Search

Contributors to excessive obesity in rural youth include well-documented nutrition and physical activity behaviors. However, emerging research suggests that preventing excessive weight gain and smoking during pregnancy, teen pregnancy, and child abuse also could reduce obesity in this vulnerable population. These traditional and emerging, nontraditional factors need to be addressed within the confines of current challenges faced by rural communities. An enhanced ecological model provides a framework for combining traditional and nontraditional factors into a more comprehensive approach that addresses the complexity of the issues contributing to youth obesity. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)

National and local data consistently report that teens have inadequate calcium intakes (1-4). According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals, 1994-96 (1), [...]

The mean values derived from food composition tables of select nutrients of school lunch items are accurate when compared with chemical studies on the same lunch items. Calculated values derived from a computerized nutrient database were compared with chemical analyses of 60 school lunch foods and recipes for five nutrients including total fat, saturated fat, mono-unsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat and sodium. Computerized nutrient databases may be employed in nutrition programs such as Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health (CATCH).

The relationship between dietary factors and chronic diseases is increasingly recognized as an important research topic (1). However, research concerning diet and disease is frequently complicated by the lack of [...]

The nutrient intake and food use patterns of schoolchildren were assessed by examining the diets of 138 children and adolescents in grades 1 through 12. The intake of total fat, saturated fat, and polyunsaturated fat was 35.6, 13.4, and 6.6 percent of calories, respectively. The proportion of calories consumed from fat was less than 30 percent of the total daily caloric intake in 17 percent of subjects and 38 percent or more in 34 percent of subjects. Seven percent of subjects consumed less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fats, whereas greater than 97 percent of subjects ingested less than 300 milligrams (mg) of cholesterol per day. Subjects who consumed higher fat diets had a higher intake of calories, sodium, and beta-carotene. Those subjects who consumed low-fat diets had higher or similar intakes of other micronutrients. The contributions of saturated fat and cholesterol by individual food sources differed between high- and low-fat diets. These results reveal that a large proportion of children and adolescents consumed diets that are low in fat and cholesterol and maintained satisfactory intakes of other nutrients. The findings suggest that the current dietary guidelines regarding fat intake can be achieved within the current food use patterns of healthy, school-aged children and adolescents. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

The US Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourage Americans older than 2 years to consume foods lower in fat and higher in complex carbohydrates (1). The critical role of eating habits [...]

Little published data describe the dietary and physiological profiles of intercollegiate female soccer players; therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to report baseline dietary data, anthropometrics, and performance indices of soccer women during rigorous pre-season training (2 sessions/day) and then during the post-competitive season. Members of a NCAA Division I women's soccer squad completed 3-day diet records, anthropometrics, and physical tests, including VO[sub 2peak]. Average body mass was 62 kg with 16% body fat, and no significant pre to post differences were observed. Total energy, carbohydrate (CHO), protein, and fat intakes were significantly greater during the pre-season. Pre-season energy intake met the DRI for females with an "active" lifestyle (37 kcal/kg). While CHO intake failed to meet minimum recommendations to promote glycogen repletion (7-10 g/kg), protein and fat intakes were above minimum recommendations. Pre- and post-season intakes of several micronutrients were marginal (<75% of the DRI) including vitamin E, folate, copper, and magnesium. VO[sub 2peak] significantly improved from pre- to post-season (42 and 50 ml/kg/min). In this study female soccer players appeared to meet caloric needs during periods of training but failed to meet minimum CHO and micronutrient recommendations. Foods higher in protein and fat displaced more CHO-rich and nutrient-dense foods within athletes' energy requirements and satiety limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variety of self-report methods, such as food recalls, records, and questionnaries [1,2] have been used to assess children's dietary practices. Direct observation of diet, however, avoids the potential problems [...]

Research on the relationship between diet and disease has increased interest in nutrition and in determining the nutrients and their levels that are related to adequate health (7). The latest [...]

