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Objective: To determine beliefs about and barriers to good food safety practices among clients of a Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC Program). Design: Five audiotaped focus groups. Setting: A large WIC Program clinic in Miami, Florida. Participants: Thirty-two women attending the clinic who were demographically similar to clinic clients. Phenomenon of Interest: Beliefs about, barriers to, and motivators for good food safety practices. Analysis: Focus groups were audiotaped and transcribed. Transcripts were independently analyzed by three researchers to identify recurring ideas within and between groups. Results: Participants did not perceive foodborne illnesses as a major problem or believe that foodborne illnesses usually resulted from poor food handling practices at home. The hardest practice to follow was using a cooking thermometer. Leaving perishable foods and baby bottles outside the refrigerator for longer than 2 hours were additional problems reported. Participants reported that their babies' health was the most important motivator to good food safety practices and that women may be most receptive to food safety education during their first pregnancy. Conclusions and Implications: WIC clients in this clinic have several deficiencies in their food safety knowledge and practices. The WIC Program may be well positioned to help its clients, particularly pregnant women, improve food safety practices. Key Words: food safety education, foodborne illness prevention, maternal and child health, focus groups

Abstract: Background: Health care professionals should exhibit competency about dietary supplements to support the high number of Americans taking these products. Objectives: To evaluate the knowledge of Florida nurses and dietitians regarding dietary supplements. Methods: Florida nurses (n =600) and dietitians (n =600) were randomly selected to participate in a self-reported online survey. The actual knowledge of these professionals regarding nutrient-based and herbal supplements was evaluated by a quiz. Results: Data of 89 dietitians and 64 nurses were analyzed using independent sample t-test and Pearson''s correlation. The actual knowledge of both professionals revealed a mean correct score of 12.98±6.16 (maximum score=30). Dietitians had a significantly greater knowledge of dietary supplements when compared to nurses (P =0.000). Both professionals were more knowledgeable on nutrient-based supplements than herbal. Conclusions: Both groups had a fairly low knowledge of side effects of dietary supplements and their interactions with common medications, and seem to require additional education in this area. Focused training can be designed to improve professionals'' knowledge about dietary supplements. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Purpose: To investigate the associations of overweight with risk factors for type 2 diabetes (T2DM), cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and presence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Hispanic adolescents. Methods: A total of 100 adolescents (50 overweight, 50 nonoverweight) aged 12 to 16 years were included. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), insulin sensitivity (IS), total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerols (TG), LDL, HDL, and blood pressure (BP) were evaluated as risk factors for T2DM and CVD. IS was determined using the HOMA calculator. Abnormal levels were: FPG ≥100 and <126 mg/dL (impaired fasting glucose [IFG]), IS <100%, TC ≥200 mg/dL, TG ≥130 mg/dL, LDL ≥130 mg/dL, HDL <35 mg/dL, and BP ≥95th percentile. MetS was defined as having equal to or more than three of the following: abdominal obesity (waist-to-height ratio >0.5), high BP, high TG, low HDL, and IFG. Results: Overweight adolescents had higher TC, TG, and LDL, and lower IS, ps < .001. They were more likely to have abnormal levels of IS, TG, and LDL, one and two or more risk factors compared to having zero, and two or more risk factors compared to having one, ps < .05. Only 9% of adolescents met the criteria of MetS, and they were all overweight. Abdominal obesity (51%), low HDL (21%), and high TG (16%) were the most predominant components of the MetS. Conclusions: Overweight Hispanic adolescents are at increased risk of developing T2DM or CVD. Preventive programs targeting Hispanic adolescents are needed to manage the overweight epidemic and its consequences. