Dr. Lindsay’s research has focused on examining the multiple influences on child health, with a special focus on early childhood nutrition including the development of research addressing health behaviors and parental influences among low-income, multi-ethnic mothers and children linked to burgeoning rates of obesity and chronic disease in the U.S. and Latin America. In her role as Research Scientist in Public Health Nutrition, Dr. Lindsay has extensive experience in the design, implementation and evaluation of community-based research focusing on child health, nutrition and behavioral outcomes. Dr. Lindsay has conducted several studies focusing on child health and nutrition in both the United States and Latin America, including:
- Latina mothers’ child feeding practices and child overweight (PI)
- Brazilian mothers’ child feeding practices within the context of a rapid nutrition transition (PI)
- Adoption and sustainability of the Healthy Choices-II, multi-component school-based intervention (Co-PI)
- Social and economic predictors of dietary carbohydrate among low-income, multi-ethnic, post-partum women (Co-PI)
- Developing strategies for the adoption of the new international growth reference (Co-PI)
- Household management of diarrheal diseases in Ceara, Northeast Brazil: Mothers’ knowledge, beliefs and care practices (PI)
- Uses of data evaluating community-based growth monitoring in Brazil (PI)
- Process evaluation of Ceara’s program of combat of nutritional deficiencies (PI)
- Infant mortality and inadequate weight gain among children 0-24 months of age in Ceara, Northeast Brazil (PI)
Currently, Dr. Lindsay is principal investigator for two projects addressing the role of maternal feeding behaviors on the development of early childhood overweight among Latina mothers in the United States (National Cancer Institute) and among Brazilian mothers (David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies). These studies are among the first to systematically examine Latina and Brazilian mothers’ perceptions of maternal and infant weight status and feeding practices, and how these, in turn, may influence dietary intake and the development of overweight in children. Furthermore, these studies assess how socio-demographic, social cultural and feeding environment are associated with these relationships. Research design for both projects consists of qualitative research in three sequential phases including focus groups, in-depth interviews and cognitive interviews.
Dr. Lindsay is also currently co-principal investigator for two additional studies in Brazil. The first study is investigating the child feeding practices of HIV+ mothers in Ceara, Northeast Brazil.. The second study aims to examine the prevalence of accident and hospitalization of children ages 0-5 years of age in the Cariri Region of Ceara, Northeast Brazil.
Recently Dr. Lindsay has developed and submitted a research proposal to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to establish a longitudinal cohort in order to characterize the growth patterns of children; describe risk factors and behaviors associated with underweight and overweight; and examine socio-cultural influences on mothers’ feeding practices and child growth and the development of overweight in preschool years in countries undergoing the nutrition transition. In addition, she has applied to NIH for a research study aimed at examining socio-cultural and feeding environment influence on overweight.