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BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study measured the effects of dietary supplementation with lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNSs) on 18-month-old children's physical activity. SUBJECTS/METHODS: In a randomised, controlled, outcome-assessor blinded trial 1932 six-month-old children from Malawi received one of five interventions daily from 6-18 months of age: 10-g milk-LNS, 20-g milk-LNS, 20-g non-milk-LNS, 40-g milk-LNS or 40-g non-milk-LNS, or received no intervention in the same period (control). The control group received delayed intervention with corn-soy blend from 18-30 months. Physical activity was measured over 1 week by ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometer at 18 months. Main outcome was mean vector magnitude accelerometer counts/15 s. Analyses were restricted to children with valid accelerometer data on at least 4 days with minimum 6 h of wearing time per day. RESULTS: Of the 1435 children recruited to this substudy, 1053 provided sufficient data for analysis. The mean (s.d.) vector magnitude accelerometer counts in the total sample were 307 (64). The difference (95% CI) in mean accelerometer counts, compared with the control group, was 8 (-6 to 21, P = 0.258) in 10-g milk-LNS, 3 (-11 to 17, P = 0.715) in 20-g milk-LNS, 5 (-8 to 19, P = 0.445) in 20-g non-milk-LNS, 10 (-3 to 23, P = 0.148) in 40-g milk-LNS and 2 (-12 to 16, P = 0.760) in 40-g non-milk-LNS groups. CONCLUSIONS: Provision of 10-40 g doses of LNS daily for 12 months did not increase physical activity of Malawian toddlers. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2015) 69, 173-178; doi:10.1038/ejcn.2014.138; published online 16 July 2014, INTRODUCTION Lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNSs) provide energy, protein, essential fatty acids and multiple micronutrients in a form that has a long shelf life, is palatable and is easy to consume. [...]

The annual total of births in Hong Kong SAR fell substantially in the past 20 years; hence the total fertility rate (TFR) followed the downward trend and dropped to a low of 0.9 below replacement level in 2000. Despite the long-term downward trend, short-run increases in the annual total of births and the TFR were exhibited. Such temporary fertility increases are identified in the Dragon Years of 1988 and 2000. The phenomenon of fertility changes associated with zodiacal animal years is examined in this paper with a view to gaining some insight into whether Chinese cultural preferences and folklore beliefs might have influenced prospective parents' reproductive behaviour. The paper explains the underlying philosophy of the Chinese astrological tradition and discusses how zodiacal preferences affect fertility between 1976 and 2000. The paper also explores why zodiacal influences on Chinese fertility before 1976 did not exist. It is unquestionable that the Dragon Year preference exerts an influence on fertility of modern Chinese populations through zodiacal birth-timing motivations. Birth rate rise in the Dragon Year is due to changes in timing of births that will have little effect on cumulative fertility. Keywords: Birth timing; Chinese astrology; Chinese zodiac; Fertility; Hong Kong SAR

Fetal growth is an indicator of social inequalities in health that may have a long-term impact persisting into later life. Little is known about the social patterns of birth weight in Hong Kong. This is a study of live-born singletons from 1984 to 1997 in a Hong Kong birth registry. Ordinary least-squares regression and logistic regression are used to analyse birth weight and low birth weight ([is less than] 2500 g), respectively. A gradient of birth weight and prevalence of low birth weight is demonstrated according to mothers' educational attainment. In relation to babies of the most educated mothers, babies of the least educated mothers had a mean deficit of 46 g in birth weight and an odds ratio of 1.56 of low birth weight (each P [is less than] 0.05). This social gradient was hidden unless parity was adjusted for. Unexpectedly, migrants from mainland China delivered heavier rather than lighter babies (each P [is less than] 0.05). Type of living quarters and parental relation were also related to birth weight and low birth weight (each P [is less than] 0.05). Continuous monitoring of the social patterns of birth weight is recommended. Keywords: Birth weight; Fetal growth; Inequalities; Hong Kong