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Introduction Obesity rates among US Hispanic women and children are high. Childhood obesity prevention beginning prenatally is desirable, but studies show mixed results. Methods We tested a pilot intervention to promote optimal gestational and infant weight with primigravid Hispanic women at a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) on the U.S.-Mexico border. The intervention included promotora-led exercise, nutrition, breastfeeding activities (n = 23), supported by text/social media messaging (text messaging prenatally, private Facebook page postnatally). Measures included demographics, BMI, weight gain/retention, infant feeding, and attendance. Results Most women were U.S. born (73%), Spanish-language dominant (83%), with [less than or equal to] high school education (65%), and overweight/obese (56%). Retention rates were modest for the prenatal component (50%), supported by an SMS text-messaging program. Retention of the remaining postnatal sample, supported by a private Facebook® page, was 100%. Of women who regularly attended group sessions pre and postpartum, over 70% were within 5 lbs of pre-pregnancy weight at 6 months postpartum. A private Facebook® group was feasible for out-of-class support, including among women with regular cross-border mobility. Discussion While the intervention was well-received, almost 2/3 of the original participants did not follow up postpartum. Importantly, the findings indicate the use of social media (private Facebook® page) was more feasible than the SMS text-messaging program and may be a successful approach to reach and engage women living in mobile and transnational settings. Future studies should examine social media as an intervention tool to influence optimal weight and encourage healthy behaviors in primigravidas living near the U.S.-Mexico border., Author(s): Christine B. Williams [sup.1] , D. Yvette LaCoursiere [sup.2] , Gregory A. Talavera [sup.3] , Sheila Gahagan [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (Aff1) 0000 0004 0627 2787, grid.217200.6, Department of Pediatrics, [...]

Used asynchronous electronic discussion groups across sections of a required introductory U.S. Government course. Findings for three course sections show the ways in which initial parameters affect student participation and perceived value. (SLD)

Byline: Janis L. Gogan, Christine B. Williams, Jane Fedorowicz Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a powerful new technology which, in combination with other information technologies, offers great potential for supporting interorganisational collaboration. The case study reported herein suggests that organisations adopting RFID will need to change their technical and organisational processes and make accommodations in response to political and environmental constraints. The study focused on an initiative undertaken by the Wisconsin Livestock Identification Consortium (WLIC). Through it, a large number of disparate organisations are working together to utilise RFID to track livestock movements, thereby helping to mitigate the potentially harmful effects of contagious diseases. This study demonstrates how political and administrative challenges interacted with technical aspects of the interorganisational system design. Suggestions are offered for further research on the assimilation of RFID and other emerging technologies in interorganisational contexts.

Using 2012 and 2016 candidate disbursements and independent expenditures filing data collected by the Federal Election Commission, this study compares how much money both the presidential campaigns and outside groups spent on digital relative to traditional media. Digital campaign expenditures have increased their share of total media outlays markedly over recent election cycles, and in the 2016 presidential election, both the candidate and independent expenditures were higher than in 2012, particularly on the Republican side. This article investigates reasons for these trends and establishes a baseline for future research on the heretofore understudied topic of digital political advertising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2011, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute recommended universal lipid screening (ULS) in 9- to 11-year-old children. This study aimed to determine whether a quality improvement (QI) initiative increased ULS. Data were abstracted from the electronic medical record to compare screening behaviors 1 year preimplementation and postimplementation. A focus group was conducted to examine physicians' attitudes. In preimplementation and postimplementation years, the number of 9- to 11-year-olds seen for well-child checks were 356 and 357, respectively. The first and second phases of the intervention were associated with a 64.3% (P < .001) and 2.3% (P = .75) increase in ordering, respectively. The rate of abnormal results was similar (21.4% vs 20.1%, P = .91). Physicians reported "some benefits" to screening but expressed concerns about cost-effectiveness and impact. The QI initiative resulted in high rates of ULS. Nonetheless, physicians continue to question the impact of screening on long-term health. More research on the benefits, costs, and outcomes of ULS is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experimental study investigates the role of three agents--parent, teacher, and friend--in the socialization of issue briefs of fifth- and sixth-grade children. The authors studied 164 pupils by asking them to complete stories about nuclear energy, refugees, space exploration, and so forth. Two dimensions are the level of issue salience (high versus low stimulus), and the issue agreement among agents (homogeneous versus heterogeneous cues). It finds that opinion change is greatest in the homogeneous cue condition and least in the heterogeneous cue condition.