Kammi Schmeer | Ohio State University (original) (raw)

Papers by Kammi Schmeer

Research paper thumbnail of Maternal and Child Health and the Architecture of Daily Life among Rural Nicaraguans: A Biocultural Investigation

Principle Investigator Co-Principal Investigators Warren Wilson, PhD Barbara Piperata, PhD Jason ... more Principle Investigator Co-Principal Investigators Warren Wilson, PhD Barbara Piperata, PhD Jason DeCaro, PhD Kammi Schmeer, PhD Associate Professor Associate Professor Associate Professor Associate Professor Dept. Anthropology & Archaeology Dept. Anthropology Dept. Anthropology Dept. Sociology Univ. Calgary Ohio State Univ. Univ. Alabama Ohio State Univ. wwilson@ucalgary.ca piperata.1@gmail.com jason.a.decaro@ua.edu schmeer.1@osu.edu

Research paper thumbnail of Household food insecurity and child health

Maternal & Child Nutrition, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Intra-population variation in anemia status and its relationship to economic status and self-perceived health in the Mexican Family Life Survey: Implications for bioarchaeology

American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Maternal resources and household food security: evidence from Nicaragua

Public Health Nutrition, 2015

ObjectiveWomen (especially mothers) are theorized as critical to reducing household food insecuri... more ObjectiveWomen (especially mothers) are theorized as critical to reducing household food insecurity through their work and caregiver roles. The present study tests these assumptions, assessing how maternal economic and social resources are associated with food insecurity in households with young children.DesignData from a population-based sample of households was collected in León, Nicaragua (n443). Data include a newly validated measure of household food insecurity (ELCSA), maternal resource measures, and household economic status and demographics. Regression analysis tests the statistical associations (P<0·05) of maternal resources with household, adult-specific and child-specific food insecurity.SettingMunicipality of León, Nicaragua.SubjectsHouseholds with children aged 3–11 years in rural and urban León.ResultsOnly 25 % of households with young children were food secure, with 50 % mildly food insecure and 25 % moderately/severely food insecure. When mothers contributed subst...

Research paper thumbnail of Dietary inequalities of mother–child pairs in the rural Amazon: Evidence of maternal-child buffering?

Social Science & Medicine, 2013

Research paper thumbnail of Married women's resource position and household food expenditures in Cebu, Philippines

Journal of Marriage and Family, 2005

ABSTRACT This study analyzes how married women use their access to and control over economic reso... more ABSTRACT This study analyzes how married women use their access to and control over economic resources to increase household spending on food. Using data from Cebu, Philippines, where child malnutrition is high, this study finds that the more income women earn and control, the more households spend on food. Women&#39;s control over their income is particularly important for increasing food expenditures in the poorest households. In richer households, women who earn little of their own income also use spouse income transfers to increase food expenditures. The findings from this study suggest that in a developing country setting, improving women&#39;s economic status so that they earn and control more household resources can increase household spending on goods that benefit children.

Research paper thumbnail of Do Cool Kids Eat Vegetables? Healthy Living and Popularity Among American Eighth Grader

Research paper thumbnail of Changing Childhood Household Contexts and Individual Well-Being in Mexico and the Philippines

Page 1. CHANGING CHILDHOOD HOUSEHOLD CONTEXTS AND INDIVIDUAL WELL-BEING IN MEXICO AND THE PHILIPP... more Page 1. CHANGING CHILDHOOD HOUSEHOLD CONTEXTS AND INDIVIDUAL WELL-BEING IN MEXICO AND THE PHILIPPINES Kammi Schmeer A dissertation submitted to the faculty of the University of North Carolina at ...

Research paper thumbnail of Exposure to police-related deaths and physiological stress among urban black youth

Research paper thumbnail of Family Disruption and Parenting During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Journal of Family Issues

Using unique data from an economically and racially diverse sample of 448 caregivers with young c... more Using unique data from an economically and racially diverse sample of 448 caregivers with young children (ages 4–9 years) in Ohio, we assess multiple sources of family social and economic disruptions and their associations with parenting activities during the COVID-19 stay-at-home order. Caregivers reported extensive social and economic challenges during this time, while also increasing (on average) their time spent in play/learning activities. Time spent in discipline was less likely to increase during this period. We found significant associations among disadvantaged social conditions/experiences and parenting, and that some effects were moderated by 2019 household income status. Unexpectedly, changes in economic conditions, particularly caregiver job loss, were associated with higher odds of increases in reading/telling stories time across household income groups. Overall, findings indicate that social conditions associated with the stay-at-home period of COVID-19 might have been...

