Enhancing self-regulation as a strategy for obesity prevention in Head Start preschoolers: the growing healthy study

Abstract Background Nearly one in five 4-year-old children in the United States are obese, with low-income children almost twice as likely to be obese as their middle/upper-income peers. Few obesity prevention programs for low-income preschoolers and their parents have been rigorously tested, and effects are modest. We are testing a novel obesity prevention program for low-income preschoolers built on the premise that children who are better able to self-regulate in the face of psychosocial stressors may be less likely to eat impulsively in response to stress. Enhancing behavioral self-regulation skills in low-income children may be a unique and important intervention approach to prevent childhood obesity. Methods/design The Growing Healthy study is a randomized controlled trial evaluating two obesity prevention interventions in 600 low-income preschoolers attending Head Start, a federally-funded preschool program for low-income children. Interventions are delivered by community-based, nutrition-education staff partnering with Head Start. The first intervention (n = 200), Preschool Obesity Prevention Series (POPS), addresses evidence-based obesity prevention behaviors for preschool-aged children and their parents. The second intervention (n = 200) comprises POPS in combination with the Incredible Years Series (IYS), an evidence-based approach to improving self-regulation among preschool-aged children. The comparison condition (n = 200) is Usual Head Start Exposure. We hypothesize that POPS will yield positive effects compared to Usual Head Start, and that the combined intervention (POPS + IYS) addressing behaviors well-known to be associated with obesity risk, as well as self-regulatory capacity, will be most effective in preventing excessive increases in child adiposity indices (body mass index, skinfold thickness). We will evaluate additional child outcomes using parent and teacher reports and direct assessments of food-related self-regulation. We will also gather process data on intervention implementation, including fidelity, attendance, engagement, and satisfaction. Discussion The Growing Healthy study will shed light on associations between self-regulation skills and obesity risk in low-income preschoolers. If the project is effective in preventing obesity, results can also provide critical insights into how best to deliver obesity prevention programming to parents and children in a community-based setting like Head Start in order to promote better health among at-risk children. Trial registration number Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01398358http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/112539/1/12889_2012_Article_4758.pd

An investigation of ecocultural influences on sustained engagement: insights from parents in rural North Carolina who have infants and toddlers with disabilities

Understanding the contexts in which children develop, including distal ecological factors, proximal family influences, and various cultural factors is essential for promoting positive outcomes for young children with disabilities or developmental delays. However, little is known about the everyday experiences and engagement patterns of families from rural communities who have infants and toddlers with disabilities or developmental delays. This study was used to investigate the perspectives of 17 parents across four rural counties in North Carolina was investigated concerning ecocultural factors that enhanced or prevented sustained engagement with their infants and toddlers with disabilities. A concurrent transformative mixed methods design guided data collection and analysis. Data were collected by means of focus groups, surveys, field notes, and demographic forms. Constant comparison analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. Descriptive statistics were obtained from surveys and demographic forms. Results indicate that parents primarily perceive ecocultural features as having either a positive influence or no influence on their engagement with their children. Results also indicate that parents actively make accommodations to interrupt potential barriers to engagement and also use positive aspects within their communities to facilitate engagement. These findings contribute to research and practice in the field of early intervention by drawing attention to the adaptive capacities of families in rural communities who have children with disabilities and delineating community resources that could inform the types of interventions that these families are likely to sustain

PBL Every Drop Counts: Improving the Health of the Lake Michigan

Every Drop Counts is a sample Problem Based Learning (PBL) lesson focused on improving the health of Lake Michigan waters and shoreline. This sample problem focuses on habitats, pollution, and properties of water

Agricultural robotics: part of the new deal?

Throughout the fifth edition of the International Forum of Agricultural Robots (FIRA) in December 2020, more than 1,500 farmers, manufacturers, advanced technology suppliers, innovators, investors, journalists and experts from 71 countries around the world gathered to ask questions, share stories and exchange ideas about agricultural robots. This book is a journey into the state of the art of this industry in 2020, and includes 27 agricultural robot information sheets. It is designed to provide a nuanced look at the industry’s most pressing topics, from the overarching impact of the global food crisis to the everyday influence of semi-autonomous tractors on a family-owned farm in France. The book achieves this goal by taking a deep dive into the perspectives shared by FIRA 2020 presenters and panelists

Planting Seeds for the Future: Scoping Review of Child Health Promotion Apps for Parents

