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Purpose: Recruiting college students for research studies can be challenging. The purpose of this paper is to describe the lessons learned in the various recruitment strategies used for enrolling college students in a theory-based, tailored, and web-delivered health intervention at 13 US universities. Design/methodology/approach: The community-based participatory research (CBPR) model was used to develop a staged-tailored, web-based, randomized control trial, focusing on eating behavior, physical activity, and stress management. Participant feedback during baseline assessments was used to evaluate recruitment strategies. Findings: Findings from this feedback suggest that traditional recruitment strategies, such as newspaper ads and flyers, may not be the best approach for recruiting college students; instead, web-based efforts proved to be a better recruitment strategy. Research limitations/implications: This project included results from 13 US universities and thus may not be generalizable: more research is needed to determine successful recruitment methods for 18-24 years old college students. Originality/value: This paper lessens the gap regarding successful recruitment strategies for 18-24 years old college students.

Purpose: Little is known about health-related advertising on university environments. Given the power of advertising and its potential effect on health behaviors, the purpose of this paper is to assess the health-related advertisement environment and policies on university campuses. Design/methodology/approach: In total, ten geographically and ethnically diverse US university campuses that were trained in using the health-related advertisement survey tool participated in the study. Inter-rater reliability with data collectors at each university was established before data commencement began in Spring 2011. The survey tool assessed the types, locations, and prevalence of health-related advertisements and messages (e.g. nutrition, alcohol, tobacco) on campus, and included both advertisements and messages related to any aspect of health by any sponsor. Current campus health-related policies from each institution were collected as well. Findings: The largest proportion of advertisements on all campuses were for diet/nutrition, exercise/fitness, and alcohol. The majority of advertisements promoted positive health behaviors recommended by health professionals. Unbranded advertisements were more likely to promote positive health behaviors than branded advertisements. Diet/nutrition, tobacco, and drug advertisements were more likely to be positive, whereas alcohol-related advertisements tended to be negative. Originality/value: The paper's findings indicate significant gaps in campus health-related policies with regard to healthy eating and physical activity and lack of policies covering health-related advertisement content. Benchmark data like those reported here can help campus stakeholders set priorities and work with campus decision makers to advocate for the development and implementation of healthy campus policies that support healthy environments. (Contains 4 tables.)

Objective: The prevalence of obesity among pre-school-aged children in the USA remains unacceptably high. Here, we examine the impact of Healthy Caregivers-Healthy Children (HC2) Phase 2, a childcare centre (CCC)-based obesity prevention intervention on changes in the CCC nutrition and physical activity environment over 2 school years. Design: This was a cluster-randomised trial with twelve CCC receiving the HC2 intervention arm and twelve in the control arm. The primary outcome was change in the Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation (EPAO) tool over 2 school years (Fall 2015, Spring 2016 and Spring 2017). Changes in EPAO physical activity and nutrition score were analysed via a: (1) random effects mixed models and (2) mixed models to determine the effect of HC2 v. control. Setting: The study was conducted in twenty-four CCC serving low-income, ethnically diverse families in Miami-Dade County. Participants: Intervention CCC received (1) teachers/parents/children curriculum, (2) snack, beverage, physical activity, and screen time policies, and (3) menu modifications. Results: Two-year EPAO nutrition score changes in intervention CCC were almost twice that of control CCC. The EPAO physical activity environment scores only slightly improved in intervention CCC v. control CCC. Intervention CCC showed higher combined EPAO physical activity and nutrition scores compared to control CCC over the 2-year study period (β = 0·09, P = 0·05). Conclusions: Obesity prevention programmes can have a positive impact on the CCC nutrition environment and can promote healthy weight in early childhood. CCC may need consistent support to improve the physical activity environment to ensure the policies remain intact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of folate status and the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) 677C[right arrow]T polymorphism on the kinetics of homocysteine metabolism are unclear. We measured the effects of dietary folate restriction on the kinetics of homocysteine remethylation and synthesis in healthy women (20-30 y old) with the MTHFR 677 C/C or T/T genotypes (n = 9/genotype) using i.v. primed, constant infusions of [[sup.13][C.sub.5]]methionine, [3-[sup.13]C]serine, and [[sup.2][H.sub.3]]leucine before and after 7 wk of dietary folate restriction (115 [micro]g dietary folate equivalents/ d). Dietary folate restriction significantly reduced folate status (~65% reduction in serum folate) in both genotypes. Total remethylation flux was not affected by dietary folate restriction, the MTHFR 677C[right arrow]T polymorphism, or their combination. However, the percentage of remethylation from serine was reduced ~15% (P = 0.031) by folate restriction in C/C subjects. Further, homocysteine synthesis rates of T/T subjects and folate-restricted C/C subjects were twice that of C/C subjects at baseline. In conclusion, elevated homocysteine synthesis is a cause of mild hyperhomocysteinemia in women with marginal folate status, particularly those with the MTHFR 677 T/T genotype. KEY WORDS: * methionine * one-carbon metabolism * S-adenosylmethionine * S-adenosylhomocysteine * women

