Maureen M Black
Biographic Data
| ID | 228698 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Maureen M Black |
| GIVEN NAMES | Maureen M |
| FAMILY NAME | Black |
| SIGNATURE | BLACK M M |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Maryland, Baltimore |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-6427-4639 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 91 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 213 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 91 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1993 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 9 |
GSED Core Model: A Unified D-score Scale for Early Child Development From Seven Sites
The diversity of measures used to assess early childhood development complicates comparison across studies, populations, and programs. The Global Scales for Early Development (GSED) address this challenge by providing interoperable long and short forms (GSED-LF and GSED-SF) linked through a shared measurement model to a common developmental metric, the D-score. This article presents an updated GSED core model based on Rasch analysis of data from …
Measuring and monitoring child health and well-being—an integral part of the climate change agenda
Climate change has far-reaching consequences for all aspects of human society (Romanello et al. 2023). Children are uniquely vulnerable to climate change for a multitude of physiological and developmental reasons as well as because of distinctive behaviors such as outdoor play that increase their exposure to climate-related stressors (EPA 2023). Several reviews have summarized the multiple direct and indirect pathways through which climate change…
Enhancing comparability in early child development assessment with the D-score
The lack of a valid and interpretable score to track early child development over time is a primary reason for neglecting child development in policymaking. Many instruments exist, but there is no accepted method for comparing their scores across different ages, samples, and instruments. This paper aims (1) to enhance the Development Score (D-score), a unidimensional scale for early child development, to compare measurements across ages, samples,…
Parent‐Reported Feeding Practices Associated With Children's Observed Willingness‐to‐Try‐New‐Foods in Childcare
Feeding behaviours are established early in life, with lifelong influences on children's appetite, growth and health, emphasizing the importance of understanding how parent-child feeding interactions relate to children's eating and growth patterns. The objective was to examine reciprocity between parent-reported feeding practices and children's observed willingness-to-try-new-foods in childcare settings without parental presence, thereby assessin…
Childcare staff feeding practices associated with Children's willingness-to-try-new-foods
Parental feeding practices are associated with children's eating, but little is known about how childcare staff feeding practices relate to children's eating. The study examined the associations between childcare staff feeding practices and children's willingness-to-try-new-foods. Participants included children (n = 460), ages 3-5 years, and childcare staff (n = 91) recruited from 51 childcare centers in 10 Maryland counties. Feeding practices we…
Maternal adverse childhood experiences and lifetime experiences of racial discrimination: Associations with current household hardships and intergenerational health
Growing evidence shows parents' exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and lifetime experiences of racial discrimination (EOD) negatively impacts not only their own health, but also their children's health. ACEs and EOD can be conceptualized as a reflection of shared underlying adversities and structural injustices that manifest in inequitable educational and employment opportunities and differential treatment by public policies and pro…
But who takes care of the mom: The daily experiences of immigrant mothers navigating health in family life
Commentary: A nurturing care perspective on bundling interventions – a reflection on Jeong et al. (2023)
Bundling multiple interventions have been implemented and evaluated in response to global recognition that young children benefit from the multiple components of nurturing care. Engaging Fathers for Effective Child Nutrition and Development in Tanzania Study evaluated the impact of adding a parenting intervention to a nutrition program and involving fathers on children's development. The study found that the bundled nutrition‐parenting interventi…
Childcare centre attendance and health, growth, and development among children aged 0–3 years in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review
Breastfeeding duration and associations with prevention of accelerated growth among infants from low-income, racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds
Objective: To describe breastfeeding rates from early to late infancy and to examine associations between breastfeeding duration and infant growth, including rapid weight gain (RWG, > 0·67 SD increase in weight-for-age Z -score), among infants from low-income, racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds. Design: A short, prospective cohort study was conducted assessing breastfeeding status at infant ages 2, 4, 6, 9 and 12 months. Infant length an…
