title: Maternal predictors of toddler health status.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purposes of this study were to examine the relationships among maternal and environmental variables in the first 6 months postpartum and toddler health status, and to identify predictors of toddler health.
  
  
  METHODS
  A secondary analysis was conducted on an existing dataset of a longitudinal parent-child survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Maternal stress predicted 8% of the variance in child health status at 18 months of age. Children in nonparental care more than 20 hr per week were perceived as less healthy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pediatric nurses should assess levels of maternal stress in the early months postpartum and anticipate poorer health status in toddlers who spend more than 20 hr per week in nonparental care.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas at Austin, School of Nursing, Austin, TX, USA. efowles@mail.nur.utexas.edu
authors.forename: Eileen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fowles
authors.forename: Lorraine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Walker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002656:Child Day Care Centers; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007224:Infant Care; D007229:Infant Welfare; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000523:psychology