This review examined evidence of the association between maternal pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity status and child neurodevelopmental outcomes. PubMed and PsycINFO databases were systematically searched for empirical studies published before April 2017 using keywords related to prenatal obesity and children's neurodevelopment. Of 1483 identified papers, 41 were included in the systematic review, and 32 articles representing 36 cohorts were included in the meta-analysis. Findings indicated that compared with children of normal weight mothers, children whose mothers were overweight or obese prior to pregnancy were at increased risk for compromised neurodevelopmental outcomes (overweight: OR = 1.17, 95% CI [1.11, 1.24], I = 65.51; obese: OR = 1.51; 95% CI [1.35, 1.69], I = 79.63). Pre-pregnancy obesity increased the risk of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (OR = 1.62; 95% CI [1.23, 2.14], I = 70.15), autism spectrum disorder (OR = 1.36; 95% CI [1.08, 1.70], I = 60.52), developmental delay (OR = 1.58; 95% CI [1.39, 1.79], I = 75.77) and emotional/behavioural problems (OR = 1.42; 95% CI [1.26, 1.59], I = 87.74). Given the current obesity prevalence among young adults and women of childbearing age, this association between maternal obesity during pregnancy and atypical child neurodevelopment represents a potentially high public health burden.

Schools and programs of public health are expanding online course offerings, particularly in response to the transition to remote learning due to COVID-19. While previous research in the health professions suggests that online and in-person modalities are equally effective in supporting student learning, there is minimal evidence of this in public health education. This evaluation examines the effectiveness of newly developed online or hybrid course sections offered to Master of Public Health (MPH) and Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) students enrolled in on-campus programs. We compared the effectiveness of these new offerings with that of the on-campus in-person courses and hybrid courses in the Executive MPH program. The purposes of this mixed-methods evaluation were to (1) assess student learning across the three course modalities and (2) examine student, instructor, and staff experiences with the modalities. The data included pre- and postcourse student surveys on 17 sections of five courses (precourse response rate: 51% to 98%; postcourse response rate: 12% to 57%), the participating students’ grades, five student focus groups, one focus group with academic advisors, and 11 instructor interviews. The findings indicate that the new online modality was equivalent to the in-person sections for student learning, satisfaction, and engagement. Mean student ratings of confidence in meeting the course learning objectives increased from the beginning to the end of the semester in all sections for all courses. Regardless of the modality, the students reported that the course improved their understanding of key concepts and that they were satisfied with their course. We discuss the lessons learned and recommendations for ensuring high-quality online learning experiences.

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