Cindy-Lee Dennis
Biographic Data
| ID | 331048 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Cindy-Lee Dennis |
| GIVEN NAMES | Cindy-Lee |
| FAMILY NAME | Dennis |
| SIGNATURE | DENNIS C |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Toronto |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-0135-7242 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 38 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 10 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 38 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2002 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
The influence of paternal preconception health on birth defects and head circumference
While paternal environmental exposures and lifestyle factors can influence sperm epigenetic states and affect fetal development, this area of research remains relatively underexplored. This comprehensive scoping review aimed to identify, compile, and analyze the literature on paternal preconception health and its impact on fetal development, specifically related to congenital birth defects (CBDs) and head circumference. We conducted a scoping rev…
Lived Experiences of Bipolar Disorder and Family Caregiving in Pakistan
Background: Bipolar disorder (BD) is associated with substantial disability and caregiver burden.In Pakistan, the prevalence is unusually high, and limited mental health services place families at the centre of care.Cultural and religious beliefs strongly shape how the illness is recognized, understood, and managed.This study explored how individuals living with BD and their caregivers understand and navigate the illness within this context. Meth…
Engagement, efficacy, and experiences of psychotherapy for perinatal populations with depression and anxiety during the Covid-19 pandemic
Engagement, efficacy, and experience were comparable across pandemic phases, highlighting the feasibility of telemedicine-based adaptations in the midst of public health crises
Biopsychosocial vulnerability and parental behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, and well-being in first-time mothers and fathers
Early parenthood is shaped by evolving parental behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, and well-being embedded within biopsychosocial contexts. In this nationwide longitudinal study, we used latent growth curve modeling to examine how biopsychosocial vulnerability is associated with trajectories of parental experiences among new mothers and fathers during the first 2 years postpartum. Coresiding mothers ( N = 2,994) and fathers ( N = 2,787) across Canada…
Parenting Self‐Efficacy Within the First Year Postpartum in Non‐Birthing Parents
Parenting self‐efficacy is a parent's belief in their ability to execute tasks related to raising children and providing them with care to ensure healthy development. While considerable research has been completed with birthing parents, the breadth of work that has been conducted on non‐birthing parents is not known. The objective of this scoping review was to identify and analyze the literature on parenting self‐efficacy in non‐birthing parents …
Beyond the Breadwinner
Postpartum experiences and challenges faced by fathers in Singapore are often overlooked. A more comprehensive understanding is essential to identify areas for supporting fathers' mental health and developing father‐inclusive healthcare strategies, ultimately enhancing family‐centered care. The perinatal period is challenging for fathers, with shifts in roles, routine changes, and societal pressures which can lead to anxiety or depression, especi…
Do Brasil Ao Canadá
Objetivo: traduzir e adaptar culturalmente o app AmamentaCoach, originalmente desenvolvido no Brasil, para utilização por mães de prematuros no Canadá, mediante colaboração internacional de pesquisa. Método: pesquisa aplicada na modalidade de desenvolvimento tecnológico, em que foram consideradas as recomendações da Organização Mundial da Saúde para tradução e adaptação cultural de instrumentos. Cinco pesquisadoras canadenses experts em promoção …
From Brazil to Canada
Objective: Translating and culturally adapting the AmamentaCoach app, originally developed in Brazil, for use by mothers of premature babies in Canada, through international research collaboration. Method: This is applied research in the form of technological development, in which the World Health Organization's recommendations for the translation and cultural adaptation of instruments were taken into account. Five Canadian researchers who are ex…
Traditional postpartum rituals among immigrant and non-immigrant Chinese women
Due to cultural and systemic factors, Chinese-Canadians tend to use mental health services less or when mental health problems are more severe. Services need to be more culturally responsive in their treatment of mental illness. Around important life events, when there may be heightened vulnerability to mental illness, this is especially important. In this study, postpartum cultural practices were examined among recent immigrant, longer-term immi…
Household food insecurity is prevalent in a cohort of postpartum women who registered in the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program in Toronto
Objective: To assess the prevalence, severity and socio-demographic predictors of household food insecurity among vulnerable women accessing the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP) and to examine associations between household food insecurity and breastfeeding practices to 6 months. Design: Cohort investigation pooling data from two studies which administered the 18-item Household Food Security Survey Module at 6 months postpartum and collec…