Psychometrics of psychosocial behavior items under age 6 years: Evidence from Nebraska, USA
Because healthy psychosocial development in the first years of life is critical to lifelong well‐being, governmental, and nongovernmental organizations are increasingly interested in monitoring psychosocial behaviors among populations of children. In response, the World Health Organization is developing the Global Scales of Early Development Psychosocial Form (GSED PF) to facilitate population‐level psychosocial monitoring. Once validated, the GS…
The creation of the Global Scales for Early Development (GSED) for children aged 0–3 years: Combining subject matter expert judgements with big data
INTRODUCTION: With the ratification of the Sustainable Development Goals, there is an increased emphasis on early childhood development (ECD) and well-being. The WHO led Global Scales for Early Development (GSED) project aims to provide population and programmatic level measures of ECD for 0-3 years that are valid, reliable and have psychometrically stable performance across geographical, cultural and language contexts. This paper reports on the …
Association Between Material Hardship in Families With Young Children and Federal Relief Program Participation by Race and Ethnicity and Maternal Nativity
The results of this cohort study suggest that the COVID-19 crisis exacerbated preexisting inequities in food insecurity and difficulty paying rent according to race and ethnicity and maternal nativity and that equity-focused policy changes are needed to ensure that all children and their families in the US can afford basic needs for optimal health
Associations between early introduction to complementary foods, subsequent cereal-added bottle feeding and daily macronutrient intake among infants
Nutrition in adolescent growth and development
Food Desert Status of Family Child Care Homes: Relationship to Young Children’s Food Quality
Family child care homes (FCCHs) are a favored child care choice for parents of young children in the U.S. Most FCCH providers purchase and prepare foods for the children in their care. Although FCCH providers can receive monetary support from the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), a federal subsidy program, to purchase nutritious foods, little is known about FCCH providers' access to nutritious foods, especially among FCCH providers servi…
Pre-pandemic to early-pandemic changes in risk of household food insecurity among Maryland families with children
Objective: The objective was to examine risk and protective factors associated with pre- to early-pandemic changes in risk of household food insecurity (FI). Design: We re-enrolled families from two statewide studies (2017–2020) in an observational cohort (May–August 2020). Caregivers reported on risk of household FI, demographics, pandemic-related hardships, and participation in safety net programmes (e.g. Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic S…
Nurturing children's development through healthy eating and active living: Time for policies to support effective interventions in the context of responsive emotional support and early learning
Fostering the growth, development, health, and wellbeing of children is a global priority. The early childhood period presents a critical window to influence lifelong trajectories, however urgent multisectoral action is needed to ensure that families are adequately supported to nurture their children's growth and development. With a shared vision to give every child the best start in life, thus helping them reach their full developmental potentia…
Patterns of caregivers' feeding practices and associated characteristics among preschool-age children in the United States
A click too far from fresh foods: A mixed methods comparison of online and in-store grocery behaviors among low-income households
A recent policy in the U.S. authorized monthly benefits from a nutrition assistance program - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) - to be used online to increase grocery access and promote healthy eating. This study examined online grocery attitudes and purchasing behaviors among low-income SNAP-eligible households with young children with and without online grocery experience. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was used,…
The principles of Nurturing Care promote human capital and mitigate adversities from preconception through adolescence
A comprehensive evidence-based framework is needed to guide policies and programmes that enable children and adolescents to accrue the human capital required to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This paper proposes a comprehensive, multisectoral, multilevel life-course conceptualisation of human capital development by building on the Nurturing Care Framework (NCF), originally developed for the foundational period of growth and develo…
Associations between Paternal Anxiety and Infant Weight Gain
