poorest families with the shortest mothers. Increasing SES can improve growth for two generations
Socio-economic influences on anthropometric status in urban South African adolescents
Objective To investigate the associations of household and neighbourhood socio-economic position (SEP) with indicators of both under- and overnutrition in adolescents and to explore sex differences. Design Analysis of anthropometric, household and neighbourhood SEP data from the Birth to Twenty Plus cohort born in 1990. Anthropometric outcomes were BMI (thinness, overweight and obesity) and percentage body fat (%BF; low, high). Associations betwe…
Maternal short stature does not predict their children's fatness indicators in a nutritional dual‐burden sample of urban Mexican Maya
The co‐existence of very short stature due to poor chronic environment in early life and obesity is becoming a public health concern in rapidly transitioning populations with high levels of poverty. Individuals who have very short stature seem to be at an increased risk of obesity in times of relative caloric abundance. Increasing evidence shows that an individual is influenced by exposures in previous generations. This study assesses whether mat…
In urban South Africa, 16 year old adolescents experience greater health equality than children
We eat together; today she buys, tomorrow I will buy the food’
Objective To explore if and how female adolescents engage in shared eating and joint food choices with best friends within the context of living in urban Soweto, South Africa. Design A qualitative, exploratory, multiple case study was conducted using semi-structured duo interviews of best friend pairs to ascertain their eating patterns, friendship and social interactions around dietary habits. Setting Participants were recruited from three high s…
Seasonal variation in physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep in a sample of UK adults
Findings support the concept that health promotion campaigns need to encourage year-round participation in light intensity PA, whilst limiting SB, particularly during the winter months
Multi-level modelling of longitudinal child growth data from the Birth-to-Twenty Cohort
The Berkey-Reed model, previously used and fitted well to infancy growth data, has been shown to also fit well beyond infancy into childhood
Modeling physical growth using mixed effects models
This article demonstrates the use of mixed effects models for characterizing individual and sample average growth curves based on serial anthropometric data. These models are advancement over conventional general linear regression because they effectively handle the hierarchical nature of serial growth data. Using body weight data on 70 infants in the Born in Bradford study, we demonstrate how a mixed effects model provides a better fit than a co…
Associations Between Household and Neighbourhood Socioeconomic Status and Systolic Blood Pressure Among Urban South African Adolescents
Factors resulting in high risk for cardiovascular disease have been well studied in high income countries, but have been less well researched in low/middle income countries. This is despite robust theoretical evidence of environmental transitions in such countries which could result in biological adaptations that lead to increased hypertension and cardiovascular disease risk. Data from the South African Birth to Twenty cohort, Bone Health sub-sam…
Cluster‐randomized trial on complementary and responsive feeding education to caregivers found improved dietary intake, growth and development among rural Indian toddlers
Inadequate feeding and care may contribute to high rates of stunting and underweight among children in rural families in India. This cluster-randomized trial tested the hypothesis that teaching caregivers appropriate complementary feeding and strategies for how to feed and play responsively through home-visits would increase children's dietary intake, growth and development compared with home-visit-complementary feeding education alone or routine…
Fat free mass explains the relationship between stunting and energy expenditure in urban Mexican Maya children
The hypothesis that stunting reduces total energy expenditure (resting + active) in children is not supported. Rather, children with shorter stature and less lean body mass have lower total energy expenditure. Complex interactions between body size, body composition, and metabolic activity appear to elevate the risk for later life obesity in these Maya children
Using the WHO 2006 child growth standard to assess the growth and nutritional status of rural south Indian infants
In late infancy, the WHO standard will allow a more focused intervention effort and use of resources for targeting programmes at infants most at risk of malnutrition
Residential mobility, socioeconomic context and body mass index in a cohort of urban South African adolescents
Adolescents who are changing residence, as well as their social and economic circumstances may experience lifestyle changes that have an effect on body composition outcomes such as undernutrition, overweight or obesity. This paper uses data from Birth to Twenty, a birth cohort of South African urban children, to determine the relationship between residential mobility and body mass index (BMI) amongst Black adolescents aged 15 (n=1613), and to exa…
