Search

Prenatal health behaviors can strongly influence risk of poor pregnancy birth outcomes. Although stress has been implicated in structuring the likelihood that individuals will engage in various prenatal health behavior patterns, no studies to date have examined life stress exposure occurring across the entire lifespan, and few have investigated how different types of stressors are comparatively associated with these outcomes. To address these issues, we interviewed 164 women at one of two large Midwestern, urban hospitals after delivering their first infant. We used the Stress and Adversity Inventory (STRAIN) to assess women's lifetime stress exposure severity and ordinary least squares regression models to examine associations between participants' life stress exposure and prenatal health behaviors. As hypothesized, greater lifetime stress exposure was associated with engaging in more negative prenatal health behaviors and fewer positive prenatal health behaviors while controlling for relevant sociodemographic factors and current perceived stress levels. These effects were stronger for negative versus positive health behaviors, and they differed substantially as a function of stressor type, exposure timing, and primary life domain. Stressors occurring over the life course thus have negative consequences for prenatal health behaviors, but these effects are not uniform across different types of life stress exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

* BACKGROUND: There are no outcomes measures that focus on the unique functional requirements of dancers. * OBJECTIVES: To evaluate test-retest reliability, internal consistency, construct validity, sensitivity, and responsiveness of the Dance Functional Outcome Survey (DFOS) in professional and preprofessional adult dancers. * METHODS: This prospective cohort study examined test-retest reliability of the DFOS in 198 healthy and injured dancers over 2 weeks, using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC2,1). In a sample of 725 healthy and injured dancers, the following were examined: (1) construct validity, by comparing the DFOS to the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) using Pearson correlations; (2) exploratory factor analysis and internal consistency; and (3) sensitivity, by generating receiver operating characteristic curves and determining area under the curve (AUC). In a subgroup of 47 injured dancers, we determined internal responsiveness across 4 time points using repeated-measures analysis of variance (P<.05). Injured dancers' scores were analyzed for floor and ceiling effects. * RESULTS: The DFOS demonstrated high test-retest reliability (ICC≥0.93). Single-factor loading in exploratory factor analysis supported unidimensionality of the scale, with high internal consistency (α = .96). The DFOS total score and activities-of-daily-living (ADL) and dance technique subscores had strong construct validity compared with scores on the SF-36 physical component summary (r≥0.77). This study found excellent sensitivity, with high AUC values (AUC≥0.91). There were significant differences across time for DFOS scores (P<.001), demonstrating responsiveness to change. There were no floor or ceiling effects. * CONCLUSION: The DFOS demonstrates acceptable psychometric performance as an outcome and screening measure for dancers. The DFOS is a useful tool to monitor both healthy state and functional limitation following lower extremity or low back injury in adult ballet and modern dancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The National Cancer Institute's 2014 Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating Study utilized a 27-item Dietary Screener tailored to adolescent eating patterns that assessed the frequency of intake of several foods and beverages in parent-adolescent dyads. This study estimated intake of fruits and vegetables (FVs), dairy, added sugars, and whole grains for screener respondents using existing, nationally representative, 24-hour dietary recall data.Methods: Dietary Screener items were converted from frequency responses to daily intake. Intake (dependent variable) was estimated using regression coefficients and portion sizes of foods and beverages (independent variables) generated from the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2-day 24-hour recall data set. Means (SDs) were used to examine daily dietary factor intake among parent and adolescents. Analysis was conducted in 2015-2016. The analytic sample consisted of 1,732 parents (aged ≥18 years) and their adolescent aged 12-17 years (n=1,632).Results: Male parents consumed 3.6 cups of FVs, 1.8 cups of dairy, 22.6 teaspoons of added sugars, and 2.1 ounces of whole grains daily; female parents consumed 2.8 cups of FVs, 1.3 cups of dairy, 14.8 teaspoons of added sugars, and 1.4 ounces of whole grains daily. Male adolescents consumed 2.2 cups of FVs, 1.9 cups of dairy, 17.9 teaspoons of added sugars, and 1.0 ounces of whole grains daily; female adolescents consumed 2.2 cups FVs, 1.6 cups of dairy, 14.2 teaspoons of added sugars, and 0.8 ounces of whole grains daily.Conclusions: Utilizing a dietary screener tailored to adolescent eating patterns in parent-adolescent dyads provided estimated dietary factor intake, underscoring existing 24-hour dietary recall data can be used to calibrate dietary habits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines a survey to asses the effectiveness of Cooking Matters for Adults (CMA), a cooking-based nutrition education program for low-income adults. The need for the development of common metrics to advance cooking-based nutrition education programs was mentioned. The components of the survey include dietary patterns, sociodemographics and psychometrics. It was found that the CMA Survey may be useful for similar nutrition-based programs.

Backpack programs across the United States distribute easy-to-prepare foods in a backpack to potentially food-insecure students on Fridays to help reduce weekend hunger. This study used Healthy Eating Index 2010 (HEI-2010) to assess foods provided in Montana backpack programs. Healthy Eating Index 2010 measures compliance with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines and is a tool to assess the diet quality of foods provided in supplemental food assistance programs. We hypothesized that HEI-2010 scores would be of average dietary quality. One randomly selected menu was collected from each Montana backpack program (n = 5) from the 2011-2012 academic year. Each food provided was analyzed for diet quality using HEI-2010 to obtain component and total scores. Descriptive statistics and t tests were calculated to assess whether mean HEI-2010 component scores and total scores differed significantly ( P < .05) from the maximum scores. The mean total score for HEI-2010 was significantly lower than the maximum score of 100 (58.65; SD, 15.59; P = .004). Analysis resulted in significantly lower mean scores for total vegetables (2.26; SD, 1.37; P = .011), greens and beans (0; SD, 0; P < .001), fatty acids (0; SD, 0; P < .001), and sodium (3.90; SD, 2.52; P = .006). Dietary quality of backpack programs may further improve with information sharing between programs about the availability of specific food group items. To better suit children's nutritional needs and increase HEI-2010 scores, researchers, practitioners, and the food industry should identify food options for the backpack program that are easy to prepare, appealing, and affordable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]