Research paper thumbnail of Prevalence of Food Insecurity by Household Structure: Counterintuitive Findings for Two-‘Parent’ Families

Current Developments in Nutrition

Objectives Since the financial crash of 2008, an increased number of U.S. families are living in ... more Objectives Since the financial crash of 2008, an increased number of U.S. families are living in more consolidated households to minimize expenses. Food security levels of such multigenerational households are underexplored. This study examined differences in household-level food security status by household structure in a nationally-representative sample. Methods Analyses were conducted for data from 17,323 adult respondents in the nationally-representative NHANES 2011–2016. Only cases from households with children (younger than 18 years) were included. Respondents were assigned to the following household structure categories: two ‘parent’ figures (i.e., at least two adults between the age of 18 and 59), single ‘parent’ (i.e., one adult between the ages of 18 and 59), grandparent-as-caregiver (i.e., no adult 18–59 years, but one or more adults 60 or older), or multigenerational household (i.e., one or more adults between the ages of 18 and 59 and one or more adults aged 60 or older...

Research paper thumbnail of Racial disparities in physiologic stress measures of cortisol regulation and immune function

Research paper thumbnail of Age at first sex and adult mental health in Nicaragua

Research paper thumbnail of Tranquility is a child with a full belly: Pathways linking food insecurity and maternal mental distress in Nicaragua

Ecology of Food and Nutrition

Research paper thumbnail of Racial-ethnic Disparities in Inflammation: Evidence of Weathering in Childhood?

Journal of Health and Social Behavior

Research paper thumbnail of Maternal postpartum stress and toddler developmental delays: Results from a multisite study of racially diverse families

Developmental Psychobiology

Research paper thumbnail of Conditions of Poverty, Parent–Child Interactions, and Toddlers’ Early Language Skills in Low-Income Families

Maternal and Child Health Journal

Research paper thumbnail of Family Contexts and Sleep during Adolescence

Research paper thumbnail of Multipartner Fertility in Nicaragua: Complex Family Formation in a Low-Income Setting

International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health

Multipartner fertility (having children with more than one partner) is an important topic in demo... more Multipartner fertility (having children with more than one partner) is an important topic in demographic research, but little is known about its incidence and correlates in low-income settings, where rates may be high because of poverty, union instability and early childbearing. Data from the 2011-2012 Encuesta Nicaragüense de Demografía y Salud were used to calculate the prevalence of multipartner fertility among 8,320 mothers and 2,141 fathers with two or more children. Logistic and multinomial regression were used to identify individual and family characteristics associated with multipartner fertility. Among those with multiple children, 33% of mothers and 41% of fathers had had children with more than one partner. The prevalence of multipartner fertility was elevated among less-educated women, nonreligious men, and women and men who had grown up in urban areas (odds ratios, 1.3-1.6). Multipartner fertility was associated with lower current household wealth among mothers, and with increased risk of single parenthood and higher fertility among mothers and fathers. Fathers who had had multiple fertility partners were six times as likely as fathers with one fertility partner to report not providing financial support to, or sharing their surname with, at least one of their biological children. Multipartner fertility is a critical demographic and social phenomenon that may contribute to and reflect important gender and family structure inequalities in Nicaragua. Mothers with multipartner fertility may be at especially high risk of raising children without the children&#39;s fathers and with low levels of economic support.

Research paper thumbnail of Food insecurity and maternal mental health in León, Nicaragua: Potential limitations on the moderating role of social support

Social Science & Medicine, 2016

Poor mental health among those living in poverty is a serious global public health concern. Food ... more Poor mental health among those living in poverty is a serious global public health concern. Food insecurity (FI) is recognized as an important, yet critically understudied social determinant of mental health. The relationship between FI and mothers&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; mental health in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) is especially important to understand considering the high rates of poverty and associated FI in these settings. For these mothers, social support may serve as a buffer in ameliorating the impact of FI on mental distress. However, data required to understand these relationships in LMIC remain sparse. To address this gap we used quantitative and qualitative data and convergence parallel analysis to assess: the association between FI and maternal mental distress; and, whether three forms of social support - mother&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s general social network support and family support (spouse/partner living in the home, parents/in-laws living in the home) - moderated the association. A survey that included data on FI (ELCSA) and mental distress (SRQ-20) was administered to a population-based sample of mothers in León, Nicaragua (n = 434) in 2012. The survey was complemented by data from 6 focus groups. Regression models identified a strong positive relationship between household-level FI and maternal distress. Evidence of social support moderation was mixed: while maternal social network and spousal/partner support did not moderate this relationship, parental support did. Our ethnographic data revealed three themes that help explain these findings: FI is embarrassing/shameful, close family is the most appropriate source of social support and, fear of gossip and ridicule limit the buffering capacity of the social support network. Our findings contribute to a growing literature demonstrating that FI is an important social determinant of maternal mental distress in LMIC; and that some forms of social support may reduce (but not eliminate) the impact of FI on mental distress.