Background: Increasingly, parents use child health promotion apps to find health information. An overview of child health promotion apps for parents currently does not exist. The scope of child health topics addressed by parent apps is thus needed, including how they are evaluated. Objective: This scoping review aims to describe existing reported mobile health (mHealth) parent apps of middle-to high-income countries that promote child health. The focus centers on apps developed in the last 5 years, showing how the reported apps are evaluated, and listing reported outcomes found. Methods: A scoping review was conducted according to PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews) guidelines to identify parent apps or web-based programs on child health promotion published between January 2016 and June 2021 in 5 databases: PubMed, ERIC, IEEE Xplore, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Separate sources were sought through an expert network. Included studies were summarized and analyzed through a systematic and descriptive content analysis, including keywords, year of publication, country of origin, aims/purpose, study population/sample size, intervention type, methodology/method(s), broad topic(s), evaluation, and study outcomes. Results: In total, 39 studies met the inclusion criteria from 1040 database and 60 expert-identified studies. Keywords reflected the health topics and app foci. About 64% (25/39) of included studies were published after 2019 and most stemmed from the United States, Australian, and European-based research. Studies aimed to review or evaluate apps or conducted app-based study interventions. The number of participants ranged from 7 to 1200. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used. Interventions included 28 primary studies, 6 app feasibility studies, and 5 app or literature reviews. Eight separate topics were found: parental feeding and nutrition, physical activity, maternal-child health, parent-child health, healthy environment, dental health, mental health, and sleep. Study intervention evaluations cited behavior change theories in 26 studies and evaluations were carried out with a variety of topic-specific, adapted, self-developed, or validated questionnaires and evaluation tools. To evaluate apps, user input and qualitative evaluations were often combined with surveys and frequently rated with the Mobile App Rating Scale. Outcomes reported some positive effects, while several intervention studies saw no effect at all. Effectively evaluating changes in behavior through apps, recruiting target groups, and retaining app engagement were challenges cited. Conclusions: New parents are a key target group for child health apps, but evaluating child health promotion apps remains a challenge. Whether tailored to parent needs or adapted to the specific topic, apps should be rooted in a transparent theoretical groundwork. Applicable lessons for parent apps from existing research are to tailor app content, include intuitive and adaptive features, and embed well-founded parameters for long-term effect evaluation on child health promotion

Täydennysosa väitöskirjaan "Tietokoneavusteinen oppiminen perustuen karttuviin sanastoihin, käsiteverkostoihin ja Wikipedian linkitykseen"

A supplement to Lauri Lahti’s doctoral dissertation in 2015 "Computer-Assisted Learning Based on Cumulative Vocabularies, Conceptual Networks and Wikipedia Linkage" so that this supplement was referenced to by the original publication.Täydennysosa väitöskirjaan "Tietokoneavusteinen oppiminen perustuen karttuviin sanastoihin, käsiteverkostoihin ja Wikipedian linkitykseen"Not reviewe

Active Youth & Passive Design: Addressing Crime through Design of "Safe Space" in Paukukalo, Maui

