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Eating disorders have early origins, and there could be a continuum between childhood eating behaviors, such as overeating, and long-term disordered eating, but this remains to be shown. BMI, desire for thinness and peer victimization could influence this continuum, but their interactions are unknown. To fill this gap, the study used data from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (N = 1511; 52% girls), in which 30.9% of youth presented a trajectory associated with high disordered eating from 12 to 20 years. The results support an indirect association between overeating at age 5 and disordered eating trajectories, with different mediation processes observed between boys and girls. The findings underscore the importance of promoting healthy body images and eating behaviors among youths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveIn some high-income countries, a sizeable proportion of households are estimated to be food insecure. It is well known that food insecurity varies between countries and is strongly tied to household income level. The local environment may be another level of influence, which has been relatively understudied. The present review sought to synthesize and critically appraise the existing literature examining local environmental characteristics in relation to individual/household-level food insecurity in the general population.DesignA systematic search strategy was used to search MEDLINE, MEDLINE In-process and Other Non-indexed, EMBASE, PsychINFO, Social Services Abstracts and Sociological Abstracts databases for studies examining local place characteristic(s) in relation to self-reported food insecurity.SettingStudies could be experimental or observational, but had to be published in a peer-reviewed journal in French or English, and involve individuals from developed countries. ‘Place’ was defined locally, as ranging from the street to the county level.SubjectsThe target population for the review included non-institutionalized individuals in the general population.ResultsAfter obtaining full-text articles, eighteen primary studies met the eligibility criteria. Most studies were conducted in the USA and all but one was cross-sectional. Seven of the eleven studies that examined location of residence found that rural living was inversely associated with food insecurity. Mixed results were seen for other place measures such as social capital and distance to food stores.ConclusionsStudies were heterogeneous and had various limitations that preclude definitive conclusions from being drawn. Recommendations for future research are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/purpose: Visual results of ranibizumab given pro re nata in clinical settings depend greatly from the achievement of the monthly follow-up. In 2007, a previous study performed in our tertiary care showed a mean visual gain of only + 0.7 ETDRS chart letters, probably because of insufficient number of follow-up visits and injections. We report a second retrospective study of patients whose eyes were treated in the same setting, and whose first injection was performed after April 1 2010. The aim was to check if the changes in the management of AMD patients between 2010 and 2007 achieved better visual results. Method: One hundred and twenty-two patients (125 eyes) with exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) were included. Age, gender, side, type of CNV, VA measured on an ETDRS chart at baseline and at 52 ± 6 weeks, the number of IVT performed, and follow-up visits were recorded. The series was compared to our former series of the year 2007. Results are expressed as means ± standard deviation. Mann-Whitney's non-parametric test was used to compare the statistical distribution of the parameters measured. Fisher's exact test was used for 2 × 2 categorical variables, and the chi-square test for others. Results: In the 2010 series, the mean visual gain was +6.0 ± 11.0 l (−35 to + 34). During this period, the eyes had 5.0 ± 1.8 IVT and 7.8 ± 1.4 follow-up visits. No correlation was found between the change in VA and gender, type of CNV, age, or the numbers of IVT and visits. There was a reverse correlation between baseline VA and VA changes ( r = −0.413, p < 0.0001): i.e., the higher the VA at presentation, the smaller the gain. Comparison between 2010 and 2007 showed that in 2010, patients were older (82.2 ± 7.0 vs 78.3 ± 7.0 y, p < 0.0001), had a better baseline VA (60.6 ± 12.7 vs 56.1 ± 14.6 l, p = 0.0191) and, despite the reverse correlation between change in VA and VA at presentation, visual results were better: +6.0 ± 11.0 vs +0.7 ± 11.99 l, p = 0.0003. In 2010, eyes received more injections: 5.0 ± 1.8 vs 3.8 ± 1.4 in 2007, p < 0.0001. However, the series did not differ for the number of visits, gender, side or type of CNV. Conclusions: In 2010, monotherapy with ranibizumab for exudative AMD achieved better visual results than in 2007 in our clinical setting, despite the treatment of older patients with better baseline VA. This is probably due to the greater number of IVT performed. Alternate strategies, such as 'inject and extend' or maintenance therapy, may also account for the better visual results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Few twin studies have examined nutrition-related phenotypes among children, and none has investigated energy and macronutrient intakes. Objective: The objective was to quantify genetic and environmental influences on variations in energy and macronutrient intakes among children aged 9years. Design: We conducted a nutrition study among children participating in the Quebec Newborn Twin Study, a population-based birth cohort of twins. We derived dietary data from two multiple-pass 24-hour dietary recalls with a parent and his or her child. The analysis employed a classic twin study design and used data from 379 twin pairs. Results: Univariate analyses indicate that heritability for mean daily energy (kcal) and macronutrient (g) intakes was moderate, ranging from 0.34 (95% CI: 0.22, 0.46) to 0.42 (0.31, 0.53). Genetic effects also accounted for 0.28 (0.16, 0.40) of the variance in percent of energy from lipids, while only environmental (shared and unique) effects accounted for the variance in percent of energy from proteins