The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between parental anxiety (father-only, mother-only, or both) and infant weight change. We performed a secondary data analysis among 551 children in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a birth cohort with weight measurements collected prospectively at 4, 8, and 12 months of age. Paternal and maternal anxiety symptoms were based on the eight-item anxiety subscale of the Crown-Cr…
Home and Neighborhood Physical Activity Location Availability among African American Adolescent Girls Living in Low-Income, Urban Communities: Associations with Objectively Measured Physical Activity
Based on the ecological model of active living, the neighborhood environment may relate to individual physical activity (PA) behaviors. The purposes of this study were to (1) generate a replicable neighborhood-level physical activity location availability score (PALAS) from data variables associated with physical activity among adolescents and adults, and apply this score to Baltimore City, Maryland, and (2) determine if relationships exist betwe…
Eviction in early childhood and neighborhood poverty, food security, and obesity in later childhood and adolescence: Evidence from a longitudinal birth cohort
Eviction affects a substantial share of U.S. children, but its effects on child health are largely unknown. Our objectives were to examine how eviction relates to 1) children's health and sociodemographic characteristics at birth, 2) neighborhood poverty and food security at age 5, and 3) obesity in later childhood and adolescence. We analyzed data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a longitudinal cohort of children born in 20 l…
Maternal anxiety and diet quality among mothers and toddlers from low‐income households
We evaluated the association between maternal anxiety score and diet quality over time among mothers and toddlers in low-income families. Longitudinal data were collected from 267 mother-toddler dyads in an obesity prevention trial. Participants were recruited from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children and paediatric clinics between 2007 and 2010. Dyads were assessed at study enrolment (Time 1), 6-month (Time …
US Housing Insecurity and the Health of Very Young Children
Objectives. We investigated the association between housing insecurity and the health of very young children. Methods. Between 1998 and 2007, we interviewed 22 069 low-income caregivers with children younger than 3 years who were seen in 7 US urban medical centers. We assessed food insecurity, child health status, developmental risk, weight, and housing insecurity for each child's household. Our indicators for housing insecurity were crowding (> …
Social influences on the sexual behavior of youth at risk for HIV exposure
OBJECTIVES. Adolescents are increasingly at risk for infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted diseases, especially in poor urban minority communities. To aid the design of interventions in these communities, this study investigated the role of knowledge, attitudes, perceived parental monitoring, and peer behavior in the onset and progression of sexual behavior in children at risk for exposure to HIV. METHOD…
Infant feeding practices of low-income, African-American, adolescent mothers: An Ecological, Multigenerational Perspective
Food Insecurity and Risk of Poor Health Among US-Born Children of Immigrants
Objectives. We investigated the risk of household food insecurity and reported fair or poor health among very young children who were US citizens and whose mothers were immigrants compared with those whose mothers had been born in the United States. Methods. Data were obtained from 19 275 mothers (7216 of whom were immigrants) who were interviewed in hospital-based settings between 1998 and 2005 as part of the Children's Sentinel Nutrition Assess…
Factorial structure of the Perceived Neighborhood Scale (PNS): A test of longitudinal invariance
This article analyzes the invariance of the factor structure of the Perceived Neighborhood Scale (PNS)—a measure of neighborhood perceptions for parents of young children—across two waves of data. Scale items were theoretically derived to represent four dimensions of neighborhood context: social embeddedness, sense of community, satisfaction with neighborhood, and fear of crime. The longitudinal invariance of the factor structure of the scale was…
Talking” computers: A reliable and private method to conduct interviews on sensitive topics with children
To obtain valid results, interviews on sex‐related topics not only require confidentiality but also privacy. However, the typical solutions to this problem, self‐administered questionnaires or telephone interviews, may not be appropriate for pre‐ and early adolescents who may require face‐to‐face (FTF) interviews. In this research, we tested the hypothesis that interviews delivered by talking computers would elicit more reports of sexual experien…
African American adolescent mothers and grandmothers: A multigenerational approach to parenting
This study is an adaptation and extension of Apfel and Seitz's ( Family Relations , 40 (4), 421–429, 1991) models of adolescent parenting and adolescent‐grandmother relationships to a sample of 148 African American, first‐time adolescent mothers and their 6‐month‐old infants. The Parental Supplemental model, in which adolescent mothers and grandmothers shared caregiving, described 63% of Apfel and Seitz's (1991) sample and 66% of the current samp…