Recreational youth centers play a key role in shaping safer communities and can provide a sense of security within a neighborhood. The purpose of a youth center is to provide a safe, positive environment for adolescents and teens to learn and develop social skills. The facility becomes an intermediate space between home and school, which children can call their own. The success of a youth center depends on architectural aspects such as tectonic form, space, and programming. The organization of space is a critical factor in the design as each area should maintain faculty supervision while providing the youth a feeling of independence and security. The building becomes a “safe space” and a place of alternative entertainment for youth. In addition, the youth center staff act as positive role models and help guide adolescents through this important transition stages in their lives. Over the past decade, statistics show that Hawaii’s crime index has been consistently listed within the top 20 as compared to the rest of the nation. Violence amongst youth has become the second leading cause of death for those between ages 10-24. Through analysis of crime data, surveys, and historical analysis, this research will determine the main types of juvenile crime incidents that occur among adolescents and teens between ages 6-17 in Hawaii, specifically on Maui. A study of how architecture correlates to crime and how different design aspects of a building can affect the number of crimes committed in a given area will be conducted through a literature review of existing knowledge, including Oscar Newman’s comprehensive study on Defensible Space and Architectural Design for Crime Prevention, and the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) approach. In addition to existing knowledge on the subject of architecture and crime, surveys will be conducted in order to gain feedback from residents in the particular area of research. The combination of both existing and new knowledge gathered about architectural design and its correlation to crime will then be applied to recreational youth center design. The purpose of this research will be to provide guidelines for future youth facilities that will incorporate various architectural methods for creating safe spaces. The end result and goal of using architecture to create safe spaces for youths is to ultimately reduce crime in urban and residential areas on Maui.Recreational youth centers play a key role in shaping safer communities and can provide a sense of security within a neighborhood. The purpose of a youth center is to provide a safe, positive environment for adolescents and teens to learn and develop social skills. The facility becomes an intermediate space between home and school, which children can call their own. The success of a youth center depends on architectural aspects such as tectonic form, space, and programming. The organization of space is a critical factor in the design as each area should maintain faculty supervision while providing the youth a feeling of independence and security. The building becomes a “safe space” and a place of alternative entertainment for youth. In addition, the youth center staff act as positive role models and help guide adolescents through this important transition stages in their lives. Over the past decade, statistics show that Hawaii’s crime index has been consistently listed within the top 20 as compared to the rest of the nation. Violence amongst youth has become the second leading cause of death for those between ages 10-24. Through analysis of crime data, surveys, and historical analysis, this research will determine the main types of juvenile crime incidents that occur among adolescents and teens between ages 6-17 in Hawaii, specifically on Maui. A study of how architecture correlates to crime and how different design aspects of a building can affect the number of crimes committed in a given area will be conducted through a literature review of existing knowledge, including Oscar Newman’s comprehensive study on Defensible Space and Architectural Design for Crime Prevention, and the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) approach. In addition to existing knowledge on the subject of architecture and crime, surveys will be conducted in order to gain feedback from residents in the particular area of research. The combination of both existing and new knowledge gathered about architectural design and its correlation to crime will then be applied to recreational youth center design. The purpose of this research will be to provide guidelines for future youth facilities that will incorporate various architectural methods for creating safe spaces. The end result and goal of using architecture to create safe spaces for youths is to ultimately reduce crime in urban and residential areas on Maui.Recreational youth centers play a key role in shaping safer communities and can provide a sense of security within a neighborhood. The purpose of a youth center is to provide a safe, positive environment for adolescents and teens to learn and develop social skills. The facility becomes an intermediate space between home and school, which children can call their own. The success of a youth center depends on architectural aspects such as tectonic form, space, and programming. The organization of space is a critical factor in the design as each area should maintain faculty supervision while providing the youth a feeling of independence and security. The building becomes a “safe space” and a place of alternative entertainment for youth. In addition, the youth center staff act as positive role models and help guide adolescents through this important transition stages in their lives. Over the past decade, statistics show that Hawaii’s crime index has been consistently listed within the top 20 as compared to the rest of the nation. Violence amongst youth has become the second leading cause of death for those between ages 10-24. Through analysis of crime data, surveys, and historical analysis, this research will determine the main types of juvenile crime incidents that occur among adolescents and teens between ages 6-17 in Hawaii, specifically on Maui. A study of how architecture correlates to crime and how different design aspects of a building can affect the number of crimes committed in a given area will be conducted through a literature review of existing knowledge, including Oscar Newman’s comprehensive study on Defensible Space and Architectural Design for Crime Prevention, and the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) approach. In addition to existing knowledge on the subject of architecture and crime, surveys will be conducted in order to gain feedback from residents in the particular area of research. The combination of both existing and new knowledge gathered about architectural design and its correlation to crime will then be applied to recreational youth center design. The purpose of this research will be to provide guidelines for future youth facilities that will incorporate various architectural methods for creating safe spaces. The end result and goal of using architecture to create safe spaces for youths is to ultimately reduce crime in urban and residential areas on Maui.Recreational youth centers play a key role in shaping safer