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Objectives American Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends different ranges of gestational weight gain (GWG) based on pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI). In Taiwan, IOM guidelines are implemented concurrently with the local recommendation for GWG (10-14 kg). This study compared between the two sets of guidelines in relation to adverse perinatal outcomes. Methods We analyzed 31,653 primiparas with singletons from 2011 to 2016 annual National Breastfeeding Surveys. Logistic regressions for preterm birth, small for gestational age (SGA), large for gestational age (LGA), cesarean section and excessive postpartum weight retention (EPWR) were fitted separately for GWG categorized according to IOM and Taiwan ranges. Areas under the receiver-operator curves (AUC) and the predicted probabilities for each outcome were compared in each BMI group. Results AUC for both guidelines ranged within 0.51-0.73. Compared to Taiwan recommendation, IOM ranges showed lower probabilities of SGA for underweight (0.11-0.15 versus 0.14-0.18), of LGA for obese (0.12-0.15 versus 0.15-0.18), of EPWR for overweight (0.19-0.30 versus 0.27-0.39), and obese (0.15-0.22 versus 0.25-0.36); and higher probabilities of EPWR for underweight (0.17-0.33 versus 0.14-0.22). Conclusions for practice Discriminative performance of IOM and Taiwan recommendations was poor for the five adverse birth outcomes, and no preference for either set of recommendations could be inferred from our results. In the absence of specific GWG guidelines, health care workers may provide inconsistent information to their patients. Future research is needed to explore optimal GWG ranges that can reliably predict locally relevant perinatal outcomes for mother and child., Author(s): Alexander Waits [sup.1] [sup.2] , Chao-Yu Guo [sup.1] , Li-Yin Chien [sup.3] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.260539.b, 0000 0001 2059 7017, Institute of Public Health, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung [...]

Background: Drug use has been noted among students in Taiwan during the past decade and schools have a role in preventing or delaying students' drug use. We developed and evaluated a school-based, drug-use prevention program integrating the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and life skills for junior high school students. Methods: We recruited 441 seventh graders from randomly selected schools: N = 143 experimental groups, N = 142 conventional groups, and N = 156 control groups. The experimental group received ten 45-minute sessions of theory-based interventions. The conventional group got traditional didactic teaching and drug refusal skills. The control group received no intervention. Results: Compared to the control group, experimental group students showed greater improvement in attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, life skills, and intention not to use drugs. Compared to the conventional group, the experimental group had significantly higher posttest scores for 4 of the 5 outcomes, including life skills (96.53 vs. 90.92, p less than 0.001), attitude (27.43 vs. 24.40, p = 0.012), subjective norm (29.51 vs. 28.06, p = 0.002), and perceived behavioral control (18.59 vs. 16.81, p less than 0.001). The conventional group scored significantly higher in behavioral intention than did the control group. Conclusion: Study results demonstrated the effectiveness of a drug-use prevention program integrating the TPB and life skills. (Contains 5 tables.)

Associations between breastfeeding intention, duration and post‐natal depression (PND) have been shown in pre‐COVID‐19 studies. However, studies during COVID‐19 have not examined the associations between breastfeeding intention, breastfeeding practices, and PND in an international sample of post‐natal women, taking into consideration COVID‐19 related factors. This is the first study to address this gap as both PND and breastfeeding may be affected by COVID‐19, and have important long‐term effects on women's and infant's health. A cross‐sectional internet‐based survey was conducted with 3253 post‐natal women from five countries: Brazil, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and the United Kingdom from July to November 2021. The results showed that women who intended to breastfeed during pregnancy had lower odds of having PND than women who did not intend to. Women who had no breastfeeding intention but actually breastfed had greater odds (AOR 1.75) of having PND than women who intended to breastfeed and actually breastfed. While there was no statistical significance in expressed breast milk feeding in multivariable logistic regression models, women who had shorter duration of breastfeeding directly on breast than they planned had greater odds (AOR 1.58) of having PND than those who breastfed longer than they planned even after adjusting for covariates including COVID‐19‐related variables. These findings suggested the importance of working with women on their breastfeeding intention. Tailored support is required to ensure women's breastfeeding needs are met and at the same time care for maternal mental health during and beyond the pandemic. Key messages: This study identified independent associations of breastfeeding intention and actual breastfeeding practices with PND after adjustment for COVID‐19‐related covariates.Although women who intended to breastfeed during pregnancy were less likely to have PND, those who did not intend to breastfeed but did breastfeed were more likely to have PND than those who intended to breastfeed and breastfed.Women with shorter (vs. longer) than planned duration of breastfeeding on breast were more likely to have PND.Health care providers and policymakers should ensure tailored support is available for women's infant feeding plans and mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]