Transcript Slide 1

Where Is MCH
In Relation to the Life-Course Perspective?
Michael C. Lu, MD, MPH
Associate Professor
Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Department of Community Health Sciences
UCLA School of Public Health
National MCH Life Course Meeting
Oakland, CA
June 9, 2008
Major Disconnects in MCH
 Longitudinal Disconnect
 Contextual Disconnect
 Methodological Disconnect
Longitudinal
Disconnect
Life Course Perspective
Lu MC, Halfon N. Racial and ethnic disparities in birth outcomes: a life-course perspective.
Matern Child Health J. 2003;7:13-30.
Developmental Programming
Programming
 The process whereby a stimulus or insult, at a
sensitive or ‘critical’ period, has lasting or
lifelong impact on health or function.
Barker DJP. Mothers, babies and health in later life. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. 1998.
Prenatal Programming of
Childhood Obesity
Prenatal Programming of Childhood
Obesity
Maternal Diabetes &
Intrauterine Hyperglycemia
Intrauterine Hyperinsulinemia (Fetal
Pancreatic β Cells)
Preadipocyte
Differentiation
Adipocyte
Hyperplasia
Prenatal& Postnatal
Hyperleptinemia
Programmed
Insulin
Resistance
Postnatal
Hyperinsulinemia
Hypothalamic
Leptin Resistance
Pancreatic βCell Leptin
Resistance
Hyperphagia
Hyperinsulinism
Adipogenesis
Epigenetics
Epigenetics
Same Genome, Different Epigenome
R.A. Waterland, R.A. Jirtle, "Transposable elements: targets for early nutritional effects on
epigenetic gene regulation," Mol Cell Biol, 23:5293-300, 2003. Reprinted in the New Scientist 2004
Allostasis:
Maintain Stability through Change
McEwen BS. Protective and damaging effects of stress mediators. N Eng J Med. 1998;338:171-9.
Allostastic Load:
Wear and Tear from Chronic Stress
McEwen BS. Protective and damaging effects of stress mediators. N Eng J Med. 1998;338:171-9.
Stressed vs. Stressed Out
 Stressed
 Stressed Out
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Increased cardiac output
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Hypertension &
cardiovascular diseases
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Increased available
glucose
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Glucose intolerance &
insulin resistance
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Enhanced immune
functions
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Infection & inflammation
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Growth of neurons in
hippocampus &
prefrontal cortex
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Atrophy & death of
neurons in hippocampus
& prefrontal cortex
Allostasis & Allostatic Load
McEwen BS, Lasley EN. The end of stress: As we know it. Washington DC: John Henry Press. 2002
“Weathering”
The effects of social inequality on the health of
populations may compound with age, leading
to growing gaps in health status through young
and middle adulthood that can affect fetal
health.
Geronimus AT (1996)
Contextual
Disconnect
Epidemiological Model
Environment
Host
Agent
(Parasite)
Multiple Determinants
Evans RG, Stoddart GL. Producing health, consuming health care. Soc Sci Med.
1990;31:1347-63.
Ecological Model
Bronfenbrenner U. Ecology of Human Development: Experiments by Nature and Design.
Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press. 1979.
Toxic Environments
Methodological
Disconnect
Transdisciplinary Research

Multidisciplinary Research
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Interdisciplinary Research
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
researchers from different fields work independently or sequentially, each
from his or her own disciplinary perspective, to address a particular research
topic
entails greater sharing of information and closer coordination among
researchers from various fields than occurs in multidisciplinary projects, yet
the participants remain anchored in their respective disciplinary models and
methodologies
Transdisciplinary Research

researchers work together to develop a shared conceptual
framework that integrates and extends discipline-based concepts,
theories, and methods to address a common research topic.
Transdisciplinary research collaborations are intended to achieve
the highest levels of intellectual integration across multiple fields
and yield shared conceptual formulations that move beyond the
disciplinary perspectives represented by team members.
Stokols D. Toward a science of transdisciplinary action research. Am J Community Psychol. 2006
Sep;38(1-2):63
Community-Based
Participatory Research (CBPR)
 A collaborative process that equitably involves all
partners in the research process and recognizes the
unique strengths that each brings. CBPR begins with a
research topic of importance to the community with the
aim of combining knowledge and action for social change
to improve community health and eliminate health
disparities
Minkler M, Wallerstein N, eds. Community Based Participatory Research for Health. San Francisco,
Calif: Jossey-Bass Publishers; 2003
Praxis
 Integration of theory and practice
Now What?
Integration
Integration
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Longitudinal Integration
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Measurements
Data Infrastructure
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Longitudinal modeling
Contextual Integration
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Measurements
Bias & confounding
Multilevel modeling
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Data linkages
Longitudinal studies
National Children’s Study
Interactions
Gene-environment
Cumulative risks
Methodological Integration
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Transdisciplinary Research
Community-Based Participatory Research
Praxis
Integrated Science of
MCH Life Course
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Theory
Research
Practice
Policy
Education