The Effect of Maternal Victimization on Children: A Cross-Informant Study
Civil Unrest in the Context of Chronic Community Violence: Impact on Maternal Depressive Symptoms
Objectives. To examine changes in maternal–child health surrounding the April 2015 civil unrest in Baltimore, Maryland, following Freddie Gray’s death while in police custody. Methods. We conducted cross-sectional Children’s HealthWatch surveys January 2014 through December 2015 in pediatric emergency departments and primary care clinics on maternal–child health and June 2015 through October 2015 on daily and community routines. We used trend ana…
Social and Psychological Factors Associated With Aids Risk Behaviors Among Low-Income, Urban, African American Adolescents
We examined the social and psychological factors associated with sexual intercourse and substance use among 269 low-income, urban, African American adolescents, aged 11 to 14 years. Older youths reported more sexual intercourse. Age was controlled in all analyses. Sexually active youths reported more conflict with parents and sexual intercourse among friends. Youths involved with illegal substances reported that more friends used illegal substanc…
Perceptions of Sexual Behavior among Urban Early Adolescents: Translating Theory through Focus Groups
Risk activities for acquisition of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remain prevalent among urban adolescents. Early adolescents represent a particularly vulnerable group, exhibiting high rates of unprotected sexual activity. In spite of a growing recognition of the need to examine cultural, environmental, and developmental variables contributing to both risk and protective behaviors, little such research has been described to date. Guided b…
Factors affecting the link between physical discipline and child externalizing problems in Black and White families
We examined contextual factors that may affect the impact of physical discipline on later child behavior problems among high-risk Black and White families. We examined race, parental warmth, and early child problems as potential moderators of the discipline–behavior problem link. The sample included 442 White and Black children and their caregivers interviewed at ages 4, 6, and 8 years. Results indicated that physical discipline operated similarl…
Home- and center-based learning opportunities for preschoolers in low- and middle-income countries
Nurturing children's development through healthy eating and active living: Time for policies to support effective interventions in the context of responsive emotional support and early learning
Fostering the growth, development, health, and wellbeing of children is a global priority. The early childhood period presents a critical window to influence lifelong trajectories, however urgent multisectoral action is needed to ensure that families are adequately supported to nurture their children's growth and development. With a shared vision to give every child the best start in life, thus helping them reach their full developmental potentia…
Persistence of Drug Trafficking Behaviors and Intentions among Urban African American Early Adolescents
Longitudinal data obtained 6 months apart from 132 urban African American adolescents, 9 through 15 years of age, were analyzed to assess the stability and predictability of behaviors, intentions, and perceptions regarding drug trafficking. Drug trafficking behaviors, intentions, and perceptions were relatively stable over time. Although rates of drug trafficking were low (7%o), about two-thirds of the youth involved at baseline were still involv…
Measurement of Early Childhood Development and Learning under the Sustainable Development Goals
Children’s early development serves as the foundation for later health, learning and well-being. The inclusion of early childhood development (ECD) in the Sustainable Development Goals implies that countries must report on the percentage of children under 5 years of age who are “developmentally on track.” This note briefly reflects on the history of global ECD goals and their measurement and outlines the challenge ahead: creating a workable strat…
Mixed Method Approaches to Understanding Cancer-Related Dietary Risk Reduction among Public Housing Residents
Drug Trafficking and Drug Use among Urban African American Early Adolescents
The relation between drug trafficking (selling and delivering) and drug use among young adolescents has remained poorly characterized to date. In the current study, the associations between drug trafficking, cigarettes and/or alcohol use, and illicit drug use have been explored in three different areas—self-reported behaviors, personal feelings, and perception of friends' involvement—based on a sample of 455 African American youths 9 through 15 y…
Maternal adverse childhood experiences and lifetime experiences of racial discrimination: Associations with current household hardships and intergenerational health
