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Background It is unknown if probiotics exert pathogen-specific effects in children with diarrhea secondary to acute gastroenteritis. Methods Analysis of patient-level data from 2 multicenter randomized, placebo controlled trials conducted in pediatric emergency departments in Canada and the United States. Participants were 3–48 months with > 3 diarrheal episodes in the preceding 24 hours and were symptomatic for <72 hours and <7 days in the Canadian and US studies, respectively. Participants received either placebo or a probiotic preparation (Canada- Lactobacillus rhamnosus R0011/ Lactobacillus helveticus R0052; US- L. rhamnosus GG). The primary outcome was post-intervention moderate-to-severe disease (ie, ≥9 on the Modified Vesikari Scale [MVS] score). Results Pathogens were identified in specimens from 59.3% of children (928/1565). No pathogen groups were less likely to experience an MVS score ≥9 based on treatment allocation (test for interaction = 0.35). No differences between groups were identified for adenovirus (adjusted relative risk [aRR]: 1.42; 95% confidence interval [CI]:.62, 3.23), norovirus (aRR: 0.98; 95% CI:.56, 1.74), rotavirus (aRR: 0.86; 95% CI:.43, 1.71) or bacteria (aRR: 1.19; 95% CI:.41, 3.43). At pathogen-group and among individual pathogens there were no differences in diarrhea duration or the total number of diarrheal stools between treatment groups, regardless of intervention allocation or among probiotic sub-groups. Among adenovirus-infected children, those administered the L. rhamnosus R0011/ L. helveticus R0052 product experienced fewer diarrheal episodes (aRR: 0.65; 95% CI:.47,.90). Conclusions Neither probiotic product resulted in less severe disease compared to placebo across a range of the most common etiologic pathogens. The preponderance of evidence does not support the notion that there are pathogen specific benefits associated with probiotic use in children with acute gastroenteritis. Clinical Trials Registration NCT01773967 and NCT01853124. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated consumer acceptance of recipes in a nutrition education intervention and assessed participants' intentions to change dietary behaviors. Study participants tasted and evaluated 16 recipes in the University of Georgia Food Talk curriculum using the 9-point hedonic scale and indicated their likelihood of engaging in behaviors to improve diet quality on a similar, ordinal scale. Convenience samples of 89 to 122 adult participants in the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program in Georgia evaluated each recipe. Eight interactive nutrition education sessions in which study participants sampled and evaluated 2 recipes per session. Mean scores for overall liking of each recipe and likelihood of engaging in promoted behaviors to improve diet quality were outcomes of interest. Descriptive statistics were generated. Relationships between overall liking of recipes and intention to engage in promoted behaviors were assessed with Spearman correlation coefficients. Results showed that 13 of the 16 recipes in the curriculum met criteria for acceptable sensory quality. Overall liking was significantly correlated with participants' intentions to engage in behaviors to improve diet quality. Notable age- and sex-related differences were identified. Evaluations of consumer acceptance may be useful in interventions designed to improve diet quality through the introduction of new recipes as improving consumer acceptance of recipes may improve program outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective To evaluate inter-coder (between-coder) and intra-coder (within-coder) reliability among trained data coders who enter 24-hour dietary recall data collected through Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program operations in the state of Georgia. Design This study employed multiple cross-sectional evaluations of inter-coder reliability and a short-term longitudinal evaluation of intra-coder reliability. Participants/Setting Study participants consisted of trained data coders (n = 9) who were employed during the 12-month period of evaluation. Main Outcome Measures Primary outcome measures were inter-coder and intra-coder reliability across data entered into the Web-based Nutrition Education Evaluation and Reporting System. Statistical analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS 24. Descriptive statistics were generated and inter-coder and intra-coder reliability were assessed using 2-way mixed intraclass correlation coefficients. Results Results of this evaluation indicated good to excellent inter-coder reliability among all coders, and excellent intra-coder reliability among the majority of coders. However, some notable inconsistencies were identified within the intra-coder reliability analyses. Conclusions Future strategies to improve data quality within Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program operations might include enhanced training for data coders, implementation of error detection protocols, expansion of the Web-based Nutrition Education Evaluation and Reporting System database, and exploration of automated, computer-assisted administration of 24-hour dietary recalls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate partner violence (IPV), an international public health matter, is linked to psychological distress including suicidal behavior. Despite the noted sequelae associated with IPV, many individuals display resilience in the face of IPV exposure. This study examines two potential protective factors in the IPV-suicidal ideation link, namely existential and religious well-being, in a sample of African American women. Low-income, African American, female suicide attempters who were abused by a partner within the previous year ( N = 111) were administered the Conflicts Tactics Scale-2, Spiritual Well-Being Scale, and Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation. Mediational models testing indirect effects through the bootstrapping method revealed that the total effect of IPV on suicidal ideation was positive and significant, confirming suicidal ideation as a consequential outcome of IPV among African American women. This effect was mediated by existential well-being; however, religious well-being was not a significant mediator, suggesting that existential well-being serves a unique protective role in the IPV-suicidal ideation relation. The results provide additional support for the well-known positive effects of existential well-being on mental health among African American samples. Culturally-informed, meaning-making interventions to enhance existential well-being appear to be effective in reducing suicidal ideation in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]