communities and can provide a sense of security within a neighborhood. The purpose of a youth center is to provide a safe, positive environment for adolescents and teens to learn and develop social skills. The facility becomes an intermediate space between home and school, which children can call their own. The success of a youth center depends on architectural aspects such as tectonic form, space, and programming. The organization of space is a critical factor in the design as each area should maintain faculty supervision while providing the youth a feeling of independence and security. The building becomes a “safe space” and a place of alternative entertainment for youth. In addition, the youth center staff act as positive role models and help guide adolescents through this important transition stages in their lives. Over the past decade, statistics show that Hawaii’s crime index has been consistently listed within the top 20 as compared to the rest of the nation. Violence amongst youth has become the second leading cause of death for those between ages 10-24. Through analysis of crime data, surveys, and historical analysis, this research will determine the main types of juvenile crime incidents that occur among adolescents and teens between ages 6-17 in Hawaii, specifically on Maui. A study of how architecture correlates to crime and how different design aspects of a building can affect the number of crimes committed in a given area will be conducted through a literature review of existing knowledge, including Oscar Newman’s comprehensive study on Defensible Space and Architectural Design for Crime Prevention, and the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) approach. In addition to existing knowledge on the subject of architecture and crime, surveys will be conducted in order to gain feedback from residents in the particular area of research. The combination of both existing and new knowledge gathered about architectural design and its correlation to crime will then be applied to recreational youth center design. The purpose of this research will be to provide guidelines for future youth facilities that will incorporate various architectural methods for creating safe spaces. The end result and goal of using architecture to create safe spaces for youths is to ultimately reduce crime in urban and residential areas on Maui.Recreational youth centers play a key role in shaping safer communities and can provide a sense of security within a neighborhood. The purpose of a youth center is to provide a safe, positive environment for adolescents and teens to learn and develop social skills. The facility becomes an intermediate space between home and school, which children can call their own. The success of a youth center depends on architectural aspects such as tectonic form, space, and programming. The organization of space is a critical factor in the design as each area should maintain faculty supervision while providing the youth a feeling of independence and security. The building becomes a “safe space” and a place of alternative entertainment for youth. In addition, the youth center staff act as positive role models and help guide adolescents through this important transition stages in their lives. Over the past decade, statistics show that Hawaii’s crime index has been consistently listed within the top 20 as compared to the rest of the nation. Violence amongst youth has become the second leading cause of death for those between ages 10-24. Through analysis of crime data, surveys, and historical analysis, this research will determine the main types of juvenile crime incidents that occur among adolescents and teens between ages 6-17 in Hawaii, specifically on Maui. A study of how architecture correlates to crime and how different design aspects of a building can affect the number of crimes committed in a given area will be conducted through a literature review of existing knowledge, including Oscar Newman’s comprehensive study on Defensible Space and Architectural Design for Crime Prevention, and the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) approach. In addition to existing knowledge on the subject of architecture and crime, surveys will be conducted in order to gain feedback from residents in the particular area of research. The combination of both existing and new knowledge gathered about architectural design and its correlation to crime will then be applied to recreational youth center design. The purpose of this research will be to provide guidelines for future youth facilities that will incorporate various architectural methods for creating safe spaces. The end result and goal of using architecture to create safe spaces for youths is to ultimately reduce crime in urban and residential areas on Maui.Recreational youth centers play a key role in shaping safer communities and can provide a sense of security within a neighborhood. The purpose of a youth center is to provide a safe, positive environment for adolescents and teens to learn and develop social skills. The facility becomes an intermediate space between home and school, which children can call their own. The success of a youth center depends on architectural aspects such as tectonic form, space, and programming. The organization of space is a critical factor in the design as each area should maintain faculty supervision while providing the youth a feeling of independence and security. The building becomes a “safe space” and a place of alternative entertainment for youth. In addition, the youth center staff act as positive role models and help guide adolescents through this important transition stages in their lives. Over the past decade, statistics show that Hawaii’s crime index has been consistently listed within the top 20 as compared to the rest of the nation. Violence amongst youth has become the second leading cause of death for those between ages 10-24. Through analysis of crime data, surveys, and historical analysis, this research will determine the main types of juvenile crime incidents that occur among adolescents and teens between ages 6-17 in Hawaii, specifically on Maui. A study of how architecture correlates to crime and how different design aspects of a building can affect the number of crimes committed in a given area will be conducted through a literature review of existing knowledge, including Oscar Newman’s comprehensive study on Defensible Space and Architectural Design for Crime Prevention, and the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) approach. In addition to existing knowledge on the subject of architecture and crime, surveys will be conducted in order to gain feedback from residents in the particular area of research. The combination of both existing and new knowledge gathered about architectural design and its correlation to crime will then be applied to recreational youth center design. The purpose of this research will be to provide guidelines for future youth facilities that will incorporate various architectural methods for creating safe spaces. The end result and goal of using architecture to create safe spaces for youths is to ultimately reduce crime in urban and residential areas on Maui.Recreational youth centers play a key role in shaping safer communities and can provide a sense of security within a neighborhood. The