How useful is BMI in predicting adiposity indicators in a sample of Maya children and women with high levels of stunting
OBJECTIVES: Body mass index (BMI) is used frequently to estimate adiposity levels in children and adults. However, the applicability of BMI to populations with high levels of stunting has been questioned. Stunted people can have disproportionately short legs, which may increase BMI without increasing body fat because of the relatively larger trunk compared with the legs. METHODS: A sample of 57 urban Maya schoolchildren, aged 7-9 years (31 boys),…
Pregnant Women's and Community Health Workers' Perceptions of Root Causes of Malnutrition Among Infants and Young Children in the Slums of Dhaka, Bangladesh
Research in Bangladesh shows that malnutrition among infants and young children is most severe in urban slums. We examined the root causes of malnutrition as perceived by pregnant women and community health workers. We conducted 10 focus group discussions in the slums of Dhaka in 2008 and 2009. Participants accurately perceived inappropriate care, inappropriate environment, inappropriate food, and flooding to be major causes. Recurrent flooding h…
Does maternal autonomy influence feeding practices and infant growth in rural India
Does maternal autonomy influence feeding practices and infant growth in rural India
Impact of extreme weather conditions on healthcare provision in urban Ghana
Modeling physical growth using mixed effects models
This article demonstrates the use of mixed effects models for characterizing individual and sample average growth curves based on serial anthropometric data. These models are advancement over conventional general linear regression because they effectively handle the hierarchical nature of serial growth data. Using body weight data on 70 infants in the Born in Bradford study, we demonstrate how a mixed effects model provides a better fit than a co…
Maternal short stature does not predict their children's fatness indicators in a nutritional dual‐burden sample of urban Mexican Maya
The co‐existence of very short stature due to poor chronic environment in early life and obesity is becoming a public health concern in rapidly transitioning populations with high levels of poverty. Individuals who have very short stature seem to be at an increased risk of obesity in times of relative caloric abundance. Increasing evidence shows that an individual is influenced by exposures in previous generations. This study assesses whether mat…
Residential mobility, socioeconomic context and body mass index in a cohort of urban South African adolescents
Adolescents who are changing residence, as well as their social and economic circumstances may experience lifestyle changes that have an effect on body composition outcomes such as undernutrition, overweight or obesity. This paper uses data from Birth to Twenty, a birth cohort of South African urban children, to determine the relationship between residential mobility and body mass index (BMI) amongst Black adolescents aged 15 (n=1613), and to exa…
Pregnant Women's and Community Health Workers' Perceptions of Root Causes of Malnutrition Among Infants and Young Children in the Slums of Dhaka, Bangladesh
Research in Bangladesh shows that malnutrition among infants and young children is most severe in urban slums. We examined the root causes of malnutrition as perceived by pregnant women and community health workers. We conducted 10 focus group discussions in the slums of Dhaka in 2008 and 2009. Participants accurately perceived inappropriate care, inappropriate environment, inappropriate food, and flooding to be major causes. Recurrent flooding h…
Understanding the Sex Ratio in India
The highly masculine sex ratio in India has increased substantially in the twentieth century, in contrast to most other countries in the world. Competing arguments alternatively posit underenumeration, highly masculine sex ratios at birth, or excess female mortality throughout the life course as the factors underlying the level of the overall sex ratio; these arguments have not been resolved. Based on population projections that simulate populati…
Satish Balram Agnihotri, Sex Ratio Patterns in the Indian Population
Female Autonomy as a Contributing Factor to Women’s Hiv-Related Knowledge and Behaviour in Three Culturally Contrasting States in India
Factors contributing to India’s vulnerability to the AIDS epidemic include pervasive poverty, low levels of education and high gender stratification. This study uses data collected in the 1998–99 National Family Health Survey-2 (NFHS-2) to investigate the relationship between aspects of women’s autonomy and four measures of HIV-related knowledge and behaviour – awareness and knowledge of HIV/AIDS, condom awareness and condom use – in three cultur…
A comparison of the socio-economic determinants of growth retardation in South African and Filipino infants
