This semester I
began to work with Dr. Gaffney and other scholars on a maternal-child equity
study. On a weekly basis I attend Inova
Cares Clinic for Children and conduct interviews, while I also have the
opportunity to shadow doctors and nurses. My job entails checking if the
patient is eligible for the study, going over consent forms, administering the
survey, and helping improve the survey. The purpose of this study is to assess the
risk factors that cause obesity in Latino infants. The possible risk factors
that are being assessed include: feeding practices, mother’s wellbeing, food
insecurity, infant physical activity, and amount of sleep the mother and the
baby receive.
As I have been
working on this project I’ve learned many new things. Something very
interesting that I learned this week, pertaining to the research, is that when
an infant crosses two or more growth centiles during the first 6 months of his
or her life the baby is more likely to become obese by the age of three. This
problem hasn’t been assessed in the Latino infants yet, and it is a problem
that I have personally observed in the Latino community. It’s important to note
what risk factors cause obesity in babies, so mothers know how they can raise
healthy babies. If we start promoting a healthier lifestyle at a young age,
future generations will become healthier.
Before I began
helping with this research project, I knew I wanted to work in the healthcare
field, but I still wasn’t sure what exactly I wanted to become. Being able to
work on this study, being at the clinic, and watching nurses and doctors on the
job helped me decide what I wanted to do. I now dream of becoming a nurse
practitioner and I hope to continue conducting health-related research
involving the Latino community in my future.