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Pregnant women and infants are two groups at the highest risk of severe outcomes from foodborne illnesses. We surveyed adult clients of a Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) clinic serving predominately African Americans in inner-city Miami, Florida, to assess food safety practices. Eligible and consenting women completed a 23-item self-administered survey with questions concerning food handling practices around the Partnership for Food Safety Education's Fight BAC! campaign constructs of "clean," "separate" (not cross-contaminated), "cook," and "chill." Of 342 eligible clients, 299 (87.4%) consented to participate. In general, the clients' food safety practices were most problematic in the cook and chill constructs. Using a cooking thermometer, refrigerating foods within 2 h, and thawing them safely were the least commonly reported safe practices. Women who were pregnant with their first child had the lowest food safety practice scores. Of the 62 pregnant participants, 32 (51.6%) reported eating hot dogs or deli meats without first reheating them some of the time or more often, and 22 (35.5%) reported eating soft cheeses and blue-veined cheeses some of the time or more often, putting the women at risk of listeriosis. Although all women in the WIC program could benefit from food safety education, these findings indicate that women during their first pregnancy should especially be targeted for food safety education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snacking behavior may affect snack quality, overall diet quality, and body weight; however, the associations between these variables have not been studied among college students. The objective of this study was to associate snacking behaviors with snack quality, diet quality, and weight status among college students with overweight and obesity. We hypothesized that a higher snacking frequency, accessibility and availability of unhealthy snacks, and lack of knowledge would be associated with lower snack and diet quality, and higher weight. Participants (n = 140) completed a snack behavior questionnaire, three 24-hour dietary recalls to assess diet quality using Healthy Eating Index 2015 (HEI-2015), and snack score using an algorithm based on the US DA Smart Snack guidelines and reported weight and height to calculate body mass index (BMI). Analysis of variance and Pearson correlation was used in the analyses. After adjusting for confounders, snack frequency was not associated with snack score, HEI-2015 score, or BMI, but evening snacks had a significantly lower snack score compared with late afternoon snacks (P =.017). Also, those with more accessibility and availability of unhealthy snacks had a lower snack score (P =.001), lower HEI-2015 score (P =.006), and higher BMI (P =.019). Snacking for pleasure was significantly associated with a lower snack score (P =.037). Snack score was positively correlated with HEI-2015 score but not with BMI. In conclusion, late snacking, unhealthy snack environment, and snacking for pleasure were associated with lower snack and diet quality. These findings could be used in future intervention strategies to improve snacking behaviors and the food environment. This study examined the association between snacking behavior with snack and diet quality and body mass index (BMI) in college students with overweight and obesity. Evening snacks and snacking for pleasure were significantly associated with a lower snack quality. Accessibility and availability of unhealthy snacks were significantly associated with lower snack and diet quality and higher BMI. Also, snack quality was positively associated with diet quality, which was inversely associated with BMI. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Pregnant women and the very young are among those most susceptible to foodborne infections and at high risk of a severe outcome from foodborne infections. Objective: To determine if interactive multimedia is a more effective method than pamphlets for delivering food safety education to Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) clients. Design: A randomized controlled trial of WIC clients was conducted. Self-reported food safety practices were compared between pre- and postintervention questionnaires completed ≥2 months after the intervention. Subjects/setting: Pregnant WIC clients or female caregivers (usually mothers) of WIC clients who were 18 years of age or older and able to speak and read English were recruited from an inner-city WIC clinic. Intervention: Participants were randomized to receive food safety pamphlets or complete an interactive multimedia food safety education program on a computer kiosk. Main outcome measures: Change from pre- to postintervention food safety scores. Statistical analyses performed: A mean food safety score was determined for each participant for the pre- and postintervention questionnaires. The scores were used in a two-group repeated measures analysis of variance. Results: Of the 394 participants, 255 (64.7%) completed the postintervention questionnaire. Satisfaction with the program was high especially among those with no education beyond high school. When considering a repeated measures analysis of variance model with the two fixed between-subject effects of group and age, a larger improvement in score in the interactive multimedia group than in the pamphlet group (P=0.005) was found, but the size of the group effect was small (partial η2=0.033). Women aged 35 years or older in the interactive multimedia group had the largest increase in score. Conclusions: The interactive multimedia was well-accepted and resulted in improved self-reported food safety practices, suggesting that interactive multimedia is an effective option for food safety education in WIC clinics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]