Objective To examine the association between household socio-economic status (SES) at birth and poor infant growth such as small for gestational age (SGA) and stunting across two different socio-cultural settings: South Africa and the Philippines. Design Data were from two longitudinal birth cohorts, the Birth to Twenty (Bt20) study in South Africa and the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey (CLHNS) in the Philippines. Subjects Bt20 inf…
UK adults exhibit higher step counts in summer compared to winter months
Step counts in the sample of UK adults surveyed decreased significantly in the winter compared to the summer, suggesting future pedometer surveillance studies should capture step counts throughout the year for a non-biased reflection of habitual ambulatory activity. Public health initiatives should target these seasonal differences, and opportunities should be provided that encourage individuals to increase their activity levels during the colder…
Age at menarche and the evidence for a positive secular trend in urban South Africa
Menarcheal age was estimated for 287 (188 Black; 99 White) urban South African girls born in Soweto‐Johannesburg in 1990. The median menarcheal age for Blacks was 12.4 years (95% confidence interval (CI) 12.2, 12.6) and 12.5 years (95% CI 11.7, 13.3) for Whites. Data from six studies of menarcheal age, including the current study, were analyzed to examine the evidence for a secular trend between 1956 and 2004 in urban South African girls. There w…
Is puberty starting earlier in urban South Africa
Age at the initation of pubertal development was estimated for 401 Black (212 boys) and 206 White (100 boys) urban South African adolescents born in Soweto‐Johannesburg in 1990. Average age at the initation of puberty, assessed by age at the transition from Tanner Stage 1 to Tanner Stage 2 for breast/genitalia or pubic hair development ranged between 9.8 and 10.5 years. There were no statistically significant differences in age at initiation betw…
Approaches for assessing the role of household socioeconomic status on child anthropometric measures in urban South Africa
The objectives of this article were to compare the variance explained in anthropometric outcomes when using individual measures of socioeconomic status (SES) versus different approaches to create SES indices within the urban African context, and to examine the influence of SES measured during infancy on child anthropometric outcomes at 7/8 years. Data from the 1990 Birth‐to‐Twenty cohort study set in Johannesburg‐Soweto, South Africa, were used (…
Studying a Population Undergoing Nutrition Transition
The South African Medical Research Council food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and protocol was used to determine food intake in 83 adolescents from the Birth To Twenty study. The FFQ was piloted on a small group (n=8). Specific problems which resulted in overestimation of energy intake were identified. The protocol was modified and administered to the remainder of the adolescents and their caregivers. Reasonable energy intakes were obtained, and …
Impact of flooding on feeding practices of infants and young children in Dhaka, Bangladesh Slums
Previous research has shown that urban slums are hostile environments for the growth of infants and young children (IYC). Flooding is a hazard commonly found in Dhaka slums (Bangladesh) which negatively impacts IYC's nutritional and health status. This paper aims 1) to identify the impact of flooding on IYC's feeding practices, and 2) to explore the coping strategies developed by caregivers. Qualitative data (participant observation and semi-stru…
How useful is BMI in predicting adiposity indicators in a sample of Maya children and women with high levels of stunting
OBJECTIVES: Body mass index (BMI) is used frequently to estimate adiposity levels in children and adults. However, the applicability of BMI to populations with high levels of stunting has been questioned. Stunted people can have disproportionately short legs, which may increase BMI without increasing body fat because of the relatively larger trunk compared with the legs. METHODS: A sample of 57 urban Maya schoolchildren, aged 7-9 years (31 boys),…
Pregnant Women's and Community Health Workers' Perceptions of Root Causes of Malnutrition Among Infants and Young Children in the Slums of Dhaka, Bangladesh
Research in Bangladesh shows that malnutrition among infants and young children is most severe in urban slums. We examined the root causes of malnutrition as perceived by pregnant women and community health workers. We conducted 10 focus group discussions in the slums of Dhaka in 2008 and 2009. Participants accurately perceived inappropriate care, inappropriate environment, inappropriate food, and flooding to be major causes. Recurrent flooding h…
Does maternal autonomy influence feeding practices and infant growth in rural India
Associations Between Household and Neighbourhood Socioeconomic Status and Systolic Blood Pressure Among Urban South African Adolescents
Factors resulting in high risk for cardiovascular disease have been well studied in high income countries, but have been less well researched in low/middle income countries. This is despite robust theoretical evidence of environmental transitions in such countries which could result in biological adaptations that lead to increased hypertension and cardiovascular disease risk. Data from the South African Birth to Twenty cohort, Bone Health sub-sam…