Research paper thumbnail of Maternal and Child Health and the Architecture of Daily Life among Rural Nicaraguans: A Biocultural Investigation

Principle Investigator Co-Principal Investigators Warren Wilson, PhD Barbara Piperata, PhD Jason ... more Principle Investigator Co-Principal Investigators Warren Wilson, PhD Barbara Piperata, PhD Jason DeCaro, PhD Kammi Schmeer, PhD Associate Professor Associate Professor Associate Professor Associate Professor Dept. Anthropology & Archaeology Dept. Anthropology Dept. Anthropology Dept. Sociology Univ. Calgary Ohio State Univ. Univ. Alabama Ohio State Univ. wwilson@ucalgary.ca piperata.1@gmail.com jason.a.decaro@ua.edu schmeer.1@osu.edu

Research paper thumbnail of Household food insecurity and child health

Maternal & Child Nutrition, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Intra-population variation in anemia status and its relationship to economic status and self-perceived health in the Mexican Family Life Survey: Implications for bioarchaeology

American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Maternal resources and household food security: evidence from Nicaragua

Public Health Nutrition, 2015

ObjectiveWomen (especially mothers) are theorized as critical to reducing household food insecuri... more ObjectiveWomen (especially mothers) are theorized as critical to reducing household food insecurity through their work and caregiver roles. The present study tests these assumptions, assessing how maternal economic and social resources are associated with food insecurity in households with young children.DesignData from a population-based sample of households was collected in León, Nicaragua (n443). Data include a newly validated measure of household food insecurity (ELCSA), maternal resource measures, and household economic status and demographics. Regression analysis tests the statistical associations (P<0·05) of maternal resources with household, adult-specific and child-specific food insecurity.SettingMunicipality of León, Nicaragua.SubjectsHouseholds with children aged 3–11 years in rural and urban León.ResultsOnly 25 % of households with young children were food secure, with 50 % mildly food insecure and 25 % moderately/severely food insecure. When mothers contributed subst...

Research paper thumbnail of Dietary inequalities of mother–child pairs in the rural Amazon: Evidence of maternal-child buffering?

Social Science & Medicine, 2013

Research paper thumbnail of Married women's resource position and household food expenditures in Cebu, Philippines

Journal of Marriage and Family, 2005

ABSTRACT This study analyzes how married women use their access to and control over economic reso... more ABSTRACT This study analyzes how married women use their access to and control over economic resources to increase household spending on food. Using data from Cebu, Philippines, where child malnutrition is high, this study finds that the more income women earn and control, the more households spend on food. Women&#39;s control over their income is particularly important for increasing food expenditures in the poorest households. In richer households, women who earn little of their own income also use spouse income transfers to increase food expenditures. The findings from this study suggest that in a developing country setting, improving women&#39;s economic status so that they earn and control more household resources can increase household spending on goods that benefit children.

Research paper thumbnail of Do Cool Kids Eat Vegetables? Healthy Living and Popularity Among American Eighth Grader

Research paper thumbnail of Changing Childhood Household Contexts and Individual Well-Being in Mexico and the Philippines

Page 1. CHANGING CHILDHOOD HOUSEHOLD CONTEXTS AND INDIVIDUAL WELL-BEING IN MEXICO AND THE PHILIPP... more Page 1. CHANGING CHILDHOOD HOUSEHOLD CONTEXTS AND INDIVIDUAL WELL-BEING IN MEXICO AND THE PHILIPPINES Kammi Schmeer A dissertation submitted to the faculty of the University of North Carolina at ...

Research paper thumbnail of Exposure to police-related deaths and physiological stress among urban black youth

Research paper thumbnail of Family Disruption and Parenting During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Journal of Family Issues

Using unique data from an economically and racially diverse sample of 448 caregivers with young c... more Using unique data from an economically and racially diverse sample of 448 caregivers with young children (ages 4–9 years) in Ohio, we assess multiple sources of family social and economic disruptions and their associations with parenting activities during the COVID-19 stay-at-home order. Caregivers reported extensive social and economic challenges during this time, while also increasing (on average) their time spent in play/learning activities. Time spent in discipline was less likely to increase during this period. We found significant associations among disadvantaged social conditions/experiences and parenting, and that some effects were moderated by 2019 household income status. Unexpectedly, changes in economic conditions, particularly caregiver job loss, were associated with higher odds of increases in reading/telling stories time across household income groups. Overall, findings indicate that social conditions associated with the stay-at-home period of COVID-19 might have been...