Background: A high consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grain foods and adequate levels of physical activity are associated with a lower risk of obesity and lower risk of lifestyle cancers. Research suggests that rural communities have a high risk of unhealthy behaviors that may contribute to excessive weight gain and risk of lifestyle related cancers. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the effect of an educational intervention in a rural Texas community on the intermediate outcomes of eating behavior (increasing the intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grain foods) and physical activity behavior, and the distal outcome of body mass index (BM1). Methods: The intervention, guided by the Social Cognitive Theory, was implemented over a 10-month period and included a variety of community-based education activities related to nutrition, physical activity, and cancer in a variety of settings. The effect of the intervention was assessed by analyzing pre- and post-data (N=67) using independent and paired samples t-tests and bivariate correlations. Results: Participants were mainly Hispanic (53.7%) and White (44.8%). At pre-intervention, 6% of participants reported consuming >5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, 19.4% consumed >3 servings of whole grain foods daily, and 85.1% were either overweight or obese. Only 31% of participants were aware that cancer risk was related to overweight at pre-intervention. At post-intervention, Hispanics showed a significant increase in the consumption of fruits and vegetables (p<0.05). Participation in sports or physical activity programs showed a significant increase (p<0.05). However, no significant decrease in BM1 was shown. Conclusion: This intervention had a limited effect in increasing targeted behaviors and no effect on reducing BMI. More assessment is needed in this rural community to identify barriers to healthy behaviors and to improve interventions to increase consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grain foods, levels of physical activity, and awareness of the cancer and obesity relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. The main purposes of this study were to assess TV viewing among Hispanic young children and to examine effects of having a TV in the child's bedroom (TVIB). Design and Setting. A quasi-experimental design was used to evaluate an intervention program that is collecting longitudinal data in West Texas. However, the current report uses only the baseline data of the ongoing study. Subjects. Predominantly low-income and Hispanic parents/guardians (N = 315) and their children of 5 to 9 years (N = 597). Measures. Children's anthropometric measures were obtained. Their overweight status was determined based on age- and gender-adjusted body mass index. A demographic questionnaire, acculturation scale (brief version of Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans II), and family survey were used among parents. Analysis. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, X² tests, and logistic regressions were used. Results. Most children (70%) have TVIB; more than 30% were or were at risk of overweight. Demographic characteristics did not significantly predict TVIB. Children with TVIB spent .93 hours more daily watching TV/DVD (t = 3.07; df = 283; p = .003), and children (at one site) ate more fast food (X² = 5.46; df = 1; p = .019), compared with children without TVIB whose parents better supported physical activity (t = 2.11; df = 275; p = .039). Conclusion. Most children in this low-income and Hispanic sample have TVIB, which is associated with unhealthy behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated whether perceptions of parenting behaviours predict young adolescents' nutritional intake and body fatness. The randomly selected study sample consisted of 106 13–15 years olds from Houston Metropolitan Statistical Area. Parenting style variables were created by cluster analysis and factor analysis. A two-cluster solution for both maternal and paternal parenting style represented authoritative vs. non-authoritative parenting. Two parenting dimension factors derived were maternal/paternal nurturing and control. For adolescents' energy and nutrient intake, greater maternal nurturing appeared to be most beneficial given its association with lower consumption of total kilocalorie and lower saturated fat intake. Paternal nurturing was associated with lower sodium intake, whereas paternal control predicted lower percentage of kilocalories from carbohydrate and percentage Dietary Reference Intake for dietary fibre, and greater percentage of kilocalories from total fat. Maternal authoritative parenting and lower maternal control over their adolescents may have protective effects against having heavier and fatter adolescents given their associations with adolescents' body weight, sub-scapular skinfold, waist circumference, body mass index, and the tendencies of being at risk of overweight and being overweight. None of paternal parenting styles or dimensions appeared to be significantly related to adolescents' body fatness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes lessons learned from a variety of community-based participatory research (CBPR) activities. These activities helped to shape the early development of a childhood overweight prevention program aimed at predominately Hispanic populations in Lubbock and El Paso, Texas. In this context, a background for the full scale program is presented followed by a description of methods and results of the CBPR provided.

Reviews the videotape "Food Fight: Childhood Obesity and the Food Industry," from Films for the Humanities and Sciences.

A group administered 24-hour food recall was developed by the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program of Texas to expedite dietary assessment of clients. The study reported here evaluated the group recall and an individual recall method. Data for one meal collected with the use of dietary recalls, either group of individual, were compared to observational data. Results suggest that the group recall may be at least as effective as the individual recall to estimate dietary intakes of subjects. The group recall method could be used by programs such as EFNEP to simplify and expedite dietary assessment of clients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]