Amika Wright
PhD EpidemiologyLecturer, Child Development, ERU
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Dr. Amika S. Wright is a Lecturer in the Epidemiology Research Unit (ERU) and an active member of the Child Development Research Group. Recently completing her PhD in Epidemiology from the University of the West Indies (UWI), her research has centred on maternal feeding styles and their influence on childhood overweight trajectories among Caribbean infants, with a particular focus on culturally relevant interventions.
Amika holds a Bachelor’s degree in Zoology and Botany (2001) and an MPhil in Zoology (2009), both from UWI, Mona. She has over 13 years of research experience centred on early childhood cognitive and behavioural development, maternal feeding practices, and their implications for childhood overweight and obesity. Her research offers vital insights into how caregiver practices influence children’s health outcomes, contributing to both regional and international conversations on child development and public health.
Amika has authored various peer-reviewed publications, significantly advancing maternal feeding style research in the Caribbean and child development research internationally. Her work explores the intersections of maternal influences on infant health, cognitive development and weight outcomes, offering valuable insights to regional and international dialogues on child development and public health. She has also developed and adapted research tools tailored to the Jamaican context and has trained research and project staff locally and internationally in administering questionnaires and conducting parent-child observations.
Amika's ongoing projects reflect her commitment to translating research into practice, aiming to establish sustainable public health interventions within the Caribbean.
Selected Publications
Wright AS, Guthrie-Dixon N, Tulloch-Reid MK, Chang SM, Walker SP (2023). Maternal Feeding Styles in Infancy Predict Child Body Mass Index Z-Scores at 72 Months: Findings from a Cohort of Jamaican Children. Frontiers in Public Health, 11:1161808. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2023.1161808
Wright AS, Tulloch-Reid MK, Chang SM, Walker SP (2023). Maternal infant feeding styles and the risk of overweight in Caribbean infants. Lifestyle Medicine, e77. doi:10.1002/lim2.77
Walker SP, Chang SM, Wright AS, Pinto R, Heckman JJ, Grantham-McGregor S (2022). Cognitive, Psychosocial and Behaviour Gains at Age 31 Years from the Jamaica Early Childhood Stimulation Trial. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 63(6):626-635. doi:10.1111/jcpp.13499
Wright AS, Tulloch-Reid MK, Chang SM, Walker SP (2021). Maternal Characteristics Influence Infant Feeding Styles in Caribbean Women. Public Health Nutrition, 24(18):6034-6045. doi:10.1017/S1368980021002391
Gertler P, Heckman J, Pinto R, Chang-Lopez S, Grantham-McGregor S, Vermeersch C, Walker S, Wright A. (2021). Effect of the Jamaica Early Childhood Stimulation Intervention on Labor Market Outcomes at Age 31. World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 9787, Volume 1. https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/105461633005046760/pdf/Effect-of-the-Jamaica-Early-Childhood-Stimulation-Intervention-on-Labor-Market-Outcomes-at-Age-31.pdf
Smith JA, Rocke KD, Charles SM, Chang SM, Wright AS, Walker SP, Taveras EM, Tulloch-Reid MK (2018). Role of Fathers in Overweight Prevention: An analysis of a Caribbean Cohort. Global Health, Epidemiology and Genomics, 3. doi:10.1017/gheg.2018.12
Walker SP, Chang SM, Wright A, Osmond C, Grantham-McGregor S (2015). Early childhood stunting is associated with lower developmental levels in the subsequent generation of children. The Journal of Nutrition, 145(4):823-828. doi:10.3945/jn.114.200261
Research & Teaching Interests
Her research focuses on early childhood obesity, examining cognitive development and maternal influences that shape family health outcomes. Her commitment lies in developing intervention strategies that promote positive caregiver-child interactions and healthy feeding behaviours to mitigate the risk of childhood overweight and obesity.
Contact
Telephone
(876) 927-2471
amika.wright@uwimona.edu.jm