Research paper thumbnail of Prevalence of Food Insecurity by Household Structure: Counterintuitive Findings for Two-‘Parent’ Families

Current Developments in Nutrition

Objectives Since the financial crash of 2008, an increased number of U.S. families are living in ... more Objectives Since the financial crash of 2008, an increased number of U.S. families are living in more consolidated households to minimize expenses. Food security levels of such multigenerational households are underexplored. This study examined differences in household-level food security status by household structure in a nationally-representative sample. Methods Analyses were conducted for data from 17,323 adult respondents in the nationally-representative NHANES 2011–2016. Only cases from households with children (younger than 18 years) were included. Respondents were assigned to the following household structure categories: two ‘parent’ figures (i.e., at least two adults between the age of 18 and 59), single ‘parent’ (i.e., one adult between the ages of 18 and 59), grandparent-as-caregiver (i.e., no adult 18–59 years, but one or more adults 60 or older), or multigenerational household (i.e., one or more adults between the ages of 18 and 59 and one or more adults aged 60 or older...

Research paper thumbnail of Racial disparities in physiologic stress measures of cortisol regulation and immune function

Research paper thumbnail of Age at first sex and adult mental health in Nicaragua

Research paper thumbnail of Tranquility is a child with a full belly: Pathways linking food insecurity and maternal mental distress in Nicaragua

Ecology of Food and Nutrition

Research paper thumbnail of Racial-ethnic Disparities in Inflammation: Evidence of Weathering in Childhood?

Journal of Health and Social Behavior

Research paper thumbnail of Maternal postpartum stress and toddler developmental delays: Results from a multisite study of racially diverse families

Developmental Psychobiology

Research paper thumbnail of Conditions of Poverty, Parent–Child Interactions, and Toddlers’ Early Language Skills in Low-Income Families

Maternal and Child Health Journal

Research paper thumbnail of Family Contexts and Sleep during Adolescence

Research paper thumbnail of Multipartner Fertility in Nicaragua: Complex Family Formation in a Low-Income Setting

International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health

Multipartner fertility (having children with more than one partner) is an important topic in demo... more Multipartner fertility (having children with more than one partner) is an important topic in demographic research, but little is known about its incidence and correlates in low-income settings, where rates may be high because of poverty, union instability and early childbearing. Data from the 2011-2012 Encuesta Nicaragüense de Demografía y Salud were used to calculate the prevalence of multipartner fertility among 8,320 mothers and 2,141 fathers with two or more children. Logistic and multinomial regression were used to identify individual and family characteristics associated with multipartner fertility. Among those with multiple children, 33% of mothers and 41% of fathers had had children with more than one partner. The prevalence of multipartner fertility was elevated among less-educated women, nonreligious men, and women and men who had grown up in urban areas (odds ratios, 1.3-1.6). Multipartner fertility was associated with lower current household wealth among mothers, and with increased risk of single parenthood and higher fertility among mothers and fathers. Fathers who had had multiple fertility partners were six times as likely as fathers with one fertility partner to report not providing financial support to, or sharing their surname with, at least one of their biological children. Multipartner fertility is a critical demographic and social phenomenon that may contribute to and reflect important gender and family structure inequalities in Nicaragua. Mothers with multipartner fertility may be at especially high risk of raising children without the children&#39;s fathers and with low levels of economic support.

Research paper thumbnail of Food insecurity and maternal mental health in León, Nicaragua: Potential limitations on the moderating role of social support

Social Science & Medicine, 2016

Poor mental health among those living in poverty is a serious global public health concern. Food ... more Poor mental health among those living in poverty is a serious global public health concern. Food insecurity (FI) is recognized as an important, yet critically understudied social determinant of mental health. The relationship between FI and mothers&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; mental health in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) is especially important to understand considering the high rates of poverty and associated FI in these settings. For these mothers, social support may serve as a buffer in ameliorating the impact of FI on mental distress. However, data required to understand these relationships in LMIC remain sparse. To address this gap we used quantitative and qualitative data and convergence parallel analysis to assess: the association between FI and maternal mental distress; and, whether three forms of social support - mother&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s general social network support and family support (spouse/partner living in the home, parents/in-laws living in the home) - moderated the association. A survey that included data on FI (ELCSA) and mental distress (SRQ-20) was administered to a population-based sample of mothers in León, Nicaragua (n = 434) in 2012. The survey was complemented by data from 6 focus groups. Regression models identified a strong positive relationship between household-level FI and maternal distress. Evidence of social support moderation was mixed: while maternal social network and spousal/partner support did not moderate this relationship, parental support did. Our ethnographic data revealed three themes that help explain these findings: FI is embarrassing/shameful, close family is the most appropriate source of social support and, fear of gossip and ridicule limit the buffering capacity of the social support network. Our findings contribute to a growing literature demonstrating that FI is an important social determinant of maternal mental distress in LMIC; and that some forms of social support may reduce (but not eliminate) the impact of FI on mental distress.