High levels of breastmilk feeding despite a low rate of exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months in a cohort of vulnerable women in Toronto, Canada
Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for 6 months is a global public health goal, but measuring its achievement as a marker of population breastmilk feeding practices is insufficient. Additional measures are needed to understand variation in non-EBF practices and inform intervention priorities. We collected infant feeding data prospectively at seven time points to 6 months post-partum from a cohort of vulnerable women (n = 151) registered at two Canada …
Describing 24-hour movement behaviours among preconception and recently pregnant Canadian parents
This study aimed to describe adherence to 24-hour movement guidelines and determine factors associated with meeting guidelines in pregnancy planning and recently postpartum parents. A survey of preconception care attitudes and beliefs was conducted in Canadian adults who were pregnancy planning or ≤5 years postpartum. The Global Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to evaluate physical activity and sedentary time. Respondents reported the num…
Maternal perspectives on infant feeding practices in Soweto, South Africa
Objective: To (i) describe the infant feeding practices of South African women living in Soweto and (ii) understand from the mothers’ perspective what influences feeding practices. Design: Semi-structured focus group discussions (FGD) and in-depth interviews (IDI) were conducted, and data were analysed using thematic analysis. Setting: Soweto, South Africa. Participants: Nineteen mothers were stratified into three FGD according to their baby’s ag…
Perinatal depressive and anxiety symptoms of pregnant women during the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak in China
BACKGROUND: On January 20, 2020, a new coronavirus epidemic with human-to-human transmission was officially declared by the Chinese government, which caused significant public panic in China. In light of the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak, pregnant women may be particularly vulnerable and in special need for preventive mental health strategies. Thus far, no reports exist to investigate the mental health response of pregnant women to the corona…
The Influence of Parents and Schools on Adolescents’ Perceived Diet and Exercise Self-Efficacy
Introduction: In the United Arab Emirates, an alarming rate of 19% obesity among adolescents, associated with poor lifestyle, is apparent. Diet and exercise self-efficacy could influence adolescents’ engagement in healthy behaviors. This study evaluates adolescents’ perceptions of diet and exercise self-efficacy and explores the impact of parents and schools on self-efficacy. Method: A cluster sampling approach in cross-sectional design was used …
Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of an Interconception Intervention Provided by Public Health Nurses
Collective impact of chronic medical conditions and poverty on perinatal mental illness
BACKGROUND: Chronic medical conditions (CMCs) and poverty commonly co-occur and, while both have been shown to independently increase the risk of perinatal mental illness, their collective impact has not been examined. METHODS: This population-based study included 853 433 Ontario (Canada) women with a singleton live birth and no recent mental healthcare. CMCs were identified using validated algorithms and disease registries, and poverty was ascer…
Prevalence and predictors of exclusive breastfeeding among immigrant and Canadian‐born Chinese women
Breastfeeding is the optimal method for infant feeding, yet migrant women may be at risk for suboptimal exclusivity rates. In a cohort of immigrant and Canadian-born Chinese women, our objectives were to (a) describe patterns and prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding at 1, 3, and 6 months postpartum; (b) identify risk and protective factors associated with exclusivity; and (c) examine potentially differential importance of these factors across th…
Infertility patients' need and preferences for online peer support
Prevalence of antenatal and postnatal anxiety
Preconception health interventions delivered in public health and community settings
Hypertension Prevalence, Health Service Utilization, and Participant Satisfaction
Responding to high prevalence of hypertension and patients' preference of integrating traditional Chinese medicine for blood pressure control, the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension With Sodium Reduction for Chinese Canadian (DASHNa-CC) intervention was newly designed as a culturally sensitive dietary educational intervention to facilitate middle-aged and senior Chinese Canadians' blood pressure control in community. The aim of this study was …
Lanolin for the treatment of nipple pain in breastfeeding women
Nipple pain and damage are commonly experienced by breastfeeding women and are associated with negative breastfeeding outcomes. Health care providers often recommend the application of lanolin to treat painful/damaged nipples, yet no randomized controlled trial has evaluated the effectiveness of lanolin on nipple pain and breastfeeding outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of lanolin on nipple pain among breastfeeding wom…
Breast-feeding Coparenting Framework
