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Excessive sedentary behavior is associated with negative health outcomes independent of physical activity. Objective estimates of time spent in sedentary behaviors are lacking among adults from diverse Hispanic/Latino backgrounds. The objective of this study was to describe accelerometer-assessed sedentary time in a large, representative sample of Hispanic/Latino adults living in the United States, and compare sedentary estimates by Hispanic/Latino background, sociodemographic characteristics and weight categories. This study utilized baseline data from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) that included adults aged 18–74 years from four metropolitan areas (N = 16,415). Measured with the Actical accelerometer over 6 days, 76.9% (n = 12,631) of participants had > 10 h/day and > 3 days of data. Participants spent 11.9 h/day (SD 3.0), or 74% of their monitored time in sedentary behaviors. Adjusting for differences in wear time, adults of Mexican background were the least (11.6 h/day), whereas adults of Dominican background were the most (12.3 h/day), sedentary. Women were more sedentary than men, and older adults were more sedentary than younger adults. Household income was positively associated, whereas employment was negatively associated, with sedentary time. There were no differences in sedentary time by weight categories, marital status, or proxies of acculturation. To reduce sedentariness among these populations, future research should examine how the accumulation of various sedentary behaviors differs by background and region, and which sedentary behaviors are amenable to intervention., Graphical abstract, Highlights • We present accelerometer-assessed sedentary time in a representative sample of Hispanic/Latino adults living in the U.S. • We compare sedentary estimates by heritage and other socio-demographic variables such as education. • Adults of Mexican background were the least whereas adults of Dominican background were the most sedentary.

Comparative effectiveness research trials in real-world settings may require participants to choose between preferred intervention options. A randomized clinical trial with parallel experimental and control arms is straightforward and regarded as a gold standard design, but by design it forces and anticipates the participants to comply with a randomly assigned intervention regardless of their preference. Therefore, the randomized clinical trial may impose impractical limitations when planning comparative effectiveness research trials. To accommodate participants’ preference if they are expressed, and to maintain randomization, we propose an alternative design that allows participants’ preference after randomization, which we call a “preference option randomized design (PORD)”. In contrast to other preference designs, which ask whether or not participants consent to the assigned intervention after randomization, the crucial feature of preference option randomized design is its unique informed consent process before randomization. Specifically, the preference option randomized design consent process informs participants that they can opt out and switch to the other intervention only if after randomization they actively express the desire to do so. Participants who do not independently express explicit alternate preference or assent to the randomly assigned intervention are considered to not have an alternate preference. In sum, preference option randomized design intends to maximize retention, minimize possibility of forced assignment for any participants, and to maintain randomization by allowing participants with no or equal preference to represent random assignments. This design scheme enables to define five effects that are interconnected with each other through common design parameters—comparative, preference, selection, intent-to-treat, and overall/as-treated—to collectively guide decision making between interventions. Statistical power functions for testing all these effects are derived, and simulations verified the validity of the power functions under normal and binomial distributions.

Introduction: Volunteering - a social capital indicator - has been associated with a lower burden of CVD risk factors in middle-aged and older adults . The prevalence of volunteering and its association with favorable cardiovascular health (i.e., low CV risk, LR ) has not been examined among diverse Hispanic/Latino adults. Hypothesis: Volunteering is positively associated with LR independent of sociodemographic and lifestyle factors; this association is modified by acculturation. Methods: Our analysis included 4,385 participants, ages 18-74 years, from the HCHS/SOL Sociocultural Ancillary Study (2010-2011), a population-based cohort of US Hispanics/Latinos. Multivariate logistic regression (survey weighted) was used to examine cross-sectional associations of self-reported current regular volunteering (yes vs. no) with LR (definition in Table). We tested whether these associations varied by acculturation (assessed as language preference [English vs. Spanish] and length of residence in the US [ Results: The prevalence of regular volunteering was 15.4%. Volunteers were more likely to be English speakers, have lived in the US ≥10 years, and had higher income and education than non-volunteers.Association of volunteering with LR varied by length of residence in the US but not with language preference (P for interactions=0.06 and 0.77, respectively). Among persons with ≥10 years of residence in the US, volunteering was associated with more than 2 times higher odds of being at LR vs. non-volunteering in the fully adjusted model (Table). No association of volunteering with LR was observed among those living in the US Conclusions: Volunteering was associated with LR among Hispanic/Latino adults who have lived in the US for ≥10 years independent of sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. Future research should examine the mechanisms underlying this association, as well as the longitudinal associations of volunteering with incidence of CVD risk factors to assess reverse causality.

