Related Experiment Videos
The use of human ecology and epidemiology in nonorganic failure to thrive
1University of Texas at Austin, School of Nursing 78701, USA.
Insights
Public health nurses can use the Eco-Epi model to address nonorganic failure to thrive (NOFTT) in children. This model combines human ecology and epidemiology to guide interventions for multifactorial child development issues.
Area of Science:
- Public Health Nursing
- Child Development
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Nonorganic failure to thrive (NOFTT) affects children's growth, development, and intellectual outcomes.
- Children with NOFTT are often in WIC programs and high-risk family caseloads.
- Public health nurses need effective models to address NOFTT's complex causes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce the Eco-Epi model as a framework for public health nursing interventions.
- To provide a structured approach for assessing and intervening in cases of NOFTT.
- To demonstrate the model's applicability to other multifactorial public health issues.
Main Methods:
- The Eco-Epi model integrates human ecology and epidemiology.
- It examines epidemiological concepts (agent, host, environment) within ecological systems (microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem).
- The model facilitates assessment of families and design of targeted interventions.
Main Results:
- The Eco-Epi model offers a comprehensive approach to understanding NOFTT.
- It enables nurses to identify and address the multiple factors contributing to NOFTT.
- Examples illustrate the model's practical application in family assessment and intervention planning.
Conclusions:
- The Eco-Epi model provides a robust framework for public health nurses caring for children with NOFTT.
- It supports evidence-based interventions by considering the child's broader ecological context.
- The model is adaptable for addressing other complex public health challenges in at-risk populations.
Abstract:
Children with nonorganic failure to thrive (NOFTT) comprise a population at risk for small stature, poor growth, slower development, and lower intellectual outcomes. These children are often seen in the Women, Infants, and Children Supplemental Nutrition Program (WIC) and child health clinics and in caseloads of high-risk families. Public health nurses may not be sure how to intervene in the problem of NOFTT because of its multifactorial etiology. A model of nursing care that addresses the many factors that affect the development of NOFTT can enable the public health nurse to appropriately care for the child with NOFTT. The Eco-Epi model, a combination of human ecology and epidemiology, is a conceptual model that can provide a framework for the public health nurse to plan interventions. Even though children with NOFTT are the target population for this model, it can be applied to other public health nursing populations at risk for multifactorial problems. In the Eco-Epi model, the epidemiological concepts of agent (food), host (child), and environment (home) are examined in the context of the microsystem (parent-child interaction, daily activities of the family), the mesosystem (interactions between different environments), and the exosystem (the child's community). The concepts of microsystem, mesosystem, and exosystem are from the theory of human ecology. Examples of how the model works to assess a family and design interventions are provided.