Targeting mothers and fathers in breast-feeding promotion programs is recommended as research has found that father's support positively impacts breast-feeding duration and exclusivity. Breast-feeding coparenting refers to the manner in which parents work together to achieve their breast-feeding goals. The Breast-feeding Coparenting Framework was developed on the basis of diverse coparenting models and research related to father's involvement wit…
Narrative and Meta-Analytic Review of Interventions Aiming to Improve Maternal-Child Attachment Security
Early secure maternal–child attachment relationships lay the foundation for children's healthy social and mental development. Interventions targeting maternal sensitivity and maternal reflective function during the first year of infant life may be the key to promoting secure attachment. We conducted a narrative systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the effectiveness of interventions aimed at promoting maternal sensitivity and reflective …
International migration to Canada
There are over 214 million international migrants worldwide, half of whom are women, and all of them assigned by the receiving country to an immigration class. Immigration classes are associated with certain health risks and regulatory restrictions related to eligibility for health care. Prior to this study, reports of international migrant post-birth health had not been compared between immigration classes, with the exception of our earlier, sma…
Infertility patients' need and preferences for online peer support
The Relationship Between Postpartum Depression, Domestic Violence, Childhood Violence, and Substance Use
The objective of this study was to determine the contribution of interpersonal violence and substance use to the prediction of postpartum depressive symptomatology. A community-based sample of 634 women in British Columbia, Canada was screened for interpersonal violence and substance use using the Antenatal Psychosocial Health Assessment (ALPHA) form. Of these women, 497 (78%) subsequently completed questionnaires at 8 weeks postpartum to assess …
Breastfeeding Initiation and Duration
Peer support within a health care context
The Breastfeeding Self‐Efficacy Scale
Postpartum Depression Help‐Seeking Barriers and Maternal Treatment Preferences
Background: Despite the well‐documented risk factors and health consequences of postpartum depression, it often remains undetected and untreated. No study has comprehensively examined postpartum depression help‐seeking barriers, and very few studies have specifically examined the acceptability of postpartum depression treatment approaches. The objective of this study was to examine systematically the literature to identify postpartum depression h…
Postpartum Depression Among Rural Women From Developed and Developing Countries
Predictors of breastfeeding exclusivity among migrant and C anadian‐born women
The objective of this study was to examine and compare predictors of breastfeeding exclusivity among migrant and Canadian-born women. As part of a longitudinal study, a sample of 1184 mothers were recruited from 12 hospitals in Canada and completed questionnaires at 1 and 16 weeks post-partum that included diverse questions from the following domains: demographic, social, migration, obstetrical, breastfeeding and maternal mood. After bivariate an…
The Impact of Maternal Depression During Pregnancy on Perinatal Outcomes
OBJECTIVE: Depression often remains undertreated during pregnancy and there is growing evidence that untoward perinatal outcomes can result. Our systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to determine whether maternal depression during pregnancy is associated with adverse perinatal and infant outcomes. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO were searched from their start dates to June 2010. Keywords utilized included depressiv…
Peer support for postpartum depression
A randomized controlled trial evaluated the effect of telephone-based peer support (mother-to-mother) on preventing postpartum depression among high-risk mothers. This paper reports volunteers' perceptions, which showed that peer support is an effective preventative intervention. Two-hundred and five (205) volunteers were recruited and trained to provide peer support to 349 mothers randomized to the intervention group. Volunteers' perceptions wer…
Effectiveness of a Breastfeeding Self-efficacy Intervention
Breastfeeding self-efficacy interventions are important for improving breastfeeding outcomes. However, the circumstances that may influence the effectiveness of the interventions are unclear, especially in the context of hospitals with suboptimal infant feeding practices. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the effect of a self-efficacy intervention on breastfeeding self-efficacy and exclusive breastfeeding, and further assessed the difference in its effe…
The Relationship Between Postpartum Depression, Domestic Violence, Childhood Violence, and Substance Use
The objective of this study was to determine the contribution of interpersonal violence and substance use to the prediction of postpartum depressive symptomatology. A community-based sample of 634 women in British Columbia, Canada was screened for interpersonal violence and substance use using the Antenatal Psychosocial Health Assessment (ALPHA) form. Of these women, 497 (78%) subsequently completed questionnaires at 8 weeks postpartum to assess …
International migration to Canada