Introduction The reach of the New York State YMCA's Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) to at-risk populations may be increased through integration with primary care settings. Although considerable effort has been made in the referral and retention of patients, little is known about the factors associated with the placement of potential participants into YMCA's DPP. Methods Among Montefiore Health System (MHS) patients referred to YMCA's DPP (n = 1,249) from July 10, 2010, through November 11, 2015, we identified demographic factors (eg, age, preferred language) and primary care practice-level factors (eg, time between referral and start of session, session season) associated with placement into a session and subsequent drop-out. We also evaluated factors associated with weight loss. Results Patients were predominantly female (71%) and aged 45 years or older (71%). Patients preferring sessions in Spanish were less often placed in sessions. Patients aged 18 to 44 years were less often placed (P = .01) and enrolled (P = .001) than patients aged 60 years or older. Sessions conducted in the summer and spring had higher enrollment than fall and winter months. Patients who started the YMCA's DPP within 2 months of their referral date were more often enrolled (54.4%) than patients who waited 4 or more months (21.6%) to start their sessions. Patients aged 45 to 59 years lost marginally less weight than those aged 60 years or older (-3.1% vs -3.8%; P = .07). Conclusion Although this evaluation gives some insight into the barriers to placement and enrollment in YMCA's DPP, challenges remain. Efforts are under way to increase referral of patients to community-based DPPs.

The study determined: if there were economic and/or demographic differences between them which existed prior to out-migration; what were the actual earnings differences between cohorts of return and nonreturn migrants following their migration; and if return migrants experienced an improvement or worsening in earnings relative to cohorts of nonreturns and nonmovers. (NQ)

Examines the salaries of full-time faculty at the University of North Florida to determine if differences exist between salaries for white faculty and black faculty, and determines the extent to which black and white faculty differ in productivity. No evidence of discrimination against blacks is found. (Author/JM)

From February through December 2012, we examined responses to health behavior questions integrated into the electronic medical record of primary care centers in the Bronx, New York in the context of New York City Community Health Survey data. We saw a higher proportion of unhealthy behaviors among patients than among the neighborhood population. Analyzing clinical data in the neighborhood context can better target at-risk populations.

Studies have shown that households subsidized with vouchers live in higher quality units and exhibit fewer physical, mental, and social problems than do their peers living in public housing. However, none of these studies have included cardiovascular outcomes. The objective of this study was to assess if use/type of rental assistance is independently associated with poor cardiovascular health among Latino adults (ages ≥ 18) who are eligible for federal low-income rental assistance and living in the Bronx, NY. Data from the cross-sectional, Affordable Housing as an Obesity Mediating Environment study, collected over 18 months (January 2011 to August 2012) were used. The prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes was determined by measured high blood pressure and self-reported heart attack and/or stroke. Type of housing status was defined as: public housing units, units subsidized by section 8 vouchers, and units unassisted by either federal program. Statistical techniques used were analysis of variance and multivariate logistic regression. The prevalence of CVD was significantly higher among public housing residents than unassisted participants even in the presence of all individual level covariates. Public housing residents also have higher levels of CVD than do section 8 participants. The prevalence of CVD was similar for unassisted and section 8 participants. These findings point to the potential for health benefits arising from housing voucher use even within a fairly delimited geographic area.

The routes of underground cable projects sometimes include challenging obstacles that do not permit construction using conventional open-cut trenching methods. The size of the obstacles may range from a few tens of meters (e.g., roadway crossing) to a couple of kilometers (major highway or body of water) where specialized civil construction methods that avoid open-cut trenching can be beneficial. Because of the heat-producing nature of power cables, combining trenchless methods with electric power cables presents unique challenges that must be carefully considered. This paper highlights these design challenges in an effort to better assure successful power cable projects using trenchless technology.

we report amphibian and reptile distribution records based on recent biodiversity surveys conducted at the Angat watershed Reservation, Bulacan Province, Luzon Island, Philippines. This watershed constitutes the principal water source for Manila, the Philippines' largest metropolitan area. As virtually nothing is known of the herpetological diversity of the immediate area and the surrounding Bulacan Province, all species recorded as part of our surveys constitute major geographical records and/or significant range extensions. Our data result in a total of 63 new records of amphibian (19 frogs) and reptile (22 lizards, 2 turtles, and 20 snakes) species for this protected area (and immediate vicinity) that serves as a watershed for the major metropolitan area of Manila and surrounding cities. Together with the few previous literature records, our new records bring the total number of amphibian and reptile species for Bulacan Province to 68. we discuss several strategies for future survey work (focusing on habitat type, seasonal variation, and elevational variability) that we anticipate will result in increased knowledge of diversity within the Angat wa tershed Reserve. The impressive level of herpetological diversity within such a small area, so close to Metro Manila, emphasizes that the diversity and distribution patterns of amphibians and reptiles from Luzon are still poorly known and in need of further study.