Growing evidence shows parents' exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and lifetime experiences of racial discrimination (EOD) negatively impacts not only their own health, but also their children's health. ACEs and EOD can be conceptualized as a reflection of shared underlying adversities and structural injustices that manifest in inequitable educational and employment opportunities and differential treatment by public policies and pro…
A click too far from fresh foods: A mixed methods comparison of online and in-store grocery behaviors among low-income households
A recent policy in the U.S. authorized monthly benefits from a nutrition assistance program - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) - to be used online to increase grocery access and promote healthy eating. This study examined online grocery attitudes and purchasing behaviors among low-income SNAP-eligible households with young children with and without online grocery experience. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was used,…
Perceptions of Sexual Behavior among Urban Early Adolescents: Translating Theory through Focus Groups
Risk activities for acquisition of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remain prevalent among urban adolescents. Early adolescents represent a particularly vulnerable group, exhibiting high rates of unprotected sexual activity. In spite of a growing recognition of the need to examine cultural, environmental, and developmental variables contributing to both risk and protective behaviors, little such research has been described to date. Guided b…
Drug Trafficking and Drug Use among Urban African American Early Adolescents
The relation between drug trafficking (selling and delivering) and drug use among young adolescents has remained poorly characterized to date. In the current study, the associations between drug trafficking, cigarettes and/or alcohol use, and illicit drug use have been explored in three different areas—self-reported behaviors, personal feelings, and perception of friends' involvement—based on a sample of 455 African American youths 9 through 15 y…
Social influences on the sexual behavior of youth at risk for HIV exposure
OBJECTIVES. Adolescents are increasingly at risk for infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted diseases, especially in poor urban minority communities. To aid the design of interventions in these communities, this study investigated the role of knowledge, attitudes, perceived parental monitoring, and peer behavior in the onset and progression of sexual behavior in children at risk for exposure to HIV. METHOD…
Persistence of Drug Trafficking Behaviors and Intentions among Urban African American Early Adolescents
Longitudinal data obtained 6 months apart from 132 urban African American adolescents, 9 through 15 years of age, were analyzed to assess the stability and predictability of behaviors, intentions, and perceptions regarding drug trafficking. Drug trafficking behaviors, intentions, and perceptions were relatively stable over time. Although rates of drug trafficking were low (7%o), about two-thirds of the youth involved at baseline were still involv…
Social and Psychological Factors Associated With Aids Risk Behaviors Among Low-Income, Urban, African American Adolescents
We examined the social and psychological factors associated with sexual intercourse and substance use among 269 low-income, urban, African American adolescents, aged 11 to 14 years. Older youths reported more sexual intercourse. Age was controlled in all analyses. Sexually active youths reported more conflict with parents and sexual intercourse among friends. Youths involved with illegal substances reported that more friends used illegal substanc…
Talking” computers: A reliable and private method to conduct interviews on sensitive topics with children
To obtain valid results, interviews on sex‐related topics not only require confidentiality but also privacy. However, the typical solutions to this problem, self‐administered questionnaires or telephone interviews, may not be appropriate for pre‐ and early adolescents who may require face‐to‐face (FTF) interviews. In this research, we tested the hypothesis that interviews delivered by talking computers would elicit more reports of sexual experien…
Longscan
Child neglect: Relation to child temperament and family context
Relationships among neglect and child and family characteristics were examined in a sample of 121 urban, low-income families with a child under 30 months. Maternal reports of more difficult child temperament predicted emotional neglect; family context was indirectly related, as mothers in well functioning families with more support reported their children as being less difficult. Neither child temperament nor family context was related to physica…
Children in low-income, urban settings: Interventions to promote mental health and well-being
African American Fathers in Low Income, Urban Families: Development, Behavior, and Home Environment of Their Three-Year-Old Children
This study examined the relationship between paternal roles, regardless of residence, and the well-being of 175 3-year-old children from low income, African American families. There were no differences in children's cognition, receptive language, behavior, or home environment related to father presence. Fathers (or father figures) were identified in 73% of the families, and 64% participated in an interview and videotaped observation. The relation…