Cluster‐randomized trial on complementary and responsive feeding education to caregivers found improved dietary intake, growth and development among rural Indian toddlers
Inadequate feeding and care may contribute to high rates of stunting and underweight among children in rural families in India. This cluster-randomized trial tested the hypothesis that teaching caregivers appropriate complementary feeding and strategies for how to feed and play responsively through home-visits would increase children's dietary intake, growth and development compared with home-visit-complementary feeding education alone or routine…
Fat free mass explains the relationship between stunting and energy expenditure in urban Mexican Maya children
The hypothesis that stunting reduces total energy expenditure (resting + active) in children is not supported. Rather, children with shorter stature and less lean body mass have lower total energy expenditure. Complex interactions between body size, body composition, and metabolic activity appear to elevate the risk for later life obesity in these Maya children
Using the WHO 2006 child growth standard to assess the growth and nutritional status of rural south Indian infants
In late infancy, the WHO standard will allow a more focused intervention effort and use of resources for targeting programmes at infants most at risk of malnutrition
Residential mobility, socioeconomic context and body mass index in a cohort of urban South African adolescents
Adolescents who are changing residence, as well as their social and economic circumstances may experience lifestyle changes that have an effect on body composition outcomes such as undernutrition, overweight or obesity. This paper uses data from Birth to Twenty, a birth cohort of South African urban children, to determine the relationship between residential mobility and body mass index (BMI) amongst Black adolescents aged 15 (n=1613), and to exa…
In urban South Africa, 16 year old adolescents experience greater health equality than children
We eat together; today she buys, tomorrow I will buy the food’
Objective To explore if and how female adolescents engage in shared eating and joint food choices with best friends within the context of living in urban Soweto, South Africa. Design A qualitative, exploratory, multiple case study was conducted using semi-structured duo interviews of best friend pairs to ascertain their eating patterns, friendship and social interactions around dietary habits. Setting Participants were recruited from three high s…
Seasonal variation in physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep in a sample of UK adults
Findings support the concept that health promotion campaigns need to encourage year-round participation in light intensity PA, whilst limiting SB, particularly during the winter months
Multi-level modelling of longitudinal child growth data from the Birth-to-Twenty Cohort
The Berkey-Reed model, previously used and fitted well to infancy growth data, has been shown to also fit well beyond infancy into childhood
Modeling physical growth using mixed effects models
This article demonstrates the use of mixed effects models for characterizing individual and sample average growth curves based on serial anthropometric data. These models are advancement over conventional general linear regression because they effectively handle the hierarchical nature of serial growth data. Using body weight data on 70 infants in the Born in Bradford study, we demonstrate how a mixed effects model provides a better fit than a co…
Maternal short stature does not predict their children's fatness indicators in a nutritional dual‐burden sample of urban Mexican Maya
The co‐existence of very short stature due to poor chronic environment in early life and obesity is becoming a public health concern in rapidly transitioning populations with high levels of poverty. Individuals who have very short stature seem to be at an increased risk of obesity in times of relative caloric abundance. Increasing evidence shows that an individual is influenced by exposures in previous generations. This study assesses whether mat…
Socio-economic influences on anthropometric status in urban South African adolescents
Objective To investigate the associations of household and neighbourhood socio-economic position (SEP) with indicators of both under- and overnutrition in adolescents and to explore sex differences. Design Analysis of anthropometric, household and neighbourhood SEP data from the Birth to Twenty Plus cohort born in 1990. Anthropometric outcomes were BMI (thinness, overweight and obesity) and percentage body fat (%BF; low, high). Associations betwe…
Medicine (31 works) · Child Nutrition and Water Access (23 works) · Environmental health (22 works) · Demography (19 works) · Population (15 works) · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet (14 works) · Demography (12 works) · Gerontology (12 works) · Geography (11 works) · Pediatrics (11 works)