Federal rental assistance programs, in the form of the traditional public housing program and the Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP—formerly known as Section 8), are designed to reduce the economic rental burden for low-income residents. While residents using federal housing vouchers, which allow low-income residents in public housing to move out of public housing to rent-subsidized homes, have been found to be have better cardiovascular outcomes compared to the cardiovascular outcomes of low-income public housing residents, the mechanisms explaining these associations remains an understudied area. The aim of this study is to assess whether residents participating in HCVP or unassisted residents had greater access to healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables, and less access to unhealthy foods such as fast food and sugar sweetened beverages, when compared to residents living in public housing (referent group). The Affordable Housing as an Obesity Mediating Environment (AHOME) study is a cross-sectional study of Latinos residing in low-income housing in the Bronx, NY (n = 362). Participants were interviewed to assess food patterns and perceptions of neighborhood environment. The analytic sample was primarily female (74.5 %) with a mean age of 46.4 years (SD = 14.68). Residents participating in HCVP had similar availability of fruits and vegetables in the home compared to residents receiving no assistance or public housing residents. HCVP participants consumed more fast food (β = 0.34; CI = 0.10–0.58) but had similar sugar sweetened beverage consumption compared to public housing residents. Unassisted residents had more fast food consumption (β = 0.25; CI = 0.01–0.49) but less sugar sweetened beverage consumption (β = −0.52; CI = −0.76–−0.28) than public housing residents. Perceptions of neighborhood food environment were not significantly associated with dietary patterns. This study shows variability in consumption of sugar sweetened beverage consumption and fast food consumption, but not in availability of fruits and vegetables, across residents participating in HCVP, public housing residents, and unassisted residents. Evaluating the health benefits associated with low-income housing mobility programs, such as HCVP, requires examining how housing may influence dietary patterns above and beyond an individual’s socioeconomic position.

The study examined whether characteristics of the urban physical environment are associated with child and maternal body mass index (BMI) in a sample of 3 year-old children and their mothers from 18 US cities (N=1997 dyads). BMI was determined based on measured height and weight. Characteristics of the interior and exterior physical environment, assessed and rated by trained interviewers, were related to child BMI at age 3 and to their mother's BMI. Negative aspects of the physical environment were more strongly related to maternal BMI among whites than among African-Americans or Hispanics.

The quasifree electron attachment rate constants kk of recognized carcinogens and noncarcinogens have been measured in nonpolar liquids by a pulse-conductivity technique. In our initial study of the kk in cyclohexane, we reported that the kk of 37 of 42 carcinogens are diffusion controlled, whereas the kk of 30 of 34 noncarcinogens are less than diffusion controlled [Cancer Biochem. Biophys. 5, 103 (1981)]. Since kk is strongly dependent upon the electron mobility uu values of kk of the same carcinogens and noncarcinogens were measured in liquid isooctane [uu (isooctane) = 5.2 as compared to uu (cyclohexane) = 0.22 cm2/V · s at 21°C] to determine the effect of the solvent on the kk-carcinogenicity correlation. In isooctane, the kk of 29 of 35 carcinogens tested are diffusion controlled, and 23 of 27 noncarcinogens are less than diffusion controlled. These results yield a sensitivity and a specificity, which are two criteria used to evaluate screening tests, of 83 and 86%, respectively. In cyclohexane the sensitivity and specificity are both 88%. These results will be compared with the sensitivity and specificity of the Ames test for the same chemicals, and implications of kk-carcinogenicity correlation to designing a carcinogen prescreen test that is based on kk will be discussed.

Fragile Families and Wellbeing Study (FFS) data were analyzed to examine the relationships between obesity, household instability, and area poverty in urban mothers and their children (N=1,449). The FFS was conducted in 20 U.S. cities between 2001 and 2004. Household instability was defined as a tenuous home environment where certain psychosocial and economic constraints are present. Area poverty was determined according to the 2000 U.S. Census. Relative weight increased with level of household instability in mothers but not in children. Mothers with the highest level of household instability within areas of low poverty (i.e., relatively little poverty) were more likely than others to be obese (Odds Ratio=1.8, 95% CI 1.2-2.6). Household instability was not associated with overweight in children. These results suggest that home stability should be considered as a possible risk factor for obesity in mothers with infant children, particularly those residing in low poverty areas.

