Deborah L O’Connor
Biographic Data
| ID | 5409791 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Deborah L O’Connor |
| GIVEN NAMES | Deborah L |
| FAMILY NAME | O’Connor |
| SIGNATURE | O’CONNOR D L |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Toronto |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-6331-091X |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 25 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 57 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 25 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1995 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Caregiver feeding practices, dietary intake and weight status of very low birthweight infants compared to term-born peers at school-entry
Critical research gaps in treating growth faltering in infants under 6 months
In 2020, 149.2 million children worldwide under 5 years suffered from stunting, and 45.4 million experienced wasting. Many infants are born already stunted, while others are at high risk for growth faltering early after birth. Growth faltering is linked to transgenerational impacts of poverty and marginalization. Few interventions address growth faltering in infants under 6 months, despite a likely increasing prevalence due to the negative global…
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 …
Breastfeeding rates are high in a prenatal community support program targeting vulnerable women and offering enhanced postnatal lactation support
This study provides initial evidence that postnatal lactation support can be delivered within a CPNP site, with high uptake by clients. While all participants initiated breastfeeding and 84% continued for 6 months, adherence to the recommended 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding was low. Further research is needed to better understand the barriers to exclusive breastfeeding and how to support this practice among vulnerable women. Study registered…
Age of cow milk introduction and growth among 3–5-year-old children
Objective: To evaluate the association between the age of cow milk introduction and childhood growth. Design: A secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study. Setting: Toronto, Canada. Participants: Healthy children z -score. Secondary outcomes were volume of cow milk consumed (cups/d) and BMI z -score. Outcomes were measured at the last visit before 5 years of age. Multiple linear regression was used to examine these relationships. Results: A…
Maternal BMI is positively associated with human milk fat
Breastfeeding
Vulnerable mothers' experiences breastfeeding with an enhanced community lactation support program
The Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP) provides a variety of health and nutrition supports to vulnerable mothers and strongly promotes breastfeeding but does not have a formal framework for postnatal lactation support. Breastfeeding duration and exclusivity rates in Canada fall well below global recommendations, particularly among socially and economically vulnerable women. We aimed to explore CPNP participant experiences with breastfeeding…
Whole milk compared with reduced-fat milk and childhood overweight
Reply to A Lucas and SA Abrams
Suboptimal maternal and cord plasma pyridoxal 5′ phosphate concentrations are uncommon in a cohort of Canadian pregnant women and newborn infants
Vitamin B 6 is important in fetal development, but little is known of the vitamin B 6 status of pregnant women and newborns in North America and potential modifying factors. This prospective study determined maternal and cord plasma concentrations of pyridoxal 5' phosphate (PLP; an indicator of vitamin B 6 status) in a convenience sample of 368 Canadian pregnant women and their newborns. The association of maternal intake of vitamin B 6 and fetal…
Hydroxyvitamin D supplementation and health-service utilization for upper respiratory tract infection in young children
Objective Upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) are the most common and costly condition of childhood. Low vitamin D levels have been hypothesized as a risk factor for URTI. The primary objective was to determine if serum vitamin D levels were associated with health-service utilization (HSU) for URTI including hospital admission, emergency department visits and outpatient sick visits. The secondary objectives were to determine whether oral vi…
O1-5.5 Determinants of high folate concentration in the Canadian population
Introduction Canadians' red blood cell (RBC) folate has shifted towards high concentrations (>1360 nmol/l based on the 97th percentile of Americans post-fortification (NHANES)). Determinants of these high concentrations are poorly understood, though an association has been posited between high intakes of folic acid and adverse health outcomes. This research investigated determinants of high folate concentrations in Canadians. Methods RBC folate c…
P1-117 Determinants of folate concentration in Canadian women of childbearing age
Objectives One-fifth of Canadian women of childbearing age have a red blood cell (RBC) folate below concentrations considered optimal for maximal neural tube defect risk reduction ( 3 times per day (82.9%)) and grain products ( 3 times per day (77.6%)). Detailed regression analysis results will be presented at the conference. Interpretation These results will inform nutrition policies, particularly those related to folic acid fortification of sel…
Broadening the dementia debate