purpose of a youth center is to provide a safe, positive environment for adolescents and teens to learn and develop social skills. The facility becomes an intermediate space between home and school, which children can call their own. The success of a youth center depends on architectural aspects such as tectonic form, space, and programming. The organization of space is a critical factor in the design as each area should maintain faculty supervision while providing the youth a feeling of independence and security. The building becomes a “safe space” and a place of alternative entertainment for youth. In addition, the youth center staff act as positive role models and help guide adolescents through this important transition stages in their lives. Over the past decade, statistics show that Hawaii’s crime index has been consistently listed within the top 20 as compared to the rest of the nation. Violence amongst youth has become the second leading cause of death for those between ages 10-24. Through analysis of crime data, surveys, and historical analysis, this research will determine the main types of juvenile crime incidents that occur among adolescents and teens between ages 6-17 in Hawaii, specifically on Maui. A study of how architecture correlates to crime and how different design aspects of a building can affect the number of crimes committed in a given area will be conducted through a literature review of existing knowledge, including Oscar Newman’s comprehensive study on Defensible Space and Architectural Design for Crime Prevention, and the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) approach. In addition to existing knowledge on the subject of architecture and crime, surveys will be conducted in order to gain feedback from residents in the particular area of research. The combination of both existing and new knowledge gathered about architectural design and its correlation to crime will then be applied to recreational youth center design. The purpose of this research will be to provide guidelines for future youth facilities that will incorporate various architectural methods for creating safe spaces. The end result and goal of using architecture to create safe spaces for youths is to ultimately reduce crime in urban and residential areas on Maui.Recreational youth centers play a key role in shaping safer communities and can provide a sense of security within a neighborhood. The purpose of a youth center is to provide a safe, positive environment for adolescents and teens to learn and develop social skills. The facility becomes an intermediate space between home and school, which children can call their own. The success of a youth center depends on architectural aspects such as tectonic form, space, and programming. The organization of space is a critical factor in the design as each area should maintain faculty supervision while providing the youth a feeling of independence and security. The building becomes a “safe space” and a place of alternative entertainment for youth. In addition, the youth center staff act as positive role models and help guide adolescents through this important transition stages in their lives. Over the past decade, statistics show that Hawaii’s crime index has been consistently listed within the top 20 as compared to the rest of the nation. Violence amongst youth has become the second leading cause of death for those between ages 10-24. Through analysis of crime data, surveys, and historical analysis, this research will determine the main types of juvenile crime incidents that occur among adolescents and teens between ages 6-17 in Hawaii, specifically on Maui. A study of how architecture correlates to crime and how different design aspects of a building can affect the number of crimes committed in a given area will be conducted through a literature review of existing knowledge, including Oscar Newman’s comprehensive study on Defensible Space and Architectural Design for Crime Prevention, and the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) approach. In addition to existing knowledge on the subject of architecture and crime, surveys will be conducted in order to gain feedback from residents in the particular area of research. The combination of both existing and new knowledge gathered about architectural design and its correlation to crime will then be applied to recreational youth center design. The purpose of this research will be to provide guidelines for future youth facilities that will incorporate various architectural methods for creating safe spaces. The end result and goal of using architecture to create safe spaces for youths is to ultimately reduce crime in urban and residential areas on Maui.Recreational youth centers play a key role in shaping safer communities and can provide a sense of security within a neighborhood. The purpose of a youth center is to provide a safe, positive environment for adolescents and teens to learn and develop social skills. The facility becomes an intermediate space between home and school, which children can call their own. The success of a youth center depends on architectural aspects such as tectonic form, space, and programming. The organization of space is a critical factor in the design as each area should maintain faculty supervision while providing the youth a feeling of independence and security. The building becomes a “safe space” and a place of alternative entertainment for youth. In addition, the youth center staff act as positive role models and help guide adolescents through this important transition stages in their lives. Over the past decade, statistics show that Hawaii’s crime index has been consistently listed within the top 20 as compared to the rest of the nation. Violence amongst youth has become the second leading cause of death for those between ages 10-24. Through analysis of crime data, surveys, and historical analysis, this research will determine the main types of juvenile crime incidents that occur among adolescents and teens between ages 6-17 in Hawaii, specifically on Maui. A study of how architecture correlates to crime and how different design aspects of a building can affect the number of crimes committed in a given area will be conducted through a literature review of existing knowledge, including Oscar Newman’s comprehensive study on Defensible Space and Architectural Design for Crime Prevention, and the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) approach. In addition to existing knowledge on the subject of architecture and crime, surveys will be conducted in order to gain feedback from residents in the particular area of research. The combination of both existing and new knowledge gathered about architectural design and its correlation to crime will then be applied to recreational youth center design. The purpose of this research will be to provide guidelines for future youth facilities that will incorporate various architectural methods for creating safe spaces. The end result and goal of using archite

Photovoltaics and Electrification in Agriculture

Integration of photovoltaics and electrification in agriculture. Works on the integration of photovoltaics in agriculture, as well as electrification and microgrids in agriculture. In addition, some works on sustainability in agriculture are added