Introduction The Diabetes Prevention Program has been translated to community settings with varying success. Although primary care referrals are used for identifying and enrolling eligible patients in the Diabetes Prevention Program, little is known about the effects of strategies to facilitate and sustain eligible patient referrals using electronic health record systems. Methods To facilitate and sustain patient referrals, a modification to the electronic health record system was made and combined with provider education in 6 federally qualified health centers in the Bronx, New York. Referral data from April 2012 through November 2014 were analyzed using segmented regression analysis. Results Patient referrals increased significantly after the modification of the electronic health record system and implementation of the provider education intervention. Before the electronic system modification, 0 to 2 patients were referred per month. During the following year (September 2013 through August 2014), which included the provider education intervention, referrals increased to 1 to 9 per month and continued to increase to 5 to 11 per month from September through November 2014. Conclusions Modification of an electronic health record system coupled with a provider education intervention shows promise as a strategy to identify and refer eligible patients to community-based Diabetes Prevention Programs. Further refinement of the electronic system for facilitating referrals and follow-up of eligible patients should be explored.

Studies show that those residing in households subsidized with federal housing vouchers exhibit fewer mental health problems than residents of public housing. The role of housing conditions and neighborhood quality in this relationship is unclear. This study investigated the relationship between rental assistance, housing and neighborhood conditions, and the risk of depressive symptomology and hostile affect among low-income Latino adults living in the Bronx, NY. Latino adults participating in the Affordable Housing as an Obesity Mediating Environment (AHOME) study were used for analysis. All AHOME participants were eligible for federal low-income housing rental assistance (n = 385) and living in the Bronx, New York (2010–2012). Housing (crowding and structural deficiencies) and neighborhood (physical disorder and social cohesion) were measured by questionnaire during in-home interview. Depressive symptomology was measured using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Short Form, CES-D 10 (score ≥10). Hostile affect was measured using items from the Cook-Medley Hostility Scale (score ≥ 4). Results suggest residents of Section 8 housing have similar levels of depressive symptomology and hostility compared to residents in public housing or those receiving no federal housing assistance. However, depressive symptomology was significantly associated with maintenance deficiencies [OR = 1.17; CI 1.02, 1.35] and social cohesion [OR = 0.71; CI 0.55, 0.93]. Hostility was significantly associated with perceived crowding [OR = 1.18; CI 1.16, 2.85], neighborhood physical disorder [OR = 1.94; CI 1.12, 3.40], and social cohesion [OR = 0.70; CI 0.50, 0.98]. Low-income housing assistance did not have an independent effect on mental health outcomes. However, characteristics of the housing and neighborhood environments were associated with depressive symptomology and hostility.

To examine the relationship between serum iron and body composition in a multiracial adult cohort.The analysis consisted of 670 participants on whom blood analysis and anthropometric data were available. The participants were recruited as part of the Rosetta Study (1990-2000), which was designed to assess body composition in a multiethnic cohort of healthy adults. Fasting iron level was measured as part of a biochemistry panel. Dual x-ray absorptiometry was used to assess fat mass. Anthropometric measures included waist circumference and body mass index (BMI; calculated as kg/m(2)) as an index of abdominal adiposity and overall body fatness, respectively.In the study cohort the mean age was 54+/-17 years and 60.9% were overweight or obese (BMIor =25). Men had higher serum iron levels (94.91+/-34.52 microg/dL [16.99+/-6.18 micromol/L] vs 82.17+/-32.62 microg/dL [14.71+/-5.84 micromol/L]) and larger waist circumference (91.98+/-11.87 cm vs 85.24+/-12.37 cm) compared with women (P0.001). Iron was inversely correlated with BMI (r=-0.23, P0.001), waist circumference (r=-0.19, P0.05), and fat mass (r=-0.19, P0.05) among Hispanic women but not among African-American, white, or Asian women or in men of any race/ethnic group.The results of this study show an inverse association of measures of body fat distribution and total fat mass with serum iron level in Hispanic women. Studies designed to explore how micronutrients are used by the body at varying degrees of body fatness could provide useful information on the micronutrient-related comorbidities of obesity.