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Background and aims: A health warning label (HWL) cautioning about the link between alcohol and cancer may be able to communicate alcohol risks to consumers and potentially counter health‐oriented nutrition advertising on ready‐to‐drink alcoholic beverages. This study aimed to examine the independent and combined effects of nutrient content claims (e.g. 0 g sugar) and a HWL on perceived product characteristics and intentions to consume, and whether these effects differed by gender and age. Design: A between‐subjects randomized experiment. Participants were randomized to view one of six experimental label conditions: nutrient content claims plus nutrition declaration (NCC + ND), ND only, NCC + ND + HWL, ND + HWL, HWL only and no NCC, ND or HWL, all on a ready‐to‐drink (RTD) vodka‐based soda container. Setting and participants: Alcohol consumers (n = 5063; 52% women) in Canada aged 18–64 recruited through a national online panel. Measurements Participants completed ratings of perceived product characteristics, perceived product health risks, and intentions to try, buy, binge and drink the product. Findings Compared with the reference condition NCC + ND (current policy scenario in Canada), the other five experimental label conditions were associated with lower ratings for perceiving the product as healthy. All experimental conditions with a HWL were associated with lower product appeal, higher risk perceptions and reduced intentions to try, buy and binge. The experimental condition with a HWL only was associated with intentions to consume fewer cans in the next 7 days (β = −0.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] = −1.37,−0.08) versus the reference. Few interactions were observed, suggesting that label effects on outcomes were similar by gender and age. Conclusions: Health warning labels on alcohol packaging appear to be associated with lower product appeal, higher perceived health risks and reduced consumption intentions, even in the presence of nutrient content claims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Although Lifestyle Redesign® has been shown to be effective in improving older adults' health and well‐being, little is known about the feasibility of implementing this programme to develop meaningful and health‐promoting routines of community‐dwelling older adults in Canada. This study thus aimed to explore the feasibility of implementing a culturally‐adapted 6‐month version of Lifestyle Redesign® with community‐dwelling older French‐Canadians with and without disabilities. Methods: An exploratory descriptive qualitative clinical research design was used with 17 older adults living at home or in a seniors' residence, divided into two groups participating in Lifestyle Redesign®. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with participants and the occupational therapist who delivered the programme and recorded clinical notes. Findings Participants were aged between 65 and 90; they were mainly women (n = 11; 64.7%), and seven (41.2%) had disabilities. The intervention was tailored to the participants' needs, interests, and capacities in each group (e.g. modules selected, number of individual sessions, and assistance of volunteer). Over the 6‐month period, older adults participated in an average of about 25 group sessions with the occupational therapist and in four or five outings with their group (e.g. restaurant, market, and museum) and attended between 5 and 11 individual sessions with the occupational therapist. The most common reasons for missing group sessions were being ill, working, or having another appointment. Personal facilitators and barriers to participation in the intervention were mainly related to abilities, needs, spiritual life, and health. Environmental facilitators were mostly the regularity of the sessions, group, and external support, including human resources to deliver the intervention, whereas barriers were the residence's time restrictions and staff's attitudes, cost of some activities targeted in the programme, and transportation problems. Conclusion: Lifestyle Redesign® is a feasible preventive occupational therapy intervention for community‐dwelling older French‐Canadians. These findings will guide future studies including large‐scale clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of low consumption of vegetables and fruits and milk and alternatives among Canadian mothers and children, novel strategies are needed to improve maternal and child nutrition. This study evaluated the long‐term effects of an evidence‐informed healthy eating blog on dietary intakes and food‐related behaviours of mothers and their child. The study presents a secondary outcome analysis of a randomised controlled trial in which 84 mothers (mean age of 37.6 ± 6.7 years) of 2‐ to 12‐year‐old children living in Quebec City, Canada, were randomly assigned to a dietary intervention delivered through a healthy eating blog written by a registered dietitian (RD; n = 42) or a control group (n = 42) during a period of 6 months. Dietary intakes, maternal eating behaviours, food parenting practices, and body weight were measured at baseline, 3 months, at the end of the intervention (6 months), and 6‐month post‐intervention (12 months). Differences between groups were assessed with mixed linear models. Globally, this study found no evidence of long‐term differences in mean dietary intakes in mothers exposed to the blog and their children as well as other food‐related outcomes and body weight compared with the control condition. Potential predictors of adherence to dietary recommendations in mothers and children (e.g., involvement of children in household food activities) were identified. In conclusion, a healthy eating blog written by an RD did not result in evidence of any long‐term differences in dietary intakes and food‐related behaviours in mothers and their children compared with the control condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the effects of a "Health-At-Every-Size" (HAES) intervention on eating behaviors and appetite ratings in 144 premenopausal overweight women.Research Methods and Procedures: Women were randomly assigned to one of the 3 groups: HAES group, social support (SS) group, and control group (N = 48 in each group). Interventions were conducted over a 4-month period, and measurements were taken before and after this period. Eating behaviors (cognitive dietary restraint, disinhibition, and susceptibility to hunger) were evaluated by the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire. Appetite ratings (desire to eat, hunger, fullness, and prospective food consumption) were assessed by visual analogue scales before and after a standardized