and carbohydrates. The shared environment did not contribute to variations in daily intakes for most of the nutritional variables under study. Multivariate analyses suggest the presence of macronutrient-specific genetic influences for lipids and carbohydrates, estimated at 0.12 (0.04, 0.19) and 0.20 (0.11, 0.29) respectively. Conclusions: The unique environment (i.e., not shared by family members) has the largest influence on variances in daily energy and macronutrient intakes in 9-year-old children. This finding underscores the need to take obesogenic environments into account when planning dietary interventions for younger populations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The objective of this paper was to determine the influence of place factors on weight gain in a contemporary cohort of children while also adjusting for early life and individual/family social factors. Participants from the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development comprised the sample for analysis ( n = 1,580). A mixed-effects regression analysis was conducted to determine the longitudinal relationship between these place factors and standardized BMI, from age 4 to 10 years. The average relationship with time was found to be quadratic (rate of weight gain increased over time). Neighborhood material deprivation was found to be positively related to weight gain. Social deprivation, social disorder, and living in a medium density area were inversely related, while no association was found for social cohesion. Early life factors and genetic proxies appeared to be important in explaining weight gain in this sample. This study suggests that residential environments may play a role in childhood weight change; however, pathways are likely to be complex and interacting and perhaps not as important as early life factors and genetic proxies. Further work is required to clarify these relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Quebec Newborn Twin Study (QNTS) is an ongoing prospective longitudinal follow-up of a birth cohort of twins born between 1995 and 1998 in the greater Montreal area, Québec, Canada. The goal of QNTS is to document individual differences in the cognitive, behavioral, and social-emotional aspects of developmental health across childhood, their early bio-social determinants, as well as their putative role in later social-emotional adjustment, school and health outcomes. A total of 662 families of twins were initially assessed when the twins were aged 6 months. These twins and their family were then followed regularly. QNTS has 14 waves of data collected or planned, including 5 in preschool. Over the past 15 years, a broad range of physiological, cognitive, behavioral, school, and health phenotypes were documented longitudinally through multi-informant and multi-method measurements. QNTS also entails extended and detailed multi-level assessments of proximal (e.g., parenting behaviors, peer relationships) and distal (e.g., family income) features of the child's environment. This detailed longitudinal information makes QNTS uniquely suited for the study of the role of the early years and gene-environment transactions in development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sex differences in the effects of sleep duration on dietary intake and eating behaviours were examined prospectively in relation to overweight/obesity at ages 6 and 7. Using data from a representative sample (QLSCD 1998-2010) of children born in the province of Québec (Canada), 1106 children were followed to age 6 and 1015 to 7 years. Average nocturnal sleep duration was surveyed annually from 2.5-6 years, food-frequency and eating behaviour questionnaires were administered at age 6, and body weight and height were measured at 6 and 7 years. Associations were examined longitudinally and mediation examined with adjustments for potential confounders. In boys and girls, shorter sleep duration patterns were associated significantly with less favourable dietary intakes at 6 years: boys consumed vegetables and fruits less frequently and meats/alternatives more frequently than boys with longer sleep patterns; and girls consumed vegetables, fruits and milk products less frequently and soft-drinks more frequently than girls with longer sleep patterns. However, boys with shorter sleep patterns were also more likely to eat at irregular hours or to eat too much/fast at 6 years. These behaviours, and not dietary intake, mediated an inverse association between sleep duration and overweight/obesity in boys. Sleep duration did not associate with any problem eating behaviours or overweight/obesity in girls. Shorter sleep in early childhood appears to associate with problematic eating behaviours in boys and diet quality in both sexes, regardless of an association with overweight/obesity. This is important for public health and should be considered in relation to other diet-related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dietary supplements are an important source of folic acid, a nutrient that is vital in reducing the risk of neural tube defects. As part of the 2007 to 2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey, data were collected on supplement use, and biomarkers were directly measured. Use of supplements that contain folic acid was reported by 25% of Canadians aged 6 to 79. Females were more likely than males to report taking folic acid supplements. People who ate fruit and vegetables less than once a day had signifi cantly lower odds of taking folic acid-containing supplements than did those who ate fruit and vegetables at least three times a day. Of those who consumed a folic acid supplement, 91% reported also taking a supplement that contained vitamin B12. Red blood cell folate concentrations below the median (less than 1,248 nmol/L), low-to-marginal serum vitamin B12 concentrations (221 pmol/L or less ), and high concentrations of plasma homocysteine were negatively correlated with folic acid-containing supplement use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study used gender-based analyses to examine whether child overweight/obesity is related to parental overweight/obesity and sociodemographic factors, in a representative population-based cohort of 7-year-old children. Methods: Data from