There are over 214 million international migrants worldwide, half of whom are women, and all of them assigned by the receiving country to an immigration class. Immigration classes are associated with certain health risks and regulatory restrictions related to eligibility for health care. Prior to this study, reports of international migrant post-birth health had not been compared between immigration classes, with the exception of our earlier, sma…
Non-psychotic mental disorders in the perinatal period
Challenges Faced by Refugee New Parents from Africa in Canada
Narrative and Meta-Analytic Review of Interventions Aiming to Improve Maternal-Child Attachment Security
Early secure maternal–child attachment relationships lay the foundation for children's healthy social and mental development. Interventions targeting maternal sensitivity and maternal reflective function during the first year of infant life may be the key to promoting secure attachment. We conducted a narrative systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the effectiveness of interventions aimed at promoting maternal sensitivity and reflective …
Lanolin for the treatment of nipple pain in breastfeeding women
Nipple pain and damage are commonly experienced by breastfeeding women and are associated with negative breastfeeding outcomes. Health care providers often recommend the application of lanolin to treat painful/damaged nipples, yet no randomized controlled trial has evaluated the effectiveness of lanolin on nipple pain and breastfeeding outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of lanolin on nipple pain among breastfeeding wom…
Breast-feeding Coparenting Framework
Targeting mothers and fathers in breast-feeding promotion programs is recommended as research has found that father's support positively impacts breast-feeding duration and exclusivity. Breast-feeding coparenting refers to the manner in which parents work together to achieve their breast-feeding goals. The Breast-feeding Coparenting Framework was developed on the basis of diverse coparenting models and research related to father's involvement wit…
Prevalence of antenatal and postnatal anxiety
Preconception health interventions delivered in public health and community settings
Hypertension Prevalence, Health Service Utilization, and Participant Satisfaction
Responding to high prevalence of hypertension and patients' preference of integrating traditional Chinese medicine for blood pressure control, the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension With Sodium Reduction for Chinese Canadian (DASHNa-CC) intervention was newly designed as a culturally sensitive dietary educational intervention to facilitate middle-aged and senior Chinese Canadians' blood pressure control in community. The aim of this study was …
Prevalence and predictors of exclusive breastfeeding among immigrant and Canadian‐born Chinese women
Breastfeeding is the optimal method for infant feeding, yet migrant women may be at risk for suboptimal exclusivity rates. In a cohort of immigrant and Canadian-born Chinese women, our objectives were to (a) describe patterns and prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding at 1, 3, and 6 months postpartum; (b) identify risk and protective factors associated with exclusivity; and (c) examine potentially differential importance of these factors across th…
Infertility patients' need and preferences for online peer support
Perinatal depressive and anxiety symptoms of pregnant women during the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak in China
BACKGROUND: On January 20, 2020, a new coronavirus epidemic with human-to-human transmission was officially declared by the Chinese government, which caused significant public panic in China. In light of the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak, pregnant women may be particularly vulnerable and in special need for preventive mental health strategies. Thus far, no reports exist to investigate the mental health response of pregnant women to the corona…
The Influence of Parents and Schools on Adolescents’ Perceived Diet and Exercise Self-Efficacy
Introduction: In the United Arab Emirates, an alarming rate of 19% obesity among adolescents, associated with poor lifestyle, is apparent. Diet and exercise self-efficacy could influence adolescents’ engagement in healthy behaviors. This study evaluates adolescents’ perceptions of diet and exercise self-efficacy and explores the impact of parents and schools on self-efficacy. Method: A cluster sampling approach in cross-sectional design was used …
Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of an Interconception Intervention Provided by Public Health Nurses
Collective impact of chronic medical conditions and poverty on perinatal mental illness
BACKGROUND: Chronic medical conditions (CMCs) and poverty commonly co-occur and, while both have been shown to independently increase the risk of perinatal mental illness, their collective impact has not been examined. METHODS: This population-based study included 853 433 Ontario (Canada) women with a singleton live birth and no recent mental healthcare. CMCs were identified using validated algorithms and disease registries, and poverty was ascer…
Medicine (27 works) · Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum (18 works) · Pregnancy (14 works) · Psychology (14 works) · Breastfeeding Practices and Influences (13 works) · Psychiatry (12 works) · Breastfeeding (11 works) · Nursing (11 works) · Child Nutrition and Feeding Issues (9 works) · Demography (8 works)