breakfast.Results: More important decreases in susceptibility to hunger and external hunger were observed in the HAES group when compared with the SS group (p=0.05, for susceptibility to hunger) and the control group (p=0.02 and p=0.005, for susceptibility to hunger and external hunger, respectively). In addition, women from the HAES group had more important decreases in postprandial area under the curve for desire to eat (p=0.02) and hunger (p=0.04) when compared with the control group. The change in the desire to eat noted in the HAES group was also different from the one observed in SS group (p=0.02). Women from the HAES group experienced significant weight loss at 4 months (-1.6+/-2.5 kg, p<0.0001), which did not differ significantly from the SS and control groups (p=0.09). An increase in flexible restraint was significantly related to a greater weight loss in both HAES and SS groups (r=-0.39, p<0.01; and r=-0.37, p<0.05, respectively). A decrease in habitual susceptibility to disinhibition was also associated with a greater weight loss in HAES and control groups (r=0.31, p<0.05; and r=0.44, p<0.05, respectively).Discussion: These results suggest that a HAES intervention could have significant effects on eating behaviors and appetite ratings in premenopausal overweight women, when compared with an SS intervention or a control group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To compare functional decline in activities of daily living ( ADLs) of older adults visiting emergency departments ( EDs) for minor injuries according to frailty and cognitive status. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Seven Canadian EDs. Participants Individuals aged 65 and older who were independent in ADLs at baseline were recruited between March 2011 and March 2013 (N = 1,114). Measurements The Older American Resources and Services ( OARS) questionnaire was completed during the ED visit or within 7 days and 3 and 6 months after a minor injury to ascertain functional decline (≥1-point drop in ADL score). Participants were considered frail based on the Canadian Study of Health and Aging Clinical Frailty Scale (≥Level 4, vulnerable). Cognitive impairment was defined as performing below cutoffs on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (<23/30) or Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (≤31/50). Four subgroups were created: frail with cognitive impairment, frail without cognitive impairment, nonfrail with cognitive impairment, nonfrail without cognitive impairment. Sociodemographic and health data were also collected. Results Information on OARS, frailty, and cognitive impairment were available for 850 at 3 months and 728 at 6 months; 19.9% of participants showed declining function at 3 months and 25.3% at 6 months. After adjusting for age, number of comorbidities, and instrumental activity of daily living disability at baseline, frail participants with cognitive impairment were at significantly greater risk of functional decline at 3 (adjusted risk ratio ( aRR) = 1.89; 95% confidence interval ( CI) = 1.38-2.59) and 6 ( aRR = 2.09; 95% CI = 1.45-3.00) months than nonfrail participants without cognitive impairment. Conclusion Easy-to-administer frailty and cognitive screening tools should be included in ED assessments to identify independent older adults at high risk of functional decline after minor injury so that appropriate services may be provided to prevent deterioration in ADLs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To describe the cognitive functioning of independent community-dwelling elderly adults visiting the emergency department ( ED) for minor injuries and at 3- and 6-month follow-up assessments and to document the occurrence of falls, return to the ED, and hospital visits over time according to cognitive level. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Three Canadian EDs. Participants Individuals aged 65 and older who were independent in basic activities of daily living, visiting the ED for minor injuries, and discharged home within 48 hours (N = 320). Measurements Participants completed the Montreal Cognitive Assessment ( Mo CA). New falls involving pain and ED or hospital visits were documented at 3 and 6 months. Results At baseline, 62.4% of participants scored below the recommended cutoff of 26 on the Mo CA, suggesting cognitive dysfunction, and 22.9% scored below a more-stringent cutoff of 21. Mo CA scores had improved significantly at 3 and 6 months. Items showing the most improvement were delayed recall and verbal fluency. Persons with Mo CA scores of less than 21 reported significantly more new falls and hospital visits 3 to 6 months after injury. Conclusion Cognition is not optimal in many community-dwelling elderly adults visiting an ED for a minor injury, which may affect their capacity to comprehend, recall, and adhere to medical recommendations after their injury and put them at risk of further negative health events such as falls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the usefulness of the concept of frailty for occupational therapy. The concept of frailty is under-utilised by occupational therapists, however, the concept is important in helping them understand why some elders are more likely to suffer a significant loss of autonomy or need longer hospitalisation after a minor event. It is suggested that frailty should be part of ageing courses offered by university occupational therapy programmes.

Objective: The aim of the study is to verifythe applicability of the dual-pathwaymodel among weight-preoccupied overweight women and to document the restraint pathway, the negative affect pathway, and the possibility of a direct pathway from body dissatisfaction to overeating. Method: Structural equations were performed to test the model on baseline data of 153 weight-preoccupied overweight women recruited to participate in a randomized trial. Results: Findings suggest that the model obtains satisfactory fit. Although the restraint pathway is partially supported, the negative affect pathway is confirmed. A third pathway linking directly body dissatisfaction to overeating is also evidenced. Discussion: The dual-pathway model of overeating seems to be representative of the reality of weight-preoccupied overweight women, which could be pointed as a population in need of clinical attention, particularly considering the dramatically increasing rates of obesity. © 2008 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2009 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "A Letter on the Canadian Emergency Department Study" by B. Canbaz, G. Arik, G.S. Aycicek, et al. which appears in the same issue of the journal, and it mentions activity of daily living (ADL) disabilities in older adults.