the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development 1998-2010 was used. Children ( n= 1336) were randomly selected from each public health region of Québec. The study was based on face-to-face interviews and a set of questionnaires addressed to mothers and fathers. Results: Compared to children with no overweight/obese parent, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) of being overweight/obese with two overweight/obese parents was 5 for boys (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.31-10.85) and 5.87 for girls (95%CI: 2.63-13.12). Gender differences appeared when one parent was overweight/obese. For girls, having either an overweight/obese mother (OR, 3.10; 95%CI: 1.14-8.38) or father (OR, 3.64; 95%CI: 1.68-7.91) significantly increased the odds of being overweight/obese at 7 years. For boys, however, having only an overweight/obese father (OR, 2.05; 95%CI: 1.01-4.16) was related to overweight/obesity, but having only an overweight/obese mother was not related to overweight/obesity at 7 years for boys. In girls, but not in boys, having an immigrant mother also significantly related to overweight/obesity (OR, 2.71; 95%CI: 1.28-5.75) at 7 years, after controlling for other social factors. Conclusions: Gender differences in socialization may explain why at 7 years of age, girls' bodyweight is influenced by having even one overweight/obese parent (mother or father), while boys' bodyweight appears to be influenced only by father's overweight/obesity when only one parent is overweight/obese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined dietary factors associated with overweight in a population-based sample of 6-y-old children. Analyses of data from the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD) included a representative sample (n = 1014) of children born in 1998 in the province of Québec, Canada. Dietary intake was measured by using a 24-h dietary recall administered at 4 y of age. Weight and height were measured using a standard protocol at 6 y. Using logistic regression, higher daily energy intake at 4 y was significantly related to overweight at 6 y. After adjustment for confounding and overweight at 4 y, the relationship remained significant among girls (P = 0.04) but became marginally significant among boys (P = 0.07). Additionally, boys who consumed ⩾5 servings of grain products/d at 4 y were more likely to be overweight at 6 y compared to those who did not [adjusted OR = 3.20 (95% CI): 1.72-5.97]. The association attenuated somewhat after adjustment for overweight at 4 y [OR = 1.82 (95% CI): 0.894-3.71; P = 0.09]. The findings provide support for the revisions made in the Canadian dietary guidelines for young children, which now recommend 4-7 servings of grain products daily for children aged 4-8 y rather than the excessive 5-12 servings of previous recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine how arguments at mealtimes relate to children's daily energy intake. Design: A cross-sectional study using data obtained through the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development 1998-2010 (QLSCD), a representative sample of children born in 1998, in the province of Québec, Canada. Setting: Face-to-face interviews, questionnaires, and 24-hour dietary recall interviews addressed to children's parents. Participants: One thousand five hundred forty-nine 4-year-old children who participated in a nutrition substudy. Main Outcome Measure: Children's energy intakes were measured through a 24-hour dietary recall interview administered to parents by trained nutritionists, in the children's homes. Analysis: The main associations were examined through chi-square tests of independence and through multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results: The adjusted odds for consuming a high daily energy intake was 2.5 (95% confidence interval: 1.3-4.9) in children who were never exposed to arguments (between parents and children) at mealtimes, in comparison to children who were often or always exposed to arguments. Conclusions and Implications: Mealtimes that are free of arguments, specifically between parents and children, appear to associate with high daily energy intakes in children, even after controlling for other factors, including a child's level of physical activity, eating in front of the television, mother's educational level, and number of overweight parents, among others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To identify groups of children with distinct developmental trajectories of body mass index (BMI), calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared, between the ages of 5 months and 8 years and identify early-life risk factors that distinguish children in an atypically elevated BMI trajectory group. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Families with a child born between October 1997 and July 1998 in the province of Quebec, Canada. Participants: A representative sample of children (N=2120) selected through birth registries for the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. Children for whom BMI data were available for at least 5 time points were retained in the present study (n=1957). Main Exposures: Early-life factors putatively associated with BMI, assessed by maternal report. Outcome Measure: Group-based trajectories of children's BMI, identified with a semiparametric modeling method from raw BMI values at each age. Results: Three trajectories of BMI were identified: low stable (54.5% of children), moderate (41.0%), and high rising (4.5%). The high-rising group was characterized by an increasing average BMI, which exceeded international cutoff values for obesity by age 8 years. Two maternal risk factors were associated with the high-rising group as compared with the low-stable and moderate groups combined: maternal BMI (odds ratio, 2.38; 95% confidence interval, 1.38-4.54 for maternal overweight and 6.33; 3.82-11.85 for maternal obesity) and maternal smoking during pregnancy (2.28; 1.49-4.04). Conclusions: Children continuing on an elevated BMI trajectory leading to obesity in middle childhood can be distinguished from children on a normative BMI trajectory as early as age 3.5 years. Important and preventable risk factors for childhood obesity are in place before birth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]