Whether folate status and the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) 677C[right arrow]T polymorphism interact to affect methionine-cycle metabolite concentrations is uncertain. We evaluated the effects of dietary folate restriction on relations among folate status indices and plasma concentrations of methionine cycle metabolites in women with the MTHFR 677 C/C and T/T genotypes. Healthy, normohomocysteinemic women (n = 18; 20-30 y old) of adequate B vitamin status, and equally divided according to MTHFR 677C[right arrow]T genotype (9 C/C and 9 T/T) were recruited. Folate status indices and methionine cycle metabolites were measured in blood samples collected at baseline and after 7 wk of dietary folate restriction (115 [micro]g dietary folate equivalents/d). Significant negative correlations between plasma total homocysteine concentrations and total or 5-methyl folate concentrations (P = 0.041 and 0.023, respectively) in RBCs were found only in T/T subjects. Formylated folates were detected in RBCs of T/T subjects only, and their abundance was predictive of plasma total homocysteine concentration despite no significant alteration by folate restriction. Plasma concentrations of S-adenosylmethionine and S-adenosylhomocysteine were not significantly affected by dietary folate restriction and the MTHFR 677 T/T genotype. In conclusion, plasma total homocysteine concentrations in subjects with the MTHFR 677 T/T genotype were inversely related to 5-methyl folate concentrations and directly related to formylated folate concentrations in RBCs, even though the latter were not significantly affected by moderate folate restriction. KEY WORDS: * homocysteine * methionine * S-adenosylmethionine * S-adenosylhomocysteine * women

The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) 677C [right arrow] T polymorphism is thought to influence the partitioning of 1-carbon units between methylation and other components of 1-carbon metabolism and to influence the risk and etiology of several major cancers and cardiovascular disease. Our objective was to determine the effect of the MTHFR 677C [right arrow] T polymorphism and folate status on the relative rate and extent of in vivo synthesis of DNA precursors. Adequately nourished, healthy women (9 CC, 9 TT) were infused with [3-[sup.13C]]serine and [[sup.13][C.sub.5]]methionine for 9 h before and after 7 wk of consumption of a low-folate diet. Blood was drawn over 5 d for monocyte DNA isolation. Isotopic enrichment of the nucleosides in DNA digests was determined by LC-MS/MS. Maximum thymidine enrichment tended to be higher (P = 0.07) in TT than in CC subjects, suggestive of marginally higher mean thymidylate synthesis. However, the subset of TT subjects who exhibited formyltetrahydrofolate in erythrocytes (an indicator of 1-carbon partitioning) had greater (P = 0.036) thymidine enrichment than CC subjects, who had no erythrocyte formyltetrahydrofolate. Purine enrichment was not affected by genotype or folate depletion. However, the deoxyadenosine to deoxyguanosine enrichment ratio was significantly higher in TT subjects, suggesting a greater relative rate of adenine synthesis. The ~40% greater (P = 0.012) labeling of the methyl group of methyldeoxycytidine during folate depletion suggests a change in the origin of this 1-carbon unit. This is the first time that 1-carbon incorporation into human DNA has been measured in vivo after infusion of [sup.13C]-labeled 1-carbon precursors. These findings support the feasibility of further assessment of factors affecting deoxynucleotide synthesis and DNA methylation in human 1-carbon metabolism. KEY WORDS: * thymidine * methyldeoxycytidine * deoxypurine * LC-MS/MS * isotope