Infant feeding practices of low-income, African-American, adolescent mothers: An Ecological, Multigenerational Perspective
Psychologists in medical schools: Comment
Effects of stunting, diarrhoeal disease, and parasitic infection during infancy on cognition in late childhood: A follow-up study
Factorial structure of the Perceived Neighborhood Scale (PNS): A test of longitudinal invariance
This article analyzes the invariance of the factor structure of the Perceived Neighborhood Scale (PNS)—a measure of neighborhood perceptions for parents of young children—across two waves of data. Scale items were theoretically derived to represent four dimensions of neighborhood context: social embeddedness, sense of community, satisfaction with neighborhood, and fear of crime. The longitudinal invariance of the factor structure of the scale was…
Cumulative environmental risk in substance abusing women: Early intervention, parenting stress, child abuse potential and child development
The Effect of Maternal Victimization on Children: A Cross-Informant Study
Food Insecurity Is Associated with Adverse Health Outcomes among Human Infants and Toddlers
Maternal Depression, Changing Public Assistance, Food Security, and Child Health Status
Objective. To examine the association of positive report on a maternal depression screen (PDS) with loss or reduction of welfare support and foods stamps, household food insecurity, and child health measures among children aged ≤36 months at 6 urban hospitals and clinics. Methods. A convenience sample of 5306 mothers, whose children <36 months old were being seen in hospital general clinics or emergency departments (EDs) at medical centers in 5 s…
Factors affecting the link between physical discipline and child externalizing problems in Black and White families
We examined contextual factors that may affect the impact of physical discipline on later child behavior problems among high-risk Black and White families. We examined race, parental warmth, and early child problems as potential moderators of the discipline–behavior problem link. The sample included 442 White and Black children and their caregivers interviewed at ages 4, 6, and 8 years. Results indicated that physical discipline operated similarl…
Strategies to avoid the loss of developmental potential in more than 200 million children in the developing world
African American adolescent mothers and grandmothers: A multigenerational approach to parenting
This study is an adaptation and extension of Apfel and Seitz's ( Family Relations , 40 (4), 421–429, 1991) models of adolescent parenting and adolescent‐grandmother relationships to a sample of 148 African American, first‐time adolescent mothers and their 6‐month‐old infants. The Parental Supplemental model, in which adolescent mothers and grandmothers shared caregiving, described 63% of Apfel and Seitz's (1991) sample and 66% of the current samp…
Maternal Symptoms of Stress, Depression, and Anxiety Are Related to Nonresponsive Feeding Styles in a Statewide Sample of WIC Participants
Household Food Insecurity: Associations With At-Risk Infant and Toddler Development
OBJECTIVES. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between household food security status and developmental risk in young children, after controlling for potential confounding variables. METHODS. The Children's Sentinel Nutritional Assessment Program interviewed (in English, Spanish, or Somali) 2010 caregivers from low-income households with children 4 to 36 months of age, at 5 pediatric clinic/emergency department sites (in Arkansas, Massa…
A Brief Indicator of Household Energy Security: Associations With Food Security, Child Health, and Child Development in US Infants and Toddlers
OBJECTIVE. Household energy security has not been measured empirically or related to child health and development but is an emerging concern for clinicians and researchers as energy costs increase. The objectives of this study were to develop a clinical indicator of household energy security and assess associations with food security, health, and developmental risk in children <36 months of age. METHODS. A cross-sectional study that used househol…
Setting Priorities in Global Child Health Research Investments: Guidelines for Implementation of the CHNRI Method
This article provides detailed guidelines for the implementation of systematic method for setting priorities in health research investments that was recently developed by Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative (CHNRI). The target audience for the proposed method are international agencies, large research funding donors, and national governments and policy-makers. The process has the following steps: (i) selecting the managers of the proce…
Medicine (70 works) · Psychology (50 works) · Environmental health (47 works) · Developmental psychology (40 works) · Demography (33 works) · Psychiatry (27 works) · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet (25 works) · Child Nutrition and Water Access (22 works) · Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations (22 works) · Geography (21 works)