Impact of maternal metabolic abnormalities in pregnancy on human milk and subsequent infant metabolic development
An improved understanding of the link between maternal metabolic abnormalities in pregnancy and early infant nutrition may assist in the development of optimal prevention and intervention strategies and in the protection of nutritionally vulnerable offspring who are at risk for obesity and diabetes later in life
How Much Folate Is in Canadian Fortified Products 10 Years after Mandated Fortification
Health-promoting palliative care
Although the development and spread of health-promoting palliative care is well known in Australia, as a form of community support facilitated by palliative care services, little is known about its actual practice outside that country. This article summarizes the main rationale and concepts of health-promoting palliative care, lists some of the key policy and academic writing on the subject, and provides one example of its practice. Health-promot…
Self-identifying as a caregiver
Aging in a Foreign Country
Older Iranian women, who immigrated to Canada in later adulthood, experience unique issues as they age. In order to better understand this experience, in-depth, personal and semi-structured interviews were conducted with five immigrant/refugee Iranian women who immigrated to Canada in their later life. Analysis revealed that although each woman's story conveyed individual differences and idiosyncrasies, all the stories highlighted the critical in…
Toward Social Justice
Social work is committed to promoting social justice, inclusion and the empowerment of people. Qualitative research methods offer exciting possibilities for operationalizing this commitment. Drawing predominantly on constructivist and/or critical paradigms for understanding, qualitative research fosters a rebalancing of power within the researcher/researchee relationship and encourages a focus on marginalized understandings and experiences. More …
Four Years After Enhanced Folic Acid Fortification of the Canadian Food Supply — How Are We Doing
Caregiving Arrangement and Nutrition
Caring for a Memory-Impaired Spouse
Since caregiving is often viewed as an extension of the female's traditional role of caring, it could easily be assumed that women would have the advantage in the role of primary caregiver to an impaired partner. Research however does not support this. Rather, studies have found that women, and particularly wives, who are caring for a memory impaired relative have repeatedly identified greater distress in the caregiving role than their male count…
Self-identifying as a caregiver
Toward Social Justice
Social work is committed to promoting social justice, inclusion and the empowerment of people. Qualitative research methods offer exciting possibilities for operationalizing this commitment. Drawing predominantly on constructivist and/or critical paradigms for understanding, qualitative research fosters a rebalancing of power within the researcher/researchee relationship and encourages a focus on marginalized understandings and experiences. More …
How Much Folate Is in Canadian Fortified Products 10 Years after Mandated Fortification
Caring for a Memory-Impaired Spouse
Since caregiving is often viewed as an extension of the female's traditional role of caring, it could easily be assumed that women would have the advantage in the role of primary caregiver to an impaired partner. Research however does not support this. Rather, studies have found that women, and particularly wives, who are caring for a memory impaired relative have repeatedly identified greater distress in the caregiving role than their male count…
Caregiving Arrangement and Nutrition
Four Years After Enhanced Folic Acid Fortification of the Canadian Food Supply — How Are We Doing
Toward Social Justice
Social work is committed to promoting social justice, inclusion and the empowerment of people. Qualitative research methods offer exciting possibilities for operationalizing this commitment. Drawing predominantly on constructivist and/or critical paradigms for understanding, qualitative research fosters a rebalancing of power within the researcher/researchee relationship and encourages a focus on marginalized understandings and experiences. More …
Aging in a Foreign Country
Older Iranian women, who immigrated to Canada in later adulthood, experience unique issues as they age. In order to better understand this experience, in-depth, personal and semi-structured interviews were conducted with five immigrant/refugee Iranian women who immigrated to Canada in their later life. Analysis revealed that although each woman's story conveyed individual differences and idiosyncrasies, all the stories highlighted the critical in…
Self-identifying as a caregiver
Health-promoting palliative care
Although the development and spread of health-promoting palliative care is well known in Australia, as a form of community support facilitated by palliative care services, little is known about its actual practice outside that country. This article summarizes the main rationale and concepts of health-promoting palliative care, lists some of the key policy and academic writing on the subject, and provides one example of its practice. Health-promot…
How Much Folate Is in Canadian Fortified Products 10 Years after Mandated Fortification
Broadening the dementia debate
Impact of maternal metabolic abnormalities in pregnancy on human milk and subsequent infant metabolic development