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) and methionine synthase reductase (MTRR) are important for homocysteine remethylation. This study was designed to determine the influence of genetic variants (MTHFR 677C[right arrow],T, MTHFR 1298A[right arrow]C, and MTRR 66A[right arrow]G), folate, and vitamin B-12 status on plasma homocysteine in women (20-30 y; n = 362). Plasma homocysteine was inversely (P < 0.0001) associated with serum folate and plasma vitamin B-12 regardless of genotype. Plasma homocysteine was higher (P < 0.05) for women with the MTHFR 677 TT/1298 AA genotype combination compared with the CC/AA, CC/AC, and CT/AA genotypes. Women with the MTHFR 677 TT/MTRR 66 AG genotype had higher (P < 0.05) plasma homocysteine than all other genotype combinations except the TT/AA and TT/GG genotypes. There were 5.4-, 4.3-, and 3.8-fold increases (P < 0.001) in risk for plasma homocysteine in the top 5, 10, and 20%, respectively, of the homocysteine distribution for subjects with the MTHFR 677 TT compared with the CC and CT genotypes. Predicted plasma homocysteine was inversely associated with serum folate (P = 0.003) and plasma vitamin B-12 (P = 0.002), with the degree of correlation dependent on MTHFR 677C[right arrow]T genotype. These data suggest that coexistence of the MTHFR 677 TT genotype with the MTRR 66A[right arrow]G polymorphism may exacerbate the effect of the MTHFR variant alone. The potential negative effect of combined polymorphisms of the MTHFR and MTRR genes on plasma homocysteine in at-risk population groups with low folate and/or vitamin B-12 status, such as women of reproductive potential, deserves further investigation. KEY WORDS: * folate * genetic polymorphisms * homocysteine * vitamin B-12

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) 677C [right arrow] T polymorphism on folate and homocysteine response in nonHispanic women consuming a low folate diet followed by a diet providing the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for folate. Women (aged 20-30 y old) with either the TT (n = 19) or CC (n = 22) MTHFR 677C [right arrow] T genotype participated in a folate depletion-repletion study (7 wk, 115 [micro]g dietary folate equivalents (DFE)/d; 7 wk, 400 [micro]g DFE/d). Overall serum folate decreased (P < 0.0001) during depletion and increased (P < 0.0001) during repletion with lower (P = 0.03) postdepletion serum folate in women with the TT versus CC genotype. Folate status was low (serum folate < 13.6 nmol/L) in more women with the TT (59%) compared with the CC genotype (15%) postdepletion. Red blood cell folate for all subjects decreased during depletion (P < 0.0001) and repletion (P = 0.02) with lower (P = 0.04) red blood cell folate in women with the TT compared with the CC genotype postrepletion. Homocysteine increased (P < 0.0001) for both genotype groups postdepletion and decreased (P = 0.02) postrepletion for the CC genotype group only. Homocysteine concentrations tended to be higher (P = 0.09) in the TT versus CC genotype group postdepletion and postrepletion. These data suggest that the MTHFR 677C [right arrow] T polymorphism negatively affects the folate and homocysteine response in women consuming low folate diets followed by repletion with the RDA. These results may be important when evaluating the impact of the MTHFR 677C [right arrow] T polymorphism in countries in which low folate diets are chronically consumed. KEY WORDS: * folate * 5'10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase * genotype * young women