An improved understanding of the link between maternal metabolic abnormalities in pregnancy and early infant nutrition may assist in the development of optimal prevention and intervention strategies and in the protection of nutritionally vulnerable offspring who are at risk for obesity and diabetes later in life
O1-5.5 Determinants of high folate concentration in the Canadian population
Introduction Canadians' red blood cell (RBC) folate has shifted towards high concentrations (>1360 nmol/l based on the 97th percentile of Americans post-fortification (NHANES)). Determinants of these high concentrations are poorly understood, though an association has been posited between high intakes of folic acid and adverse health outcomes. This research investigated determinants of high folate concentrations in Canadians. Methods RBC folate c…
P1-117 Determinants of folate concentration in Canadian women of childbearing age
Objectives One-fifth of Canadian women of childbearing age have a red blood cell (RBC) folate below concentrations considered optimal for maximal neural tube defect risk reduction ( 3 times per day (82.9%)) and grain products ( 3 times per day (77.6%)). Detailed regression analysis results will be presented at the conference. Interpretation These results will inform nutrition policies, particularly those related to folic acid fortification of sel…
Suboptimal maternal and cord plasma pyridoxal 5′ phosphate concentrations are uncommon in a cohort of Canadian pregnant women and newborn infants
Vitamin B 6 is important in fetal development, but little is known of the vitamin B 6 status of pregnant women and newborns in North America and potential modifying factors. This prospective study determined maternal and cord plasma concentrations of pyridoxal 5' phosphate (PLP; an indicator of vitamin B 6 status) in a convenience sample of 368 Canadian pregnant women and their newborns. The association of maternal intake of vitamin B 6 and fetal…
Hydroxyvitamin D supplementation and health-service utilization for upper respiratory tract infection in young children
Objective Upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) are the most common and costly condition of childhood. Low vitamin D levels have been hypothesized as a risk factor for URTI. The primary objective was to determine if serum vitamin D levels were associated with health-service utilization (HSU) for URTI including hospital admission, emergency department visits and outpatient sick visits. The secondary objectives were to determine whether oral vi…
Vulnerable mothers' experiences breastfeeding with an enhanced community lactation support program
The Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP) provides a variety of health and nutrition supports to vulnerable mothers and strongly promotes breastfeeding but does not have a formal framework for postnatal lactation support. Breastfeeding duration and exclusivity rates in Canada fall well below global recommendations, particularly among socially and economically vulnerable women. We aimed to explore CPNP participant experiences with breastfeeding…
Whole milk compared with reduced-fat milk and childhood overweight
Reply to A Lucas and SA Abrams
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 …
Breastfeeding rates are high in a prenatal community support program targeting vulnerable women and offering enhanced postnatal lactation support
This study provides initial evidence that postnatal lactation support can be delivered within a CPNP site, with high uptake by clients. While all participants initiated breastfeeding and 84% continued for 6 months, adherence to the recommended 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding was low. Further research is needed to better understand the barriers to exclusive breastfeeding and how to support this practice among vulnerable women. Study registered…
Age of cow milk introduction and growth among 3–5-year-old children
Objective: To evaluate the association between the age of cow milk introduction and childhood growth. Design: A secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study. Setting: Toronto, Canada. Participants: Healthy children z -score. Secondary outcomes were volume of cow milk consumed (cups/d) and BMI z -score. Outcomes were measured at the last visit before 5 years of age. Multiple linear regression was used to examine these relationships. Results: A…
Maternal BMI is positively associated with human milk fat
Breastfeeding
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…
Critical research gaps in treating growth faltering in infants under 6 months
In 2020, 149.2 million children worldwide under 5 years suffered from stunting, and 45.4 million experienced wasting. Many infants are born already stunted, while others are at high risk for growth faltering early after birth. Growth faltering is linked to transgenerational impacts of poverty and marginalization. Few interventions address growth faltering in infants under 6 months, despite a likely increasing prevalence due to the negative global…
Caregiver feeding practices, dietary intake and weight status of very low birthweight infants compared to term-born peers at school-entry
Medicine (15 works) · Environmental health (8 works) · Internal Medicine (8 works) · Biology (7 works) · Pediatrics (7 works) · Breastfeeding Practices and Influences (6 works) · Child Nutrition and Feeding Issues (6 works) · Population (6 works) · Pregnancy (6 works) · Psychology (6 works)